Hindsight is undefeated. And we’re easily reminded of that when reflecting on past NFL Draft classes.
When I was asked to identify the best and worst first-round draft picks for each NFL team over the past decade, I underestimated the task and the different factors to consider. The first and most important step: how to define best? And worst?
For this exercise, I defined “best” as the player who made the greatest impact (or projected impact) for the team that drafted him, which is sometimes different than simply the better player. And vice-versa for worst — who made the smallest impact? Sometimes that came down to simple bad luck with injuries.
I also decided not to include 2019 rookies. With only a half-season sample size, it is simply too early to have uncompromising opinions compared to more experienced players. If I did include rookies, Nick Bosa would have been a strong candidate for the 49ers’ best of the decade and Clelin Ferrell for the…
