Hits and misses in NFL Draft

Joe Montana, left, was the 82nd overall pick in the 1979 NFL Draft and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers, while Tom Brady was the No. 199 pick overall in 2000, as he was taken by the New England Patriots in the sixth round. (AP)

The National Football League Draft concluded late last month and while we found out who went to which team, we don’t know when exactly are we going to see the hits and misses in this year’s rookie class due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While eagerly waiting for the newcomers to play in the NFL, Saipan Tribune decided to poll Saipan’s football fans on the steals and busts in the league’s draft history.

Let’s start with those unearthed diamond in the rough.

Tom Brady and his six Super Bowl rings, four Super Bowl MVP awards, three NFL MVP plums, and a host of other individual recognitions are more than enough to convince gridiron fans on Saipan to pick him on top of the hits list.

The University of Michigan backup quarterback was taken by the New England Patriots as the No. 199 pick overall and in the second to the last (sixth) round of the 2000 draft. With the Pats, he ended up as the fourth-string QB behind Drew Bledsoe, John Friesz, and Michael Bishop before getting his break in 2001 and to say that the rest is history is an understatement.

“The best draft success has to be the legend Tom Brady. As a 49ers fan, I sometimes wonder what would have happened if he was a Niner, which is where he initially wanted to be,” former Commonwealth Football League official Ed Arriola said.

Brady, who is now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, grew up a 49ers fan having lived in the Bay Area and he even had a workout for the team joining more than 50 college players. However, the 49ers passed on him and selected Hofstra University’s Giovanni Carmazzi, who did not even play a regular season game in the NFL.

Former CFL player Francis Mendiola and veteran coach John Blanco both agreed teams who snubbed Brady in the 2000 draft regret their decisions.

In this April 18, 1998 file photo, Ryan Leaf, center, of Washington State gets help holding up his San Diego Chargers jersey from Chargers owner Alex Spanos, left, and NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue after Leaf was chosen by the Chargers as the second pick overall in the NFL Draft in New York. (AP)

“The GOAT Tom Brady!!!! Six Super Bowl championships, going on his 20-plus years in the NFL with three NFL MVP, what else can you ask from a sixth round pick on the draft,” said Mendiola.

“He was picked in the later rounds but he is arguably the GOAT in the NFL. Interesting enough, he replaced a quarterback that was also from my school (Washington State University)—Drew Bledsoe,” Blanco said.

Kevin Calibo acknowledged Brady’s greatness, but picked Drew Breese, who was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the second round and 32nd overall in 2001 behind Michael Vick.

Though he spent his rookie year with the Chargers, it was with the New Orleans Saints that Breese made his mark. He signed with New Orleans in 2006 after a series of near career-ending injuries and with the Saints, Breese led the NFL quarterbacks in touchdowns, passing yards, and 300-yard games. He also owns the NFL records for career pass completions, career completion percentage, career passing yards, and career touchdown passes.

Before passing up on Brady, the 49ers managed to find a gem in Joe Montana during the 1979 NFL Draft. The 49ers selected Montana at the end of the third round with the 82nd overall pick and was the fourth QB taken, behind Jack Thompson, Phil Simms, and Steve Fuller, who were all picked in the first round. Montana was the backup of Steve DeBerg and did not get to start for the 49ers until midway of his second season in the league.

“Before Brady came, he was one of the only two NFL quarterbacks with four Super Bowl wins. He may not have those impressive stats as Brady or Breese, but when it comes to crunch time, he delivered,” 49ers fans Toby Santos said.

Nicknamed the “Comeback Kid,” Montana completed the game-winning TD pass in the 49ers’ NFC title match against the Dallas Cowboys in 1981. Then in 1989, he threw the TD pass at the end of a 92-yard drive with only 36 seconds left in the game to lift the 49ers to the Super Bowl XXIII win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

From greatness to disappointment
Widely considered as one of the two best players in the 1998 draft, Ryan Leaf (the other one was Peyton Manning), was drafted second overall by the San Diego Chargers after a successful career with the Washington State University.

Poor behavior, injuries, and frequent miscommunication with his teammates, had the Heisman Trophy finalist calling it quits after only four seasons.

“Leaf did not perform what was expected from him on and off the field and he is not a team player,” Mendiola said.

Another collegiate star who lost his luster when he moved to the NFL was Johnny Manziel.

“He was the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy and I would love watching his games while he played in college. For some reason he just couldn’t duplicate the success in the NFL,” Arriola said.

The Cleveland Browns drafted Manziel in the first round for the 22nd overall pick in 2014. However, the Browns released him after two years for his uncalled for behavior (he was investigated for domestic violence). From his short NFL stint, Manziel moved to low-tier leagues. He last played for the Birmingham Iron in the Alliance of American Football in 2019 before the competition was suspended early April the same year.

Another player who did not live up to expectations was Tim Couch.

“He was drafted ahead of Donovan McNabb,” Calibo said.

Couch was drafted way ahead of everyone in the 1999 Class, as the Browns picked him first overall.

A Heisman Trophy finalist, too, Couch marked his five seasons with the Browns with multiple injuries and inconsistent plays before he called it a career in 2007 after he was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Meanwhile, the NFL 2020 season is scheduled to open in September and though we don’t know if the kick-off will go ahead or pushed back (depending on the development of the pandemic), one thing is for sure—the league’s hits and misses list will have new members.