NFL Draft: The Greatest 1st Overall Picks Ever

player. 46. Despite a brilliant career from the very beginning, there were some people who had the nerve to state that John Elway would be looked upon as a failure in the NFL for the simple fact he wasn’t able to win the Super Bowl. This was due in large part to the fact he’d had three shots at it in the 1980s and not only lost them all, but played poorly in every game. Then everything changed. Fittingly, he put all those doubts to rest when won back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998, ending his Hall of Fame legacy on the highest of notes. <p> </p> <p>With that monkey off his back, people were able to zoom out and realize how brilliant Elway was during his 15 years in the league. Though throwing for over 57,000 yards and 253 touchdowns was impressive enough, not to mention his 3,800 career rushing yards, it was his ability late in games that established him as one of the all-time greats. It never seemed like the Denver Broncos were out of a game when he was under center, no matter how far behind they got. He retired with 39 career comebacks in the 4th quarter, an NFL record at the time. To this day, his 98-yard drive to tie the 1986 AFC championship remains the stuff of legend, and the perfect signature moment.</p>. QB. Stanford. John Elway . 2