Every NFL team’s best draft pick of all-time

FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 16: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots gestures after a play in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 16: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots gestures after a play in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs during the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2016 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the podium on stage before the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the podium on stage before the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

The NFL Draft can make or break any franchise in the league, and while most of the focus in retrospect is spent on what did not work out for various teams, there have been home runs for all 32 organizations. In this space, we will take a look at the single best draft pick ever made by each franchise, with an effort to distinguish “best player ever drafted” from “best value”.

Of course, those will often be one and the same, especially if a player is far and away the best when it comes to ranking those who have participated with a particular organization. From the Arizona Cardinals all the way to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans, the draft has helped to build the history of each franchise, and we should, at least occasionally, remember the positives in place of the “busts”.

Each team will be represented by clicking through, and they are denoted by alphabetical order without preferential treatment or “rankings”. With that said, there are some that will undoubtedly stand out above the rest (perhaps the one that occupies the featured image of this post?) and we certainly encourage you to marinate and, potentially, argue about our choices.

Let’s roll, beginning with the Cardinals.

Next: Arizona Cardinals