Since the 2013 NFL Draft is almost upon us, I think it's the appropriate time to look back 10 years ago to the 2003 NFL Draft and see what each player has accomplished from the first round.
#1. Carson Palmer
Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Current Team: Oakland Raiders
Position: Quarterback
College: USC
Stats:
2568/4110 62.5 Completion % 189 TDs 130 INTs 7.2 YPA 86.2 QB Rating 7 Rushing TDs
Verdict:
Unfortunately, Palmer suffered from a severe knee injury early in his career and was never quite the same. Still, he quietly remains an adequate passer.
Grade: B
#2. Charles Rogers
Team: Detroit Lions
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Wide Receiver
College: Michigan State
Stats:
36 Rec 440 yards 4 TDs
Verdict:
Never lived up to the hype. Injuries hampered him, but he never blossomed into what he could have been.
Grade: F
#3. Andre Johnson
Team: Houston Texans
Current Team: Houston Texans
Position: Wide Receiver
College: Miami (FL)
Stats:
818 Rec 11,254 yards 56 TDs
Verdict:
A superstar and one of the cornerstones in the NFL since year one. In the Texans' second draft, the found a star and he's been a pivotal piece to their puzzle since.
Grade: A
#4. Dewayne Robertson
Team: New York Jets
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Defensive Tackle
College: Kentucky
Stats:
280 tackles 16 Sacks 1 PD 3 FF 2 FR
Verdict:
While Robertson played just 6 NFL seasons, he averaged 47 tackles a year. He was a good run stopper and that's a trait not many NFL players have. Unfortunately, his 6'1" 317-pound frame wasn't able to hold up and he's out of the NFL.
Grade: B-
#5. Terence Newman
Team: Dallas Cowboys
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Cornerback
College: Kansas State
Stats:
619 tackles 2 sacks 34 INTs 132 PD 8 FF 10 FR 3 TD
Verdict:
While many Cowboys fans will disagree strongly with me, Newman was actually a very good player for a long time. The fact that he's still going strong illustrates this.
Grade: A
#6. Johnathan Sullivan
Team: New Orleans Saints
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Defensive Tackle
College: Georgia
Stats:
77 tackles 1.5 sacks 2 PD 1 FF
Verdict:
Didn't do much of anything. A big bust. Totals span 3 seasons.
Grade: F
#7. Byron Leftwich
Team: Jacksonville Jaguars
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Quarterback
College: Marshall
Stats:
930/1605 57.9 completion % 10,532 yards 58 TD 42 INTs 78.9 QBR 10 Rush TDs
Verdict:
Leftwich gets an A for effort, and that's never been a question with him. He hasn't won a game since 2006 that he started, but he's put together some excellent performances. Unfortunately, his numbers and his talent don't indicate top-grade success.
Grade: C-
#8. Jordan Gross
Team: Carolina Panthers
Current Team: Carolina Panthers
Position: Offensive Tackle
College: Utah
Stats:
151 games started, 7 FR, 5 Tackles
Verdict:
A staple on the offensive line and just the second player from this draft to still be on the team he was drafted to. A quality starter who has missed just 9 games in 10 years.
Grade: A
#9. Kevin Williams
Team: Minnesota Vikings
Current Team: Minnesota Vikings
Position: Defensive Tackle
College: Oklahoma State
Stats:
434 tackles 56.5 sacks 4 INTs 61 PD 8 FF 12 FR 4 TDs
Verdict:
1/2 of the Williams Wall and a stud defensive tackle. A versatile and durable player who missed just 4 games in 10 years.
Grade: A
#10. Terrell Suggs
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Current Team: Baltimore Ravens
College: Arizona State
Stats:
592 tackles 84.5 sacks 7 INTs 48 PD 25 FF 11 FR 2 TDs
Verdict:
A rare pass rushing talent who has a knack for the big play. A jack of all trades capable of making plays all over the field.
Grade: A
#11. Marcus Trufant
Team: Seattle Seahawks
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Cornerback
College: Washington State
Stats:
646 Tackles 2 Sacks 21 INTs 112 PD 5 FF 6 FR 2 TDs
Verdict:
A pretty solid corner with some durability issues the last 4 years. Hasn't been effective since 2008. Had a good run as a dominant corner, but fell off quickly.
Grade: B
#12. Jimmy Kennedy
Team: St. Louis Rams
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Defensive Tackle
College: Penn State
Stats:
128 Tackles 8.5 Sacks 5 PD 2 FF 2 FR
Verdict:
Struggled his whole career. He had a nice season in 2005, but that was the best he could muster. Given the chance to start in 2006, he promptly came out flat. He was given the boot and then spent time on 4 teams before hanging up his cleats.
Grade: D+
#13. Ty Warren
Team: New England Patriots
Current Team: Denver Broncos
Position: Defensive End
College: Texas A&M
Stats:
374 tackles 20.5 sacks 7 PD 4 FF 6 FR
Verdict:
A pure run stopper, Warren was definitely a force for years. Unfortunately, injuries have slowed him down since about 2008.
Grade: B
#14. Michael Haynes
Team: Chicago Bears
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Defensive End
College: Penn State
Stats: 62 tackles 5.5 sacks 1 INT 4 PD 1 FF 1 TD
Verdict: He was all but a bust. Limited productivity.
Grade: D+
#15. Jerome McDougle
Team: Philadelphia Eagles
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Defensive End
College: Miami (FL)
Stats: 37 tackles 3 sacks 5 PD 1 FF
Verdict: The run of defensive ends gets continually worse. He's a flat out bust.
Grade: F
#16. Troy Polamalu
Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Current Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Position: Safety
College: USC
Stats: 648 tackles 10 sacks 30 INTs 96 PD 8 FF 5 FR 4 TDs
Verdict: A playmaker and a star. He was part of some of the best defenses the league has seen. Good commercials too.
Grade: A
#17. Bryant Johnson
Team: Arizona Cardinals
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Wide Receiver
College: Penn State
Stats: 314 Rec 3,938 yards 16 TD
Verdict: Made a bust of a career into a somewhat consistent disappointment. Gotta give him credit for that.
Grade: C
#18. Calvin Pace
Team: Arizona Cardinals
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Outside Linebacker
College: Wake Forest
Stats: 497 tackles 42 sacks 3 INTs 23 PD 17 FF 10 FR 1 TD
Verdict: A solid, but unspectacular, NFL career.
Grade: B-
#19. Kyle Boller
Team: Baltimore Ravens
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Quarterback
College: California
Stats: 871/1519 8,931 yards 56.7 completion% 48 TD 54 INT 5.9 YPA 69.5 QBR
Verdict: He's been a bust since year one. In his last 22 starts, he has 25 TDs compared to 34 INTs.
Grade: D
#20. George Foster
Team: Denver Broncos
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Offensive Tackle
College: Georgia
Stats: 57 starts 2 FR
Verdict: Missed 28 games in his career, was unspectacular.
Grade: F
#21. Jeff Faine
Team: Cleveland Browns
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Center
College: Notre Dame
Stats: 1 tackle 9 FR
Verdict: Solid center who did miss some time due to injury.
Grade: B-
#22. Rex Grossman
Team: Chicago Bears
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Quarterback
College: Florida
Stats: 863/1562 10,232 yards 55.2 completion% 56 TD 60 INT 6.6 YPA 71.4 QBR
Verdict: Sexy Rexy is a little better than his numbers indicate, in my opinion at least. He's a gunslinger so he's going to have a ton of picks and a low comp %. He's still a quality backup.
Grade: C
#23. Willis McGahee
Team: Buffalo Bills
Current Team: Denver Broncos
Position: Running Back
College: Miami (FL)
Stats: 1957 att 8.097 yards 63 TDs 4.1 YPA 202 rec 1,319 yards 5 TDs (rec)
Verdict: A great back when healthy. Has had 4 1,000 yard seasons, yet he has never started all 16 games. A good back.
Grade: B+
#24. Dallas Clark
Team: Indianapolis Colts
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Tight End
College: Iowa
Stats: 474 rec 5,322 yards 50 TDs
Verdict: The second best receiver in this round and he's not even a wide receiver. Catching balls from Peyton Manning for 8 of 10 seasons in the league will help pad those numbers.
Grade: B
#25. William Joseph
Team: New York Giants
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Defensive Tackle
College: Miami (FL)
Stats: 88 tackles 7 sacks 7 PD 2 FF 1 FR
Verdict: 6 year career and mustered just 17 starts (less than 3 a year). Embarrassing.
Grade: D+
#26. Kwame Harris
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Offensive Tackle
College: Stanford
Stats: 55 starts 4 FR 1 TD
Verdict: An acceptable player. Nothing earth shattering about him.
Grade: C-
#27. Larry Johnson
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Running Back
College: Penn Stats
Stats: 1427 att 6,223 yards 55 TD 4.4 YPA 154 rec 1,373 yards 6 TD (rec)
Verdict: For a two year span, Johnson managed 3,500 yards on 750 carries and racked up 37 TDs on the ground. Close to 4300 total yards in those two years. Unfortunately, it was close to 900 touches and that kind of abuse can wear a player down.
Grade: B-
#28. Andre Woolfolk
Team: Tennessee Titans
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Cornerback
College: Oklahoma
Stats: 119 tackles 3 INT 18 PD 1 FF 1 FR
Verdict: An absolute disappointment. Just 11 starts in 4 years and minimal production.
Grade: F
#29. Nick Barnett
Team: Green Bay Packers
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Linebacker
College: Oregon State
Stats: 1,030 tackles 20.5 sacks 12 INTs 42 PD 6 FF 7 FR 2 TD
Verdict: The tackle champion of the first round is still going strong. At 31, it looks like Barnett will play another year if he can catch on with a team.
Grade: B+
#30. Sammy Davis
Team: San Diego Chargers
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Cornerback
College: Texas A&M
Stats: 173 tackles 1 Sack 3 INT 31 PD 1 FF
Verdict: Marginal production, but not the worst in the first round. His mediocrity keeps him above failing.
Grade: D+
#31. Nnamdi Asomugha
Team: Oakland Raiders
Current Team: Free Agent, Still in NFL
Position: Cornerback
College: California
Stats: 404 tackles 2 sacks 15 INT 78 PD 2 FF 1 FR 1 TD
Verdict: He's been crowned the best cornerback in the league at some points of his career, and others he's been ridiculed. I think it's somewhere inbetween. While he's very good, he was never great.
Grade: B
#32. Tyler Brayton
Team: Oakland Raiders
Current Team: Out of NFL
Position: Defensive End
College: Colorado
Stats: 308 tackles 17.5 sacks 1 INT 16 PD 6 FF 6 FR
Verdict: A journeyman who made his mark recently in 2008 and 2009 for Carolina. Could have let his career die in Oakland, but got out after 3 unproductive years.
Grade: C
2003 Bests:
Quarterback: Tony Romo, Undrafted, Dallas Cowboys. Tony Romo has shown he's an extremely talented player. He's the champion of this draft.
Running Back: Willis McGahee, #23 overall, Baltimore Ravens. He made his mark in the league despite some rough injuries.
Wide Receiver: Andre Johnson, #3 overall, Houston Texans. No explanation needed, he's a star.
Tight End: Antonio Gates, Undrafted, San Diego Chargers. This was a good TE class. You can tell because Jason Witten was passed over for this award.
Offensive Tackle: David Diehl, #160 overall, New York Giants. Diehl has been one of the few bright spots for the line in NY.
Offensive Guard: Kris Dielman, undrafted, San Diego Chargers. He's done a fantastic job in the league.
Center: Dan Koppen, #164 overall, New England Patriots. He was named to the Patriots All-Decade team. Good starter.
Defensive Tackle: Kevin Williams, #9 overall, Minnesota Vikings. A fortified wall of defense for the Vikings.
Defensive End: Robert Mathis, #38 overall, Indianapolis Colts. 91.5 QB sacks is fantastic. 5 pro bowls to go with it.
Inside Linebacker: Nick Barnett, #29 overall, Green Bay Packers. No bias here, he was a very good backer for a long time.
Outside Linebacker: Terrell Suggs, #10 overall, Baltimore Ravens. Awesome player to put on the outside. Excellent rusher.
Cornerback: Terence Newman, #5 overall, Dallas Cowboys. I know, it's a lot of T-New love, but he's still kicking ass!
Safety: Troy Polamalu, #16 overall, Pittsburgh Steelers. What a player. One of the better players of the last decade.
Special Teamer: Josh Brown (K), #222 overall, Seattle Seahawks. Consistent kicker.
