NFL: 6 Quarterbacks drafted before Tom Brady
Tom Brady. The nearly-undisputed GOAT. Six QBs were drafted before Brady and ironically enough, Brady went on to win 6 championships. Pick 199 in the 2000 NFL Draft. So, who were the QBs passed on and how did they fare? Let's break down the:
6 QBs taken before Tom Brady:
1st QB Taken Before Tom Brady: Chad Pennington
Drafted 18th overall in the first round by the New York Jets
Ah, to be a Jets fan. The Jets have done very few things better than the New England Patriots and drafting a franchise QB has been on of them. Pennington was the undisputed number one QB in this draft class. Yet, Pennington didn't start a game until his third season in the league. From there on he had little success. Only starting one full season with the Jets and then one with the Dolphins. Although, both years he started all 16 games were 10+ win seasons. Pennington played his final season in 2010 at age 34.
Career Stats: 89 games, 81 started, 44-37 QB record, 17,823 yards, 102 touchdowns, 64 interceptions, 66% completion %, 90.1 passer rating
2nd QB taken before Tom Brady: Giovanni Carmazzi
Drafted 65th overall in the third round by the San Francisco 49ers
There's really not much to say here. Carmazzi never started a single NFL game and was a huge miss by the 49ers. He was beaten out by seventh round pick Tim Rattay for playing time and only lasted one season in the NFL. Tom Brady was quoted saying he felt slighted by the 49ers for not drafting him because he was such a big admirer of Joe Montana.
Career Stats: None
3rd QB taken before Tom Brady: Chris Redman
Drafted 75th overall in the third round by the Baltimore Ravens
Redman was a career backup but unlike our previous entry, actually played. Redman only started 6 games for Baltimore where he went 3-3 before being ousted from the league for a few years. He returned with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 where he was once again a backup. He started 4 games before being out of the league again in 2008. The Falcons brought him back a year later in 2009 where he was a backup for 3 years and only started two more games before eventually being out of the league for good.
Career Stats: 31 games, 12 started, 4-8 QB record, 3,179 yards, 21 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 57.2% completion %, 78.6 passer rating.
4th QB taken before Tom Brady: Tee Martin
Drafted 163rd overall in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Tee Martin played 3 games in the NFL across two seasons and never started a single game. However, Tee Martin is a Tennessee Volunteers legend as he inspired the school to it's first National Championship since 1951 at the time. The Vols were 13-0 behind Martin and in 1998, he set the record for consecutive completions at 24.
Career Stats: 3 games, 69 yards, 1 interception, 37.5% completion %, 25.3 passer rating
5th QB taken before Tom Brady: Marc Bulger
Drafted 168th overall in the sixth round by the New Orleans Saints
Out of everyone on this list, Bulger is the most successful behind Tom Brady. Bulger was a backup for his first couple seasons but eventually made his way to St. Louis where he enjoyed a fine career. He made two pro bowls and went 18-4 in his first two seasons with St. Louis. While the Rams failed to be successful, Bulger still managed to start 8 consecutive seasons before being ousted from the league after the 2009 season.
Career Stats: 96 games, 95 started, 41-54 QB record, 22,814 yards, 122 touchdowns, 93 interceptions, 62.1% completion %, 84.4 passer rating
Last QB taken before Tom Brady: Spergon Wynn
Drafted 183rd overall in the sixth round by the Cleveland Browns
The Browns were oh so close to Tom Brady. Much like a few others on this list, Wynn barely had his foot in the door before he was kicked out of the NFL. He only played 2 seasons and started 3 games.
Career Stats: 10 games, 3 started, 0-3 QB record, 585 yards, 1 touchdown, 7 interceptions, 46.1% completion %, 39.5 passer rating