2014. Khalil Mack (Pick: Jadeveon Clowney)
In the days leading up to the 2014 NFL Draft, almost everyone considered defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to be the “no-brainer” top prospect available, given his combination of size, strength, and speed. But there was a sizable group of people who began to question whether it was another edge rusher named Khalil Mack who was actually the best pass rusher, if not the best player in the draft.
Looking back on it with the benefit of hindsight, the latter group was probably right. Mack is one of the 10 best players in the NFL today, irrespective of position. He gets the slightest of nods as the top pick in this year’s group over Aaron Donald, just because of the way edge rushers have a slightly greater impact on the game than interior pass rushers.