Famous NFL Draft "Reaches" who went on to significant NFL Success

[Chaos]

When all is said and done, the NFL drafts typically largely going according to form.  My guess is 90% of the players who are consenus top 3 round picks, go in the top 3 rounds, just mostly in a much different order than people mock.  

Every draft has a couple of percieved "reaches".   This year in the second round Brenton Strange, DJ Johnson,  and Broderic Martin all looked to be big reaches. 
 

In the the last 20 years of the NFL, are teams ever rewarded for "reaching"? Any prominent examples of players who were considered "reaches" who made the GM who reached look like genius? 

Edited April 29, 2023 by Chaos

[Gambit]

Our very own, Josh Allen.

[Low Positive]

Cole Strange was considered to be a reach, but then he started all 17 games for the Pats as a rookie. 

[Chaos]

3 hours ago, Gambit said:

Our very own, Josh Allen.

He was actually mocked as high as #1 overall pre-draft. Maybe the trade up price was viewed as steep, and maybe the wrong Josh morons, skewed your view, but being picked at 7 was not broadly considered a reach.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Chaos

[Wizard]

Great question and thought!  Obviously we are not in the GM side of things or "in the know," but I remember thinking that the Texans were overdrafting for JJ Watt based off of things I read and what I heard on sports talk/radio shows.

[GunnerBill]

LJ Collier 

Jordyn Brooks

Germain Ifedi

D'Wayne Eskridge

 

There is a reason I call the worst pick section of my day 1 Debriefs the "John Schneider award". 

 

A bit more retro - Darrius Heyward-Bey of the Raiders. 

[Milanos Milano]

Maybin 

[MPL]

I remember the Cowboys getting roasted for taking Travis Frederick where they did… he ended up anchoring their line for a long time 

Edited April 29, 2023 by MPL
Wrong player

[The Wiz]

1 minute ago, IronMaidenBills said:

Maybin 

He said made the GM look like a genius. Not an idiot.

[MPL]

A guy I know once took Patrick Willis in the 5th round of a fantasy draft for a league that started 3 individual defensive players. We still laugh about it over a decade later.

[CNYfan]

3 minutes ago, MPL said:

I remember the Cowboys getting roasted for taking Zach Martin where they did… he ended up anchoring their line for a long time 

I don't think it was Martin, I think it was the Center

[Gambit]

11 minutes ago, Chaos said:

He was actually mocked as high as #1 overall pre-draft. Maybe the trade up price was viewed as steep, and maybe the wrong Josh morons, skewed your view, but being picked at 7 was not broadly considered a draft. 

I suppose you're correct. He was just so damn raw when he came out, I figured people would've assumed that was a reach.

[GunnerBill]

1 minute ago, CNYfan said:

I don't think it was Martin, I think it was the Center

 

Yea they got ROASTED for Fredericks. Martin was viewed as a 1st rounder. 

[MPL]

2 minutes ago, CNYfan said:

I don't think it was Martin, I think it was the Center

you’re right. Travis Frederick is who I was thinking of. 

[Sharky7337]

Ej manuel

[Chaos]

10 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

LJ Collier 

Jordyn Brooks

Germain Ifedi

D'Wayne Eskridge

 

There is a reason I call the worst pick section of my day 1 Debriefs the "John Schneider award". 

 

A bit more retro - Darrius Heyward-Bey of the Raiders. 

These are reaches who failed.  I am asking for reaches who succeeded. 

[GunnerBill]

Just now, Chaos said:

These are reaches who failed.  I am asking for reaches who succeeded. 

 

Travis Frederick is a good shout. Was projected mid to late day 2. The Cowboys took him end of the 1st. He became an all pro.

[Chaos]

11 minutes ago, MPL said:

I remember the Cowboys getting roasted for taking Travis Frederick where they did… he ended up anchoring their line for a long time 

I remember some chastisement of the Cowboys for that. This is a quote indicating it was not thought a huge strecth though"

"Considered the best center in his class by Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN, Frederick decided to enter the 2013 NFL Draft as an underclassman. He was projected to be a second- to third-round selection."

[Albany,n.y.]

I remember in 1989 when the Jets picked Jeff Lageman Mel Kiper said the Jets don't know how to use the draft.  Also when the Bills drafted John Fina they brought up the point that Kiper didn't even do a write-up in his draft report.  I also remember John Fina defending himself.  Both Lageman & Fina had decent careers.  There was also the big argument on TV between Kiper & Indy GM Bill Tobin where Tobin basically said Kiper knows nothing.  

[Chaos]

13 minutes ago, MPL said:

I remember the Cowboys getting roasted for taking Travis Frederick where they did… he ended up anchoring their line for a long time 

Good call.  So so far, 1 in 20 years.  Early lesson - Don't try to be smarter than everyone else :).  It would be nice to compile a larger list. Also,  "reach" has degrees. 

Jack Campbell and Jaymr Gibbs were reaches in the first round, but both appear to be high floor guys and should have full NFL careers.   

1 minute ago, Albany,n.y. said:

I remember in 1989 when the Jets picked Jeff Lageman Mel Kiper said the Jets don't know how to use the draft.  Also when the Bills drafted John Fina they brought up the point that Kiper didn't even do a write-up in his draft report.  I also remember John Fina defending himself.  Both Lageman & Fina had decent careers.  There was also the big argument on TV between Kiper & Indy GM Bill Tobin where Tobin basically said Kiper knows nothing.  

1989 is pretty far outside of my 20 year look back.  The amount of study coverage and availability of data and video to form opinions in the pre-internet world, makes those days kind of irrelevent compared to modern consenuses.