Who are the best seventh-round NFL Draft picks in history? There are several current Pro Football Hall of Famers on this list. There is also one well-known active quarterback.
When it comes to most of these players, the teams that selected them were more lucky than good. If these teams thought they’d turn out to be all-time great players, they wouldn’t have waited until Round 7.
As with anything, some luck is involved. Without further ado, let’s check in on the best seventh-round NFL Draft picks of all-time.
Related: Updated 2024 NFL mock draft
2009: Julian Edelman, New England Patriots
A quarterback by trade at Kent State, Edelman was the 232nd pick in the 2009 NFL Draft by New England. Within a 12-pick span of where he was selected, a total of five prospects didn’t play a regular-season game. As for Edelman, he would go on to star for the Patriots over a brilliant 12-year run that included winning the Super Bowl LIII after catching 10 passes for 141 yards in a win over the Los Angeles Rams. Edelman finished his career second on the Patriots’ all-time list in receptions and fourth in receiving yards. Not too bad for a scrawny kid from Redwood City.
1991: Leon Lett, Dallas Cowboys
Lett was part of a Dallas Cowboys 1991 draft class that included the likes of Russell Maryland, Alvin Harper, Erik Williams and Larry Brown who played important roles in their dynasty. While he might be best known for a brain fart in a Super Bowl win over the Buffalo Bills, Lett was a fixture on the Cowboys’ defensive line for a decade. He earned two Pro Bowl nods and was an anchor for a unit that dominated against the run. For that, Lett is one of the best NFL Draft picks in history.
1953: Jim Ringo, Green Bay Packers
A 10-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro, two-time NFL champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer; Ringo might be the single-best seventh-round pick in the history of the draft. He acted as Bart Starr’s center from 1956-1963, playing a vital role in his success with the Packers. Not too shabby.
1994: Jamal Anderson, Atlanta Falcons
A total of 22 running backs were taken ahead of Anderson in the 1994 NFL Draft. Of those three taken immediately ahead of him, they went for a combined zero rushing yards in one regular-season game. After a ho-hum first two seasons, this Utah star broke on to the scene for Atlanta in 1996. Over the course of a three-year span, he recorded 4,979 total yards and 32 touchdowns. Anderson’s 1,846-yard performance in 1998 propelled the Falcons to their first Super Bowl appearance. While injuries would catch up to the back later in his career, he remains one of the best NFL Draft picks ever.
2022: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Only two seasons into his career, and Brock Purdy is already one of the best NFL Draft picks ever. It’s a point that’s hard to argue against. He’s led San Francisco to two NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl. The 49ers are 17-4 in Purdy’s 21 career starts while averaging north of 30 points per game. Mr. Irrelevant as the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has also tallied 47 total touchdowns compared to 15 interceptions. The eight quarterbacks selected ahead of him have thrown for a combined 61 touchdowns and 65 interceptions. That’s simply insane.
1963: Bobby Bell, Kansas City Chiefs
Bobby Bell was a nine-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro, two-time NFL champion and Super Bowl winner during his brilliant 12-year run with the Chiefs. The linebacker recorded a resounding 26 interceptions from that position and played a vital role in their success under legendary head coach Hank Stram. Interestingly enough, the Chiefs’ 1963 draft class included fellow future Hall of Famer Buck Buchanan as well as all-time great guard Ed Budde.
Related: 10 best No. 1 picks in NFL Draft history
1958: Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland Browns
The 1958 NFL Draft was absolutely loaded with future Hall of Famers. That included the likes of Chuck Howley, Alex Karras, Jim Taylor, Ray Nitschke and Jerry Kramer within the first 40 picks. But the impact Mitchell made after finding himself as a seventh-round pick can’t go unnoticed. He was a jack-of-all-trades earlier in his career as a receiver and runner. From 1959-64 in splitting time between Cleveland and Washington, Mitchell averaged 1,152 total yards and nine touchdowns. That was revolutionary for this era.
1965: Bob Hayes, Dallas Cowboys
There is little doubt that Bob Hayes is one of the best NFL Draft picks ever. The Florida A&M product started his Dallas Cowboys career by averaging 950 yards and 10 touchdowns over the course of his first seven seasons. The wide receiver earned five Pro Bowl nods during that span. He played a vital role in Dallas’ return to domination under legendary head coach Tom Landry.
Related: 2024 NFL Draft running back rankings
1990: Shannon Sharpe, Denver Broncos
As the 192nd pick of the Denver Broncos back in 1990, no one outside of Shannon Sharpe expected much of him at the NFL level. He was a small-school product out of Savannah State and the lesser-known brother of then-Green Bay Packers wide receiver Sterling Sharpe. What followed was an absolutely brilliant 14-year career in which Sharpe earned eight Pro Bowl trips, made the All-Pro team twice and led Denver to two Super Bowl titles while winning another with the Baltimore Ravens.
1987: Bo Jackson, Los Angeles Raiders
What could have been? If a hip injury did not cost Jackson his career after just four seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders, he might have gone down as one of the greatest football players of all-time. Instead, Bo knows he’ll have to settle for being one of the best NFL Draft picks ever. The Auburn product put up 3,134 total yards at a resounding 5.6 yards per touch in just 38 career games. He was absolutely electric. A freak injury doesn’t change that.