Famous NFL Draft "Reaches" who went on to significant NFL Success

[Milanos Milano]

26 minutes ago, The Wiz said:

He said made the GM look like a genius. Not an idiot.

Sorry sarcasm doesn’t do well here lol 

[Albany,n.y.]

13 minutes ago, Chaos said:

1989 is pretty far outside of my 20 year look back.  The amount of study coverage and availability of data and video to form opinions in the pre-internet world, makes those days kind of irrelevent compared to modern consenuses. 

As long as there have been televised drafts, the opinions have always been relevant.  Things existed before the internet, whether you believe it or not.  In fact, many of those things were recorded on videotape or printed in newspapers, magazines and books.    

[Chaos]

1 minute ago, Albany,n.y. said:

As long as there have been televised drafts, the opinions have always been relevant.  Things existed before the internet, whether you believe it or not.  In fact, many of those things were recorded on videotape or printed in newspapers, magazines and books.    

You are just wrong.  It is not worth  the trouble to explain the difference in the NFL Mock Draft Industy in 2023 to the the five guys who talked about in on tv in 1989. 

 

I am likely older than you. I was there in 1989. 1979 and 1969 too. 

Edited April 29, 2023 by Chaos

[The Jokeman]

Bruce Irvin. 

[Chaos]

38 minutes ago, The Jokeman said:

Bruce Irvin. 

At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Irvin was projected to be a second or third round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. While he showed superior speed and athleticism, many analysts and draft experts had him a second round draft prospect due to his numerous off the field issues he had throughout his youth and time at West Virginia. He was ranked the fifth best outside linebacker in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com.

https://web.archive.org/web/20120423194924/http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/dsprofile.php?pyid=108840&draftyear=2012&genpos=OLB

[Alphadawg7]

Probably doesn't fit the mold exactly as you are looking for...but I would make the case for Mario Williams first overall.  How is he a "reach" given he was a top 10 draft prospect...because when the Texans and 49ers faced off in week 17 to end the season, it was dubbed the "Reggie Bush" bowl with the loser getting the first overall pick which was "supposed" to be Bush by a landslide to go first overall.  I mean that was the most talked about game between two terrible teams than I can ever remember leading up to it. 

 

More importantly, the Texans were 4 years into the awful David Carr era and badly needed a QB too with both Vince Young and Matt Leinart there as well.  

 

Then they shocked the world and made what many considered a laughing stock pick of Mario Williams over Bush...and over a QB such as Young or Leinart.  

 

But, Mario Williams was the only player out of all those guys to have long and excellent career.  

 

I get this isn't the traditional reach given Mario was gonna go in the top 10, but it was one of the most ridiculed picks I can remember in modern draft history.  And its also the one where the player taken had a substantially better career than all of the other players they were allegedly "supposed" to take.  

[Chaos]

22 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

Probably doesn't fit the mold exactly as you are looking for...but I would make the case for Mario Williams first overall.  How is he a "reach" given he was a top 10 draft prospect...because when the Texans and 49ers faced off in week 17 to end the season, it was dubbed the "Reggie Bush" bowl with the loser getting the first overall pick which was "supposed" to be Bush by a landslide to go first overall.  I mean that was the most talked about game between two terrible teams than I can ever remember leading up to it. 

 

More importantly, the Texans were 4 years into the awful David Carr era and badly needed a QB too with both Vince Young and Matt Leinart there as well.  

 

Then they shocked the world and made what many considered a laughing stock pick of Mario Williams over Bush...and over a QB such as Young or Leinart.  

 

But, Mario Williams was the only player out of all those guys to have long and excellent career.  

 

I get this isn't the traditional reach given Mario was gonna go in the top 10, but it was one of the most ridiculed picks I can remember in modern draft history.  And its also the one where the player taken had a substantially better career than all of the other players they were allegedly "supposed" to take.  

It fits the general concept of going against the grain, and making a bold decision.  Taking a guy at 1 instead of 5 is probably equalivalent to taking a guy at 25 instead of 100. 

[gonzo1105]

Sebastian Janikowski

 

 

[Big Turk]

2 hours ago, Chaos said:

When all is said and done, the NFL drafts typically largely going according to form.  My guess is 90% of the players who are consenus top 3 round picks, go in the top 3 rounds, just mostly in a much different order than people mock.  

Every draft has a couple of percieved "reaches".   This year in the second round Brenton Strange, DJ Johnson,  and Broderic Martin all looked to be big reaches. 
 

In the the last 20 years of the NFL, are teams ever rewarded for "reaching"? Any prominent examples of players who were considered "reaches" who made the GM who reached look like genius? 

 

Gibbs at 12 was the biggest reach of the draft. He is a f***ing RB and not one named Bijon Robinson.

[BuffaloBillyG]

Donte Whitner

 

 

/ducks

[Chaos]

9 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

Donte Whitner

 

 

/ducks

Whitner was a reach who went on to great success in the NFL? 

[Chaos]

24 minutes ago, gonzo1105 said:

Sebastian Janikowski

 

 

Interesting one. If he had been a 4th round draft pick, his NFL statistics would look very good.  But he has a tremendously long career and is 10th in points for a career. So I think he qualifies as going on to success.  And he was definitely considered a reach. 

[gonzo1105]

11 minutes ago, Chaos said:

Interesting one. If he had been a 4th round draft pick, his NFL statistics would look very good.  But he has a tremendously long career and is 10th in points for a career. So I think he qualifies as going on to success.  And he was definitely considered a reach. 

Go look at the guys picked after him in the first and second very few went on to be successful 

Edited April 30, 2023 by gonzo1105

[947]

Aaron Donald & Dwight Freeney come to mind as being considered reaches on Draft Day.

 

Freeney was mostly projected as a 2nd rounder and went 11th.

 

Donald was said to be a late 1st rounder, he went 13th. NFL.com even rated him a 5.9 prospect, Average Backup or Special Teamer.

[BuffaloBillyG]

29 minutes ago, Chaos said:

Whitner was a reach who went on to great success in the NFL? 

All kidding aside...he did have a 10 year NFL career with 3 Pro Bowls. Made a ton of money doing it. Yeah, I'd classify his career as greatly successful.

[Chaos]

2 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

All kidding aside...he did have a 10 year NFL career with 3 Pro Bowls. Made a ton of money doing it. Yeah, I'd classify his career as greatly successful.

I know he was not a fan favorite when drafted. Where was he projected to be drafted to make him a reach?

[1ManRaid]

According to this forum, any 5th round selection who then played well.

[BuffaloBillyG]

1 minute ago, Chaos said:

I know he was not a fan favorite when drafted. Where was he projected to be drafted to make him a reach?

Now we're talking many moons ago so memory is a bit muttered. But I remember people saying he would have been there in the 2md. Don't recall the mock drafts from that long ago.

[Chaos]

Just now, BuffaloBillyG said:

Now we're talking many moons ago so memory is a bit muttered. But I remember people saying he would have been there in the 2md. Don't recall the mock drafts from that long ago.

me either, hence the question. 

[Chaos]

14 minutes ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

Now we're talking many moons ago so memory is a bit muttered. But I remember people saying he would have been there in the 2md. Don't recall the mock drafts from that long ago.