Quote:The running back list is even worse. I'm taking Barron, Whitner, and Landry over guys like Spiller, Bush, and Richardson all day. 

 

After looking at it more, I think that is an excellent hit rate for top 10 positional draft list. Taylor was on his way to being one of the all time great safeties, Berry is on a hall of fame trajectory, Williams was a 5 time pro bowler, Barron/Landry/Whitner are all solid long term starters with a couple of pro bowls sprinkled in, and the worst player on the list Huff at least started for half a decade too. 

 

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a position with a better hit rate among top 10 picks (granted most other positions would have a much larger sample size).

Going back further, there were guys like Kenny Easley taken 4th overall in 1981 (BTW, that was a great draft for safeties.  The first round that year, after Easley, was Ronnie Lott at 8 and Dennis Smith at 15).  Lloyd Burruss and Todd Bell were also taken that year outside the first round).  Bennie Blades was taken 3rd in 1988.  Eric Turner was taken 2nd overall in 1991.

 

Now in fairness, going back further, history has shown that while you can find productive, even great RBs lower in the draft, history has shown that truly special backs are typically found in the top 5 of the draft.  Tony Dorsett was taken 2nd overall in 1977.  The next year, Earl Campbell was taken 1st overall.  In what was quite possible the best draft in history, Eric Dickerson was taken 2nd overall in 1983.  1986 saw Bo Jackson selected first overall (though in fairness, he never played a down for the Bucs and was drafted a year later far lower in the draft).  Barry Sanders was taken 3rd overall in a very talented top 5 in 1989,  Marshall Faulk went 2nd overall in 1994.  Edgerrin James went 4th in 1999.  Ladanian Tomlinson went 5th in 2000.

 

Of course, there are also more busts taken top 5 at RB, but RB was considered far more important then, and accordingly more teams were willing to invest in one high.

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