Alllrrriiiigggghhhhttttyyy...the 1999 NFL Draft.
This draft was thought to be loaded with top notch QB talent. If memory serves, this was expected to be the best draft for the position since 1983 when John Elway went 1st overall and Jim Kelly and Dan Marino were also among the 6 signal callers taken in round 1.
Not quite.
The newly back into the league Cleveland Browns started by taking the guy they hoped to build a successful franchise around - Tim Couch. The Eagles followed suit by taking Donovan McNabb 2nd overall & Cincy also hoped to get a franchise QB by taking Akili Smith with the 3rd pick.
Hmmm. By my math, only one of those teams made a good pick.
BTW, Daunte Culpepper (Vikings) & Cade McNown (Bears) also thought to be potential franchise QB's went 11th & 12 respectively.
Picks 4 & 5 were also interesting. The Colts surprised many by trading Marshall Faulk 2 days earlier, despite the fact he was coming off his best season. They surprised even more people when they went with RB Edgerrin James. It wasn't that they drafted a RB which fooled everyone it was that they didn't take the guy that went next. The New Orleans Saints basically traded anything of value within city limits to the Redskins in order to move up to #5 & take the all time leading rusher in NCAA history (at that time) and Heisman trophy winner, RB Ricky Williams. Anything of value, included all of their remaining draft picks that weekend.
Along with a host of other good NFL players taken in that 1st round, potential HOFers WR Torry Holt (Rams) & CB Champ Bailey (Redskins) went 6 & 7.
The 2nd rd gave us LB Mike Peterson (Colts), DE Mike Rucker (Panthers), CB Dre Bly (Rams) and RB Kevin Faulk (Patriots) among others.
The Steelers nabbed LB Joey Porter and T Kris Farris with back-to-back picks in the 3rd. Kris who? This round also gave the Bucs the best kicker in team history & started a family legacy when they snagged Martin Gramatica. WR Marty Booker (Bears), LB Dat Nguyen (Cowboys) and LB Chike Okeafor (49ers) also went in this round.
The ultimate slot receiver, Brandon Stokely went in rd 4 to Baltimore. The Browns also got the best defensive player they would have for a few years with MLB Wali Rainer & Green Bay drafted yet another heir apparent to Brett Favre in Aaron Brooks who went on to have a few successful seasons in New Orleans.
The Packers would also grab Donald Driver in rd 7. Mr. Irrelevant this year is FB Jim Finn (Bears) who's made a pretty good career for the last pick in the draft.
The man taken before Finn was P Rodney Williams (Rams). I only mention him because I find it strange he only spent one year in the league and I only remember because he played for my team, the Giants. It took him a couple years to make it, he played for them in 2001. But he seemed like he would stick. He finished 10th in the league in punting average and had a monster 90 yard punt during a primetime game (can't remember if it was Sunday or Monday Night). Then he was gone. I don't remember him being injured. If anyone knows any more than I do, feel free to enlighten me.
Back to our regularly scheduled program:
In all, 13 quarterbacks were taken in the 1999 draft. Though there was some success, it wasn't nearly as good as originally thought to be. How I rank them:
1. Donovan McNabb (Eagles Round 1, 2nd overall)
2. Daunte Culpepper (Vikings Round 1, 11th overall)
3. Aaron Brooks (Packers Round 4, 131st overall)
4. Tim Couch (Browns Round 1, 1st overall)
5. Shaun King (Buccaneers Round 2, 50th overall)
6. Cade McNown (Bears Round 1, 12th overall)
7. Brock Huard (Seahawks Round 3, 77th overall)
8. Akili Smith (Bengals Round 1, 3rd overall)
9. Chris Greisen (Cardinals Round 7, 239th overall)
10. Joe Germaine (Rams Round 4, 101st overall)
11. Michael Bishop (Patriots Round 7, 227th overall)
12. Scott Covington (Bengals Round 7, 245th overall)
Did not throw an NFL pass:
Kevin Daft (Titans Round 5, 151st overall)
This draft was thought to be loaded with top notch QB talent. If memory serves, this was expected to be the best draft for the position since 1983 when John Elway went 1st overall and Jim Kelly and Dan Marino were also among the 6 signal callers taken in round 1.
Not quite.
The newly back into the league Cleveland Browns started by taking the guy they hoped to build a successful franchise around - Tim Couch. The Eagles followed suit by taking Donovan McNabb 2nd overall & Cincy also hoped to get a franchise QB by taking Akili Smith with the 3rd pick.
Hmmm. By my math, only one of those teams made a good pick.
BTW, Daunte Culpepper (Vikings) & Cade McNown (Bears) also thought to be potential franchise QB's went 11th & 12 respectively.
Picks 4 & 5 were also interesting. The Colts surprised many by trading Marshall Faulk 2 days earlier, despite the fact he was coming off his best season. They surprised even more people when they went with RB Edgerrin James. It wasn't that they drafted a RB which fooled everyone it was that they didn't take the guy that went next. The New Orleans Saints basically traded anything of value within city limits to the Redskins in order to move up to #5 & take the all time leading rusher in NCAA history (at that time) and Heisman trophy winner, RB Ricky Williams. Anything of value, included all of their remaining draft picks that weekend.
Along with a host of other good NFL players taken in that 1st round, potential HOFers WR Torry Holt (Rams) & CB Champ Bailey (Redskins) went 6 & 7.
The 2nd rd gave us LB Mike Peterson (Colts), DE Mike Rucker (Panthers), CB Dre Bly (Rams) and RB Kevin Faulk (Patriots) among others.
The Steelers nabbed LB Joey Porter and T Kris Farris with back-to-back picks in the 3rd. Kris who? This round also gave the Bucs the best kicker in team history & started a family legacy when they snagged Martin Gramatica. WR Marty Booker (Bears), LB Dat Nguyen (Cowboys) and LB Chike Okeafor (49ers) also went in this round.
The ultimate slot receiver, Brandon Stokely went in rd 4 to Baltimore. The Browns also got the best defensive player they would have for a few years with MLB Wali Rainer & Green Bay drafted yet another heir apparent to Brett Favre in Aaron Brooks who went on to have a few successful seasons in New Orleans.
The Packers would also grab Donald Driver in rd 7. Mr. Irrelevant this year is FB Jim Finn (Bears) who's made a pretty good career for the last pick in the draft.
The man taken before Finn was P Rodney Williams (Rams). I only mention him because I find it strange he only spent one year in the league and I only remember because he played for my team, the Giants. It took him a couple years to make it, he played for them in 2001. But he seemed like he would stick. He finished 10th in the league in punting average and had a monster 90 yard punt during a primetime game (can't remember if it was Sunday or Monday Night). Then he was gone. I don't remember him being injured. If anyone knows any more than I do, feel free to enlighten me.
Back to our regularly scheduled program:
In all, 13 quarterbacks were taken in the 1999 draft. Though there was some success, it wasn't nearly as good as originally thought to be. How I rank them:
1. Donovan McNabb (Eagles Round 1, 2nd overall)
2. Daunte Culpepper (Vikings Round 1, 11th overall)
3. Aaron Brooks (Packers Round 4, 131st overall)
4. Tim Couch (Browns Round 1, 1st overall)
5. Shaun King (Buccaneers Round 2, 50th overall)
6. Cade McNown (Bears Round 1, 12th overall)
7. Brock Huard (Seahawks Round 3, 77th overall)
8. Akili Smith (Bengals Round 1, 3rd overall)
9. Chris Greisen (Cardinals Round 7, 239th overall)
10. Joe Germaine (Rams Round 4, 101st overall)
11. Michael Bishop (Patriots Round 7, 227th overall)
12. Scott Covington (Bengals Round 7, 245th overall)
Did not throw an NFL pass:
Kevin Daft (Titans Round 5, 151st overall)
