Ian Allan
I saw on article over the weekend about Matthew Stafford and Brandon Pettigrew, the two first-rounders of the Lions. It’s the first time that a team has used the first choice of the draft on a quarterback, then used another first-round pick on a pass catcher.
If you want to see the article, it’s can be seen at the site of the Detroit Free Press.
Anyway, this has been kind of a popular trend recently – the idea of following a quarterback with a target he can grow with. For seven of the last 10 quarterbacks selected No. 1 overall, that second choice has been used on a pass catcher. (The three exceptions being Carson Palmer, Eli Manning and Alex Smith).
Below are the eight pass-catch pairs since the 1970 merger – quarterback selected No. 1 overall, followed by the team then using its second-round pick on a wide receiver or tight end. For each team I’ve included a blurb about how the pass catcher’s career turned out.
1970 Pittsburgh Steelers
QB Terry Bradshaw, Louisiana Tech
WR Ron Shanklin, North Texas State
Note: Drafted out of the same school as Mean Joe Greene the previous year, Shanklin was a solid receiver. In 1973, he caught 10 TDs and averaged 23.7 yards per catch. But Shanklin was phased out after team selected Lynn Swann and John Stallworth in 1974.
1993 New England Patriots
QB Drew Bledsoe, Washington State
WR Vincent Brisby, N.E. Louisiana
Note: Brisby had a pair of 900-yard seasons.
1998 Indianapolis Colts
QB Peyton Manning, Tennessee
WR Jerome Pathon, Washington
Note: Pathon spent 8 years in the league but never had a 700-yard season.
1999 Cleveland Browns
QB Tim Couch, Kentucky
WR Kevin Johnson, Syracuse
Note: Johnson caught 84 for 1097 and 9 TDs in 2001 but then faded away.
2001 Atlanta Falcons
QB Michael Vick, Virginia Tech
TE Alge Crumpler, North Carolina
Note: Crumpler was one of the top 10 tight ends of the decade.
2002 Houston Texans
QB David Carr, Fresno State
WR Jabar Gaffney, Florida
Note: Gaffney floundered in Houston but was a fair No. 3 for New England in 2007.
2007 Oakland Raiders
QB JaMarcus Russell, Louisiana State
TE Zach Miller, Arizona State
Note: Miller has been very impressive in his first two years.
2009 Detroit Lions
QB Matthew Stafford, Georgia
TE Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma State
—Ian Allan
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