When it comes to building a roster, hitting on first-round picks is a no-brainer. Teams that fail to do that find themselves in a never-ending cycle of losing records and top-10 selections.
Just as important as getting it right the first time: finding starters and quality depth in the later rounds. Drafting, say, Andrew Luck is one thing. But unearthing Richard Sherman is something else entirely. And while everyone is drawn to the dog-and-pony show that has become the NFL Draft's first round, the real work gets done in Rounds 4-7.
With that in mind, we take a look back some of the best draft steals in (recent) NFL history. And while we tried to keep this list contained to the last 20 years, in several instances we went back even further. Because sometimes it's impossible to overlook a player originally drafted as an afterthought who goes on to exceed everyone's expectations, usually all the way to Canton.
Arizona Cardinals: Aeneas Williams, DB, 1991 sixth-round pick. Williams, drafted out of Southern, spent the first 10 years of his 14-year Hall of Fame career with the Cardinals, where he was one of the league's best defensive backs. In terms of Pro Football Reference's Career Approximate Value metric (CarAV), which is a general measure of productivity that allows you to compare players across positions, Williams ranked behind only Brett Favre in total CarAV among the 1991 draft class.
Other candidates: Larry Wilson (seventh round), Pat Fischer (17th round), Ray Brown (eighth round).
Atlanta Falcons: Jeff Van Note, C, 1969 11th-round pick. Van Note played his entire career in Atlanta, starting 226 games from 1969-86. He was named to five Pro Bowls, and was an inaugural member of the Falcons' Ring of Honor along with Steve Bartkowski, William Andrews, Jessie Tuggle and Tommy Nobis.
Other candidates: Jamal Anderson (seventh round), Todd McClure (seventh round).
Baltimore Ravens: Adalius Thomas, OLB, 2000 sixth-round pick. Thomas was an afterthought in a draft class that was led by running back Jamal Lewis, but by the time his career was over, Thomas proved to be one of the Ravens' best selections, no matter the round. After several years on special teams, he went on to start 74 games from 2002-06, before spending the final three years of his career with the Patriots. In 2006, he registered 11 sacks, two better than his previous career high the season before. He was also named to two Pro Bowls.
Other candidates: Marshal Yanda (third round), Jarret Johnson (fourth round).
Buffalo Bills: Andre Reed, WR, 1985 fourth-round pick. Drafted out of Kutztown, Reed spent 15 seasons in Buffalo, where he played on four Super Bowl teams and finished with 941 receptions for 13,095 yards and 86 touchdowns. (He spent a 16th season in Washington before retiring.) He was a Pro Bowler on seven occasions, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
Other candidates: Stevie Johnson (seventh round), Kyle Williams (fifth round).
Carolina Panthers: Josh Norman, CB, 2012 fifth-round pick. Norman wasn't well known when he was drafted out of Coastal Carolina, and he wasn't even considered a shutdown corner until his breakout 2015 season. Now he's a highly compensated cornerback for the Redskins after being granted his release by the Panthers last week.
Other candidates: Greg Hardy (sixth round), Captain Munnerlyn (seventh round).
Chicago Bears: Richard Dent, DE, 1983 eighth-round pick. Dent spent 11 years in Chicago, including the dominant 1985 team that lost just once on its way to the Lombardi Trophy. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, and in 1984-85, recorded 34.5 sacks. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Other candidates: George Blanda (12th round), Shaun Gayle (10th round).
Cincinnati Bengals: Geno Atkins, DT, 2010 fourth-round pick. Atkins was the 12th defensive tackle taken in 2010, and the class included four first-rounders: Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy, Tyson Alualu and Dan Williams. But of the 11 names taken before Atkins, only Suh had a higher CarAV than the Bengals' standout. Hampered by injuries in 2013, Atkins was dominant last season, registering 11 sacks. He's been named to four Pro Bowls during his six-year career.
Other candidates: Tim Krumrie (10th round), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (seventh round).
Cleveland Browns: Brian Sipe, QB, 1972 13th-round pick. Sipe spent all 10 NFL seasons in Cleveland, and started 112 of his 125 games. He led the Browns to a winning record just twice, including one playoff appearance in 1980. For his career, he threw for 23,713 yards with 154 touchdowns and 149 interceptions.
Other candidates: Leroy Kelly (eighth round), Gene Hickerson (seventh round).
Dallas Cowboys: Roger Staubach, QB, 1964 10th-round pick. Staubach, a Heisman Trophy winner at the U.S. Naval Academy, didn't play in the NFL until 1969 because of military commitments, which included a one-year tour in Vietnam. Still, during an 11-year career, he led the Cowboys to two Super Bowls and made six Pro Bowl appearances. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1965.
Other candidates: Rayfield Wright (seventh round), Bob Hayes (seventh round).
Denver Broncos: Shannon Sharpe, TE, 1990 seventh-round pick. Sharpe came out of tiny Savannah St. with little reason to believe he'd have any real shot to make the team. But he did just that as a rookie, and 14 years later, he retired as one of the NFL's all-time best tight ends. He spent 12 years in Denver, where he played with John Elway on two Super Bowl-winning teams. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler, a member of the NFL's 1990s All-Decade Team, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
Other candidates: Karl Mecklenburg (12th round), Tom Nalen (seventh round), Terrell Davis (sixth round).
Detroit Lions: Rodney Peete, QB, 1989 6th-round pick. We'll be honest, the pickings were slim here, particularly over the last couple decades. But Peete, who played at USC, went from late-round pick to eight-game starter as a rookie. And he'd start 39 more games over his next four seasons in Detroit. By the time it was over, he had amassed a 21-26 record with 8,1614 passing yards, 38 touchdowns and 49 interceptions. He'd go on to play another 10 NFL seasons for the Eagles, Panthers, Cowboys, Raiders and Redskins.
Other candidates: Eddie Murray (seventh round), Theo Riddick (sixth round).
Green Bay Packers: Bart Starr, QB, 1956 17th-round pick. Starr played in a different era, but he also was under center for the Packers' first two Super Bowl wins. Still, consider this: He never threw for more than 2,438 yards or 16 touchdowns in a season, but despite the modest numbers, he still ranks seventh on the Packers' all-time CarAV list behind Aaron Rodgers and three other Hall of Famers. (Remember, this includes players originally drafted by the team in question, which is why Brett Favre isn't listed here.) Starr was named league MVP in 1966, and 11 years later, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Other candidates: Donald Driver (seventh round), Josh Sitton (fourth round), Scott Wells (seventh round).
Houston Texans: Owen Daniels, TE, 2006, fourth-round pick. The Texans have only been around since 2002, so there's not much history to draw from. That said, Daniels, who played at Wisconsin, spent eight seasons in Houston and started 96 games with 479 receptions for 5,661 yards and 36 touchdowns.
Other candidates: Glover Quin (fourth round), Derek Newton (seventh round).
Indianapolis Colts: Robert Mathis, DE, 2003, fifth-round pick. Mathis was drafted a year after the Colts took Dwight Freeney in the first round, and the two teamed up to be two of the NFL's most ferocious pass rushers. And while Freeney left Indy after the 2012 season, Mathis was still there in 2015, and as recently as 2013 -- his 11th year in the league -- he racked up 19.5 sacks.
Other candidates: Raymond Berry (20th round), Antoine Bethea (sixth round).
Jacksonville Jaguars: David Garrard, QB, 2002 fourth-round pick. The Jaguars considered Garrard a backup when the drafted him, which explains why they used a top-10 pick on Byron Leftwich in 2003. But by 2006, Garrard had won the job outright, and he remained the Jags' No. 1 quarterback until 2010. In that time, he led Jacksonville to one playoff appearance -- in 2009 -- that included a road win against the Steelers. For his career, Garrard was 39-37, and completed 62 percent of his passes for 16,003 yards, 89 touchdowns and 54 interceptions.
Other candidates: Seth Payne (fourth round), Josh Scobee (fifth round).
Kansas City Chiefs: Jared Allen, DE, 2004 fourth-round pick. Allen spent just four seasons in Kansas City, but it was long enough to tally 43 sacks. However, he hadn't yet hit his prime; he spent the next six years in Minnesota, where he managed 85.5 sacks and was one of the NFL's most dominant pass rushers. Allen is a five-time Pro Bowler and set the Vikings' single-season sack record in 2011 with 22.
Other candidates: Donnie Edwards (fourth round), Dave Szott (seventh round), Joe Horn (fifth round).
Los Angeles Rams: Kevin Greene, LB, 1985 fifth-round pick. Green played 15 NFL seasons, and was pretty much an unstoppable pass rusher from start to finish. He had 16.5 sacks in 1988, his first year as as starter for the Rams, and 11 years later, in Carolina, he had 12. In between, he totaled 160 sacks and earlier this year was named to Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Other candidates: Deacon Jones (14th round), Norm Van Brocklin (fourth round).
Miami Dolphins: Zach Thomas, LB, 1996 fifth-round pick. Thomas, who was listed at 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, was considered undersized coming out of Texas Tech, but ended up being one of the best players to come out of the '96 draft. His CarAV ranked fourth behind only Ray Lewis, Marvin Harrison and Terrell Owens. Harrison is in the 2016 Hall of Fame class and the others should be following him to Canton in the coming years.
Other candidates: Mark Clayton (eighth round), Ed Newman (sixth round).
Minnesota Vikings: Matt Birk, C, 1998 sixth-round pick. Birk didn't make his first start until the 2000 season, but from 2000-08, he started 187 of 188 games, was a six-time Pro Bowler and played a part in five Vikings' playoff teams. In 2012, he won a Super Bowl with the Ravens.
Other candidates: Terry Allen (ninth round), Brad Johnson (ninth round).
New England Patriots: Tom Brady, QB, 2000 sixth-round pick. Perhaps you've heard this story.
Boston should celebrate this date as if it were St. Patrick’s Day pic.twitter.com/QS3aa9N75f
— Kevin Patra (@kpatra) April 16, 2016
How April 16 isn't yet a holiday in New England remains one of life's great mysteries. St. Patrick's Day is in March, and Patriots' Day is the third Monday in April. But April 16 is the day the Patriots drafted Tom Brady.
Now, 16 years later, the Patriots have won four Super Bowls and Brady has been Super Bowl MVP three times, not to mention the myriad other awards and honors. He shows no signs of slowing up anytime soon, which means that as long as he and Bill Belichick are together, the Patriots will be favorites to make it to a Super Bowl. And when they retire, five years later, they'll be in Canton.
Other candidates: Steve Grogan (fifth round), Asante Samuel (fourth round), Malcolm Butler (yes, we know, he went undrafted -- and this is about late-round steals -- but after that Super Bowl-sealing interception against the Seahawks, he never has to do anything else in his NFL career to make this list.)
New Orleans Saints: Jahri Evans, OT, 2006 fourth-round pick. How good has Evans been? He's missed just seven starts in 10 NFL seasons. And not only that, he's played at an extremely high level during that span. In fact, his CarAV is third all-time among players drafted by the Saints, behind only Hall of Famers Rickey Jackson and Willie Roaf, and just ahead of Pat Swilling. The name you might have been expecting to see here -- fellow '06 draft pick, Marques Colston, is 10th in CarAV, just behind Archie Manning.
Other candidates: Marques Colston (seventh round), Carl Nicks (fifth round), Jermon Bushrod (fourth round).
New York Giants: Jessie Armstead, LB, 1993 eighth-round pick. After a stellar college career at The U, Armstead spent his first nine NFL seasons in New York, where he had 30.5 sacks, 12 interceptions and 11 forced fumbles. He was also a five-time Pro Bowler.
Other candidates: Harry Carson (fourth round), George Martin (11th round).
New York Jets: Joe Klecko, DL, 1977 sixth-round pick. Klecko spent 11 of his 12 NFL seasons with the Jets. He was part of the "New York Sack Exchange" -- with defensive linemen Mark Gastineau, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam -- a group that combined for a mind-boggling 66 sacks in 1981. That year, Klecko was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He was also a four-time Pro Bowler.
Other candidates: Joe Fields (14th round), John Mackey (fifth round).
Oakland Raiders: Rod Martin, LB, 1977 12th-round pick. Martin spent all 12 seasons with the Raiders -- both in Oakland and Los Angeles -- where he played on two Super Bowl-winning teams, and twice was named to the Pro Bowl. He finished his career with 33.5 sacks (worth noting: sacks didn't become an official NFL statistic until 1981), 14 interceptions and 4 touchdowns.
Other candidates: Greg Biekert (seventh round), Cliff Branch (fourth round), Bo Jackson (seventh round).
Philadelphia Eagles: Clyde Simmons, DE, 1986 ninth-round pick. Simmons played in Philly from 1986-93, and on three occasions he registered more than 10 sacks, including a 19-sack season in 1992, which led the league. Simmons, who played at Western Carolina, was a two-time Pro Bowler, and ranks 11th on the NFL's all-time sack list with 121.5.
Other candidates: Seth Joyner (eighth round), Harold Carmichael (seventh round).
Pittsburgh Steelers: Antonio Brown, WR, 2010 sixth-round pick. By all accounts at the time, Brown came out of Central Michigan a year early, and that was part of the reason he lasted until the sixth round. All he's done in the six NFL seasons since: 526 receptions, 7,093 yards -- including 1,698 yards in '14 and 1,834 yards last season -- and 38 touchdowns. Oh, and Brown has five special teams touchdowns too. He's widely considered the NFL's best wideout, who also happens to be a legit four-down player.
Other candidates: Mike Webster (fifth round), Greg Lloyd (sixth round), Hardy Nickerson (fifth round), James Harrison (again, undrafted, but he deserves a mention for his Super Bowl pick-six against the Cardinals, not to mention, well, everything else).
San Diego Chargers: Rodney Harrison, S, 1994 fifth-round pick. Harrison spent nine years in San Diego, and though he didn't start a game in his second season he still managed five interceptions. From 1996-2002, he started 96 games and had 21 interceptions, 21.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles. Harrison finished his career with the Patriots, where he won two Super Bowl titles. He's also the NFL's first player to record 30 interceptions and 30 sacks.
Other candidates: Darren Sproles (fourth round), Shaun Phillips (fifth round).
San Francisco 49ers: Charles Haley, DE, 1986 fourth-round pick. A two-time All-American at James Madison, Haley needed little time to adjust to the NFL game. He had 12 sacks as a rookie, and by the time he left the 49ers eight years later, he'd racked up 66.5. He spent five more years in Dallas, and retired with exactly 100 career sacks. More impressive: Haley won five Super Bowl titles -- two with the 49ers and three more with the Cowboys -- and was a five-time Pro Bowler.
Other candidates: Jesse Sapolu (11th round), Dwight Clark (10th round).
Seattle Seahawks: Richard Sherman, CB, 2011 fifth-round pick. Sherman began his Stanford career as a wide receiver but moved to cornerback after an injury. That proved to be a great decision. During his first NFL season, he led all rookies with four interceptions and 17 passes defended, and he's been entrenched as a starter ever since. Sherman has twice had eight-interception seasons, and has 84 career passes defended. He's also been to three Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl.
Other candidates: Phillip Daniels (fourth round), K.J. Wright (fourth round), Kam Chancellor (fifth round).
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chidi Ahanotu, DE, 1993 sixth-round pick. Ahanotu spent nine seasons with the Buccaneers, and finished with 34.5 sacks. In terms of CarAV, he ranks 10th all-time among all Buccaneers, behind Hall of Famers Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp and Lee Roy Selmon. Ahanotu is No. 5 on the team's all-time sacks list.
Other candidates: Dave Logan (12th round), Santana Dotson (fifth round), Ron Heller (fourth round).
Tennessee Titans: Cortland Finnegan, CB, 2006 seventh-round pick. Looking at the team since it arrived in Tennessee in 1997 certainly limits the options, but Finnegan is certainly deserving. Taken with the 215th pick in '06, he was part of the same draft class that included Vince Young and LenDale Whilte. Finnegan became a full-time starter in his second season, and from 2007-11 he had 14 interceptions and 68 passes defended. Considered one of the league's dirtiest players, Finnegan was named to his only Pro Bowl after the 2008 season.
Other candidates: Bo Scaife (sixth round), Jason McCourty (sixth round).
Washington Redskins: Chris Hanburger, LB, 1965 18th-round pick. Hanburger spent his entire 14-year career in Washington, and was considered one of the best outside linebackers of his era. When he retired, Hanburger had started 149 of 187 games, racked up 19 interceptions and was named a first-team All Pro four times. He was named to the Hall of Fame in 2011, only the second player from the University of North Carolina to do so -- after Lawrence Taylor.
Other candidates: Dexter Manley (fifth round), Mark Rypien (sixth round), Joe Jacoby (undrafted, but was a four-time Pro Bowler and an integral part of those dominating Redskins teams of the '80s).
