ACC Football: Best Player Drafted For Every Program
ACC football programs have a lot to be excited about in the history of the NFL draft, but who are the best picks from each of the 14 programs. Here's a look with the 2016 NFL Draft approaching.
ACC football programs have a lot to be excited about in the history of the NFL draft, but who are the best picks from each of the 14 programs. Here’s a look with the 2016 NFL Draft approaching.
The conference takes a backseat to no one when it comes to NFL draft bragging rights from its current programs. From Dan Marino to Jim Brown, and from Lawrence Taylor to Derrick Brooks, there’s a lot for the ACC to chirp about.
This isn’t a list of the top pro players to come from ACC football schools – these are the best draft picks.
That means no undrafted free agents, and it also means that guys who had great careers for someone other than the teams that drafted them get knocked down a peg, or aren’t on the list at all.
The goal for any draft pick is to get a player who performs at a high level for a long period of time, so longevity matters over one short burst of greatness. You’ll get the idea.
Boston College
C Tom Nalen
1994, 7th round, 218th pick overall, Denver
Silver: LB Luke Kuechly, 2012, 1st round, 9th pick overall, Carolina
Bronze: QB Matt Ryan, 2008, 1st round, 3rd pick overall, Atlanta
Denver hit the jackpot getting a 14-year center who started 188 times. Ton Nalen went to five Pro Bowls and was named to two All-Pro teams as the anchor of a few Super Bowl champions.
It’s a better fight than you might think for the other two spots. Matt Ryan might have struggled lately, but his stats are outstanding. Luke Kuechly doesn’t have the longevity, but the three-time All-Pro and Pro Bowler, and the 2013 NFL Defensive MVP, has put together a whale of an early run.
DE Larry Eisenhauer belongs on the list somewhere with three All-Pro teams as a Boston Patriot, and DT Fred Smerlas deserved consideration.
Clemson
S Brian Dawkins
1996, 2nd round, 61st pick overall, Philadelphia
Silver: DT Michael Dean Perry, 1988, 2nd round, 50th pick overall, Cleveland
Bronze: LB Levon Kirkland, 1992, 2nd round, 38th pick overall, Pittsburgh
Clemson doesn’t have as many star prospects as you might think. There are plenty of very good pros, but enough elite ones.
Brian Dawkins put together a special career as one of the leaders of the Philadelphia defense for over a decade going to four All-Pro teams with six Pro Bowl trips for the Eagles. Michael Dean had a far better NFL career than William – he was the better of the two Perrys – while Kirkland was a massive linebacker who became an unstoppable force in the mid-1990s.
Duke
LB Mike Curtis
1965, 1st round, 14th pick overall, Baltimore
Silver: OG Ed Newman, 1973, 6th round, 156th overall, Miami
Bronze: C Bill Bryan, 1977, 4th round, 101st overall, Denver
The tone-setter for several championship-level defenses, Mike Curtis spent 11 years in Baltimore as one of the best all-around linebackers of the late 1960s and 1970s.
Ed Newman was a star guard who kicked in just after Miami’s historic 1972 season. It took a while to get the starting job, but he played 12 years for the Dolphins and went to four Pro Bowls and closed out his career with an All-Pro nod.
Sonny Jurgensen easily makes this list for Washington, but he was drafted by Philadelphia. The red-haired quarterback wasn’t bad for the Eagles, but he wasn’t special outside of one big season.
Florida State
1995, 1st round, 28th pick overall, Tampa Bay
Silver: OT Walter Jones, 1997, 1st round, 6th pick overall, Seattle
Bronze: CB Deion Sanders, 1989, 1st round, 5th pick overall, Atlanta
It might not be quite the group of superstar talents you’d expect, but Florida State’s drafted players up top are as good as any in the history of the NFL.
Derrick Brooks is a Hall of Famer, playing 14 years for Tampa Bay as one of the leaders of several epic defenses and a Super Bowl champion. A five-time All-Pro and 11-time Pro Bowler, he wasn’t all that bad for the 28th pick.
Deion Sanders would probably be No. 1, but he only spent five years at Atlanta – that was enough to get him into the FSU top three. He picked off 24 passes for the Falcons – he came up with 25 in his other eight years – going to three Pro Bowls and being named to three All-Pro teams in Atlanta. Walter Jones is also in the Hall of Fame, earning four All-Pro honors in his 12-year Seattle career.
Georgia Tech
OG Billy Shaw
1961, 2nd round, 11th pick overall, Buffalo
Silver: WR Calvin Johnson, 2007, 1st round, 2nd pick overall, Detroit
Bronze: LB Pat Swilling, 1986, 3rd round, 50th pick overall, New Orleans
Billy Shaw was a nine-year mainstay at guard for the Bills throughout the 1960s was a five-time All-Pro performer with eight Pro Bowl appearances in his Hall of Fame career.
Pat Swilling isn’t in the Hall, but the two-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowler did most of his best work with New Orleans, highlighted by being named the 1991 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He was good, but he wasn’t Megatron. Calvin Johnson was well worth the second overall pick.
Louisville
LB Tom Jackson
1973, 4th round, 88th pick overall, Denver
Silver: S Sam Madison, 1997, 2nd round, 44th pick overall, Miami
Bronze: OT Bruce Armstrong, 1987, 1st round, 23rd pick overall, New England
Johnny Unitas is obviously the best pro to come from Louisville – but he was drafted by Pittsburgh and didn’t do anything until going to Baltimore.
Tom Jackson was one of the leaders and stars of Denver’s Orange Crush defense of the 1970s. The 1977 All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler was the ultimate leader. Sam Madison was the nine-year rock of the Miami secondary, while Bruce Armstrong started 212 games for the Patriots.
Miami
LB Ray Lewis
1996, 1st round, 26th pick overall, Baltimore
Silver: S Ed Reed, 2002, 1st round, 24th pick overall, Baltimore
Bronze: DT Warren Sapp, 1995, 1st round, 12th pick overall, Tampa Bay
It’s the best list of any college football program – USC is up there, though – to choose from. Who doesn’t make the cut? Some of the most productive runners in NFL history – Edgerrin James and Frank Gore. Hall of Fame receivers – Michael Irvin, Andre Johnson and Reggie Wayne.
Jim Kelly, Vinny Testaverde, Cortez Kennedy, Vince Wilfork, Bernie Kosar, and one and on, and on, and on.
Ray Lewis was a ten-time All-Pro and 13-time Pro Bowler with two Super Bowl championships. If he’s not the greatest linebacker of all-time, he was close. Ed Reed belongs in the team photo of the greatest safeties ever, and Hall of Famer Warren Sapp is among the all-time defensive tackle greats.
North Carolina
LB Lawrence Taylor
1981, 1st round, 2nd pick overall, New York Giants
Silver: DE Julius Peppers, 1st round, 2nd pick overall, Carolina
Bronze: LB Chris Hanburger, 18th round, 245th pick overall, Washington
The North Carolina top three are as good as almost any other college’s trio. Lawrence Taylor alone makes this group special. Arguably the greatest defensive player of all-time, the Hall of Famer is the gold standard of pass rushers.
Peppers might have gone from great to Hall of Fame special because of his longevity with Chicago and Green Bay, but he was outstanding for Carolina, too, while Hanburger turned out to be okay for an 18th round pick – the four-time All-Pro played 14 years for Washington on the way to Canton.
North Carolina State
QB Phil Rivers
2004, 1st round, 4th pick overall, New York Giants*
Silver: WR Torry Holt, 1999, 1st round, 6th pick overall, St. Louis Rams
Bronze: QB Roman Gabriel, 1962, 1st round, 2nd pick overall, Los Angeles Rams
Just like Eli Manning for Ole Miss, Phil Rivers gets credit for being “drafted” because of the draft day trade. He’s a first ballot Hall of Famer, but Roman Gabriel isn’t in despite putting up huge numbers in his 16-year career. In his 11 years with Los Angeles, he threw for over 22,000 yards and was a 1969 All-Pro.
Torry Holt will someday end up in Canton after making 869 catches for 12,660 yards and 74 touchdowns for the Greatest Show On Turf Rams, going to seven Pro Bowls and being named a 2003 All-Pro.
Pitt
QB Dan Marino
1983, 1st round, 27th pick overall, Miami
Silver: RB Tony Dorsett, 1977, 1st round, 1st pick overall, Dallas
Bronze: DE Chris Doleman, 1985, 1st round, 4th pick overall, Minnesota
If you’re not in the Hall of Fame, you need not apply for the top three Pitt draft picks of all-time.
Darrelle Revis will end up getting a yellow jacket, and he didn’t make the cut. Curtis Martin has one, and so do Rickey Jackson and Mike Ditka, but they’re not quite strong enough. Larry Fitzgerald, Mark May, Bill Fralic, Jimbo Covert and Russ Grimm didn’t make it.
Dan Marino is the obvious top choice, but Chris Doleman wasn’t all that far off with 96.5 of his career 150.5 sacks coming with Minnesota. If you want to argue that Tony Dorsett could be Pitt’s greatest draft pick – he has a Super Bowl ring – you might be right.
Syracuse
RB Jim Brown
1957, 1st round, 6th pick overall, Cleveland
Silver: WR Marvin Harrison, 1999, 1st round, 19th pick overall, Indianapolis
Bronze: C Jim Ringo, 1953, 7th round, 79th pick overall, Green Bay
It’s a strong, strong top three. Jim Brown might be the greatest player in NFL history. That’s a nice place to start earning eight All-Pro nods in his nine years while setting the standard for NFL rushing greatness.
Jim Ringo is a Hall of Famer being named to six All-Pro teams as the anchor of the Green Bay line, while Marvin Harrison is one of the most productive receivers of all-time.
Donovan McNabb, Art Monk, Dwight Freeney, Larry Czonka, Floyd Little, and Walt Sweeney are just a few of the other Syracuse greats who’d make the cut for just about anyone else.
Virginia
CB Ronde Barber
1997, 3rd round, 66th pick overall, Tampa Bay
Silver: WR Herman Moore, 1991, 1st round, 10th pick overall, Detroit
Bronze: RB Tiki Barber, 1997, 2nd round, 36th pick overall, New York Giants
Henry Barber would be No. 1 without a problem, but the Hall of Fame defensive tackle did all of his big things for Green Bay – he only played two years for Cleveland.
Ronde Barber is a fringe Hall of Fame candidate, playing 16 years for the Buccaneers going to five Pro Bowls and being named to three All-Pro teams, finishing his career with 1,028 tackles. Brother Tiki’s career wasn’t far behind, getting better as he went on finishing with 10,449 yards in his ten-year career.
Herman Moore had a massive career for Detroit catching 670 passes for 9,174 yards and 62 scores with three All-Pro teams on the resume.
Virginia Tech
DE Bruce Smith
1985, 1st round, 1st pick overall, Buffalo
Silver: QB Michael Vick, 2001, 1st round, 1st pick overall, Atlanta
Bronze: OT Duane Brown, 2008, 1st round, 26h pick overall, Houston
As crazy as it might seem now, Bruce Smith was considered a potential bust after his rookie year. And then he came up with 15 sacks, and then he turned in a Hall of Fame career as one of the most dominant pass rushers of all-time, coming up with 171 sacks for Buffalo being named to eight All-Pro teams.
Forget about all the drama, Michael Vick was fantastic for Atlanta in his six years. Duane Brown was a starter for Houston from the start, getting better and better leading up to a 2012 All-Pro season and going to three Pro Bowls as a tackle.
Wake Forest
LB Bill George
1951, 2nd round, 23rd pick overall, Chicago
Silver: C Tony Mayberry, 1990, 4th round, 108th pick overall, Tampa Bay
Bronze: OG Billy Ard, 1981, 8th round, 221st pick overall, New York Giants
Bill George turned in a great Hall of Fame career, but in different positions starting out mostly as a guard and working later as a middle linebacker, being named All-Pro eight times. After him, there wasn’t much to choose from.
QB Norm Snead only played a few years for Washington – otherwise the 16-year pro would be an easy No. 2. Center Tony Mayberry was a three-time Pro Bowler as the ten-year mainstay of the Tampa Bay line, while Billy Ard turned into a steady starter for the New York Giant lines of the 1980s.
