Was the QB class in the 2004 NFL Draft the greatest in history?
Ben Roethlisberger's retirement officially ends the amazing run of the 2004 NFL Draft quarterback class. Eli Manning famously went No. 1 overall to the San Diego Chargers, only to be traded to the New York Giants in exchange for No. 4 overall pick Philip Rivers. Roethlisberger was then taken No. 11 overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Manning and Roethlisberger combined for four Super Bowl titles, while Rivers made eight Pro Bowls. Even No. 90 overall pick Matt Schaub made two Pro Bowls in his career.
Interestingly, all three top signal-callers landed in place because of the Manning trade. It was later revealed things could have been much different: the Giants were initially going to take Roethlisberger. Yet everything fell into place and the rest is history.
The top 3 QBs from the 04 NFL Draft are now retired: Eli Manning, Philip Rivers & Roethlisberger.
Worth revisiting that draft: Giants were going to take Ben if they couldn't trade for Eli. Rivers would've been a Steeler.
How different the NFL would be...
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We now know that the 2004 quarterback class is easily one of the best of all time. But is it the best overall?
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It's hard to compete with three all-time greats in Manning, Rivers and Roethlisberger. Some fans may point to the 2005 class as another great one in NFL history.
Alex Smith went No. 1 overall, while Aaron Rodgers went No. 24 overall. Ryan Fitzpatrick also came out in 2005, way down as the No. 250 overall pick in the draft. Pro Bowlers Matt Cassel and Derek Anderson were taken, too.
Yet Rodgers is the only true superstar from that group. It is clear that he should have been taken by the San Francisco 49ers as the top pick based on how his career has played out.
But when talking about an all-time great class one cannot ignore the 1983 group. That one featured three future Hall of Famers in John Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. All three are NFL legends, but Elway was the only one to win a Super Bowl (he ultimately retired with two). Marino only made it to one, and Kelly famously lost four in a row with the Buffalo Bills.
This is where the discussion becomes interesting. Which trio is better between the 1983 group and the one from 2004? The answer is a subjective one depending on who fans admired more. The 1983 group features all-time legends who have had decades to let their legacies grow.
With Roethlisberger retiring, the book is closed on 2004 QB draft class that featured 4 25000-yard passers (Roethlisberger, Manning, Rivers, Schaub). That class finished with more yards passing (221,115), more TD passes (1398), more QB starts (844) than any other draft class ever
The 2004 group is now all retired. The entire 2004 trio shows up in the top nine all-time in NFL passing yards. Marino is seventh and Elway is 11th, so it is still close even with the different eras.
Going by Super Bowl wins gives the nod to the 2004 group. But it is still fairly tight because Kelly led his team to four Super Bowls. So it's not like a smaller amount of wins takes away from the overall success of the group.
This only adds to the ongoing debate that will rage on for decades about the best quarterback class of all time. And by then, perhaps, a new group will emerge to take the crown as the best ever.
Also Checkout: Eli Manning super bowl wins