Some of the all-time greats have been drafter number 6th overall. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was picked in that slot too, he's on a record-setting statistial pace, but when will playoff success come along with it?
When Justin Herbert was drafted 6th by the Chargers, a lot was made of the Dolphins passing on him at 5. In his first five campaigns, he shattered records for passing through a player's first five years, barely missing out on the 6-year passing yards mark when he sat out week 17 this year. It got me thinking, who are some of the best players of all time who went6th overall?
The underappreciated one
Torry Holt was drafted 6th overall in 1999. He went on to play in two Super Bowls with the Greatest Show on Turf Rams, winning one. He totalled 74 receiving touchdowns, an even 920 receptions, and a massive 13382 receiving yards. Holt is the NFL record-holder with 6 straight seasons of over 1300 receiving yards. At the time he was the fastest player in league history to 10000 receiving yards, twice a receiving yards league leader, and once a reception leader.
The beast from Alabama
Julio Jones was a 2011 6th overall pick playing for the Matt Ryan-led Falcons. He is one of 6 players in NFL history with a 300-yard receiving game. He has the record with 5-straight 1400-yard receiving seasons, and in his best year, he surpassed 1800 receiving yards.
The greatest 6th pick ever
Jim Brown was drafted 6th overall in 1957. The Hall of Famer is a 3-time league MVP and 8-time All-Pro. Regarded by some as the greatest running back who ever lived.
Herbert's place in history
The lengthy list of records held by Herbert includes most passing touchdowns and completions thrown by a rookie, with 31 and 396, respectively. He had a rookie record of 8 300-yard passing games. His stats of 21093 passing yards and 1945 completions broke the records for a player in his first 5 seasons. His combined 77 total touchdowns in his first two years as a starter have never been accomplished before.
Of the players named, Holt had arguably a better career start, winning a Super Bowl as a rookie, which Herbert obviously can't match. In his sixth season, Herbert showed off his trademark arm strength and accuracy. On top of that, he was the top QB in scramble yards. Behind a much better and healthier offensive line next year, with an elite playcaller at Offensive Coordinator, and with improvements through free agency/the draft, it should be his best year yet. Most importantly, it has to be a playoff breakthrough for the signal-caller, or the records simply won't mean as much.