8 NFL Draft reaches who made their GMs look brilliant

Pete Carroll's tenure with the Seahawks was loaded with wins and confusing first round draft picks -- especially toward the end. But Irvin was a gamble that paid off nicely for Seattle. The West Virginia linebacker was projected to land toward the back of the third round and possibly slide into the fourth thanks to off-field issues that overshadowed his elite athleticism (a 4.4-second 40 time at 245 pounds).

Irvin had eight sacks in a rotational role as a rookie. He moved into the starting lineup in 2013 and won a Super Bowl as an asset in the Legion of Boom defense. He also set a standard Carroll would follow later for the Seahawks -- taking an athletic pass-rusher with off-the-field issues-- when he plucked Frank Clark from Michigan in the second round of the 2015 Draft.

3. LT Kolton Miller, Oakland Raiders

Miller was the first pick of the Jon Gruden era and the leadoff batter for a D+ draft, per SB Nation. But while many of the selections under Gruden were disastrous, Miller has risen to his station. He's been a steady, underrated left tackle that's been the kind of consistent staple a franchise perpetually stumbling through the woods has needed. He remains a sigil from a lost empire, clearing out space for underwhelming quarterbacks and hoping, finally, that Fernando Mendoza can deliver the franchise's first playoff win since 2002.

4. QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

When the Bills jumped from the 12th pick of the 2018 NFL Draft to No. 7, many pundits assumed it was to select UCLA's Josh Rosen. Nope; Buffalo had its eye on the toolsy flamethrower with accuracy issues from Wyoming.

Allen struggled his first two seasons as a pro, but showed signs of the franchise quarterback he'd soon become. Buffalo acquired Stefon Diggs in 2020 and watched their once maligned first round pick finish in the top five of MVP voting in three of the last four seasons. The Arizona Cardinals, meanwhile, would be lauded for their Rosen selection at No. 10. Oops.

5. LB Leonard Floyd, Chicago Bears

Floyd was regarded as a second rounder before his stock rose dramatically in the weeks leading up to the 2016 Draft. The Chicago Bears traded up to take him ninth overall, which was either regarded as savvy or gullible depending on who you read. Here's Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport:

Those rumblings turned out to be more than just predraft smoke, but it's a big gamble for Da Bears. Floyd bulked up to 244 pounds for the draft process, but he was closer to 230 at Georgia and has a slight frame. That weight may be hard to keep on, and he's apt to get pushed around without it.

He'll also be 24 years old when his rookie season begins.

The Bears and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio apparently see Aldon Smith in his game. Here's hoping they didn't trade up for a Barkevious Mingo instead.

Floyd hasn't been a star, but he's been a consistent presence at one of the NFL's most valuable positions. Between 2018 and 2024 he had at least 44 quarterback pressures every season. From 2020 to 2024 he averaged just under 10 sacks per yet. While most of that value came after he left Chicago, his career has proven then-general manager Ryan Pace correct... in this one specific instance.

6. QB Bo Nix, Denver Broncos

It's still too early to fully invest Nix in this category. However, the young quarterback answered questions about the viability of his deep game in the pros and, more importantly, snapped a postseason drought that extended all the way back to Peyton Manning.

NFL.com's Chad Reuter warned it would take time to assess Denver's first round investments in Nix and head coach Sean Payton, but gave the Broncos a "C" grade to lead off their 2024 draft anyway. In the two years since, the duo has been to the playoffs twice and were potentially one Nix injury away from playing in Super Bowl 60.

7. WR Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers

Scouts worried McMillan's lack of burner downfield speed -- a 4.48-second 40 at Arizona's pro day -- would lead to limited separation downfield. While his size and catch radius were elite, similar players had failed to pan out in the recent past. Carolina had defensive needs to address and had just spent a first round pick on a wideout who failed to pan out (Xavier Legette). Would McMillan really be the missing piece for a playoff team?

It turned out, yes. McMillan turned in a 1,000-yard campaign as a reliable engine who commanded defensive focus. Bryce Young turned in career highs in passing yards, touchdowns, passer rating and expected points added (EPA). The Panthers won the NFC South for the first time since 2015 and were 38 seconds away from knocking off the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round.

8. OL Tyler Smith, Dallas Cowboys

Let's wrap with another criticized Cowboys' offensive line pick. NFL.com's Chad Reuter gave his selection at No. 24 a "C" in his 2022 grades, which is roughly as low as it gets in an era where no one wants their cold takes exposed. He was supposed to be a project. Instead he started 17 games at tackle as a rookie, then moved to guard as a 2023 All-Pro.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: 8 NFL Draft reaches in first round who made GMs look brilliant