25 most sought after NFL quarterback draft prospects of all time
By Zach Bigalke
The 1983 NFL Draft produced perhaps the most storied quarterback cohort in NFL history. A pair of Pro Football Hall of Famers in Jim Kelly and Dan Marino were selected in the first round, setting up a series of classic AFC East duels for the next decade. In total, six quarterbacks were drafted in the opening round in 1983, a record that still stands through 2019.
But while there were a plethora of options, the jewel of the 1983 NFL Draft class was undoubtedly standout Stanford star John Elway. While the Cardinal never sniffed a bowl game during his four years on The Farm, Elway set himself apart as a passer in the Pac-10.
He led the conference in passing three straight years between 1980 and 1982, finishing his senior season as the Sammy Baugh Trophy winner as the top passer in the country.
The then-Baltimore Colts enjoyed the top pick in 1983 after going winless in the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season. If not for a 20-20 tie against Green Bay on December 19, the Colts would have joined the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the 1942 Detroit Lions as the only teams to lose every game in an NFL season.
Elway had no intention of playing for the Colts, threatening to take up the New York Yankees on an offer to go pro in baseball, but his rights were ultimately traded to the Denver Broncos.
Once in Denver, Elway quickly positioned himself among the top five quarterbacks in the NFL. Named the league MVP in 1987 by the Associated Press, he finished his career with 300 passing touchdowns and more than 51,000 yards through the air.
A consistent winner who went to the playoff 10 times over his 14-year NFL career, Elway guided the Broncos on 40 game-winning drives and led 31 fourth-quarter comebacks.
Colorado embraced Elway, as he helped lead Denver to Super Bowls XXI, XXII, XXIV, XXXII, and XXXIII. The Broncos won the last two of that quintet, sending Elway out in his swan song at the top of the sport. He remains an icon today as the general manager and president of football operations for the Broncos.