Over the next few weeks, we'll evaluate the best and worst top 10 picks in a 10-year span from 1999-2008. We capped this at 2008 because it's unfair to judge first- or second-year players. Today, the pick eight success.
Pick: Eight overall
The player: Jordan Gross | OT | Carolina Panthers (2003)
NFL Draft successes and busts 10-year evaluation: 8th overall success
From 1999 to 2008, the eighth overall pick in the NFL Draft was spectacularly boring. The best players top out at just being pretty good, but never the best player at their position. There's really only one colossal bust from the pick, whom we'll discuss on Monday.
The best players from the eighth pick in this span of time are Antrel Rolle (2005, Arizona Cardinals), DeAngelo Hall (2004, Atlanta Falcons), Jordan Gross (2003, Carolina Panthers) and maybe Plaxico Burress (2000, Pittsburgh Steelers).
Of those four, Gross is probably the best. A three-time Pro Bowl selection and All Pro in 2008, Gross is one of the most underrated tackles in the NFL. He’s been a work horse for the Panthers, starting almost every game since his rookie year. he was even Carolina’s representative to be on the cover of Madden NFL ‘12.
So in a pick slot that hasn’t been all sexy, it’s sort of nice that an unsexy player is the best of the bunch.
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