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

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) /

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DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 18: Barry Sanders during the Pro Football Hall of Fame half time show during the Chicago Bears v Detroit Lions game at Ford Field on October 18, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Detroit Lions – Barry Sanders (No. 3 pick, 1989)

We can debate the value of taking a running back with the number three pick in the NFL Draft. However, having that discussion requires context, and the league was (much) different in 1989 than it is today, as running backs were far more valuable in a run-based league.

Oh, and Barry Sanders might be the best running back to ever play football.

Sanders never failed to reach 1,300 yards in any season in which he played more than 11 games, leading the NFL in rushing yards (and yards per game) on four separate occasions. Despite retiring at the tender age of 30, Sanders left the league with 99 rushing touchdowns (and 109 total scores), and he remains at number three on the NFL’s all-time rushing list while averaging 5.0 yards per carry.

No one has ever been more entertaining as a running back and I would argue that no one has ever been more effective at the same time. Calvin Johnson was a tremendous draft pick by the Lions and there are a few draft steals that could be considered here, but Barry Sanders was in a league of his own and this isn’t a tough one for me.

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