25 most sought after NFL quarterback draft prospects of all time
By Zach Bigalke
Before Andrew Luck, there was the great debate about Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf, two highly touted quarterbacks who had just completed storied college careers as they entered the NFL Draft in 1998.
In retrospect, it seems like the easiest pick in the world. But Indianapolis desperately needed a quarterback after a 3-13 season in 1997, and there were a pair of players who looked likely to serve as franchise cornerstones under center for years to come. At least a dozen other NFL teams would have loved to sit with the decision the Colts had to make that spring at the 1998 NFL Draft.
Peyton Manning had all the tools that made him look like a surefire pro in college. The 1997 SEC Player of the Year came second in the Heisman voting, as he led the Volunteers to the conference title and an 11-2 finish that set them up for the inaugural BCS championship the following season.
Over his four years as a starter for the Vols, Manning threw for 89 touchdowns and more than 11,000 yards on 62.5 percent passing.
Yet it wasn’t a lock that Manning would go No. 1 in the 1998 NFL Draft, because another young man with all the intangibles was also draft-eligible out of Washington State.
Leaf never panned out as a professional, but while in college he led the Cougars to their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1930. Both players were coveted by many teams, but Indianapolis astutely left Leaf for San Diego, as they tabbed Manning with the No. 1 overall pick.
The decision proved sage, as Manning went on to have a 17-year NFL career with the Colts and the Denver Broncos. Building a certain Pro Football Hall of Fame resume, Manning played out a storied career that included two Super Bowl victories, five league MVP awards, 14 Pro Bowl and seven All-Pro selections and the record for the most passing touchdowns in NFL history.