Fansided

10 biggest what-ifs in NFL Draft history

By Russell S. Baxter

BALTIMORE, MD - CIRCA 2001: Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens reacts during an NFL football game circa 2001 at PNINet Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. Lewis played for the Ravens from 1996-2012 (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - CIRCA 2001: Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens reacts during an NFL football game circa 2001 at PNINet Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. Lewis played for the Ravens from 1996-2012 (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) /
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 1989, prepares to fire a pass in a game circa late the late 1970s. (Photo by Clifton Boutelle/Getty Images)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 1989, prepares to fire a pass in a game circa late the late 1970s. (Photo by Clifton Boutelle/Getty Images) /

7. Bears win coin flip from Steelers for first overall pick (1970)

The Pittsburgh Steelers were coming off a dreadful 1-13 season in 1969. And that’s saying a lot considering the history of the franchise to date. The club was now under the command of Chuck Noll. In 1969, the first player they took in the draft was an enthusiastic defensive tackle named Joe Greene. The Steelers lost their final 13 games that year despite the presence of the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Like Noll’s team, the Chicago Bears also finished the 1969 season with a 1-13 resume. A coin flip would determine which of these inept clubs would receive the first overall pick in the 1970 draft. Pittsburgh wound up winning the toss and eventually would receive a strong-armed quarterback from Louisiana Tech named Terry Bradshaw.

He was a bit raw, and it would take him some time to develop. All those growing pains eventually paid off. He quarterbacked the “Team of the ‘70s” to four Super Bowl titles in six years.

The Bears, who wound up trading the second overall pick that year to the Packers, have seemingly struggled to find a reliable quarterback for decades. The franchise’s only NFL title since the merger came in 1985 with Jim McMahon behind center and the “46 Defense” at the controls. Would Bradshaw have changed their history? Then again, would Chicago have drafted a quarterback that high?

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