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50 Of the Biggest Late-Round Steals Since 1970

50 Of the Biggest Late-Round Steals Since 1970
                By Adam Nelson

There are tons of great NFL players that are not chosen in the draft’s first few picks- especially when it comes to wide receivers, kickers and kick returners. In fact, a majority of them were chosen during or after the fifth round. Going from latest to earliest draft position, here are 50 of the biggest draft-day steals since 1970, all taken during or after the fifth round:

  1. 1971, Los Angeles Rams: Randy Vataha, wide receiver, Stanford (Round 17, #418 overall). Never played with the Rams. Played seven seasons with the Patriots and Packers, catching 188 passes for 3164 yards and 23 touchdowns (nine in his rookie year).
  2. 1970, Philadelphia Eagles: Mark Moseley, kicker, Stephen F. Austin (Round 14, #346 overall). One of the most productive kickers in NFL history, given the fact that in the ’70s, most kickers seldom approached 100 points in a season. Moseley made 405 field goals and 257 extra points (1176 points) in 12 seasons.
  3. 1983, Miami Dolphins: Anthony Carter, wide receiver, Michigan (Round 12, #334). The Dolphins saved the best for second-to-last. The next to last pick in the 1983 draft, Carter started out in Miami but thrived in Minnesota, teaming briefly with another Carter- Cris. Career Stats: 486 catches, 7773 yards, 55 touchdowns.
  4. 1990, New York Giants: Matt Stover, kicker, Louisiana Tech (Round 12, #329). After getting cut by the Giants, Stover signed with the Browns (who later became the Ravens). He has missed only one game in 14 seasons, and is still playing today. Stover has scored 1481 points in his career.
  5. 1979, Los Angeles Rams: Drew Hill, wide receiver, Georgia Tech (Round 12, #328). Maybe teams should stop focusing on the last pick of the draft and focus on the second-to-last pick instead. Just like Anthony Carter, Hill was the second-to-last pick. In 14 seasons, Hill had 634 catches for nearly 10000 yards and 60 touchdowns. His best days were in the ’80s with the Houston Oilers.
  6. 1991, Washington Redskins: Keenan McCardell, wide receiver, UNLV (Round 12, #326). Talk about a misread on talent. Despite his late draft selection, McCardell has played 13 years, frustrating many defenders along the way. Career Stats: 755 catches, 9763 yards, 53 touchdowns. Best years were with Jacksonville Jaguars, where he teamed with deep threat Jimmy Smith.
  7. 1983, Denver Broncos: Karl Mecklenburg, linebacker, Minnesota (Round 12, #310). Started 141 games in his 12-year career. Had 79 1/2 sacks and 1145 career tackles.
  8. 2002, New England Patriots: David Givens, wide receiver, Notre Dame (Round Seven, #294). Once a long shot to make the team, Givens has hung on and done well. Career Stats: 99 catches, 1476 yards, ten touchdowns.
  9. 1985, Los Angeles Rams: Doug Flutie, quarterback, Boston College (Round 11, #285). Became famous for amazing last-second Hail Mary pass to Gerard Phelan (his roommate) as a member of BC that helped his team beat the University of Miami. One of the best quarterbacks ever, if you combine his Canadian Football League stats with his NFL ones. NFL Stats: 96 touchdowns in 86 career games. Combined NFL and CFL Stats: 56041 yards passing, three titles (all in CFL), six MVP awards (all in CFL), 356 touchdown passes. Currently Tom Brady’s backup with the Patriots.
  10. 1984, Cleveland Browns: Earnest Byner, running back, East Carolina (Round Ten, #280). One of the best underdog stories in NFL history. Had a great career. Famous for “The Fumble”, the play where he fumbled at the three yard line in the 1987 AFC Championship game against the Broncos. The fumble ended up costing the Browns a Super Bowl berth. Played 211 games for three teams (Browns, Redskins, Ravens). Career Rushing Stats: 2095 carries for 8261 yards and 56 touchdowns. Career Receiving Stats: 512 catches for 4605 yards and 15 touchdowns.
  11.  1977, Dallas Cowboys: Steve Deberg, quarterback, San Jose State (Round Ten, #275). Deberg wasn’t a star, but he had a lengthy career- 17 seasons. Threw for 34241 yards and 196 touchdowns.
  12.  1987, Houston Oilers: Curtis Duncan, wide receiver, Northwestern (Round Ten, #258). A short career, but a productive one…..322 catches for 3935 yards and 20 touchdowns in seven seasons.
  13. 1979, San Francisco 49’ers: Dwight Clark, wide receiver, Clemson (Round Ten, #249). One of the best tight ends in NFL history. Famous for making “The Catch” in 1982 NFC Championship against Dallas that set up the 49’ers first ever title. Career Stats: 506 catches, 6750 yards, 48 touchdowns.
  14. 1990, Minnesota Vikings: Terry Allen, running back, Clemson (Round Nine, #241). Yet another late-round Clemson gem. The only player to successfully recover from two torn ACL’s (one in each knee), Allen’s career lasted for 132 games and he played for five different teams. His breakout year was in 1996 with the Redskins, when he rushed for 21 touchdowns. Career Stats: 8614 yards rushing (73 TD’s); 204 catches, 1601 yards, six receiving TD’s.
  15. 1992, Minnesota Vikings: Brad Johnson, quarterback, Florida State (Round Nine, #227). FSU quarterbacks (Casey Weldon, Chris Wienke, Gino Toretta) have tended to have terrible NFL careers, but Johnson has been the exception. Led Tampa Bay to a championship (Super Bowl XXXVII). Career Stats: 23913 yards passing and 150 touchdowns (seven rushing).
  16. 1985, Buffalo Bills: Steve Tasker, wide receiver, Northwestern (Round Nine, #226). Tasker was a special teams ace, and is the only special-teamer ever to be named Pro Bowl MVP (1993). Ended his career with 1245 return yards, 204 tackles, and seven blocked punts. Played in four Super Bowls with the Bills.
  17. 1983, Miami Dolphins: Mark Clayton, wide receiver, Louisville (Round Eight, #223). One of the main reasons that Dan Marino was so dominant throughout the 1980’s. Duper and teammate Mark Clayton were the 1980’s best duo of receivers. Played in one Super Bowl, with Miami in 1984. Career Stats: 158 games, 582 catches, 8974 yards, 84 touchdowns.
  18. 1993, San Diego Chargers: Trent Green, quarterback, Indiana (Round Eight, #202). Played for three teams in his career- Chargers, Rams, and Chiefs. His torn ACL in ’99 preseason as a Ram led to emergence of Kurt Warner. Caught on as a solid starter with Chiefs. Thrown for 133 touchdowns and 21607 yards.
  19. 1999, Green Bay Packers: Donald Driver, wide receiver, Alcorn State (Round Seven, #213). One of Brett Favre’s favorite targets. Career Stats: 243 catches for 3413 yards and 23 touchdowns.
  20. 1981, Minnesota Vikings: Wade Wilson, quarterback, East Tennessee State (Round Eight, #210). Never dominant, but still a quality quarterback who had a long career. Career Stats: 17283 yards passing and 108 touchdowns (nine rushing).
  21. 1983, Chicago Bears: Richard Dent, defensive end, Tennessee State (Round Eight, #203). The MVP of Super Bowl XX for the Bears. 137 1/2 career sacks.
  22. 1989, Miami Dolphins: Pete Stoyanovich, kicker, Indiana (Round Eight, #203). His career lasted over a decade. Made 272 field goals, and scored a total of 1236 points in 182 games.
  23. 2000, New England Patriots: Tom Brady, quarterback, Michigan (Round Six, #199). Vaulted into the starting lineup in 2001 after a hit by Mo Lewis of the Jets sent then-starter Drew Bledsoe to the sideline. Four years later, Brady has three championships and 97 touchdown passes to his credit.
  24. 1993, New England Patriots: Troy Brown, wide receiver, Marshall (Round Eight, #198). Troy Brown “and his band of renown” has been nearly as productive as fellow Marshall wideout Randy Moss, but without the controversy. He embodies Patriot style, contributing in many phases of the game. Had three interceptions last year in first year filling in as a cornerback. Won three titles in four Super Bowl appearances. Best Year: 2001, when he had 101 catches and two return touchdowns. Career Stats: 475 catches, 5516 yards, and 25 touchdown catches; 4386 return yards (three return touchdowns).
  25. 1995, Denver Broncos: Terrell Davis, running back, Georgia (Round Six, #196). Were it not for injuries, he may still be playing, and possibly threatening all-time rushing records. Won two titles with the Broncos. Had 8887 total yards (7607 rushing) and 65 total touchdowns in 81 career games.
  26. 1990, Denver Broncos: Shannon Sharpe, tight end, Savannah State (Round Seven, #192). Arguably the best tight end ever to play the game. Won two titles with the Broncos and one with the Ravens. Career Stats; 815 catches for 10060 yards and 62 touchdowns.
  27. 1998, Green Bay Packers: Matt Hasselbeck, quarterback, Boston College (Round Six, #187). Emerged from shadow of Brett Favre and made it big in Seattle. Thrown for 12469 yards and 76 touchdowns (rushed for four) in his career, 67 in last three seasons.
  28. 1987, Oakland Raiders: Bo Jackson, running back, Auburn (Round Seven, #183). A tragic story: his career was cut short way too early- he severely broke his hip on a tackle in a game against the Bengals in the early ’90s. He was never the same after that. Was a two-sport star, also playing baseball (Kansas City Royals). Career Stats: 2782 yards rushing, 18 touchdowns (two receiving). In the few NFL years Jackson had, he had a huge impact. A true what-might-have-been story.
  29. 1982, Pittsburgh Steelers: Gary Anderson, kicker, Syracuse (Round Seven, #171). One of the longest NFL careers ever- 353 games in 22 seasons. Retired from NFL at age of 44. Made 538 field goals and 820 extra points for a total of 2434 points, the most all-time.
  30. 1993, Seattle Seahawks: Michael McCrary, defensive end, Wake Forest (Round Seven, #170). Not a household name, but a very good pass rusher. Career Stats: 71 1/2 sacks, 405 tackles, seven forced fumbles in 136 games.
  31. 2000, New Orleans Saints: Marc Bulger, quarterback, West Virginia (Round Six, #168). Played in 36 games, all for the Rams. Career Stats: 9635 yards passing, 57 touchdown passes, eight rushing touchdowns.
  32. 1992, New York Jets: Jeff Blake, quarterback, East Carolina (Round Six, #166). Solid but inconsistent starter. Best years were in the mid-’90s with the Bengals. Thrown for 21656 yards and 133 touchdowns (rushed for 14).
  33. 1980, Detroit Lions: Eddie Murray, kicker, Tulane (Round Seven, #166). Played almost as long as Eddie Murray the baseball player. Scored 1595 points in 250 career games. Made 21 field goals of 50 yards or longer.
  34. 1993, Washington Redskins: Frank Wycheck, tight end, Maryland (Round Six, #160). Threw the pass to Kevin Dyson on Tennessee’s “Music City Miracle” in 2000 against the Bills in the playoffs. A true team player and a true talent. Caught 505 passes and scored 28 touchdowns.
  35. 1996, Miami Dolphins: Zach Thomas, linebacker, Texas Tech (Round Five, #154). Often overlooked when thinking of the league’s best linebackers (Ray Lewis, Tedy Bruschi, Brian Urlacher). Thomas has 1263 career tackles, 13 1/2 sacks, 15 interceptions, nine forced fumbles, and four defensive touchdowns.
  36. 2000, Kansas City Chiefs: Dante Hall, running back, Texas A&M (Round Five, #153). Dubbed “The Human Joystick” for his incredible elusiveness, Hall has made his mark as one of the ten best kick returners ever. Kickoff Returns: 242 returns, 5877 yards, five touchdowns. Punt Returns: 119 returns, 1366 yards, four touchdowns.
  37. 2000, Green Bay Packers: Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, linebacker, San Diego State (Round Five, #149). From the school that produced the talented Marshall Faulk. The linebacker known better as “KGB” has terrorized offenses, racking up 50 1/2 sacks and 11 forced fumbles in only 70 games.
  38. 1994, San Diego Chargers: Rodney Harrison, cornerback, Western Illinois (Round Five, #145). Mistakenly let go prior to the 2003 season, and quickly scooped up by the Patriots. Harrison has shown that he still is an effective safety. Won two titles as a Patriot. Career Totals: 1049 tackles, 70 passes defended, 13 forced fumbles, 27 1/2 sacks, 31 interceptions, and three defensive TD’s.
  39. 1991, Cleveland Browns: Michael Jackson, wide receiver, Southern Mississippi (Round Six, #141). Definitely a household name. Career Stats: 353 catches for 5393 yards and 46 touchdowns.
  40. 1990, New York Jets: Terance Mathis, wide receiver, New Mexico (Round Six, #140). Played in 205 games. Best year was 1994, when he had 111 catches for 1342 yards and 11 touchdowns. Career Stats: 689 catches, 8809 yards, 63 touchdowns.
  41. 1996, Kansas City Chiefs: Joe Horn, wide receiver, Itawamba Junior College (Round Six, #135). Had great ESPN moment when he retrieved a cell phone from under the goal post padding after a touchdown. Has 172 catches and 21 touchdowns over the past two seasons. Career Stats: 490 catches, 7168 yards, 52 touchdowns in nine seasons.
  42. 1989, New York Giants: Dave Meggett, running back, Towson (Round Five, #132). Immortalized by ESPN’s Chris Berman who often used the phrase, “Look at that little Meggett run!” Not a great runner, but a talented receiver (336 receptions, 18 total touchdowns) and a great returner (601 returns, 9274 yards, eight return touchdowns). Had at least one return touchdown every year from 1989 to 1994 (seven TD’s in that span).
  43. 1990, Washington Redskins: Brian Mitchell, running back, Southwestern Louisiana (Round Five, #130). The best returner in NFL history. 23316 all-purpose yards. Rushing Stats: 1967 yards, 12 touchdowns. Receiving Stats: 255 catches, four touchdowns. Return Stats: 1070 returns for 19013 yards and 13 touchdowns.
  44. 1988, Houston Oilers: Cris Dishman, cornerback, Purdue (Round Five, #125). 43 interceptions, 14 forced fumbles, 204 passes defended and 435 tackles in 200 career games.
  45. 1993, Green Bay Packers: Mark Brunell, quarterback, Washington (Round Five, #118). Another quarterback who found success after being mentored by Brett Favre. Most of career has been with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Career Stats: 26987 yards passing and 166 touchdowns (15 rushing).
  46. 1975, New England Patriots: Steve Grogan, quarterback, Kansas State (Round Five, #116). Before there was Michael Vick, there was Grogan. Grogan was a true running quarterback before it was the popular trend. Rushed for 35 touchdowns, including 12 in 1976, an NFL-record for a quarterback. Passed for 26886 yards and 182 touchdowns in 16 seasons.
  47. 1990, Arizona Cardinals: Larry Centers, running back, Stephen F. Austin (Round Five, #115). More receptions (826) than any other running back. Scored 42 touchdowns and had 8985 total yards.
  48. 1985, Dallas Cowboys: Herschel Walker, running back, Georgia (Round Five, #114). Gained infamy when he was traded to Minnesota for 12 players (seven players and five draft picks). Played for 13 years. Career Stats: rushed for 8225 yards and 61 touchdowns. Caught 512 passes for 4859 yards and 21 touchdowns.
  49. 1985, Los Angeles Rams: Kevin Greene, linebacker, Auburn (Round Five, #113). 160 sacks (third best in NFL history) in 15 seasons. A likely future Hall-of-Famer.
  50. 1991, Miami Dolphins: Bryan Cox, linebacker, Western Illinois (Round Five, #113). One of the best linebackers in the past 20 years. Won Super Bowl title with the Patriots. Career Stats: 630 tackles, 51 1/2 sacks, 43 passes defended, 21 forced fumbles, four interceptions and two defensive touchdowns.

Special Category: Best Ever Undrafted Player
Dave Krieg, quarterback, Milton College: Won a roster spot in Seattle’s training camp in 1980. Went on to play for 19 seasons. His last few years in the league, Krieg changed his uniform number to reflect how many years he had played (wore 16 in his 16th season, 17 in his 17th season…). Rushed for 13 touchdowns. Threw for 38147 yards and 261 touchdowns (career high of 32 in 1984).

My webpage is part of my friend David’s website (http://www.geocities.com/will_asher). You can reach my section by clicking on the Links section at the bottom of that site. It has articles that I wrote about the 2004 NFL season.

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