Mel Kiper's highest-graded quarterbacks ever for the NFL draft: John Elway ranks first since 1979, Trevor Lawrence makes the top 10

I've been studying the NFL draft since 1979, and I've seen a lot of quarterbacks. Some great, some terrible. Some first-round picks who made the Hall of Fame, and some top-10 picks who were complete busts.

[ READ: Mel Kiper Jr ]

Nnce ranked among the highest-graded quarterbacks I've ever studied, I just said, "He's up there." I really wanted to dig in, though, and check his grade vs. the rest of mine over the past 40-plus years. What follows below are the top 10 quarterbacks on that list, based on my pre-draft grades. It doesn't reflect their NFL performance but rather where I had them rated the day before their respective drafts.

Read More

Mike Tanier

Mike Tanier taught mathematics in the New Jersey public school system for 17 years before embarking on a full-time sports-writing career.

Starting at Football Outsiders while still a teacher, he became the Sunday NFL preview writer for the New York Times, mixing stats and analysis with off-the-wall humor.

After several years at the Times, Tanier spent two years as the primary NFL writer for Sports on Earth. 

Read More

Chris Simms

Christopher David Simms (born August 29, 1980) is a former NFL quarterback who was drafted in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who also played for the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans during the course of his playing career. Chris, who played college football for the Texas Longhorns, is the son of former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms and the older brother of NFL quarterback Matt Simms.

Read More