17. David Pollack, LB, Cincinnati Bengals
It’s hard to find a college player with a better resume than Pollack. He was SEC Player of the Year twice, First-Team All-SEC three times, and a First-Team All-American three times. On top of that, he won the Ted Hendricks Award for the best defensive end twice and also took home the Chuck Bednarik Award, Lott Trophy, and Lombardi Award his senior year. For what it’s worth, he also graduated with a degree in history.
Unfortunately, Pollack broke his sixth cervical vertebrae in a game early in his second season. He never recovered enough to return to the NFL. But Pollack chose to remain close to football. From 2011 to 2013, he worked for ESPN as an analyst, primarily covering college football. He was also selected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2020.