What is your all-time favorite NFL draft what-if?

1. 70

   EJ Lambertposted 11 years ago

   What is your all-time favorite NFL draft what-if?
   
   Did you know the Chicago Bears could've traded for Howie Long in 1983?  The Dallas Cowboys had a clear sight at Randy Moss in 1998.  Throughout history the NFL draft has been chalked full of what-ifs.  Which is your favorite?

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2. 58

   pgornerposted 11 years ago

   The Peyton Manning/Ryan Leaf story. And the damn thing was, 9 out of any 10 draft experts any given year would have advised San Diego to do exactly what they did. I mean...who WOULDN'T have taken Leaf? He was a thumb away from a national championship, the second generation of Drew Bledsoe at the Washington State football factory, and didn't remind people of that Rube guy from Major League II.

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   1. 70

      EJ Lambertposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That's why scouts and front office people put so much stock in the mental faculties of prospects these days.  They could call that the Ryan Leaf rule.

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3. 60

   Tim Quamposted 11 years ago

   I have to assume Dallas was awfully tempted to take Barry Sanders No. 1 in 1989 when they drafted Troy Aikman with the top pick.  Of course they would get Emmitt Smith a year later, but how can you know that?  They had Herschel Walker at the time of the 1989 draft and you have to believe they had a strategy to deal him, which they did in the early weeks of the season.  If they went running back instead of QB they would have probably kept veteran Danny White behind center and coach Jimmy Johnson probably had a good idea that he would draft Steve Walsh, his QB at the University of Miami, in the supplemental draft, which he did.  He was no Aikman, but how hard is to hand the ball off?  Cowboys fans may remember that Walsh was starting for an injured Aikman when they won their only game during 1-15 1989.

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   1. 58

      pgornerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I'll never forget Walsh taking over for the Bears in 94? when they were real sorry, Kramer and Matthews were both in the hospital, Walsh comes in because Wannestadt was the def coordinator on Miami, and boom...Walsh goes like 8-1(?) or something.

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   2. 70

      EJ Lambertposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Sanders was great but I think Jimmy Johnson understood teams were built around quarterbacks.  So he took Aikman.  Walsh was a good player, just not a great one.  He was drafted to push Troy and the Bears got a little of that magic when they took him.

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4. 71

   Man of Strengthposted 11 years ago

   Would there have been a Cowboys dynasty, if Herschel Walker wasn't traded? I think they were able to draft Emmitt Smith with all the picks they stockpiled.

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   1. 70

      EJ Lambertposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Nine picks in the first three rounds of the next three drafts.  Ridiculous since it was for a running back already with a lot of mileage on him.  That was highway robbery.

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5. 73

   BLACKANDGOLDJACKposted 11 years ago

   In 1983 the Pittsburgh Steelers could have drafted Dan Marino in the 1st round, but instead they took a tackle from Texas Tech named Gabriel Rivera.
   
   The Steelers suffered with mediocre quarterbacks between Bradshaw and Big Ben. Had they taken Marino, I think they would have a few more Lombardi Trophies.

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   1. 70

      EJ Lambertposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That is one of the biggest in league history.  In fairness one may never know because Marino should've won a few Lombardies with Shula and didn't.  Who knows if the Steelers would've done any better.

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