That’s right, we here at BroSports are hopping on the bandwagon, summing up the best of the last decade. We’re going to be talking everything from quarterbacks to hip hop albums to video games, ranking the top ten of the 2010’s. Today, Ryan takes on each of the first overall picks from the last ten NFL drafts.
Top Ten of the 2010’s: First Overall Picks (NFL)
10. Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford is the first of three Oklahoma quarterbacks to be taken first overall that will appear on this list. Good for the Sooners, seriously, they’re an underrated quarterback factory. Here’s looking at you, Jalen Hurts. And I remember the draft hype for Sam Bradford, it was pretty wild… and then he got hurt.
And sadly, that’s the theme that would follow Sam Bradford throughout his career. To this day, I don’t think we ever really got an idea for what kind of quarterback Sam Bradford was in the pros. He didn’t win a bunch of games, he never played in the post-season, he never broke 4,000 yards, and he never threw for more than 21 touchdowns. It feels like he never really recovered from his injury in college.
However, he did make a ton of money. He ended up making nearly $130,000,000 for… what, exactly?
9. Jameis Winston
What is there to say about Jameis Winston that hasn’t been said 1,000 times? He has all the tangibles. He’s a big guy with a big arm that can make all the throws, and occasionally, he can produce at a high level. He has multiple touchdowns in roughly half of his starts, and is on pace for roughly 4,900 yards this season. But… he just turns the ball over too much. He’s not a reliable quarterback, and he never makes big plays in the games that matter. Plus… there’s this.
8. Kyler Murray
Let the record show that I like Kyler Murray. I’ve always liked Kyler Murray. I said pre-draft that if he were three inches taller, he’d be the best thing since sliced bread. He’s quietly had a pretty productive rookie season, and I’m excited to see what he’ll develop into as a pro. But for now, he doesn’t have a lot to show for being selected first overall, so he slides in between the busts and the musts.
7. Jadeveon Clowney
Jadeveon Clowney is a good-not-great player. He’s been a very good defender, but never really elite. Even opposite J.J. Watt, the best pass rusher of the last twenty years (I said what I said), Clowney hasn’t been able to break double-digit sack totals or become an elite pass rusher. A couple of picks after Clowney was taken, the Oakland Raiders took Khalil Mack, who has logged 27.5 more sacks in his career so far. I dunno, it feels like Clowney was drafted because of one play (you know which one), and a good combine, and not because of the player he was on the field, and his career has reflected that so far.
You don’t take good run stoppers with the first overall pick.
6. Eric Fisher
You don’t take good run stoppers with the first overall pick, and the same is true for right tackles. Eric Fisher has moved around the line, had some ups and downs, but he’s turned into a pretty solid offensive lineman. However, you expect a first overall pick to be a franchise-changer. You expect something like Joe Thomas, and make no mistake, Eric Fisher is no Joe Thomas.
5. Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield broke Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson’s rookie record for touchdown passes in a season last year, and with the addition of Odell Beckham Jr., a big year in Cleveland was all but guaranteed in 2019. Sadly, Freddie Kitchens’ coaching got in the way, and now it looks like the Browns are destined to miss the playoffs yet again.
But that’s hardly all Mayfield’s fault. He’s still a very good young quarterback, and I think he’s got a bright future ahead of him in Cleveland. Hopefully he’s just having a sophomore slump.
4. Myles Garrett
Myles Garrett is a monster, just ask Mason Rudolph. Garrett has played 37 career games and he’s already registered 30.5 sacks. That’s insane. The Browns have been dysfunctional, but Garrett has been an absolute beast on the field. I don’t know how long the NFL plans to keep him suspended, but the Browns will sorely miss his monstrous impact as a pass rusher.
3. Jared Goff
Jared Goff is a curious quarterback. Is he good? Sure, he’s been a Pro Bowl caliber QB over the last couple of seasons, managing the high-powered Rams offense under Sean McVay and even playing in a Super Bowl. But is he great? Not really. In 2019, he’s been pretty mediocre, and if we’re being honest, he’s the reason the Rams lost the Super Bowl.
Maybe they can turn it around, a Super Bowl hangover can be ugly for the losing team too, but the rest of 2019 doesn’t look great for Goff or the Rams. However, unlike the quarterbacks before him on this list, Goff has already experienced a level of success, so he gets the nod.
2. Andrew Luck
Andrew Luck is probably the best player on this list, but sadly, we’ll never know for sure. Injuries cost the best quarterback prospect of all time several seasons, and ultimately, his love of the game. He walked away before the 2019 season started, and we’ll never know what could have been.
However, he did produce when he was healthy, taking the Colts to the playoffs on four different occasions and putting up spectacular numbers. If we all went back in time, Luck would still be the first overall pick, even in a draft that also produced Russell Wilson. Hell, Luck would probably be the first overall pick in 99% of drafts throughout NFL history.
It’s a shame we never really got to see him live up to his full potential.
1. Cam Newton
It might seem controversial to place Cam Newton this high, but it’s hard to argue with his results. He’s the only player on this list to win the league’s MVP. He’s one of two players on this list to play in a Super Bowl. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler, a First-Team All-Pro, a former Offensive Player of the Year, and the Carolina Panthers all-time leading passer. It’s hard to argue with results, and while his future is in question, his past proves the Panthers made the right choice when they picked him first overall.
Narcissistic Penguin 
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