NFL Draft: No. 1 Pick Not as Useful as in Years Past

Once upon a time, the first selection in the NFL Draft was a joyous thing. Everybody and their brother would try to trade up and get it. The team with the pick had to decide whether to keep it or help the team more by trading down and getting three to four good players rather than a superstar. The choice could make or break a team for years. The ’80s saw great picks like Billy Sims, John Elway, Bruce Smith, Troy Aikman, and Bo Jackson. However these failed picks were also first selections: George Rogers, Kenneth Sims, and Aundray Bruce. The ’90s brought: Keyshawn Johnson, Drew Bledsoe, and Peyton Manning. On the bad side, we saw Jeff George, Ki-Jana Carter, and Tim Couch. In the ’00s we've seen hits like: Carson Palmer and Eli Manning. Sadly we've witnessed Michael Vick, Courtney Brown, and David Carr. In today's game, the economics make trading the pick all but impossible. A team on the verge of Super Bowl greatness no longer has the cap room to get that one ... (link)