The 34 Best NFL Draft Classes of All Time

Some draft years produce Hall of Famers by the dozen; others deliver one generational talent who justifies everything. Which NFL Draft class produced the deepest and most impactful collection of talent ever assembled?

1. 1
   1983 NFL Draft Class

   The famous quarterback class of John Elway, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly, which also produced Eric Dickerson, Bruce Matthews and Darrell Green among eight Hall of Famers.
   1000pts
2. 2
   2012 NFL Draft Class

   Andrew Luck went first, but the class's lasting stars also included Russell Wilson, Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner, none of them top-five picks.
   678pts
3. 3
   1989 NFL Draft Class

   Its top five picks included Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Deion Sanders, all future Hall of Famers, with Steve Atwater a fifth.
   677pts
4. 4
   1981 NFL Draft Class

   Eight future Hall of Famers, led by Lawrence Taylor, Ronnie Lott, Mike Singletary, Howie Long, Rickey Jackson and Kenny Easley.
   593pts
5. 5
   2000 NFL Draft Class

   Featured Brian Urlacher, Tom Brady, Shaun Alexander, and Chad Pennington, highlighted by Brady's legendary sixth-round selection that changed NFL history.
   529pts
6. 6
   1995 NFL Draft Class

   Produced five Hall of Famers, Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, Ty Law, Curtis Martin and Terrell Davis, the last of them a sixth-round pick.
   529pts
7. 7
   2017 NFL Draft Class

   Produced Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Kareem Hunt, and Alvin Kamara, with Mahomes alone making it one of the most impactful classes in recent memory.
   480pts
8. 8
   2013 NFL Draft Class

   Underrated but deep, producing Travis Kelce, Le'Veon Bell, DeAndre Hopkins, Keenan Allen and Tyrann Mathieu among others.
   480pts
9. 9
   1957 NFL Draft Class

   Produced nine Hall of Famers, among them Jim Brown, Paul Hornung, Len Dawson, Sonny Jurgensen, Jim Parker and Don Maynard.
   480pts
10. 10
    2020 NFL Draft Class

    Held virtually due to COVID-19, the class still produced Joe Burrow, Chase Young, Justin Herbert, CeeDee Lamb, and Tua Tagovailoa.
    480pts
11. 11
    1985 NFL Draft Class

    A deep class anchored by Jerry Rice, Chris Doleman, Boomer Esiason, and Gary Zimmerman, with Rice alone justifying its legendary status.
    480pts
12. 12
    2018 NFL Draft Class

    A generational quarterback class featuring Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, and Lamar Jackson all selected in the first round.
    423pts
13. 13
    1999 NFL Draft Class

    Produced Donovan McNabb, Edgerrin James, Torry Holt, Champ Bailey, and Daunte Culpepper, one of the richest classes of the late 1990s.
    423pts
14. 14
    1964 NFL Draft Class

    Delivered a record eleven future Hall of Famers, including Roger Staubach, Bob Hayes, Paul Warfield, Charley Taylor, Carl Eller and Mel Renfro.
    423pts
15. 15
    2004 NFL Draft Class

    A historic quarterback class featuring Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, and Philip Rivers, alongside wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.
    423pts
16. 16
    1988 NFL Draft Class

    Michael Irvin, Tim Brown, Thurman Thomas, Randall McDaniel and Dermontti Dawson all came from this class, five future Hall of Famers.
    423pts
17. 17
    2003 NFL Draft Class

    Featured Carson Palmer, Byron Leftwich, Andre Johnson, Anquan Boldin, and Dallas Clark, a quietly stacked class that shaped a generation of NFL receivers.
    423pts
18. 18
    2011 NFL Draft Class

    A standout defensive class headlined by J.J. Watt, Von Miller, Patrick Peterson, with A.J. Green and Julio Jones anchoring the receiving corps.
    423pts
19. 19
    2001 NFL Draft Class

    LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Michael Vick, Reggie Wayne, Steve Smith and Richard Seymour all arrived in this deep class.
    358pts
20. 20
    2014 NFL Draft Class

    One of the deepest modern classes, featuring Odell Beckham Jr., Mike Evans, Zack Martin, and Aaron Donald across multiple elite positions.
    358pts
21. 21
    2006 NFL Draft Class

    A quietly elite class headlined by Vernon Davis, Santonio Holmes, and Haloti Ngata, with strong depth across offensive and defensive lines.
    358pts
22. 22
    1993 NFL Draft Class

    Featured Hall of Famers Michael Strahan, Willie Roaf, John Lynch, Will Shields and Jerome Bettis, plus first overall pick Drew Bledsoe.
    282pts
23. 23
    1971 NFL Draft Class

    Brought Jack Ham, John Riggins, Dan Dierdorf, Jack Youngblood and Harold Carmichael into the league, alongside quarterbacks Jim Plunkett and Archie Manning.
    282pts
24. 24
    1967 NFL Draft Class

    The first common AFL–NFL draft yielded ten Hall of Famers, from Bob Griese and Alan Page to Gene Upshaw, Willie Lanier and Jan Stenerud.
    282pts
25. 25
    1987 NFL Draft Class

    Produced Hall of Famer Rod Woodson, first overall pick Vinny Testaverde and pass rusher Cornelius Bennett, with impact players on both sides of the ball.
    192pts
26. 26
    2009 NFL Draft Class

    Produced Matthew Stafford, Clay Matthews, Percy Harvin, and Brian Cushing, a solid class with several franchise-defining selections.
    192pts
27. 27
    1968 NFL Draft Class

    Produced eight Hall of Famers, among them Larry Csonka, Art Shell, Ron Yary, Ken Stabler, Elvin Bethea and Charlie Sanders.
    192pts
28. 28
    1969 NFL Draft Class

    Built around 'Mean' Joe Greene and Ted Hendricks, this class added Charlie Joiner and Roger Wehrli among its five future Hall of Famers.
    192pts
29. 29
    1974 NFL Draft Class

    Famous for the Steelers' haul of Lynn Swann, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth and Mike Webster, four Hall of Famers taken by one team in one draft.
    192pts
30. 30
    1990 NFL Draft Class

    Gave the league its all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith, plus fellow Hall of Famers Junior Seau, Cortez Kennedy and Shannon Sharpe.
    192pts
31. 31
    1998 NFL Draft Class

    Peyton Manning went first overall, and the class also delivered Hall of Famers Randy Moss, Charles Woodson and Alan Faneca.
    192pts
32. 32
    1996 NFL Draft Class

    A deep and talented class headlined by Ray Lewis, Marvin Harrison, and Jonathan Ogden, producing multiple Hall of Famers across multiple positions.
    192pts
33. 33
    1965 NFL Draft Class

    Headlined by Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers, both first-round picks of the Bears, with Joe Namath and Fred Biletnikoff also drafted that year.
    0pts
34. 34
    1979 NFL Draft Class

    Launched Joe Montana's career with a third-round pick and also produced Hall of Famers Kellen Winslow and Dan Hampton plus Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms.
    0pts

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