The NFL Draft is a crapshoot. For every No. 1 pick who becomes a Hall of Famer, there’s a JaMarcus Russell lurking in the shadows. But what about those players who somehow slipped through the cracks and made every team regret passing on them?
These 15 players weren’t just draft steals—they were outright heists. Let’s count down the best players who were drafted way too late, going from “steal” to “someone call the cops.”
15. Antonio Brown (195th overall, 2010)
Say what you want about AB’s off-field antics (and there’s a lot to say), but on the field, the dude was unstoppable. The Steelers found him in the sixth round, and he turned into one of the most dynamic receivers of his era. Too bad things went… well, you know.
14. Richard Sherman (154th overall, 2011)
Sherman talks a lot, and when you’re drafted in the fifth round and still become a Hall of Fame-level corner, you should talk. The Legion of Boom wouldn’t have been the same without him, and the 31 teams that passed him up got an earful.
13. Terrell Davis (196th overall, 1995)
Broncos fans still thank the football gods for TD. A sixth-round pick who ran his way into Canton, Davis carried Denver to two Super Bowl wins and proved that sometimes, all a late-round pick needs is an opportunity (and a Hall of Fame QB).
12. Jason Kelce (191st overall, 2011)
The Eagles grabbed Kelce in the sixth round, and now he’s an all-time great center, podcast legend, and—depending on your perspective—either Taylor Swift’s future brother-in-law or just a man who happens to be Travis’s older brother.
11. Jared Allen (126th overall, 2004)
A fourth-round pick who went on to terrorize quarterbacks, Allen made mullets cool again while racking up 136 sacks in his career. Not bad for a guy who probably heard “high motor” about 1,000 times during the draft process.
10. Zach Thomas (154th overall, 1996)
At 5’11”, 230 pounds, Thomas wasn’t exactly a prototypical linebacker. But what he lacked in size, he made up for with an insane football IQ and tackling machine energy. The Dolphins landed a steal in the fifth round, and opposing offenses hated it.
9. Shannon Sharpe (192nd overall, 1990)
Sharpe is one of the best tight ends and one of the best trash talkers in NFL history. Denver took him in the seventh round, and he rewarded them with three rings and an endless supply of incredible soundbites.
8. Hines Ward (92nd overall, 1998)
A third-round pick, Ward became one of the toughest receivers in NFL history. If he wasn’t catching passes, he was blocking defenders into the next century. Steelers fans loved him; opposing defenders, not so much.
7. Russell Wilson (75th overall, 2012)
Seattle took a chance on a 5’11” QB in the third round, and all he did was win a Super Bowl and become the best quarterback in Seahawks history (we’re pretending the Denver years didn’t happen, okay?).
6. Deacon Jones (186th overall, 1961)
Deacon Jones literally invented the term “sack.” He went in the 14th round because teams didn’t understand what a pass rusher was back then. Turns out, he was pretty good at it.
5. Roger Staubach (129th overall, 1964)
The Cowboys got a future Hall of Fame QB in the 10th round. The 10th round! Sure, he had to serve in the Navy before he could play, but once he got on the field, he turned America’s Team into, well, America’s Team.
4. Bart Starr (200th overall, 1956)
Drafted in the 17th round (yes, that used to be a thing), Starr led the Packers to five championships, including the first two Super Bowls. Not bad for a guy 199 picks away from being Mr. Irrelevant.
3. Joe Montana (82nd overall, 1979)
Imagine passing on Joe Cool twice before the 49ers took him in the third round. The man became a four-time Super Bowl champion and one of the greatest QBs of all time. Sorry about that, other 27 teams.
Related: 10 Undrafted NFL Players Who Became Super Bowl Champions
2. Johnny Unitas (102nd overall, 1955)
Cut by the Steelers and drafted in the ninth round, Unitas became the face of the NFL in the ‘50s and ‘60s. He’s one of the biggest “how did this happen?” draft stories ever.
Related: 19 NFL “Draft Busts” That Proved Everyone Wrong
1. Tom Brady (199th overall, 2000)
Was there ever any doubt? Six quarterbacks were drafted before Brady. None of them became the greatest player in NFL history with seven rings. The 199th pick of the 2000 Draft just happened to be the guy who’d make Bill Belichick look like a genius and ruin Sundays for half the league for 20 years.
Related: Ranking the 15 Biggest NFL Draft Steals of All Time
