The Best Late-Round NFL Draft Picks Since 1980

By NFL Records · Updated September 28, 2026

Most sixth- and seventh-round picks never become starters. The exceptions below were taken after the first five rounds and went on to careers that out-produced most first-rounders. Tom Brady tops the list: a round-6 pick in 2000 who finished with a career Approximate Value of 184 and 15 Pro Bowls.

3 of the 25 are in the Hall of Fame, and together they made 104 Pro Bowls.

#	Player	Pos	Year	Round	Pick	Team	Pro Bowls	Career AV
1	Tom Brady	QB	2000	6	199	NWE	15	184
2	Tom Nalen	C	1994	7	218	DEN	5	102
3	Jason Kelce	C	2011	6	191	PHI	7	102
4	Richard Dent	DE	1983	8	203	CHI	4	98
5	Trent Green	QB	1993	8	222	SDG	2	94
6	Karl Mecklenburg	LB	1983	12	310	DEN	6	93
7	Antonio Brown	WR	2010	6	195	PIT	7	92
8	Clyde Simmons	DE	1986	9	233	PHI	2	88
9	Greg Lloyd	LB	1987	6	150	PIT	5	88
10	Matt Hasselbeck	QB	1998	6	187	GNB	3	87
11	Seth Joyner	LB	1986	8	208	PHI	3	84
12	Keenan McCardell	WR	1991	12	326	WAS	2	83
13	Shannon Sharpe	TE	1990	7	192	DEN	8	82
14	Matt Birk	C	1998	6	173	MIN	6	82
15	Jessie Armstead	LB	1993	8	207	NYG	5	81
16	Earnest Byner	RB	1984	10	280	CLE	2	80
17	Jesse Sapolu	C	1983	11	289	SFO	2	79
18	Mark Clayton	WR	1983	8	223	MIA	5	78
19	Ray Brown	G	1986	8	201	STL	1	78
20	Adam Timmerman	G	1995	7	230	GNB	2	78
21	Ryan Fitzpatrick	QB	2005	7	250	STL	0	78
22	Brad Johnson	QB	1992	9	227	MIN	2	76
23	Donald Driver	WR	1999	7	213	GNB	4	76
24	Kevin Gogan	G	1987	8	206	DAL	3	73
25	Terrell Davis	RB	1995	6	196	DEN	3	73

Data: nflverse draft data (compiled from Pro Football Reference), 1980–2026 drafts. Career outcomes are only compared for classes through 2023, since more recent players are still early in their careers. "Approximate Value" (AV) is Pro Football Reference's single-number estimate of a player's career contribution; it is useful for comparing careers across positions but is not a precise measure. Updated September 28, 2026.