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NFL Draft: The Greatest 1st Overall Picks Ever

By Erik Lambert

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Jared Goff (California) is selected by the Los Angeles Rams as the number one overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Jared Goff (California) is selected by the Los Angeles Rams as the number one overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) reacts after throwing his second touchdown pass in the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning (18) reacts after throwing his second touchdown pass in the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

As great as Elway was, there can be no disputing the fact that Peyton Manning was greater, and is the greatest #1 pick of all-time. The stats alone bear this out:  6,774 completions, 79,279 passing yards, 579 touchdown passes, 47 comebacks in the 4th quarter.  All of them are NFL records. He has seven touchdown passes in a single game (a record), 55 in a season (a record) and led the highest-scoring offense in NFL history that scored 606 points in just 16 games. The man was a machine on Sundays and nearly unstoppable even into his late 30s despite undergoing four surgeries on his neck. <p> </p> <p>Perhaps his greatest feat though is what he accomplished in the win column. Manning is the only quarterback to ever reach the Super Bowl with four different head coaches. For all the love Tom Brady gets, he never had to deal with such upheaval his entire career, and Manning made such transitions look routine. He is the only player in history to win five MVP awards and went to 14 Pro Bowls. To top it all off, he has a Super Bowl ring from two different franchises. There isn’t another man on this list who comes even close to that level of personal success.</p>. QB. Tennessee. Peyton Manning . 1. player. 46

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