Incredibly, the final quarterback selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft was Dan Marino, who just may be the best pure passer in NFL history. Selected by the Miami Dolphins at No. 27 overall, which was after the likes of Ken O’Brien (New York Jets), Tony Eason (New England Patriots), and Todd Blackledge (Kansas City Chiefs), Marino would go on to have a Hall of Fame career.
Playing his entire NFL career with the Dolphins, whom he led to the Super Bowl as a rookie in 1983, Marino would never reach the pinnacle of the sport again. Still, he was an incredibly gifted quarterback, and during his run in South Beach, Marino was named to nine Pro Bowls, and was a First-Team All-Pro three times.
In 1984, his second season in the NFL, Marino was named the league’s Most Valuable Player, and that was following a rookie campaign that saw him be named the league’s Rookie of the Year. He led the NFL in passing five times, touchdowns on three occasions, and had his No. 13 retired by the Dolphins when his career was all said and done.
A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Marino finished his career with 420 touchdown passes, and over 61,000 passing yards, which were astronomical numbers at that time. If Marino played today, he had the arm talent to be a perennial MVP candidate, and it really is a shame that he never had the run game behind him to ever make it back to the Super Bowl.