If you're one of those fans who tends to check out on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, this story might make you pay a little more attention when the 2024 NFL Draft reaches its final stages.
I get it. Everyone is giddy about Thursday night, when, after months of speculation and mock drafts, the first round finally plays out in real time. It's an exciting night; one of the best nights on the NFL's calendar. But that shouldn't take away from the draft's other two days, when over 200 other top college prospects realize their dreams of becoming a pro football player.
Scores of future gridiron greats were discovered late in their respective NFL drafts. We all know the story of how Tom Brady went from a sixth-round pick to the greatest quarterback of all-time. Well, what if I told you that one of his most trusted receivers was actually a seventh-round pick? In fact, the man many considered the greatest tight end prior to Brady's former teammate, Rob Gronkowski, was also a seventh-round pick. To further drive the point home, the greatest athlete in modern times also happened to be selected in the seventh round.
Here's how many good players have been drafted in the seventh-round. Receivers Marques Colston and Donald Driver, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, offensive lineman Rayfield Wright, running back Jamal Anderson, defensive back Lemar Parrish and kicker Gary Anderson were left off my list of the greatest seventh-round draft picks of all-time.
Who made it, you ask? Check out my list below to find out.
Honorable mentions
Tom Nalen, C
7th round, 218th pick, 1994 draft
Team: Broncos (1994-07)
A starter for 13 of his 14 seasons in Denver, Nalen anchored a Broncos offensive line that helped win back-to-back Super Bowls in the late 1990s. A five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Nalen blocked for six different 1,000-yard running backs, including Terrell Davis, who rushed for 2,008 yards during his MVP season.
Brock Purdy, QB
7th round, 262nd pick, 2022 draft
Teams: 49ers (2002-present)
Purdy's been excellent so far, but he's still sitting outside of the top-10, at least for now. He'll get there eventually if he continues to play the way he did during his first two seasons, when he was 21-6 overall as the 49ers' starting quarterback. In 2023, Purdy built off of his impressive rookie season while nearly guiding the 49ers to the franchise's sixth Super Bowl win.
10. Jake Scott, S
7th round, 159th overall pick, 1970 draft
Teams: Dolphins (1970-75), Washington (1976-78)
A key member of Miami's "No Name" defense, Scott helped the Dolphins win the franchise's only two Super Bowl titles. A five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro, Scott earned Super Bowl MVP honors after picking off two passes in Miami's 14-7 win over Washington in Super Bowl VII. Scott remains the Dolphins' career leader in interceptions.
9. Julian Edelman, WR
7th round, 232nd pick, 2009 draft
Team: Patriots (2009-20)
Edelman ranks second in Patriots history in receptions with 670, fourth with 6,822 receiving yards and ninth with 36 touchdowns. A three-time champion and the MVP of Super Bowl LIII, Edelman's 118 postseason receptions and 1,442 career postseason receiving yards are second all time. Edelman's 24 receptions in Super Bowl play are tied for fifth all time. His 337 Super Bowl receiving yards are fourth all-time.
8. Harold Carmichael, WR
7th round, 161st overall, 1971 draft
Teams: Eagles (1971-83), Cowboys (1984)
Position: WR
The 6-foot-8, 225-pound Carmichael was a four-time Pro Bowler as well as a member of the NFL's All-1970s Team. The league leader in receptions and yards during the 1973 season, Carmichael was one of the driving forces behind the Eagles' 1980 NFC championship team. He remains the Eagles' all-time leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns. He was part of the Hall of Fame's 2020 induction class.
7. Bobby Mitchell, HB/WR
7th round, 84th overall pick, 1958 draft
Teams: Browns (1958-61), Washington (1962-68)
While he earned his first Pro Bowl in Cleveland, Mitchell's career took off after he was traded to Washington in 1962. A Pro Bowler in each of his first three seasons in Washington, the electric Mitchell led the NFL in receiving during the 1962 and '63 seasons. A member of Washington's Ring of Fame, Mitchell was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983.
6. Gene Hickerson, G
7th round, 78th overall pick, 1957 draft
Team: Browns (1958-73)
A key blocker for Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, Hickerson was a key piece of the Browns' 1964 championship team. A member of the NFL's All-1960s Team, Hickerson earned Pro Bowl honors each season from 1965-70. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.
5. Jim Ringo, C
7th round, 80th overall, 1953 draft
Team: Packers (1953-63), Eagles (1964-67)
The first of two members from the 1953 draft to make this list, Ringo was part of Vince Lombardi's first two championship teams in Green Bay. A 10-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro, Ringo earned three of his Pro Bowls during his final four seasons in Philadelphia. A member of the NFL's All-1960s Team, Ringo was enshrined in Canton, Ohio in 1981.
4. Bo Jackson, RB
7th round, 183rd overall, 1987 draft
Team: Raiders (1987-90)
The 1985 Heisman Trophy winner, Jackson was the No. 1 overall pick by the Buccaneers' during the 1986 draft. But after initially passing on football to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals, Jackson was eligible to be selected in the 1987 draft, where he was picked up by the Raiders in the seventh round.
Jackson was still a force on both the gridiron and the diamond. The only athlete to be named an all-star in two different sports, Jackson boasted the NFL's longest runs during three separate seasons. A Pro Bowler in 1990 (his last NFL season), Jackson's career was cut short by a hip injury that was sustained during a playoff win over the Bengals.
3. Shannon Sharpe, TE
7th round, 192nd overall, 1990 draft
Teams: Broncos (1990-99, 2002-03), Ravens (2000-03)
Arguably the NFL's greatest tight end during the 1990s, Sharpe played a vital role on the Broncos back-to-back championship teams. A Pro Bowler each season from 1992-98, Sharpe retired as the NFL's all-time leader in receiving yards by a tight end. A member of the NFL's All-1990s Team, Sharpe won a third Super Bowl as a member of the 2000 Ravens. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.
2. Joe Schmidt, LB
7th round, 86th overall, 1953 draft
Team: Lions (1953-65)
A 10-time Pro Bowler and eight-time All-Pro, Schmidt was part of a dominant Lions defense that also included Dick "Night Train" Lane and Dick LeBeau. A member of the NFL's All-1950s Team, Schmidt helped the Lions bring home NFL titles in 1953 and in 1957. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1973. Schmidt was named to the NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.
1. Larry Wilson, S
7th round, 74th overall, 1960 draft
Team: Cardinals (1960-72)
A member of the NFL's All-1960s and '70s teams, Wilson was included in the NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019. The NFL's interception leader in 1966, Wilson was named to eight Pro Bowls in a nine-year span and an All-Pro each season from 1966-70. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1978. Wilson's No. 8 jersey has been retired by the Cardinals.
