Quarterback draft classes are like the Best Picture Oscars. Sometimes the first guy picked should have been the first guy picked. Sometimes a qb picked later turns out to be much better and in retrospect we say, "What were they thinking?" Sometimes multiple Hall of Fame qbs come out the same year, and another year none do.
As noted in my list of the 22 NFL quarterbacks drafted #1 overall since 1970, Steve Bartkowski had three winning seasons and made two Pro Bowls in 11 seasons.
This suggests a generally mediocre career. This suggests maybe he shouldn't have been the #1 overall pick in 1975 for the Atlanta Falcons, especially considering that three other guys drafted in the top 6 became Hall of Famers.
On the other hand, none of them were quarterbacks. In fact, there wasn't another quarterback drafted until the third round. In all, just 4 quarterbacks in the draft class had NFL careers, and Bartknowski was well ahead of them in passer rating. (He once even led the league in that category.)
Even in the 1970's when the league was less pass-happy, quarterback was still the most important position. Every Super Bowl champion up to that point had quarterbacks who became Hall of Famers. Just as today, it is the one position you have to get right. The Falcons needed a quarterback. Bartknowski was seem as the best available qb at the time, and his career proved that he was.
Did Bartknowski play like a Hall of Famer? No. Could he have, under the right circumstances? Maybe. He certainly was as good as some quarterbacks who did win Super Bowls. And for several years the Falcons had no need to search for a quarterback; they had their man.
Bartkowski was the correct choice to be the #1 overall pick in 1975, even if his career wasn't "great." That's the way it goes. Not every Best Picture is an all-time classic but may still have been the best movie from that year. And not every first qb drafted will be a Hall of Famer, but may still have been the best qb of the class.
As noted in my list of the 22 NFL quarterbacks drafted #1 overall since 1970, Steve Bartkowski had three winning seasons and made two Pro Bowls in 11 seasons.
This suggests a generally mediocre career. This suggests maybe he shouldn't have been the #1 overall pick in 1975 for the Atlanta Falcons, especially considering that three other guys drafted in the top 6 became Hall of Famers.
On the other hand, none of them were quarterbacks. In fact, there wasn't another quarterback drafted until the third round. In all, just 4 quarterbacks in the draft class had NFL careers, and Bartknowski was well ahead of them in passer rating. (He once even led the league in that category.)
Even in the 1970's when the league was less pass-happy, quarterback was still the most important position. Every Super Bowl champion up to that point had quarterbacks who became Hall of Famers. Just as today, it is the one position you have to get right. The Falcons needed a quarterback. Bartknowski was seem as the best available qb at the time, and his career proved that he was.
Did Bartknowski play like a Hall of Famer? No. Could he have, under the right circumstances? Maybe. He certainly was as good as some quarterbacks who did win Super Bowls. And for several years the Falcons had no need to search for a quarterback; they had their man.
Bartkowski was the correct choice to be the #1 overall pick in 1975, even if his career wasn't "great." That's the way it goes. Not every Best Picture is an all-time classic but may still have been the best movie from that year. And not every first qb drafted will be a Hall of Famer, but may still have been the best qb of the class.
Comments
Post a Comment