4. Walter Payton, 1975, Bears

Advertisement

Outside of the no. 1 overall pick, the no. 4 spot might have the biggest collection of candidates for our list. From Charles Woodson to Jonathan Ogden to Mean Joe Greene to the late Derrick Thomas, you can’t go wrong no matter who you pick. However, we thought that Payton was just a smidge ahead of the rest.

Payton spent all 13 of his pro seasons with the Bears, helping Chicago win a Super Bowl and being selected to the Pro Bowl nine times. He won MVP honors in his third pro season and rushed for at least, 1,200 yards 10 times in 13 years. Payton was on the NFL’s 75th anniversary All-Time Team and two All-Decade Teams, and those accomplishments are just too much to top.