Top 10 No. 15 overall picks in NFL Draft history
The middle of the first round has produced some big stars
By Mike Luciano
Teams picking No. 15 overall in the NFL Draft may not be expecting to land a star player who will change the course of their franchise. However, teams have been able to land legends that will go down in history for years to come despite not being handed a premium pick in the order.
Be it speedy wide receivers who emerge as solid deep threats, defensive stalwarts who coast into Canton on the back of a historic career, and unheralded players from way back in the day, the No. 15 pick has been home to some very impressive selections on teams that knew how to scout and develop.
These 10 players stand out as the best No. 15 overall picks in the history of the NFL Draft. Those coming into the NFL will need multiple Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods under their belt if they want any chance of unseating one of these 10 greats on this list anytime soon.
Top 10 No. 15 Draft Picks in NFL Draft History
Honorable Mentions:
Bruce Bosley, San Francisco 49ers (1956)
Wayne Gandy, Los Angeles Rams (1994)
Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee Titans (2002)
Lawrence Timmons, Pittsburgh Steelers (2007)
Mike Pouncey, Pittsburgh Steelers (2011)
10. Forrest Blue, San Francisco 49ers (1968)
The list of 6-6 centers back in the 1970s is very small, but Blue was one of the best of the bunch. The former Auburn star never played on a particularly amazing 49ers team, but those who lined up against him will affirm that he was one of the best interior linemen in the game during the early 1970s.
Blue's prime led to him being named a Pro Bowler four times in a row and a First-Team All-Pro performer three times consecutively between 1971 and 1973. While Blue was largely done as a starter at age 29, beating out names like Len Hauss and the great Jim Otto for All-Pro nods is extremely impressive.
Jason Pierre-Paul was a solid No. 15 pick in the NFL Draft.
9. Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants (2010)
While Pierre-Paul has become infamous for his fireworks accident that robbed him of multiple fingers, that shouldn't necessarily overshadow the fact the former South Florida star was one of the more consistent and athletic pass rushers in the league for a decade when he had all his digits attached.
The three-time Pro Bowl player has amassed 94.5 sacks in his 14-year career, topping double-figures three times and at least eight sacks six times. As a member of Super Bowl champions with the Giants and Buccaneers, Pierre-Paul has shown he can play a big role in both helping and preventing Tom Brady win a title.