NFL Draft: Ranking the last 20 No. 1 overall draft picks
By Kyle Edmond
No. 12 – Michael Vick, Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons, 2001 NFL Draft
If these were Madden rankings, Michael Vick would be much higher, but as a draft pick, he wasn’t the best the Falcons could have done at the time.
For starters, the Falcons had to trade up with the Chargers to acquire the first overall pick to take Vick. The pick they gave up? LaDainian Tomlinson. It could even be argued that Vick wasn’t even the best quarterback from the class. Despite a few early hiccups, Drew Brees has put together a strong career that in many ways outweighs Vick after being taken by none other than the Chargers with the first pick of the second round.
But, even if we look at Vick’s tenure with the Falcons, it becomes obvious that it wasn’t as great as the highlights make it seem. Playing six seasons with Atlanta, Vick started all 16 games just once, being his final season with the team. However, he did play in 15 games during three seasons.
The other two seasons are where Vick gets knocked down this list. In his rookie season, he appeared in eight games, but started just two and then appeared in five games, starting four, during the 2003 season.
When healthy, Vick did make three Pro Bowls with Atlanta and then another with Philadelphia after resurrecting his career, as well as being the 2010 Comeback Player of the Year. However, even with all that considered, it still seems like the Falcons could have had better long-term success had they stayed put and not moved up for Vick.