Obviously, the first round of the NFL Draft has loads of talent. But which first-round picks are the best of the best? We worked to answer that question … sorta. As the countdown to the 2026 NFL Draft has moved from weeks to days, we decided to determine which player was the best selection at every first-round pick since 2000. The premise was relatively simple, but some draft picks (looking at you, pick No. 11) were loaded with Hall of Fame talent, while others (pick No. 23) were actually a bit tougher to figure out due to a lack of accomplished careers of players drafted at that pick number. Going through this exercise, some teams stand out as strong drafters, too. The Pittsburgh Steelers make a handful of appearances on this list. The Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots also proved you can find talent toward the end of the first round. So, which players were the best selected at each pick number in the first round? Let’s dive in. 1. Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia (selected by Detroit Lions in 2009) Matthew Stafford has won a Super Bowl and has an MVP now. That, and his career numbers — 423 touchdown passes and counting — should put him at the top among the quarterbacks taken at No. 1. You can make a strong case for edge rusher Myles Garrett (2017), who has seven Pro Bowls and five first-team All-Pro nods in nine seasons. He’s already at 125.5 sacks and just set an NFL record with 23, but it’s also the first time he’s led the league, just as 2025 was the first year Stafford led the league in passing yards or touchdowns. Stafford has been a great passer in the playoffs as well, with 25 touchdowns against seven interceptions, while Garrett has one sack in three career playoff games. You can go either way, but we’ll take Stafford for a larger body of work and more playoff impact. 2. Julius Peppers, DE, North Carolina (selected by Carolina Panthers in 2002) As you might expect, there are many compelling options here. Receiver Calvin Johnson (2007) had an amazing career, but only played nine years. Fellow Lions draft pick and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (2010) had five Pro Bowls in his first seven seasons but none in the final six. We narrowed to two players, and a strong case can be made for both. Edge rusher Von Miller (2011) had 4.5 sacks in two Super Bowl wins, has 138.5 sacks and made the Pro Bowl eight times in his first nine seasons. But he hasn’t had a double-digit sack season or a Pro Bowl since 2019. So we chose Julius Peppers, an exceptional player who had 10 seasons with 10-plus sacks to finish with 159.5, as well as an incredible 51 forced fumbles and six defensive touchdowns. He lost his only Super Bowl, but had a sack and an interception in the game. 3. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Pitt (selected by Arizona Cardinals in 2004) Here we were, worried this list would be overstacked with quarterbacks at every spot, and if anything, the opposite is true. So Matt Ryan (2008) is in the top 10 all-time in passing yards and touchdowns, but that doesn’t trump Larry Fitzgerald, who was so good for so long he’s second all-time behind Jerry Rice in both receptions (1,431) and receiving yards (17,492), with 121 touchdown catches as well. His 11 Pro Bowls are one more than tackle Joe Thomas (2007) and he’s our pick at No. 3. 4. Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma (selected by Washington in 2010) You feel bad for Philip Rivers, who ranks sixth all-time in passing touchdowns (425) and eighth in passing yards (63,984), but there are very few people with 12 Pro Bowl selections, like Trent Williams. Williams has also spent more than a decade among the best — if not the best — tackles in the game. He’s over 200 starts and still going, another that lost in his only Super Bowl, but we must respect the longevity and sustained run he’s had at a crucial position. 5. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, TCU (selected by San Diego Chargers in 2001) None of the picks this high will be easy. You have young elite players like Ja’Marr Chase (2021), three more guys with at least eight Pro Bowls in edge Khalil Mack (2014) and corners Jalen Ramsey (2016) and Patrick Peterson (2011). But we’ll go with LaDanian Tomlinson, who is second all-time in rushing touchdowns (145) and rushed for 13,684 yards while mixing in 624 receptions. Never made a Super Bowl, kinda quiet in his biggest playoff games, but as entire bodies of work go, he’ll get our pick at No. 5. 6. Julio Jones, WR, Alabama (selected by Atlanta Falcons in 2011) There may be a time when Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (2020) owns this spot, but he’s not there yet — not without a playoff win. You can make a case for Colts guard Quenton Nelson (2018), who’s made the Pro Bowl in all eight of his years in the league. But for now, we’re going with Julio Jones, who had six straight seasons with at least 1,394 receiving yards, making the Pro Bowl all six years. His touchdown total (66) isn’t what it should be. He lost his only Super Bowl, but he gets the nod in a close call. 7. Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma (selected by Minnesota Vikings in 2007) We hear you, Bills fans: Josh Allen is really deserving here as well, with an MVP already on his résumé. But Adrian Peterson ranks in the top five all-time in rushing yards (14,918) and touchdowns (120), with a 2,000-yard season under his belt. He had seven Pro Bowls by the time he was 30, then awkwardly bounced around way too much. Do you remember him with the Saints? Cardinals? Washington? Lions? Titans? Seahawks? Shoutout to receiver Mike Evans (2014), who would be deserving at other spots. [2026 NFL Draft: Pro Player Comps for Fernando Mendoza, Other Top Draft Prospects] 8. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford (selected by Carolina Panthers in 2017) Another active player makes the list, and with good reason. Christian McCaffrey has had four seasons where he’s played eight games or fewer due to injury, and he still has 98 total touchdowns and nearly a decade as one of the best dual-threat backs in the NFL. He had 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season in 2019, and he’s had two other 100-catch seasons as well. What’s wild is that former Cowboys safety Roy Williams (2002) actually has more Pro Bowl nods than McCaffrey. 9. Brian Urlacher, LB, New Mexico, 2000 (selected by Chicago Bears in 2000) This is a legit, hard-to-answer debate: Did Brian Urlacher or fellow linebacker Luke Kuechly (2012) have the better career? Urlacher played four more years, had one more Pro Bowl (8) and one fewer first-team All-Pro (four). Urlacher has more sacks and interceptions, and two more defensive touchdowns. Both made a single Super Bowl and lost. We went with Urlacher, though tackle Tyron Smith (2011) also deserves consideration. 10. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech (selected by Kansas City Chiefs in 2017) Maybe the easiest one of the lot. Patrick Mahomes is a two-time MVP who led the Chiefs to five Super Bowls in six years, winning three of them. He has 267 touchdown passes and he’s still only 30, and while he’s looked mortal enough to not even make the Pro Bowl the last two seasons, once he’s healthy again, he’s the quarterback everyone else is chasing. We should mention edge rusher Terrell Suggs (2003) and his 139 sacks, but it’s a distant second here. 11. J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin (selected by Houston Texans in 2011) How good was the No. 11 spot? Three Hall of Famers in a six-year span, with edge rusher Dwight Freeney (2002), edge rusher DeMarcus Ware (2005) and linebacker Patrick Willis (2007). Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (2004) could join them next year. But J.J. Watt is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year — 114.5 sacks, 195 tackles for loss in a career that had him limited to eight games or fewer in four seasons. This is the sweet spot of the draft — if you can trade up or down to 11, not a bad idea. 12. Micah Parsons, OLB, Penn State (selected by Dallas Cowboys in 2021) Another no-brainer, as Micah Parsons has 65 sacks in his five years in the league, making the Pro Bowl every year and first-team All-Pro in three of those. We’ll give a shoutout to defensive tackles Fletcher Cox (2012) and Haloti Ngata (2006) for six and five Pro Bowls, respectively, but Parsons is still adding to his totals in a big way. 13. Aaron Donald, DT, Pitt (selected by Los Angeles Rams in 2014) The options at 13 include great offensive tackles like Tristan Wirfs (2020) and Laremy Tunsil (2016), but nobody has a chance when up against Aaron Donald, a Pro Bowler in all 10 of his NFL seasons and a first-team All-Pro in eight of those. He’s a three-time Defensive Player of the Year who finished with 111 sacks and 24 forced fumbles. He also had 3.5 sacks in the 2021 postseason, two in the Super Bowl, in leading the Rams to a Super Bowl. 14. Darrelle Revis, CB, Pitt (selected by New York Jets in 2007) Darrelle Revis was the premier corner in the NFL for a good stretch there, earning first-team All-Pro honors three years in a row from 2009-11, part of a run that had seven Pro Bowls in eight years. Even after a major knee injury, he helped the Patriots win a Super Bowl in 2014 and finished with 29 career interceptions. When we give corners “Island” nicknames, that started with Revis, an easy choice over longtime Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis (2005). 15. Jason Pierre-Paul, OLB, USF (selected by New York Giants in 2010) Jason Pierre-Paul is still trying to play in the league after 15 years and 94.5 career sacks — he helped two teams win Super Bowls nine years apart, first with the Giants, then the Bucs. Only three Pro Bowls, but gets the nod here over linebacker Derrick Johnson (2005) and guard Mike Pouncey (2011), who nearly joined his brother on the list. 16. Troy Polamalu, S, USC (selected by Pittsburgh Steelers in 2003) Neck-and-neck call between Troy Polamalu and guard Zack Martin (2004). Martin had more Pro Bowls and first-team All-Pro nods, but we’ll choose Troy Polamalu, who still had eight Pro Bowls and four All-Pros, and helped Pittsburgh to two Super Bowl wins. He finished with 32 interceptions and five defensive touchdowns. Either of these players could make it at other spots in the top 20, though. 17. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Oklahoma (selected by Dallas Cowboys in 2020) Good group to choose from here. Guard Steve Hutchinson (2001) had seven Pro Bowls, safety Derwin James now has six, but we’ll go with CeeDee Lamb, who has five Pro Bowls in his six years in the league. After barely missing as a rookie, he’s topped 1,000 yards in each of the last five seasons, and he led the NFL with 135 catches in 2023. He took a step back last year with George Pickens’ emergence, but remains one of the league’s highest-paid receivers, getting $34 million a year. [2026 NFL Draft: 8 Prospects Who Will Make This Draft One to Remember] 18. Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida (selected by Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010) Hard to beat nine Pro Bowls in 10 NFL seasons. You can appreciate Joe Flacco’s longevity, but Maurkice Pouncey had a dominant run in Pittsburgh, despite basically losing two full seasons to injury. In the entire 2010 draft, only Trent Williams (12) has more career Pro Bowl honors than Pouncey. 19. Shaun Alexander, RB, Alabama (selected by Seattle Seahawks in 2000) Tempting to go with defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (2019), who already has four Pro Bowls, but we’ll throw back to Shaun Alexander, who had five straight 1,000-yard seasons, culminating with a monster 2005: a league-high 1,880 yards and somehow 27 rushing touchdowns. Defensive end Jared Verse (2024) could end up being the long-term answer here as well. 20. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State (selected by Seattle Seahawks in 2023) We’re going to upset people here with all kinds of recency bias, but Jaxon Smith-Nigba is coming off an amazing season — leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards and helping the Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship. We totally get that corner Aqib Talib (2008) had five Pro Bowls and 35 interceptions, and that defensive end Tamba Hali (2006) also had five Pro Bowls and 89.5 sacks. We’re just trusting that five years from now, JSN will have those kinds of career accolades and we’re just ahead of things. 21. Vince Wilfork, DT, Miami (Fla.) (selected by New England Patriots in 2004) Our first New England star to make the list, Vince Wilfork, is that rare non-Brady player to get a ring in the Patriots’ early Super Bowls and their later run as well. He played in 19 playoff games for New England, getting five Pro Bowls between 2007-12. The other option at 21 is center Alex Mack (2009), who earned seven Pro Bowl nods with 196 career starts, but didn’t have the same postseason presence. 22. Justin Jefferson, WR, LSU (selected by Minnesota Vikings in 2020) An easy call, even though Justin Jefferson’s only six years into his NFL career. He’s topped 1,000 receiving yards in all six seasons, with a combined 42 touchdowns and four Pro Bowl nods. The next-best is receiver Demaryius Thomas, who had 63 touchdown catches in his 10 NFL seasons. This is going to be a more compelling case for Jefferson every year for a while. Amazing to think he was the fifth receiver taken in 2020. 23. Willis McGahee, RB, Miami (Fla.) (selected by Buffalo Bills in 2003) Now, pick No. 23 — a number synonymous with greatness — has nowhere close to the talent of 24, with no players getting more than two Pro Bowls in their careers. We could go with someone like tackle Bryan Bulaga (2010), but we’ll go with Willis McGahee, who had four 1,000-yard seasons and two Pro Bowl nods, bouncing around to four NFL teams in his 10-year NFL career. It’s closer than you think between McGahee and Deuce McAllister (2001). 24. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Cal (selected by Green Bay Packers in 2005) This one’s a little ridiculous for the second half of the first round. Sorry to Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed and eight-time Pro Bowler Cameron Jordan, you guys aren’t going to beat out Rodgers, who has 527 career touchdowns against just 123 interceptions, a Hall of Fame ratio. Rodgers is a four-time NFL MVP and he’s still going — we think — at age 42, trying to add to his 66,274 career passing yards. 25. Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama (selected by New England Patriots in 2012) The postseason success makes it easier for players picked by the Patriots to grab spots on this list. Dont’a Hightower only had two Pro Bowls in his career, but he had three sacks in four Super Bowls, helping New England to three championships. His splash plays aren’t gaudy — one career interception, two forced fumbles, 27 sacks — but he gets the nod over another Super Bowl hero, receiver Santonio Holmes (2006). 26. Clay Matthews, edge rusher, USC (selected by Green Bay Packers in 2009) Can’t ask for better NFL bloodlines, and Clay Matthews made the Pro Bowl six times in his first seven seasons — 91.5 sacks and 150 career starts, with three defensive touchdowns as well. The underrated pick here is tackle Duane Brown (2008), who made five Pro Bowls and finished with 218 starts, most with the Texans. 27. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson (selected by Houston Texans in 2013) He’s bounced around to three teams in the last two seasons, but DeAndre Hopkins was a star in his Texans heyday, with five Pro Bowls in six years, three with at least 11 touchdowns. If it’s not Hopkins at 27, it’s likely another receiver, Roddy White (2005), who had 63 touchdowns in 11 seasons with the Falcons. [2026 NFL Draft: Rankings, Best Team Fits for Top-12 Quarterbacks] 28. Joe Staley, OT, Central Michigan (drafted by San Francisco 49ers in 2007) There’s a sweet spot for offensive line value late in the first round, and Joe Staley had a run of six Pro Bowls in seven seasons from 2011-17, retiring with 181 career starts, all for San Francisco. He played for six different head coaches with the 49ers, from the height of Jim Harbaugh’s success to a two-win season to the beginning of Kyle Shanahan’s tenure there. 29. Nick Mangold, C, Ohio State (selected by New York Jets in 2006) Nick Mangold, who passed away in October, made the Pro Bowl seven times in eight years from 2007-15, helping the Jets to a pair of AFC Championship Games. A model of durability, he missed two games total in his first eight NFL seasons. The close call was for safety Harrison Smith, another 29th pick who has 39 career interceptions, a huge number for today’s NFL. 30. T.J. Watt, OLB, Wisconsin (selected by Pittsburgh Steelers in 2017) It’s hard to beat out receiver Reggie Wayne, but T.J. Watt has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last eight seasons and already has 115 career sacks, leading the league three times. His 36 forced fumbles are an extremely good number, and even nine interceptions are great for his position. His 22.5-sack season in 2021 has been the gold standard, earning him AP Defensive Player of the Year honors and one of his four first-team All-Pro honors. 31. Cameron Heyward, DT, Ohio State (selected by Pittsburgh Steelers in 2011) It’s easier to reward longevity when it’s 15 seasons and counting with the same team. Cam Heyward made seven Pro Bowls in an eight-year span from 2017-24 and has totaled 92 sacks in Pittsburgh. He’s old enough to have played in a playoff win for the Steelers — the next-closest 31 is probably center Travis Frederick (2013) or tight end Greg Olsen (2007). 32. Drew Brees, QB, Purdue (selected by San Diego Chargers in 2001) You know it’s tough when a two-time MVP can’t get the nod, but Lamar Jackson is still chasing Drew Brees, who ranks second all-time behind Tom Brady in career passing touchdowns (571!) and passing yards (80,358). Brees led the league in passing yards seven times, led in touchdown passes four times, and won a Super Bowl in 2009. Jackson would have a lot of spots with what he’s done in just his first eight seasons, but he doesn’t get 32. We should also note that Brees actually wasn’t a first-round pick when the Chargers drafted him in 2001, as there were still only 31 teams at the time.Latest Sports News from FOX Sports
