Draft history
One room for every recovered draft board, the best and worst draft classes, the biggest steals and busts, positional tendencies, and how each draft slot has performed over time.
Draft class ratings
Average production above pick expectation across every QB, RB, WR and TE in a complete class. Kickers and defences are excluded from grades. Classes need at least eight offensive picks.
Best draft classes · 2005, 2007–2025
| # | Draft | Manager | Value | Picks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018 Austin Bubbs1934.7 drafted-player fantasy points | Ryan Mindell | +12.38value points | 15 |
| 2 | 2007 Baltimore Stars1604.0 drafted-player fantasy points | Justin McNally | +12.24value points | 14 |
| 3 | 2007 Durham Bubbs1604.0 drafted-player fantasy points | Ryan Mindell | +10.29value points | 14 |
| 4 | 2005 Durham Bubbs1761.0 drafted-player fantasy points | Ryan Mindell | +10.04value points | 14 |
| 5 | 2013 Boston Double Rainbows1795.1 drafted-player fantasy points | Trafton Drew | +9.70value points | 15 |
| 6 | 2007 Brightleaf Yuppies1451.0 drafted-player fantasy points | Jonathan Crisp | +9.61value points | 14 |
| 7 | 2021 CTE Deniers1934.3 drafted-player fantasy points | Jordan Chin | +9.34value points | 15 |
| 8 | 2011 P RIVERS NAS NAS1719.7 drafted-player fantasy points | Samuel Nye | +9.29value points | 15 |
| 9 | 2022 CTE Deniers1931.1 drafted-player fantasy points | Jordan Chin | +9.13value points | 14 |
| 10 | 2022 Brightleaf Yuppies1705.0 drafted-player fantasy points | Jonathan Crisp | +8.63value points | 14 |
Roughest draft classes · 2005, 2007–2025
| # | Draft | Manager | Value | Picks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2005 Your Worst Nightmares757.0 drafted-player fantasy points | Joe Presley | -12.95value points | 13 |
| 2 | 2008 Big Gay Al1005.0 drafted-player fantasy points | Tommy Lawrence | -12.02value points | 14 |
| 3 | 2024 The Penguins1170.0 drafted-player fantasy points | Michael Chepul | -11.92value points | 14 |
| 4 | 2015 Austin Bubbs914.5 drafted-player fantasy points | Ryan Mindell | -11.14value points | 15 |
| 5 | 2007 Boston Baked Beans954.0 drafted-player fantasy points | Seamus McNeill | -10.54value points | 14 |
| 6 | 2023 Your Worst Nightmares1258.1 drafted-player fantasy points | Joe Presley | -10.15value points | 13 |
| 7 | 2015 Brightleaf Yuppies1291.3 drafted-player fantasy points | Jonathan Crisp | -9.97value points | 15 |
| 8 | 2017 Austin Bubbs1142.4 drafted-player fantasy points | Ryan Mindell | -9.16value points | 15 |
| 9 | 2005 Team 21185.0 drafted-player fantasy points | Chris Phillips | -8.99value points | 13 |
| 10 | 2016 The Penthouse Panda Bear1280.6 drafted-player fantasy points | Ben Wildfire | -8.82value points | 15 |
Individual picks
Biggest steals
| # | Player | Drafted by | Value | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom BradyQB · 2007 R3 P4 (#24)Scored in 12 weeks | Brightleaf YuppiesJonathan Crisp | +124.51147.1 return − 22.6 expected | 347.0reconstructed |
| 2 | Arian FosterRB · 2010 R8 P7 (#77)Scored in 12 weeks | New York BubbsRyan Mindell | +110.88119.5 return − 8.6 expected | 256.7reconstructed |
| 3 | Christian McCaffreyRB · 2019 R1 P3 (#3)Scored in 12 weeks | CTE DeniersJordan Chin | +93.49137.3 return − 43.8 expected | 307.9ESPN weekly archive |
| 4 | Tony RomoQB · 2007 R10 P2 (#92)Scored in 12 weeks | Baltimore StarsJustin McNally | +88.1594.8 return − 6.7 expected | 276.0reconstructed |
| 5 | Aaron RodgersQB · 2011 R2 P6 (#16)Scored in 12 weeks | W. Durham Silly NanniesAlan Marks | +87.51116.3 return − 28.8 expected | 360.5reconstructed |
| 6 | Lamar JacksonQB · 2019 R13 P6 (#126)Scored in 12 weeks | The PenguinsMichael Chepul | +87.2292.6 return − 5.4 expected | 302.7ESPN weekly archive |
| 7 | David JohnsonRB · 2016 R1 P7 (#7)Scored in 12 weeks | P RIVERS NAS NASSamuel Nye | +87.2123.7 return − 36.5 expected | 271.7reconstructed |
| 8 | Cooper KuppWR · 2021 R5 P7 (#47)Scored in 13 weeks | CTE DeniersJordan Chin | +85.1298.9 return − 13.8 expected | 260.7ESPN weekly archive |
| 9 | Jonathan TaylorRB · 2025 R2 P7 (#17)Scored in 13 weeks | Taco MacArthurGary Camero | +84.36111.8 return − 27.4 expected | 294.5ESPN weekly archive |
| 10 | Randy MossWR · 2007 R5 P7 (#47)Scored in 12 weeks | P RIVERS NAS NASSamuel Nye | +81.8194.8 return − 13.1 expected | 209.0reconstructed |
Biggest busts
| # | Player | Drafted by | Value | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steven JacksonRB · 2007 R1 P2 (#2)Scored in 8 weeks | Boston Baked BeansSeamus McNeill | -48.010.7 return − 48.8 expected | 101.0reconstructed |
| 2 | David JohnsonRB · 2017 R1 P2 (#2)Scored in 1 weeks | Austin BubbsRyan Mindell | -47.790.0 return − 47.8 expected | 8.2reconstructed |
| 3 | Tom BradyQB · 2008 R1 P2 (#2)Scored in 1 weeks | Run and HideNathan Hanna | -47.740.0 return − 47.7 expected | 3.0reconstructed |
| 4 | Eddie LacyRB · 2015 R1 P2 (#2)Scored in 11 weeks | Austin BubbsRyan Mindell | -47.720.0 return − 47.7 expected | 81.8reconstructed |
| 5 | Arian FosterRB · 2013 R1 P2 (#2)Scored in 7 weeks | The PenguinsMichael Chepul | -47.70.0 return − 47.7 expected | 90.9reconstructed |
| 6 | Jamaal CharlesRB · 2015 R1 P4 (#4)Scored in 5 weeks | The PenguinsMichael Chepul | -41.990.0 return − 42.0 expected | 84.3reconstructed |
| 7 | Doug MartinRB · 2013 R1 P4 (#4)Scored in 6 weeks | P RIVERS NAS NASSamuel Nye | -41.780.0 return − 41.8 expected | 58.6reconstructed |
| 8 | Christian McCaffreyRB · 2024 R1 P1 (#1)Scored in 4 weeks | The PenguinsMichael Chepul | -41.770.0 return − 41.8 expected | 40.3ESPN weekly archive |
| 9 | Justin JeffersonWR · 2023 R1 P1 (#1)Scored in 6 weeks | Raleigh Silly NanniesAlan Marks | -41.740.0 return − 41.7 expected | 95.8ESPN weekly archive |
| 10 | Le'Veon BellRB · 2015 R1 P1 (#1)Scored in 6 weeks | Your Worst NightmaresJoe Presley | -41.490.0 return − 41.5 expected | 92.0reconstructed |
Biggest misses who stayed on the field
The five lowest-value picks across validated draft seasons who still scored in at least eight different NFL weeks. The main bust list grades the outcome, including injuries; this companion list highlights players who had a sustained opportunity to produce. Coverage expands automatically as additional completed draft seasons pass the publication gate.
Validated-season misses · 2007, 2013, 2015
| # | Player | Drafted by | Value | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steven JacksonRB · 2007 R1 P2 (#2)Scored in 8 weeks | Boston Baked BeansSeamus McNeill | -48.010.7 return − 48.8 expected | 101.0reconstructed |
| 2 | Eddie LacyRB · 2015 R1 P2 (#2)Scored in 11 weeks | Austin BubbsRyan Mindell | -47.720.0 return − 47.7 expected | 81.8reconstructed |
| 3 | C.J. SpillerRB · 2013 R1 P5 (#5)Scored in 11 weeks | New York BubbsRyan Mindell | -39.790.0 return − 39.8 expected | 90.6reconstructed |
| 4 | C.J. AndersonRB · 2015 R1 P6 (#6)Scored in 12 weeks | W. Durham Silly NanniesAlan Marks | -39.320.0 return − 39.3 expected | 93.6reconstructed |
| 5 | Larry JohnsonRB · 2007 R1 P5 (#5)Scored in 8 weeks | 99% DominationJohn Mapp | -39.30.0 return − 39.3 expected | 91.0reconstructed |
Draft habits
Players franchises kept coming back to
Repeated-player counts use canonical player identities. Draft rows without a reviewed player crosswalk are not guessed into a career.
| Franchise | Player | Times drafted | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taco MacArthur | Justin Tucker | 8 | 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2024 |
| Taco MacArthur | Dak Prescott | 6 | 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2026 |
| The Penguins | Michael Crabtree | 6 | 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
| Taco MacArthur | Tom Brady | 6 | 2006, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2019 |
| Austin Bubbs | Dez Bryant | 5 | 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017 |
| Your Worst Nightmares | Frank Gore | 5 | 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017 |
| The Penguins | Ravens D/ST | 5 | 2012, 2015, 2018, 2024, 2026 |
| Taco MacArthur | Wes Welker | 5 | 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 |
| Raleigh Silly Nannies | 49ers D/ST | 4 | 2012, 2015, 2021, 2024 |
| P RIVERS NAS NAS | Adam Thielen | 4 | 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 |
| The Penthouse Panda Bear | Ahmad Bradshaw | 4 | 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014 |
| Austin Bubbs | Alshon Jeffery | 4 | 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 |
Position history
All drafted positions with resolved season-aware player identity from the recovered boards. “First pick” means the first selection a franchise made in that season, rather than every pick that happened to fall in round 1.
| Position | All picks | Draft share | First picks | First-pick share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1199 | 35.6% | 49 | 23.6% |
| RB | 1081 | 32.1% | 144 | 69.2% |
| QB | 372 | 11.0% | 12 | 5.8% |
| TE | 311 | 9.2% | 3 | 1.4% |
| K | 204 | 6.1% | 0 | 0.0% |
| D/ST | 204 | 6.1% | 0 | 0.0% |
Franchise position report cards
Most drafted and first-pick tendencies use resolved player identities from the 2005–2026 boards. Best and worst positions use the same positional value metric as the steal/bust tables, require at least eight graded picks at that position, and cover QB/RB/WR/TE from 2005, 2007–2025.
| Franchise | Most drafted | Most common first pick | Best value position | Worst value position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Bubbs | WR125 of 340 picks | RB17 of 21 drafts | TE +2.8221 graded picks | QB -1.8028 graded picks |
| Brightleaf Yuppies | WR132 of 340 picks | RB15 of 21 drafts | QB +7.6630 graded picks | WR -1.30121 graded picks |
| CTE Deniers | WR131 of 340 picks | RB13 of 21 drafts | RB +1.90101 graded picks | TE -1.2926 graded picks |
| P RIVERS NAS NAS | WR129 of 341 picks | RB20 of 21 drafts | QB +3.5931 graded picks | WR -0.34118 graded picks |
| Raleigh Silly Nannies | WR123 of 326 picks | RB13 of 20 drafts | QB +4.0731 graded picks | WR +0.41113 graded picks |
| Run and Hide | WR111 of 339 picks | RB14 of 21 drafts | QB +3.7137 graded picks | TE -3.3440 graded picks |
| Taco MacArthur | WR98 of 325 picks | RB12 of 20 drafts | QB +6.0239 graded picks | RB -2.7283 graded picks |
| The Penguins | RB127 of 342 picks | RB14 of 21 drafts | QB +1.7728 graded picks | TE -3.2024 graded picks |
| The Penthouse Panda Bear | WR119 of 337 picks | RB17 of 21 drafts | TE +2.5423 graded picks | RB -2.2899 graded picks |
| Your Worst Nightmares | WR111 of 341 picks | RB9 of 21 drafts | RB -0.6096 graded picks | WR -3.4399 graded picks |
Want the receipts? Open any season’s draft link above for the complete round-by-round ESPN board. Grades use ESPN data wherever the archive still has it; reconstructed point totals are labeled on individual steal/bust rows.
Draft slot history
This is draft order, not player position: 1.01 means the team that picked first overall, 1.02 the team that picked second, and so on. Each team’s full draft class is graded with the current production-above-replacement minus historical pick-expectation model, then ranked against the other classes from that season.
| Draft slot | Avg value | Avg class rank | Best draft | Top 3 | Worst draft | Reg. Champ. | Champ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.01#1 overall | -1.21value points / graded pick | 6.391 = best class | 1/185.6% | 4/1822.2% | 4/1822.2% | 5/2025.0% | 2/2010.0% |
| 1.02#2 overall | -1.99value points / graded pick | 6.561 = best class | 2/1811.1% | 4/1822.2% | 5/1827.8% | 0/200.0% | 0/200.0% |
| 1.03#3 overall | +1.26value points / graded pick | 4.891 = best class | 2/1811.1% | 7/1838.9% | 0/180.0% | 1/205.0% | 0/200.0% |
| 1.04#4 overall | +2.57value points / graded pick | 4.281 = best class | 4/1822.2% | 10/1855.6% | 2/1811.1% | 0/200.0% | 1/205.0% |
| 1.05#5 overall | -0.20value points / graded pick | 6.061 = best class | 1/185.6% | 5/1827.8% | 1/185.6% | 4/2020.0% | 5/2025.0% |
| 1.06#6 overall | -0.35value points / graded pick | 6.001 = best class | 1/185.6% | 4/1822.2% | 3/1816.7% | 1/205.0% | 3/2015.0% |
| 1.07#7 overall | +0.27value points / graded pick | 5.721 = best class | 1/185.6% | 3/1816.7% | 1/185.6% | 3/2015.0% | 3/2015.0% |
| 1.08#8 overall | +2.32value points / graded pick | 4.281 = best class | 3/1816.7% | 8/1844.4% | 0/180.0% | 2/1910.5% | 3/1915.8% |
| 1.09#9 overall | +2.07value points / graded pick | 5.111 = best class | 3/1816.7% | 5/1827.8% | 0/180.0% | 2/1910.5% | 2/1910.5% |
| 1.10#10 overall | +0.07value points / graded pick | 5.721 = best class | 0/180.0% | 4/1822.2% | 2/1811.1% | 2/1910.5% | 1/195.3% |
Draft-quality columns use complete, published ten-team drafts from 2007–2025, excluding 2020, and read the currently published draft-model results. “Best draft” and “worst draft” mean the highest and lowest class value in that season; exact value ties count for each tied class. Reg. Champ. and Champ use settled season outcomes from 2005–2025, excluding 2020. A live draft is not added to those denominators until its season result exists.
Franchise draft-order history
Most common slot and 1.01 counts use every recovered first round from 2005–2026. This can include the current season’s draft as soon as the board is captured. The league had eight teams in 2005. The 2006 archive is incomplete and is missing the 1.08 row; draft-order history keeps the first-round slots that are actually observed, while performance grading refuses that incomplete board.
| Franchise | Most common slot | Times there | 1.01s | Draft slots on file |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin Bubbs | 1.01#1 overall | 6 | 6 | 21 |
| The Penthouse Panda Bear | 1.01#1 overall | 4 | 4 | 21 |
| P RIVERS NAS NAS | 1.07#7 overall | 5 | 3 | 21 |
| The Penguins | 1.08#8 overall | 5 | 3 | 21 |
| Raleigh Silly Nannies | 1.04#4 overall | 4 | 2 | 20 |
| CTE Deniers | 1.03#3 overall | 5 | 1 | 21 |
| Run and Hide | 1.02#2 overall | 5 | 1 | 21 |
| Your Worst Nightmares | 1.09#9 overall | 5 | 1 | 21 |
| Brightleaf Yuppies | 1.07#7 overall | 4 | 0 | 20 |
| Taco MacArthur | 1.04#4 overall | 4 | 0 | 20 |