25 most sought after NFL quarterback draft prospects of all time
By Zach Bigalke
1993 was another season where two quarterbacks had a legitimate chance to go first overall in the NFL Draft. Rick Mirer was the field general on offense for Notre Dame in the middle of the Lou Holtz era, guiding the Fighting Irish to two 10-win seasons as the starter in South Bend.
Talked up as the next great Notre Dame quarterback in the mold of Joe Montana, Mirer looked like he had a good chance to head to New England as the No. 1 overall pick.
There was also a quarterback on the opposite side of the country who could go to Massachusetts as the top 1993 NFL Draft pick. Drew Bledsoe was a strong-armed passer from Washington State, who opted to enter the draft early after three brilliant years in Pullman. Taking the starting job midway through his freshman season in 1990, Bledsoe tormented the Pac-10 the next few years.
Bledsoe especially broke out as a junior when he led the Cougars to a 9-3 finish. Setting a new school record (since broken by multiple Mike Leach quarterbacks) with 3,246 passing yards, the quarterback was named the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year.
Washington State went to a bowl game for just the fifth time ever, beating Utah 31-28 in the Copper Bowl and finishing in the top 15 of the AP Poll for the first time in school history.
New England opted for Bledsoe, and Mirer was snatched up by Seattle right away with the No. 2 overall pick. Thrown to the wolves quickly as the starter of the Patriots, Bledsoe rose to the occasion and led the team to the AFC East title in his second season.
By his fourth year on the roster, New England had evolved into an outfit good enough to reach Super Bowl XXXI. The Patriots lost to Green Bay, but things continued to look bright for Bledsoe and the Patriots.
Diminishing returns were the name of the game during the Pete Carroll era, though, and Bledsoe was injured in 2001. That opened the door for Tom Brady to become Bill Belichick’s new quarterback, and ultimately drove Bledsoe to end his career in Buffalo and then Dallas.
Over 14 seasons in the NFL, he threw for 251 touchdowns and nearly 45,000 yards through the air. A four-time Pro Bowler, Bledsoe proved a great pick for New England.