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Quarterbacks selected 1-2 in NFL draft
The bold moves by the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles to secure the No. 1 and 2 overall picks in the 2016 NFL Draft nearly assures that quarterbacks will go 1-2 when Round 1 commences in Chicago next Thursday (on NFL Network).
This would mark the seventh time in the draft's modern era (since 1967), and the second consecutive year, that quarterbacks would go with the first two picks.
Here is a look at the previous occurrences of quarterbacks going 1-2 in the draft. While the careers of last year's selections at 1-2 have gotten off to promising starts, that is generally not the case. Typically, one quarterback's career will pan out while the other's won't, sometimes in a colossal manner.
No. 1: Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No. 2: Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans
Aftermath: After one season in the NFL, Winston and Mariota showed enough promise to suggest that their combined career arc will not follow the same paths of many of the quarterback 1-2 draft duos. In 2015, Mariota became the first rookie QB with two games with at least four touchdown passes, and also became the only player in NFL history to pass for at least 250 yards with three touchdowns and rush for more than 100 yards in the same game. Winston, meanwhile, threw for 4,042 yards, which is the third-most by a rookie in NFL history. Winston's 22 touchdown passes are tied for the fourth-most by a rookie in NFL history. In a Week 11 win over the Eagles, Winston threw five touchdowns with no interceptions and joined Ray Buivid (Dec. 5, 1937) as the only rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to accomplish the feat.
No. 1: Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
No. 2: Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
Aftermath: The two players' careers have careened in opposite directions, with RGIII's career taking a massive dive after a spectacular rookie season. The Redskins paid a heavy price to trade up and draft RGIII, and he paid immediate dividends. RGIII earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl honors in 2012, when he directed the Redskins to the playoffs. Since then, his playing time in Washington dwindled to nothing. He was released in early March and signed with the QB-hungry Cleveland Browns. Luck, meanwhile, is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and led the NFL in touchdown passes (40) in 2014. Like RGIII, Luck led the Colts to the playoffs as a rookie. Unlike RGIII, Luck followed that up with two more playoff appearances in 2013 and 2014.
No. 1: Tim Couch, Cleveland Browns
No. 2: Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles
Aftermath: Moments after the reborn Browns selected the quarterback they hoped would be a part of the team's plans for many years, the Eagles' selection of McNabb was booed by fans in attendance at the draft. Couch went on to become one of the infamous 24 different starting quarterbacks for the Browns since the franchise came off of hiatus in 1999. McNabb flourished in Philly, helping the Eagles become a playoff mainstay. In his 11 years with the Eagles, McNabb led the team to the playoffs in eight of those seasons, including a berth in Super Bowl XXXIX. In all, five quarterbacks were selected in the first round in 1999, including Akili Smith going No. 3 to the Cincinnati Bengals. Smith lasted just four seasons in the NFL.
No. 1: Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
No. 2: Ryan Leaf, San Diego Chargers
Aftermath: This is the ultimate scenario of one quarterback meeting expectations and the other falling horrifically short. Leaf's NFL career took a dark turn fast, and he quickly earned distinction as one of the biggest draft busts in league history. Manning will enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible and will be a prominent fixture in "greatest QB ever" debates for as long as football is played.
No. 1: Drew Bledsoe, New England Patriots
No. 2: Rick Mirer, Seattle Seahawks
Aftermath: Patriot haters could pinpoint that team's rise to this draft. Entering 1993, the Patriots were a dumpster fire. Then Bill Parcells took over and drafted Bledsoe over Mirer, who was hyped as the next Joe Montana. Under Parcells and Bledsoe, the Patriots quickly rose from a 2-14 horror show in 1992 to a playoff team in 1994. Since 1994, the Patriots have made the playoffs 17 times in 22 seasons. Mirer lasted just four seasons in Seattle, which miraculously parlayed the draft bust into a first-round pick in a trade with the Bears.
No. 1: Jim Plunkett, Boston Patriots
No. 2: Archie Manning, New Orleans Saints
Aftermath: Before his sons each won a pair of Super Bowls, Archie Manning took a beating for a Saints team that struggled to win games in the early part of its existence. Manning was a two-time Pro Bowler for the Saints, who wouldn't become a winner until well after Manning left the team. Plunkett's career was spiraling toward all-time draft bust status until it was resurrected by the Raiders. Plunkett won two Super Bowls with the Raiders, and is the only eligible quarterback with two Super Bowl wins as a starter not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
