NFL Draft: Best first-round draft pick in each slot in history

By Brad Weiss | Jun 10, 2019

IRVING, UNITED STATES: Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys rushes as Atlanta Falcons defenders pursue during the fourth quarter at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas 20 September. Smith rushed for two touchdowns and passed Tony Dorsett to become the NFL's fourth all-time leading rusher in the Cowboys 24-7 win. AFP PHOTO Paul BUCK (Photo credit should read PAUL BUCK/AFP/Getty Images) /

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – SEPTEMBER 12: Former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor (56) is shown sacking Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Craig Erickson during their 12 September 1993 game at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. Taylor, who retired at the end of the 1993 season, was arrested 19 October in St. Pete Beach, Florida after purchasing crack cocaine from an undercover police officer for USD 50. Taylor played in ten Pro Bowls and led the Giants to two Super Bowl championships. (Photo credit should read MARK D. PHILLIPS/AFP/Getty Images) /

1981- UNC. Lawrence Taylor. 2. player. 31. . LB

The New York Giants absolutely struck gold during the 1981 offseason, holding the No. 2 overall selection in the 1981 NFL Draft. After the New Orleans Saints selected George Rogers with the first pick overall, the Giants were quick to grab a linebacker from the University of North Carolina who would go on to be arguably the best defensive player in NFL history.

Lawrence Taylor was an all-American during his time with the Tar Heels, showing an incredible ability to get after the quarterback. It did not take long for him to get going at the NFL level, as he instantly became a dominant force on the Giants defense, earning All-Pro honors as a rookie en-route to being named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year.

From there, Taylor would go to to be named to ten straight Pro Bowls, while spearheading a Giants defense that would win two Super Bowls under head coach Bill Parcells. The NFL Most Valuable Player during the 1986 season, where the Giants won their first of two Super Bowls with Taylor on the roster, he was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot.

For all the damage Taylor did on the field, he also did some damage off of it, as he got involved in drugs, alcohol, and personal problems that have tarnished his legacy to some extent. Still, if we are grading him on his exploits on the football field, nobody on the defensive side of the ball did it better.

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