The Twenty-five Greatest Bears Draft Picks*
*Great draft picks and great players are not the same thing
|
Last Name |
First Name |
Team |
P |
YR |
PK# |
PTS |
DY |
AY |
DG |
AG |
SB1 |
SB2 |
HOF |
TTL |
1 |
Mannelly |
Patrick |
Chicago |
OT |
1998 |
189 |
10 |
16 |
16 |
245 |
245 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
533 |
2 |
Dent |
Richard |
Chicago |
DE |
1983 |
203 |
11 |
11 |
15 |
170 |
203 |
15 |
15 |
50 |
490 |
3 |
Payton |
Walter |
Chicago |
RB |
1975 |
4 |
1 |
13 |
13 |
190 |
190 |
13 |
0 |
50 |
470 |
4 |
Singletary |
Mike |
Chicago |
LB |
1981 |
38 |
2 |
12 |
12 |
179 |
179 |
12 |
0 |
50 |
446 |
5 |
Kreutz |
Olin |
Chicago |
OC |
1998 |
64 |
4 |
13 |
14 |
191 |
195 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
418 |
6 |
Van Horne |
Keith |
Chicago |
OT |
1981 |
11 |
1 |
13 |
13 |
186 |
186 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
412 |
7 |
Osbourne |
Jim |
Chicago |
DT |
1972 |
182 |
10 |
13 |
13 |
186 |
186 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
408 |
8 |
Hartenstine |
Mike |
Chicago |
DE |
1975 |
31 |
2 |
12 |
13 |
179 |
184 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
403 |
9 |
Hampton |
Dan |
Chicago |
DT |
1979 |
4 |
1 |
12 |
12 |
157 |
157 |
12 |
0 |
50 |
401 |
10 |
Butler |
Kevin |
Chicago |
KK |
1985 |
105 |
6 |
11 |
13 |
171 |
184 |
13 |
0 |
0 |
398 |
11 |
Fontenot |
Jerry |
Chicago |
OG |
1989 |
65 |
4 |
8 |
16 |
128 |
239 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
395 |
12 |
Urlacher |
Brian |
Chicago |
LB |
2000 |
9 |
1 |
13 |
13 |
182 |
182 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
392 |
13 |
Bortz |
Mark |
Chicago |
DT |
1983 |
219 |
11 |
12 |
12 |
171 |
171 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
389 |
14 |
Briggs |
Lance |
Chicago |
LB |
2003 |
68 |
4 |
12 |
12 |
173 |
173 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
357 |
15 |
Parsons |
Bob |
Chicago |
PT |
1972 |
117 |
6 |
12 |
12 |
170 |
170 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
370 |
16 |
Gentry |
Dennis |
Chicago |
RB |
1982 |
89 |
5 |
11 |
11 |
159 |
159 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
356 |
17 |
Tillman |
Charles |
Chicago |
DB |
2003 |
35 |
2 |
13 |
12 |
168 |
152 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
348 |
18 |
Gardocki |
Chris |
Chicago |
PT |
1991 |
78 |
4 |
4 |
16 |
52 |
244 |
15 |
0 |
0 |
335 |
19 |
Suhey |
Matt |
Chicago |
RB |
1980 |
46 |
3 |
10 |
10 |
148 |
148 |
10 |
0 |
0 |
329 |
20 |
Armstrong |
Trace |
Chicago |
DE |
1989 |
12 |
1 |
6 |
15 |
88 |
211 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
322 |
21 |
Perry |
Todd |
Chicago |
OG |
1993 |
97 |
5 |
8 |
11 |
118 |
165 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
307 |
22 |
Duerson |
Dave |
Chicago |
DB |
1983 |
64 |
4 |
7 |
11 |
102 |
160 |
11 |
11 |
0 |
306 |
23 |
Rivera |
Ron |
Chicago |
LB |
1984 |
44 |
3 |
9 |
9 |
137 |
137 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
304 |
24 |
Harris |
Walt |
Chicago |
DB |
1996 |
13 |
1 |
6 |
13 |
87 |
193 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
300 |
25 |
Villarial |
Chris |
Chicago |
OG |
1996 |
152 |
8 |
8 |
11 |
116 |
155 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
298 |
Take a look at the list above. Whenever the After Drafter Clock showed it to someone, almost without exception the person argued that there was no way Patrick Mannelly was a better player than Walter Payton. Of course not. The After Drafter Clock does not measure the quality of the player, simply the amount of production the player delivered for his team and the league in general. No matter what else can be said about Patrick Mannelly, it remains unalterably true that he played in many more games than Walter Payton, or any other Bear for that matter. Having a great long snapper is a true benefit to an NFL team. If a long snapper as good as Mannelly is available this year, the Bears should draft him.
A simple glance seems to confirm what the After Drafter Clock (an unwavering Bears fan) always suspected: 1983 was the greatest draft ever conducted by the Chicago Bears. 1998 the Bears drafted Patrick Mannelly and Olin Kruetz, and those two players carry high enough Clock scores to maybe make 1998 the second best draft class since 1967. What also surprised the AD Clock more than anything else was that 1989 ranks among the best Bears draft classes ever. Jerry Fontenot and Trace Armstrong both proved to be great draft choices even though they spent most of their careers with other teams. More study needs to be done to see if other players taken during those years recorded high enough Clock scores to claim the title of second best Bears draft class ever.