7 Best NFL Draft Classes Since 2000, Ranked

Whenever a new NFL Draft class enters the league, the teams selecting are hopeful they’ll impact the NFL odds today and in the future. 

At the BetMGM online sportsbook, football bets can be made on which players will be selected in the draft and how they’ll perform once they’re in the league. 

Below, I’ve created a list of the top seven NFL Draft classes since 2000, including one honourable mention. 

Note: I attempted to weigh these classes based on overall talent. Some classes were multiple decades ago, allowing for a larger pool of Hall of Fame candidates. Thus, more recent classes have yet to have anyone make the Hall of Fame.

7 Best NFL Draft Classes Since 2000, Ranked

Ranking the 7 Best NFL Draft Classes Since 2000

1. 2001 NFL Draft

The 2001 NFL Draft was filled with exceptional talent, featuring three future Hall of Famers and 34 Pro Bowlers.

The Hall of Famers include running back LaDainian Tomlinson, defensive tackle Richard Seymour, and offensive lineman Steve Hutchinson. 

Of the 31 first-round picks, 17 made it to a Pro Bowl. 

This included players like Michael Vick, Justin Smith, Dan Morgan, Santana Moss, Deuce McAllister, and Reggie Wayne. 

After the first round, stars like Drew Brees, Chad Johnson, Matt Light, Steve Smith, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh were selected. 

2. 2017 NFL Draft

This is a relatively recent class, so there are no players in the Hall of Fame yet.

The 2017 class features some of today’s greats like Myles Garrett, Christian McCaffrey, Patrick Mahomes, Marshon Lattimore, Marlon Humphrey, T.J. Watt, Budda Baker, Tre’Davious White, Joe Mixon, Dion Dawkins, Alvin Kamara, Cooper Kupp, Trey Hendrickson, George Kittle, and more. 

Sure, some of those players aren’t quite in their prime yet, but Garrett is still a perennial Defensive Player of the Year. The same can be said about Watt. 

Also, Hendrickson has emerged as a sack machine, leading the NFL in 2024. 

McCaffrey has been a phenomenal all-around running back.

And, of course, Mahomes is on his way to perhaps being the best quarterback of all time, winning three Super Bowls before his 30th birthday. 

This class was stacked all around, and the New Orleans Saints benefited most. 

That year, they left the draft with Lattimore, Ryan Ramczyk, Marcus Williams, Kamara, Alex Anzalone, Hendrickson, and Al-Quadin Muhammad. This class reshaped their franchise for years to come. 

3. 2004 NFL Draft

Ever since this draft, any time there’s an upcoming draft class with what’s believed to be elite quarterback talent, it’s compared to this one. 

This is one of the original elite quarterback classes, which saw Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, and Philip Rivers all go in the top 11. 

Rivers never won a Super Bowl, but was one of the most productive passers of his era. Manning and Roethlisberger each won two Super Bowls. 

This class also featured wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, Sean Taylor, Jonathan Vilma, Vince Wilfork, Bob Sanders, Michael Turner, and Hall of Famer Jared Allen. 

This class not only had three elite quarterbacks, but it also had sensational defensive and wide receiver talent. 

4. 2011 NFL Draft

Headed up by quarterback Cam Newton, the 2011 NFL Draft will forever be remembered as one of the best. 

The first seven picks, Newton, Von Miller, Marcell Dareus, A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson, Julio Jones, and Aldon Smith, all went to Pro Bowls. 

While Newton never won a Super Bowl (he did lead the Carolina Panthers to Super Bowl 50), he revolutionized the NFL with his elite dual-threat ability. 

The first round of this draft also featured players like J.J. Watt, Tyron Smith, Cameron Heyward, and Mark Ingram, who were dominant in their respective positions. 

Plenty of other quality players were taken in the rounds after, but none more impactful than the Seattle Seahawks taking Richard Sherman at No. 154 overall in the fifth round. He led the NFL in interceptions in 2013, went to five Pro Bowls, was a three-time first-team All-Pro, and won a Super Bowl. 

5. 2007 NFL Draft

Yes, the 2007 NFL Draft will forever be remembered with JaMarcus Russell at the top, who is perhaps the biggest NFL bust of all time, but after him, my goodness, the talent is ridiculous. 

For example, taken immediately after him at No. 2 and No. 3 overall? Calvin Johnson and Joe Thomas. They’re both in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

This first round also featured two more Hall of Famers, Darrelle Revis and Patrick Willis. 

Not only that, but players like Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, Joe Staley, Greg Olsen, Eric Weddle, Marshal Yanda, and Nick Folk were selected. 

I’d guess that quite a few of those players are headed for their gold jacket, too. 

Don’t let the No. 1 overall pick ruin it; this class had franchise-altering talent. 

6. 2018 NFL Draft

The 2018 NFL Draft wasn’t that long ago and is the most recent class on this list. 

There are plenty of players selected who impact the game at a high level today. 

That list begins with Baker Mayfield, the No. 1 overall pick. While he isn’t as accomplished as another quarterback taken later, he’s still been to the playoffs a handful of times and had quite the redemption arc, leaving Cleveland. He is currently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers heading into 2025. 

The first round also included Saquon Barkley, Sam Darnold, Denzel Ward, Bradley Chubb, Quenton Nelson, Josh Allen, and Roquan Smith.

And those players, including Mayfield, went picks No. 1 to No.8, respectively, and have all made the Pro Bowl. 

Barkley nearly broke the single-season rushing record in 2024 and helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl 59 crown.

Darnold had a Mayfield-like redemption in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings.

Allen signed a $330 million extension following an MVP season in 2024. 

This class also includes stars like Vita Vea, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Frank Ragnow, Jaire Alexander, Derwin James, Lamar Jackson, Nick Chubb, Fred Warner, Mark Andrews, Josh Sweat, and Zaire Franklin.

Of course, Jackson is the player who stands out the most from that list. 

He hasn’t had much playoff success, but he’s won two MVP awards. 

7. 2000 NFL Draft

While it didn’t have a lot of depth in terms of overall talent, any time a draft class features the greatest player of all time, Tom Brady, it has to get on the list somewhere. 

Not only did this class see Brady drafted in the sixth round, but Brian Urlacher was selected No. 9 overall and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

This class also featured two of the best running backs the league has ever seen: Shaun Alexander (2005 MVP) and Jamal Lewis (2,000-yard rusher in 2003). 

Honourable Mention: 2010 NFL Draft

Coming out of Oklahoma, Sam Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick, was electric. He didn’t quite have a stellar NFL career, partially due to numerous injuries, but he was serviceable when he was on the field.

Despite that not panning out, the next six picks—Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy, Trent Williams, Eric Berry, Russell Okung, and Joe Haden—all went on to be Pro Bowlers. 

The remainder of the first round had even more Pro Bowl talent, including C.J. Spiller, Ryan Mathews, Brandon Graham, Earl Thomas, Jason Pierre-Paul, Mike Iupati, Maurkice Pouncey, Jermaine Gresham, Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, and Devin McCourty. 

This class also featured arguably the best tight end in NFL history, Rob Gronkowski. He was drafted No. 42 overall by the New England Patriots. He won four Super Bowls and caught 92 touchdowns over his career. He added 15 more in the postseason. 

Additionally, in the sixth round, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected wide receiver Antonio Brown. He dominated the NFL for several seasons, going for at least 1,284 yards from 2013 to 2018.