The Best Drafts of All Time

By Tim St.Sauver
Love of Sports Correspondent

The 2008 NBA Draft is upon us.

While many are taking the time to try and predict the results of this year’s NBA draft, I’ve decided to take a step back and look at all of them.

That’s right. Over 100 years. Thousands of players. Four sports.

We’re talking serious research here, my friends.

I’ve come up with the Top 10 draft classes in sports history.

TOP 10 DRAFT CLASSES EVER

10. MLB – 1985

It’s very difficult to qualify a draft as being good when the majority of players selected will never reach the bigs. However, the ’85 class is responsible for 18.2% of the MVP awards handed out since their draft and 13.6% of the Cy Young Awards over the same amount of time.

The 1985 Rule 4 Draft had 832 players selected. It had star power, depth and stands out among other MLB drafts due to the speed at which its top players made it on to MLB rosters.

Best of the Draft:
--Barry Bonds (6th overall) – Seven-time MVP, 762 HR, career .298 BA, 1 huge asterisk
--B.J. Surhoff (1st overall) - 1999 All-Star, 2,326 hits, 1,153 RBI
--Will Clark (2nd overall) – Six-time All-Star, 2,176 hits, 1,205 RBI, career .303 BA
--Barry Larkin (4th overall) - 1 World Series ring, 1 MVP, 12-time All-Star
--Rafael Palmeiro (22nd overall) – Four-time All Star, 3,020 hits, 1,835 RBI
--Randy Johnson (2nd round, 36th overall) – 10-time All-Star, 5 Cy Young awards, 284 wins, 4,629 Ks
--Mark Grace (24th round, 622nd overall) - 1 World Series ring, Three-time All Star, 2,445 hits, career .303 BA

Other Notable Selections:
Bobby Witt, Pete Incaviglia, Walt Weiss, Brian McRae, David Justice, Brady Anderson, Randy Velarde

Steal of the Draft:
John Smoltz - Selected in the 22nd round and 574th overall, Smoltz has 3,011 strikeouts, 210 wins and 154 saves to date, as well as Eight All-Star appearances and one Cy Young Award.

9. NFL – 1974

I’m cheating a little here, because I really don’t think the whole of this draft measures up against some other great ones I considered (1957 and 1967 NFL among others). So, why am I including it then? The Pittsburgh Steelers had the single greatest draft in the history of sports this season, and their class alone puts 1974’s NFL Draft on this list. The Steelers drafted FOUR future Hall of Famers here, a number that’ll never be approached in any sport ever again.

Pittsburgh’s HOF Class:
Lynn Swann (21st overall)
Jack Lambert (2nd round, 46th overall)
John Stallworth (4th round, 82nd overall)
Mike Webster (5th round, 125th overall)

Other Studs:
Ed “Too Tall” Jones (1st overall pick) - How tall is Too Tall? Try 6-foot-8. That’s pretty tall.
Dave Casper (2nd round, 45th overall) - The only non-Steeler Hall of Famer from this draft.

8. NBA - 1960

The first round featured only eight picks, but three of those would become Hall of Famers and named to the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players (list compiled in 1996).

The Big Three:
Oscar Robertson (1st overall pick) - 26,710 points (8th all time), 9,887 assists (4th all time), averaged triple-double in 1961-62 season (30.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 11.4 apg)
Jerry West (2nd overall) - 25,192 points (14th all time), 6,238 assists (24th all time)
Lenny Wilkens (6th overall) - 7,211 assists (10th all time), 17,762 points

7. NHL – 1979

1979 was a huge year for the NHL. It’s the year the World Hockey League collapsed, bringing four new teams to the league. In addition to the new teams, the WHL collapse brought Wayne Gretzky to the NHL (as a signed player on one of the new teams). As such, Gretzky was never actually involved in an actual NHL Draft. It’s simply by coincidence his first year in the NHL coincides with one of the greatest draft classes the league’s ever seen.

In ’79, the NHL lowered the age limit for potential draftees by one year, which effectively doubled the number of available players to draft. Many credit the age limit change for the awesomeness that ensued.

A stunning 81% of the players selected in the 1979 entry draft eventually played at least one game in the NHL. The highest single-season percentage of players drafted to reach the NHL had previously been 58%. It was, to say the least, a good year for hockey.

Best of the Best:
Mike Gartner (4th overall) Hall of Famer
Ray Bourque (8th overall) Hall of Famer
Michel Goulet (20th overall) Hall of Famer
Dale Hunter (2nd round, 41st overall)
Neal Broten (2nd round, 42nd overall)
Glenn Anderson (4th round, 69th overall)

Steal of the Draft:
Mark Messier - Messier was taken in the third round as the 48th overall pick. His 1,887 points rank second in NHL history, trailing only his Greatness. And since Gretzky - as previously mentioned - was never drafted, Messier therefore sits atop the all-time points list for drafted players. Add in the fact his name appears on the Stanley Cup six times, and it’s clear he was a hell of a steal at #48.

6. NBA – 2003

LBJ. Melo. D-Wade. The 2003 Draft formally introduced us to what many expected to be the future of the NBA. The top players from this class have been part of making some of 2002-03’s worst teams into contenders (the Cavs and Nuggets had 17 wins each in 2002-03). However, there’s only one ring here, and Wade’s inclusion on this year’s league-worst Heat squad all but nullifies that ring in my eyes. Stars don’t let their team finish 15-67.

Still, the sixth-best draft class ever isn’t so bad.

Top Selections:
LeBron James (1st overall pick) - averages 27.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists over career
Carmelo Anthony (3rd overall) - 24.4 PPG, 6.0 RBG, 3.0 APG
Chris Bosh (4th overall) - 18.9 PPG, 9.0 RBG
Dwyane Wade (5th overall) - 23.9 PPG, 4.8 RBG, 6.5 APG, NBA Championship Ring
Chris Kamen (6th overall) - 10.3 PPG, 8.3 RBG
Kirk Hinrich (7th overall) - 14.4 PPG, 6.5 APG
T.J. Ford (8th overall) - 11.6 PPG, 6.9 APG
David West (18th overall) - 14.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG
Leandro Barbosa (28th overall) - 12.7 PPG
Maurice Williams (2nd round, 47th overall) – 12.5 PPG, 4.9 APG
Kyle Korver (2nd round, 51st overall) - 10.4 PPG

Steal of the Draft:
Josh Howard was the last pick of the first round. His 15.2 points per game and 6.4 rebounds have been a key part of Dallas’ regular season success over the past five years. Unfortunately, working with Dirk has kept Howard from having any real shot at a championship.

5. NHL – 1984

This draft class stands out because of the dominance of its best players. The second-best player in NHL history was taken with the first overall pick and went on to win the Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year). A pair of players taken in the ninth round also went on to win future Calders, which made this the draft that kept on giving.

Less than half the players selected in this draft made it to the NHL, which looks pretty weak next to the 80% posted in ’79, but the top players in this draft would smoke the best ‘79 had to offer. While Messier may have more points than any drafted player in NHL history, Mario Lemieux was more dominant on the ice. Lemieux’s 1.88 points per game is second all time to Gretzky’s 1.92, and third place isn’t even close at 1.49 (Mike Bossy).

Best of the Draft:
Mario Lemieux (1st overall pick) – 7th all time in points, 2nd in PPG, Won Calder in 1984-85
Patrick Roy (3rd round, 51st overall) - His 551 wins (most ever) speak to his ability and durability
Brett Hull (6th round, 117th overall) - 3rd all time on goals scored list (741)
Gary Suter (9th round, 180th overall) - Kind of defenseman you want on your team, won Calder in 1985-86

Other Notable Selections:
Kirk Muller, Ed Olczyk, Gary Roberts, Scott Mellanby, Stephane Richer

Bonus Time:
The 1984 NHL Draft was full of future NHL Hall of Famers, as well as one future MLB Hall of Famer. Tom Glavine was selected in the fourth round by the L.A. Kings. His 300+ wins and 2,500+ strikeouts are obviously more than any other player in NHL Draft history.

Steal of the Draft:
Luc Robitaille - Considering Messier was a steal at #48 in 1979, Robitaille is the NHL closeout bargain of the century at 171st overall. Not only did he win the Calder Trophy in 1987 (third Rookie of the Year from this draft), but he also recorded 668 goals and 726 assists in his dominant career. Those totals leave him 10th all time in goals and 19th all time in points.

4. NFL – 1989

While the 1984 NHL class was impressive due to the fact it produced Hall of Fame talent deep into the late rounds, the 1989 NFL Draft should be remembered as having the best first five picks ever. The only blemish up top was Tony Mandarich at #2.

The Top Five:
Troy Aikman (1st overall pick) - Three Super Bowl rings in four years, Hall of Famer
Tony Mandarich (2nd overall) - Can be found playing poker with Sam Bowie on the weekends
Barry Sanders (3rd overall) - Best RB in history? #2 all time at 99.8 YPG rushing/game, Hall of Famer
Derrick Thomas (4th overall) - Top 5 LB of all time, 7 sacks in a game speaks for itself, 11th all time in sacks, Hall of Famer
Deion Sanders (5th overall) - One of best cover corners ever, tied for 2nd all time for INT return TDs

Other Notable Selections:
Eric Metcalf, Steve Atwater, Andre Rison, Steve Wisniewski, Carnell Lake, Wesley Walls, Mark Stepnoski, Dave Meggett

3. NBA – 1996

The 1996 NBA Draft class has produced:

(a) 4 of the last 8 MVPs
(b) 6 of the last 9 regular season PPG leaders
(c) 3 of the last 4 regular season APG leaders
(d) 3 of the last 3 regular season block per game leaders
(e) 11 first rounders with career averages over 14 PPG (3 who average over 20)
(f) All of the above

The answer, of course, is F. Why did I give you that information in quiz form? I don’t know.

Fun Fact: 1996 is one of only two NBA Drafts since 1990 to produce three players with career PPG averages over 20. The other is 2003.

Top Selections:
Allen Iverson (1st overall pick) - 1 MVP, 4-time PPG leader, career 27.7 points and 6.3 assists
Marcus Camby (2nd overall) – 4-time blocks leader, career 10.7 points and 9.7 rebounds
Shareef Abdur-Raheem (3rd overall) – career 18.1 points and 7.5 rebounds
Stephon Marbury (4th overall) – career 19.7 points and 7.8 assists
Ray Allen (5th overall) - career 21.1 points, 1 NBA Championship Ring
Antoine Walker (6th overall) - career 17.5 points and 7.7 rebounds, 1 NBA Championship Ring
Kobe Bryant (13th overall) – 1 MVP, 2-time PPG leader, career 25 PPG, 3 NBA Championship Rings
Peja Stojakovic (14th overall) - career 18.2 points
Steve Nash: (15th overall) - 2 MVPs, 3-time assist leader,career 16.7 points and 9.2 assists
Jermaine O’Neal (17th overall) - career 14.4 points and 7.7 rebounds
Zydrunas Ilgauskas: (20th overall) - career 14.5 points and 7.9 rebounds

2. NFL – 1983

An NFL record six quarterbacks were taken in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft. In the 11 years that followed, an AFC team led by one of these quarterbacks reached the Super Bowl nine times.

The first round also produced the draft’s six Hall of Famers. Only one draft since the merger has produced more (seven in 1967). No other draft has ever pumped out six Hall of Famers in one round.

The Hall of Famers:
John Elway (1st overall pick) - 2 Super Bowl wins in 5 appearances, 3rd all time in passing yards and completions, 5th all time in passing TDs
Eric Dickerson: (2nd overall) - 6th all time with 13,259 rushing yards, 12th all time in rushing TDs
Bruce Matthews (9th overall) - 1st all time in games started (292), Nuts for an offensive lineman
Jim Kelly (14th overall) - 4 straight Super Bowl appearances, 14th all time in passing yards, 15th in completions, 18th in TDs
Dan Marino (27th overall) - 2nd all time in passing yards, completions and touchdowns
Darrel Green (28th overall) – 7-time Pro Bowler

Potential Hall of Famers:
Roger Craig (2nd round, 49th overall)
Richard Dent (8th round, 203rd overall)

Other Notable Selections:
Chris Hinton, Joey Browner, Henry Ellard, Leonard Marshall, Albert Lewis, Charles Mann, Mark Clayton, Karl Mecklenburg

Steal of the Draft:
Anthony Carter - Carter was taken one spot ahead of 1983’s Mr. Irrelevant. The 12th round, 334th overall pick made three Pro Bowls and ranks 73rd all time in receiving TDs. Mecklenburg also deserves consideration here as the 310th overall selection (12th round). His 79 career sacks are tied for 44th all time. Not bad for a couple of guys taken in a round that no longer exists.

1. NBA – 1984

Some things the 1984 NBA Draft produced: The NBA’s all-time PPG leader, the all-time assists leader, the all-time steals leader, the all-time blocks leader, four of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players, the most dominant player in basketball (and possibly team sport) history. And Sam Bowie.

It doesn’t get any better than that.

Trivia:
Olympic Track and Field star Carl Lewis was selected in the 10th round by the Chicago Bulls. Why the NBA ever had 10 rounds in its draft, and where they found over 200 players to choose from, is beyond me. Lewis decided to stick to track and went on to win nine Olympic gold medals. Nine golds isn’t bad, but it still falls short of the 12 gold medals won by players selected in the first round of the 1984 NBA Draft (1984, ’92, ’96 Olympics).

The Best Draft Class Ever:
Hakeem Olajuwon (1st overall pick) - Hall of Famer, 1 MVP, 1st all time in blocks, 7th all time in steals, 2 NBA Championship Rings, 2-time Finals MVP, 11-time All-Star, one of NBA’s 50 Greatest Players
Michael Jordan (3rd overall) – 5-time MVP, 1st all time in PPG, 2nd all time in steals, 6 NBA Championship Rings, 6-time Finals MVP, 14-time All-Star, one of NBA’s 50 Greatest Players
Charles Barkley (5th overall) - Hall of Famer, 1 MVP, 16th all time in points, 15th all time in rebounds, 20th all time in steals, 11-time All-Star, one of NBA’s 50 Greatest Players
Alvin Robertson (7th overall) – 4-time All-Star, 1st all time in steals per game
Otis Thorpe (9th overall) – All-Star, 17,600 career points
John Stockton (16th overall) – 10-time All-Star, 1st all time in assists, 1st all time in steals, 37th all time in points (19,711)

Other Notable Selections:
Sam Perkins, Kevin Willis

A short but sweet list of players. 1984’s NBA Draft class dominated its sport unlike any other, and that makes them the best in sports history.

I challenge you to find a class more deserving of recognition than the 10 included here!

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