The NFL Draft is when magic happens. Draft selections can make or break a team, and immortalize football players in the annals of NFL history. In this post, I'm going to explore 6 NFL Draft selections that turned out to be sensational picks. These players became giants of the NFL, leading from the front, and steamrolling the competition in the process. It's an insuperable challenge picking just a handful of NFL Draft selections from hundreds of world-class performers in the National Football League.

Several benchmarks are necessary to ascertain the quality of each NFL Draft pick, notably the following:

* Hall of Fame (Player or Ball)
* All-Pro Player for Several Years Running
* NFL Draft Pick Made After the Top 5 Overall Picks

There are many other factors that come into play, notably the performance of the NFL Draft pick over time for his team, and how well the team has performed given that player’s out-sized contributions. At the end of this post, I'm going to list several superb NFL draft picks that we will be looking at in the future + a contentious mention that will grab your attention. Let's get started!

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Let's Kick the Tires and Light the Fires – NFL Draft Picks that Made History

* Aaron Rogers – #12 Quarterback Green Bay Packers

At a height of 6'2", and a weight of 225 pounds, this star performer boasts the following credentials: 364 TDS, 84 INT, and 46,946 YDS. He has played with the Green Bay Packers since 2005, and remains one of the most valuable NFL Draft Picks. As the #24th pick overall in the First Round of the 2005 NFL Draft, Rogers certainly fits the bill. He has racked up 2 NFL MVP Awards, and is also a 2-time All-Pro. Aaron Rogers is a fitting inclusion on our list.

* Brett Favre – #4 Quarterback Atlanta Falcons

Brett Favre weighs in at 222 pounds, and a height of 6'2". He attended Southern Mississippi College and played in the NFL for 20 seasons. As Hall of Fame inductee (2016), he is without doubt one of the best NFL Draft picks of all time. While he only played for the Atlanta Falcons in his first year (1991), he later moved to the Green Bay Packers where he stayed for 16 seasons, before moving to the New York Jets in 2008, and Minnesota Vikings in 2009/2010. Over the years, his performances have been exemplary. He boasts 71,838 passing yards and 1844 rushing yards. With 508 touchdowns, and 336 interceptions, he's clearly masterclass. Favre was selected in the second round of the NFL draft in 1991. He was the 33rd overall pick. During his career, he became a 3-time MVP, and a player for the ages.

* Joe Montana – San Francisco 49ers

It's hard to think of a more fitting recipient for one of the best NFL draft picks of all time. Joe Montana at a height of 6'2" and a weight of 205 pounds is renowned among the football elite. He played for 16 seasons, and was a Hall of Fame inductee in the year 2000. He played with the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 through 1992. He then moved to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993 and finished in 1994. Over his career, he racked up 40,551 passing yards, and 1,676 rushing yards. With 273 touchdowns and 139 interceptions, he was a player of note. Joe is also a 4 X Super Bowl champion. He was a third-round draft pick in the 1979 draft – 82nd overall.

* Peyton Manning – Indianapolis Colts

The Manning brothers are like football loyalty. Peyton weighs in at 230 pounds, and a height of 6'5". He played with the NFL for 18 seasons, starting in 1998 with the Indianapolis Colts. Over the course of his career, he was responsible for 71,940 passing yards and 667 rushing yards. He also scored 539 touchdowns and was involved in 251 interceptions. Peyton Manning moved to the Denver Broncos in 2012 where he remained until the end of his NFL career in 2015. When the Indianapolis Colts chose Peyton Manning in 1998, it changed their fortunes forever. Not only is Manning a 14 x Pro Bowler, he also long held the record for most TD passes. Today, those players include Drew Brees (547), followed by Tom Brady (541), and Peyton Manning (539). This brings us to the man of the moment – Drew Brees.

* Drew Brees – #9 Quarterback for the New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees attended Perdue College and played in the NFL for 20 seasons. He is a stellar performer, with a total of 77,416 passing yards, 547 TDs, and 237 interceptions. He also has 754 rushing yards to his credit. At a height of 6 feet, and a weight of 209, he’s one of the smaller guys in the NFL, but a legendary performer nonetheless. He was chosen as the first pick in the second round of the NFL draft, number 32, for the San Diego Chargers and played as a quarterback in the Big Ten conference. He also led the New Orleans Saints to their very first Super Bowl in the history of that franchise. Along the way, he set unbelievable records in the NFL, making him a worthy contender for top NFL draft picks. In 2009, Brees was inducted into the Perdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame, and the ball used in the New Orleans Saints victory over the Atlanta Falcons was sent to the Pro Football Hall of Fame for display.

* Jerry Rice – San Francisco 49ers

Jerry Rice was a first-round pick and 16th overall in the 1985 NFL draft. The San Francisco 49ers made a great selection with this Mississippi Valley State graduate. Jerry Rice is an iconic player, with records that span the full spectrum. He played 20 seasons of professional football over his illustrious career. At a height of 6'2", and a weight of 200 pounds, he was a lean, mean football machine. He started with the San Francisco 49ers in 1985 and stayed with them through the year 2000. He then went on to join the Oakland Raiders for four seasons, before finishing his glittering career with the Seattle Seahawks in 2004. Overall, he scored 208 touchdowns, 22,895 passing yards, 1549 receiving yards, and played in 303 games over the years. He was a Hall of Fame inductee in 2010. Incidentally, he is also acclaimed for his 13 X Pro-Bowl selections, and he was a part of the San Francisco 49ers team that won the Super Bowl 3 Times.

My list of 7 other NFL draft picks (these guys could fill 7 blog posts on the topic) includes the following players:

* Emmitt Smith – the Dallas Cowboys first-round NFL draft pick in 1990, 17th overall pick with 3 x Super Bowl wins for the Dallas Cowboys and a Hall of Fame induction in 2010
* Terry Bradshaw – he was drafted as the first overall pick in 1970 NFL draft and was part of 4 Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl championships in the 1970s.
* Barry Sanders – the Detroit Lions first round NFL draft pick in 1989, second overall
* Ray Lewis – Baltimore Ravens 26th pick in the 1996 NFL Draft with 2 Super Bowls for Baltimore
* Lawrence Taylor – the New York Giants, second overall pick in the 1981 NFL draft. 2 x Super Bowl wins to his credit and 3 x Defensive Player of The Year awards too.
* Dan Marino – drafted in 1983 by the Miami Dolphins, as the 27th overall pick in the fifth round. Dan Marino one and MVP player award in 1984 and became a Football Hall of Famer in 2005.
* Deion Sanders – fifth overall pick in the 1989 NFL draft. He played for the Atlanta Falcons and won Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers. He joined the NFL Hall of Fame in 2011.

Contentious Mention:

Michael Vick – he played 15 seasons with the NFL, starting with the Atlanta Falcons, and switching to the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh Steelers. With 22,464 passing yards, and 6,109 rushing yards, 133 touchdowns, and 88 interceptions, he's certainly a top contender. Mired in controversy, Michael Dwayne Vick is still a great player.

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*Joe Montana AP picture