15 Greatest NFL Draft Steals of All-Time
By Daniel Tran
9. Larry Wilson
Many reading this list will look at Larry Wilson’s name and mistake it for the local politician in their town fighting for chair at the city council. Don’t sleep on No. 8 though, as he was one of the best safeties that ever played in the NFL.
Larry Wilson attended the University of Utah where he played safety and halfback for the Utes. His size at 6’0”, 190 pounds was not enough to impress NFL scouts and he fell into the seventh round of the 1960 NFL Draft. It was not until the Chicago Cardinals (who would later move to St. Louis) at the 74th overall pick that Wilson’s name would be called.
He may have been small, but he was athletic and quick, a trait that would make him one of the most revolutionary players in NFL history. Defensive Coordinator Chuck Drulis had this crazy idea of bringing the free safety in on blitzes. Wilson turned out to be the perfect man for the job.
The pressure from him was unexpected, and many teams struggled to deal with his tenaciousness coming from beyond the line. His toughness and savvy earned him eight Pro-Bowl and All-Pro selections. He also finished his career with 52 interceptions and five touchdowns.
He may not have participated in any playoff games, but his contributions to the progress towards modern defense as we know it today is not too shabby for a guy drafted so late.
Next: Will Shields