Having the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft is a huge benefit for the team that owns it. Not only do you get the pick of the litter among all draft prospects, but you can also use that pick as leverage to trade down and stockpile selections later in the draft.
Picking first overall isn’t a surefire way to land a future Hall of Famer, though. In fact, countless players taken with the first pick have turned into busts.
The Rams have had the No. 1 selection three times since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, selecting Orlando Pace in 1997, Sam Bradford in 2010 and Jared Goff in 2016. Pace turned into one of the best left tackles in NFL history and made the Hall of Fame, while Bradford is viewed as a bust for St. Louis.
The jury is still out on Goff after four seasons, but considering the contract Los Angeles gave him, the team clearly views him as a successful No. 1 pick.
Luke Easterling of Draft Wire puts all of these picks into perspective by ranking every first overall selection since 2017. Here’s where each of the Rams’ picks checked in.
4. Orlando Pace, 1997
26. Jared Goff, 2016
36. Sam Bradford, 2010
The only players ahead of Pace are Peyton Manning, John Elway and Bruce Smith, who were No. 1, 2 and 3 on the list, respectively. Troy Aikman and Eli Manning are right behind Pace, followed by Earl Campbell, Terry Bradshaw, Lee Roy Selmon and Cam Newton to round out the top 10.
Goff still has a chance to rise on this list if he turns things around in 2020 and turns into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but that’s not certain to happen. After struggling in 2019, Goff has to play more like the way he did two seasons ago if he wants to take the next step as a potential All-Pro.
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