The NFL Draft begins tomorrow. Even after several months of speculation, we are no closer to figuring out which players will be selected by each team and with what pick.
One of the most interesting questions is will two quarterbacks by the first two picks in the draft? Will Jameis Winston (Florida State) and Marcus Mariota (Oregon) be the first two selections? A recent mock draft posted by Bleacher Report has Winston going number to Tampa Bay and the Titans picking Mariota with the second selection.
The last time two QBs went 1-2 in the draft was in 2012 when Indianapolis chose Andrew Luck and the Redskins followed by taking Robert Griffin III.
It’s interesting to note that just two years ago a pair of players who played the same position were selected as the first two picks in the draft; they were not, however, quarterbacks. In ’13, offensive tackles Eric Fisher and Luke Joeckel went 1-2 in the draft.
Here’s a look at the eight times since 1970 (the AFL-NFL merger) that two players that played the same position were chosen number one and number two in the NFL Draft.
Year, position, players
1971, QB: Jim Plunkett, Archie Manning, Dan Pastorini (selected 1-2-3)
1972, Defensive End: Walt Patulski, Sherman White
1977, Running Back: Ricky Bell, Tony Dorsett
1993, Quarterback: Drew Bledsoe, Rick Mirer
1998, Quarterback: Peyton Manning, Ryan Leaf
1999, Quarterback: Tim Couch, Donovan McNabb, Akili Smith
2012, Quarterback: Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III
2013, Offensive Tackle: Eric Fisher, Luke Joeckel
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An interesting post, Jerry. Thanks for sharing this info with us. Maybe include the pick that each player was selected; as you did with the 1971 QBs going 1-2-3.