Top 10 No. 5 overall picks in NFL Draft history
By Mike Luciano
No. 8: Mike Ditka, Chicago Bears (1961)
While most fans remember the truculent coach who helped the Bears win a Super Bowl, Ditka's first life in the pros helped revolutionize the tight end position. Ditka was the first tight end who could serve as a primary receiving threat for an offense, and all the greats at the position before him can trace their lineage back to No. 89.
The ex-Pitt sensation recorded 1,076 yards (which only two tight ends would reach in the next 20 years) and 12 touchdowns as a rookie. His career ended with 5,812 yards, 43 touchdowns, five Pro Bowls, and five All-Pro nods. Ditka has a case to be inducted into the Hall as a player and coach.
Khalil Mack remains a great No. 5 pick in the NFL Draft
No. 7: Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders (2014)
Not many defensive ends from Buffalo get picked No. 5 overall. Very few players manage to become an All-Pro as both a linebacker and defensive end in the same season. Mack has done both of those things, and he shows no signs of slowing down as he enters the back-nine of his career.
Be it the DPOY from his days with the Raiders, the two-way force that helped turn the Bears around, or the Chargers rusher that amassed 17 of his career 101.5 sacks last year, Mack has become one of the best defensive ends in the league despite coming from a small school with tons of doubters.