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Andy from Des Moines, Iowa asks whether Pro Football Hall of Famers were disproportionately early draft choices.

Mike Sando: Yes, that is definitely the case. The Hall of Fame lists them by round. I also track this information. By my count, 143 of 188 drafted Hall of Famers were chosen in the first three rounds. That is 76.1 percent. That includes 94 first-round selections, 29 second-rounders and 20 third-rounders.

No players drafted after 1995 have been enshrined to this point.

Curtis Martin, named as part of the 2012 class, was a third-round choice in 1995. The previous six drafts have produced eight Hall of Famers, and all eight were first-round choices: Marshall Faulk, Willie Roaf, Cortez Kennedy, Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Deion Sanders.

Later-round picks fared better long ago, when the draft had many more rounds. The NFL went from 17 to 12 rounds in 1977, then to eight in 1993 and seven the following year.

The chart below shows round-by-round distribution for drafted Hall of Famers since the 1983 class produced six Hall of Famers in the first round, the most for any first round.

Players drafted in first rounds tend to have more talent. They also tend to get every opportunity to succeed. The combination of those factors explains why more of them have found their way to Canton, in my view.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the St. Louis Rams are relying more heavily on free agents this offseason. Thomas: "In a 10-day span since the lockout ended, they agreed to terms and then signed 11 veteran free agents from other teams. Five of those new Rams are projected as starters, and it could be six if Brady Poppinga wins the job at strong side linebacker. In most of the previous 16 offseasons for the Rams in St. Louis, the team would sign two or three starters in free agency and maybe a half-dozen free agents total. Sometimes, it was a lot less. For example, over a six-season stretch from 2000 through 2005, the Rams signed only six free agents who ended up as primary starters the year they signed." The pool of free agents was considerably larger than usual this offseason. Hundreds of players who normally would have hit the market a year earlier had to wait while the labor situation played out.

Also from Thomas: The Rams added H-back Demarco Cosby.

Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch rates Hall of Fame chances for various key performers from the Rams' Greatest Show on Turf teams. He gives Aenaes Williams a 70 percent change. Miklasz: "He was named to eight Pro Bowls. He was a 3-time first-team All Pro. His 55 interceptions rank 18th in NFL history. Williams has more INTs than Hall of Fame DBs such as Deion Sanders, Darrell Green, Willie Brown, Mel Renfro, Herb Adderley, Larry Wilson, Willie Wood, Jimmy Johnson and Roger Wehrli."

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com also looks at Rams Hall of Fame candidates.

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com provides an update from 49ers camp. Maiocco: "Rookie QB Colin Kaepernick showed his speed with a boot leg from midfield that fooled everybody on defense. He hit TE Delanie Walker on back-to-back touchdown throws of 9 and 4 yards. QB Alex Smith came back to find Braylon Edwards on a 4-yard fade route over tight coverage from Tramaine Brock."

Also from Maiocco: 49ers safety Reggie Smith hints at a setback.

More from Maiocco: The 49ers' offense could be gaining momentum.

Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee says Smith has suffered a torn meniscus in his knee.

Also from Barrows: Coach Jim Harbaugh liked how the 49ers practiced Monday.

Grant Cohn of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat passes along an Alex Smith interview transcript.

Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News says Smith is embracing Harbaugh's offense. Smith: "To get a chance to have him hands on, to have him demonstrate, to have him jump out there and be competitive, it's fun. For all (quarterbacks), it's great to have a visual explanation sometimes, instead of getting it told to you. To get to see it happen, even from an old guy, it's good."

Gwen Knapp of the San Francisco Chronicle says Smith has been more colorful than Harbaugh recently, an upset.

Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says Dashon Goldson's return came as a surprise. Branch: "The Raiders were interested in Goldson, but re-signed Michael Huff. The Cowboys were in the discussion, but signed free-agent safety Abram Elam. Goldson visited the Patriots on Sunday, but ended up right back where he has spent the first four seasons of his career."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com offers highlights from practice Monday. Farnsworth's offensive highlight: "Rookie wide receiver Ricardo Lockette taking a pass from Portis along the left sideline and then making like the sprint champion he used to be to race back to his right and score a TD." Lockette appears to be one of the more athletically gifted players in camp.

Also from Farnsworth: The Seahawks can go bigger on offense now that they've got tight end Zach Miller from Oakland. Farnsworth: "That’s the 6-foot-5, 255-pound Miller working with the 6-5, 251-pound John Carlson, as well as 6-5, 235-pound split end Mike Williams and just-signed 6-4, 204-pound flanker Sidney Rice. Connect the dots between those impressive dimensions and it creates the perfect picture of a mismatch for some overmatched defensive back."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times updates Jamison Konz's position change for Seattle.

Also from O'Neil: a closer look at Seahawks guard Robert Gallery, who will be the 11th player to start at left guard for Seattle since Steve Hutchinson signed with Minnesota following the 2005 season.

Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune sees good things from Seahawks linebacker Leroy Hill. Boling on younger linebackers in camp: "K.J. Wright, at 6-4, 246 looks too lanky in the middle, and in the first days of camp was spinning around at times in pass coverage. He's getting more and more comfortable, and a couple times Monday showed good instinct and technique scraping and filling against the run. Malcolm Smith is another, on the outside, who will be interesting to watch. He's 6-0, 226, but has jets and really closes ground. ... Mike Morgan is another who looks lanky as a SAM linebacker, but also has come up with athletic plays."

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says Golden Tate's niche with Seattle could be as a slot receiver.

Bob McManaman of the Arizona Republic updates Adrian Wilson's arm injury. McManaman: "Although it remained unclear as to how badly Wilson's biceps tendon is torn, most athletes who suffer the injury opt for surgery." Much depends upon which of the three biceps tendons is torn, and to what degree.

Also from McManaman: Early Doucet is faring well in Cardinals camp so far. Whisenhunt: "I've been very impressed. He's in good shape, he's made some plays. We'd just like to see Early continue with that track. There's no question that when Early has been healthy and played, he's made some big plays for us."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says Wilson wasn't giving much ground when asked how the biceps tendon injury would affect him.

Also from Urban: Longtime Cardinals scout Bo Bolinger has passed away. Urban: "An All-America selection as a guard at the University of Oklahoma, Bolinger finished ninth in Heisman voting following his senior season and was a starter on the Sooners' national championship team of 1955. He was selected by the Chicago Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1956 NFL Draft. He went on to coach at the collegiate level for 11 seasons, including stints at the University of Denver, Tulsa, New Mexico and Utah State, and spent two seasons as the offensive line coach for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League before joining the Cardinals organization in 1971."

Hall of Fame enshrinement speech of Deion Sanders, star cornerback who played 14 NFL seasons from 1989-2005:

Thank you, Lord, I thank you. Jesus, I love you. If it wasn't for God, I wouldn't be here today, so, Lord, I thank you.

The Hall of Fame staff, Canton, Ohio, that was a wonderful parade, although I thought we were headed to Cleveland. It was a good parade. Love you all.

President Stephen Perry, Tammy, Dave, Steve, Jerry, thank you. Thank you. You've made this a wonderful thing. We often times have football coaches, but when it comes to the spiritual things, we don't want any coaching.

But I have a wonderful team of spiritual advisors I just want to appreciate. So if you can bear with me I'm going to run through a lot of thank yous because unfortunately I played for five teams. It's not like I wanted to leave one, but I had to. So I have a lot of thank yous. My spiritual advisors, my spiritual father, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Bishop Watkins, Bishop Jones, Bishop Long, Bishop Owens, Pastor R.J. and April Washington, the Hornbuckles. Dr. Leroy Thompson, Pastor Paula and Randy White and Pastor Tracy David Forbes who led me to the lord.

Thank you, because often times when we have public success, we have private struggles, and thank you for blessing me and speaking into my spirit.

Coach C, Coach David Capel, Coach Capel who suffered a massive heart attack in his excitement to get here was so vital in who I am, what I am, and where I am today. Coach Ron Hoover, my high school coach for kicking me off the team my junior year although I was the starting quarterback, that taught me a valuable lesson, but to this day, I still wasn't insubordinate in that cafeteria. I promise you I wasn't. I don't know what that lady was talking about. For real.

Principal Stickles, Deshazo, athletic director Bobbie Dewey, my English teacher Ms. Fleming, I thank you so much. Recruiter Jim Harveston, Coach Bobby Bowden, the best college football coach ever. Jimmie and Donna Callaway, I love you because you love me like I'm your own.

Mickey and Diane Andrews, my defensive back coach at Florida State. Coach Andrews, where are you? You taught me everything. I love you. The two things that you taught me, I could be two persons at the same time. You could yell at us, scream at us, by the time we get in the cafeteria, how's the family, how's everything going? You blessed me. Also, you made me what I am. You remember that drill that you had that you laid this mat out on the field, and the punter had to come and lay out and dive and try to block the punt? I don't even dive in pools. I don't even do that.

But the guy before me, right before me, dove and the kicker kicked him and split his jaw wide open. And I said, Coach, I'll go back there and return these punts. So I want to thank you for allowing me to be that punt returner.
Special people, Eugene (Parker), I love you, man. You've been there. You've been straight up. You've been forward. I've never heard you use profanity. I've never seen you out of character. You've always been a blessing and told me the right things, not just a yes man. I love you for that. I really, really do.

Jamie Dukes, like my brother, Andre Rison, Keith, Al Williams, Corey Fuller who allowed me to come back and play for the Ravens by telling my beloved Ozzie Newsome that I could still do it.

Jason Phillips who is the offensive coordinator at the University of Houston, but when we went at it against each other in Atlanta on the scout team. He didn't have Sundays to play. He had Wednesdays and Thursdays, and he went at my butt. We had a battle every day, and I love you Jay for that.

Snoop Dogg, thank you for coming, my man. Cube, where you at? Cube, I've been loving you since the early '90s, baby. Thank you. Constance Schwartz, my business manager, Jose Ayana, Jeremy, Roger the Sandman Thomas, Nancy Lieberman, Nate Newton, and D.L. Wallace.

Sponsors, Under Armour, you see a bunch of kids around here with Truth on. It would not have been possible if it had not been for UA, I thank you, UA, and I love you dearly.

My family, Auntie Scooting, thank you for all the sacrifices, the love, the compassion that you've given me. Stand up, baby. That car phone that you got me when I was in college. I love you for that.

Aunt Vet for putting this whole thing together because you know I'm not like this, really. I have a hard time being a recipient of things. I still got presents and birthday cards and gifts way back from two birthdays and Christmases ago. Thank you for handling all of this. Uncle Billy for being my man, my dog for forever more.

My sister, Tracy, for always having my back. I love you, girl, cousin Carson, niece Tia, grandma Hattie Mae Mimms, my prayer warrior who has always prayed me through. I thank you so much.

Atlanta Falcons, Rankin Smith, Coach Campbell, Hanavan, Glanville, June Jones, Jimmy Carr, Fred Bruney my defensive back, coach of special teams Bobby April, my equipment manager that I wore his helmet every game that I played in until I went to Baltimore, the late Whitey Zimmerman and God bless you, thank you, Boris Daniels.

The new regime. I had a wonderful meeting today with one of the most beautiful owners I've ever had, and I wish I would have played for him, Arthur Blank. Thank you, man, I love you. Rich McKay, Reggie Roberts, Kevin Winston, Thomas Dimitroff, thank you so much for everything.

Eddie DeBartolo, Carmen Policy, Dwight Clark, (George) Seifert, Ray Rhodes, my man, Ray Rhodes, I love you so much. Defensive back coach Tom Homer, PR Rodney Knox. Jerry Jones taught me so much about family. Taught me so much about business. Taught me a lot about life. Your beautiful wife, Gene.

Steven, I love you, the Jones whole family. Secretary Marilyn Love who is the best cup of corner I've ever seen. Coach Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, Mike Zimmer, defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals right now. You will be a head coach one day, sir.

Joe Abazano, Rich Dalrymple, Mike and Bucky, equipment men. I told you I had five teams. Washington Redskins, Daniel Snyder, Vinny Cerrato, Norv Turner, Ray Rhodes, once again, Ray Meeks, Jay Byrd, equipment man, and my man, Mel Brad, man, I appreciate you so much.

Baltimore Ravens, Steve Bisciotti, Ozzie Newsome, thank you for giving me the opportunity to end right. You must everything you do in the right way.

Head Coach Billick, Jim Fassel, Mike Nolan, I love me some Rex Ryan, PR, Kevin and Chad Steele, equipment manager, Ed Carroll. I'd like to thank all the trainers as well who were there prominently for me. I thank you so much.

Do you understand this is the Hall of Fame? I grew up on some of you guys.

If I could just get a glimpse of that television and some of some you of you guys, to play against the Marinos, to play against the Montanas, Troy Aikman, man, Emmitt Smith, Mike Irvin. Are you kidding me? Steve Young I got to play with? Some of the best in the business. Irving Fryar from the Washington Redskins, Andre Rison, the guys I adore.

The best secondary to me in San Francisco. Eric Davis, Tim McDonald, Dedrick Dodge as well. This game, this game, this game, this game, this game taught me how to be a man. This game taught me if I could get knocked down, I've got to get my butt back up again. This game taught me there are things in life you can't do prematurely. They call it offsides. In life, it's just life.

Throughout this game I've gained five wonderful, beautiful kids. Deiondra, Deion Junior, Shilo, Sheduer, Shelomi, with all my teams jerseys on, I love you. Thank you, babies.

My beautiful wife, Pilar, who has sacrificed and put her dreams and ambitions on hold to make sure I achieve mine. Thank you, baby, for all you do and for all you've put up with me because I know I'm not easy to deal with.

This game, I appreciate this game so much because I thought about it as a child. I wanted to do it, and they told me we'd get compensated and paid for a game that I always loved and I hear so many people say I would do this for free. I would too as long as you're doing it for free.

But this game, this game means so much to me, but I always had a rule in life that I would never love nothing that couldn't love me back. So I admired this game, I liked this game. It taught me how to get up, it taught me how to live and play with pain, this game. This game taught me so much about people. It taught me so much about timing. It taught me so much about focus, dedication, submitting one's self, and sacrifices.

This game, this game, this game. And I went at this game and attacked this game because I made a promise that I needed this game to fulfill.

I made a promise when I was 7-years old to this young woman at the age of 27. She was working two jobs just to see if ends could see one another because they never met. And she was slaving over pots and pans on that precise day. I can remember, it was a little high chair right by the kitchen. In the kitchen there was a high chair right by the stove that she was cooking.

And I said, mama, because I was tired of seeing her go to work and come home all tired. I said I'm going to be rich one day. Mama, “I'm going to make a lot of money, and you will never have to work another day of your life.” My mama said “that's fine, but until then you get that lawnmower and go out there and cut that grass.”

14 years later, that's why you can't give up on your dream, your promise, because 14 years later, this dream, this promise came. That I was able to allow my mama to go into a job and say I'm not doing it anymore. My son has blessed me.

But there is something inside of me, mama, that I never told you. That I never could admit, and I'm going to share it with all of you, because now we're family. I played for a youth team called the Fort Myers Rebels and they blessed me. They took me all over the country to expose me to things, to expose you to things.

Everybody on their team, their parents owned something. Their parents were doctors or lawyers or the chief of police. It was that type of organization. Me and one of my friends were the only African American kids on that team. It was a very affluent team, and I was ashamed of my mama because my mama worked in the hospital. She cleaned up the hospital, and I was ashamed of my mama who sacrificed, who loved me, who protected me, who gave me everything. I want to make sure I was best dressed in school and I had everything that was laid that came out. I had it first.

I was ashamed of my mama because one of my friends in high school, he saw her in a hospital one night pushing a cart, and he came back and he clowned me, he ridiculed me and he mocked me because of my mama.

So I made a pledge to myself that I don't care what it takes, I don't care what it may take, I'm not going to do anything illegal, but my mama would never have to work another day of her life.

And I recognized the defensive backs at that time didn't get paid a lot. Cornerbacks, running backs, linebackers, defensive backs weren't paid a lot. And in my dormitory room at Florida State, I created this image. This thing that you can imagine. You could love him or you could hate him, but he was Primetime.

I pre-rehearsed the sayings because I knew I had the substance. I knew I had the goods, I knew I had the work ethic, but I needed to secure myself enough that my mama would never have to work another day of her life.
See the problem is with some dreams, the dreams are only about you if your dream ain't bigger than you, there is a problem with your dream. I understood there were going to be stones, because when you make a difference, there are going to be haters.

When you're provoking change, there are going to be naysayers. People don't condone what they've never seen. But when you talked about me, media, guess what, behind I saw my mama. When you wrote about me, when you naysayed me, when you criticized me, I looked right through your TV and I saw my mama.

When you told me what I couldn't do, when you told me what I didn't do, when you told me what I would never be, I saw my mama pushing that cart. When you told me I was too small, I wasn't educated enough, I saw my mama because I made a promise. And whenever you make a promise, there will be a responsibility to that promise. You have to maintain that responsibility, that's why I love this game.When we get away from this game and put these jackets on and we're no longer on the field in that locker room, we lose responsibility because this game has given us responsibility that Troy Aikman had to make that throw when Mike (Irvin) came out of that break. Emmitt (Smith) you had to pick up that block. Jerry Rice, you had to be where you said you were going to be. Responsibility, it was a promise, it was a responsibility. There is an intellect and intelligence one must have.

You think these guys are sitting up here flanked on my right and my left and they didn't have the intelligence? I'm not talking about the IQs that you learn in school. I'm talking about that knowledge of life, intelligence.

I had a promise. I had a responsibility. I had somewhat of intelligence, then I had to manage all these things. There are no classes that teach us how to manage people. There is no class that told us how to manage millions. There is no class that teaches how to manage time. We had to learn this on the fly because ultimately most people that are around us are on a payroll, and often times they tell you what you want to hear. Thank you, Eugene (Parker) for being you.

Now I got a promise, I got a responsibility, I've got an intelligence and an intellect. Now I'm managing things. The last thing that I have is expectation. It separates us from some of you kids, from some of you adults, from some of you people that we expect to be great.

I heard some of the Hall of Famers say I would never really dreamed like this. I'm sorry. I did. I expect to be great. I expect to do what hadn't been done. I expect to provoke change. I expect when I walk into a room and it's 72 degrees, when I get there, it's going to be 70. I expect to make change.

I expected no matter what the team I played on to be great. Thank God I went to five different teams, because when I got to the next team, I had to prove myself all over again. When I got to the next team, I had to prove myself all over again.

I expect certain things. People, start expecting what you desire. Start thinking outside the box. On my shoes right now, on these kids shirts behind them, it says "You've got to believe." I have a problem that if you don't believe in yourself, how will somebody else believe in you?

I gave you a promise. I gave you the responsibility. I gave you intellect, intelligence, I gave you management, I gave you expectation. I don't know if you figured it out by now, but I just gave you Prime. I just gave you the formula in who was really standing before you because I was trick or treating and it wasn't even Halloween. Because all the things that you really thought I was, and some of the things you didn't like, you didn't love, you didn't want to accept, I was doing it for my mama.

I will leave you with this. Many of my naysayers said, you know, Prime didn't tackle, but show me some film where I didn't or where I hurt my team. But I want to respond to that publicly because that affects me, it bothers me. That's insinuating that I'm soft, and I've got kids.

Since 1989, I've tackled every bill my mama has ever given me, haven't missed one. The next time they say Prime didn't tackle, make sure you let them know, yes, he did. Hall of Famers, I am so privileged and so thankful to be amongst you.

You don't understand how I didn't understand it until I got here, until I spoke to some of you, until I saw some of you, until I heard some of you articulate yourselves. When I heard the struggles and the trials.

I met a new friend. His name is Chris Hanburger. I know the rest of y'all, so I'm not giving you that. But, Chris, I love you, man, you're a good dude, man.

NFL Network, thank you for blessing me and for giving me the opportunity to be me.

Truth family, stand up. Ladies and gentlemen, I came here with seven buses full of kids and parents, all ethnicities, all social climates and social statuses. We're one family. I tricked these kids by telling them by using sports to educate them.

I'm trying to open a charter school. What are we doing with this platform that we have? Just to wear this gold jacket? Just to walk around and say I'm a Hall of Famer? Come on, people. Let's provoke change.

Truth family, I love you, because we are training you. We are raising your kids to be CEOs, not employees. We are raising your kids to be leaders and not followers. And Truth family, thank you for your sacrifices, for your love, for your compassion that you have for me. Because guess what, I need it.

I thank you. I love you. Hall of Fame, I tell you what, I don't know what's going on in the other tents, but Snoop, Nelly, Cube, you going to do something. We about to go tear this thing up.

I appreciate you. I got one final thing because I like him, but something's missing.

Thank you, and God bless.

Mel Kiper's fourth mock draft for 2011 serves as the foundation for discussing how NFC West teams might proceed this offseason.

I'll continue with a look at his plans for the San Francisco 49ers, who hold the No. 7 overall choice.

7. San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU


Kiper's give: I picked Peterson to fall to this point in my previous mock draft, and I still do. And consider the history of top athletes falling: In 1987, I had Rod Woodson rated similarly, and he fell to No. 10 overall. In 1989, Deion Sanders was far and away the best athlete on the board, yet he fell to No. 5. I had Champ Bailey as the best athlete and the top corner available in the 1999 draft, yet he fell to No. 7.

Sando's take: The 49ers haven't invested a high draft choice in a cornerback since selecting Shawntae Spencer in the second round (58th overall) of the 2004 draft. They used a 2008 third-rounder on Reggie Smith, but he moved to safety. The team has not used a first-rounder on a cornerback since taking Mike Rumph 27th overall in 2002 and Ahmed Plummer 24th overall in 2000. Peterson is in a different class. Selecting him would fill an immediate need on defense while providing potential value in the return game. The 49ers' new defensive coordinator, Vic Fangio, was with Houston in 2004 when the Texans tried to build around a pass-rusher (Jason Babin) and a cover corner (Dunta Robinson), selecting both in the first round. The highest-rated pass-rusher in the 2011 draft (Von Miller) was no available at No. 7 in Kiper's mock, making cornerback a more logical choice.

David from Phoenix writes: I understand the flash and ego that comes with Deion Sanders, but if you compare him to Aenaes Williams, how is Williams not in the Hall of Fame? Williams was just as "shut-down" as Sanders. Ask Michael Irvin.

Mike Sando: Williams deserves strong consideration independent of any comparison with Sanders. But when you stack up the numbers and exclude Sanders' contributions as a return specialist, Williams holds up across the board.

As I noted when putting Williams on an NFC West all-decade team for the 2000s, "While the Rams' offense earned most of the attention during the 2001 season, Williams was the one largely responsible for helping St. Louis advance to the Super Bowl. He returned two Brett Favre interceptions for touchdowns in the divisional round. He picked off Donovan McNabb late in the NFC title game, preserving a 29-24 victory."

Williams was a clutch, big-play defensive back with tremendous versatility and staying power. He played cornerback and safety at a Pro Bowl level.

As for Williams and Irvin, check out this 1995 Sporting News feature profiling the former NFC East rivals. The piece quotes Irvin on Williams this way: "It's a personal challenge. Aeneas has good speed, good reaction. You try and attack a corner's weakness, but it's hard to find a weakness in Aeneas. He ain't no fool."

The chart, put together with information from Pro Football Reference, compares career stats for Williams and Sanders. They are nearly identical.

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Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Cardinals will not be letting Larry Fitzgerald pick their next quarterback. Coach Ken Whisenhunt: "You're very aware that we have an open-door policy. We solicit input from players on a lot of things, game plans, plays, travel to the East Coast. Things in training camp. When I was interviewed (in 2007), they had players who were a portion of the interviews. Larry and I talked about a number of things. I've talked to other players as well." In other words, the Cardinals discussed with Fitzgerald the receiver's thoughts on acquiring a quarterback, but the team isn't making Fitzgerald its general manager.

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says it's way too early to say the Cardinals are likely to select a quarterback with the fifth overall choice in the 2011 draft. Urban: "Not with so much uncertainty around the QBs that will be available. Could they wow scouts by the time the draft rolls around? Sure. Maybe there will be a guy who is worth it. There’s no way you draft a QB just to draft a QB unless you feel good about him, however; as the Cards are finding out after the Matt Leinart pick in 2006, taking a QB high means you are committing to that guy as your future -- and if you miss, it puts you in a bad position."

Also from Urban: a look at how the Cardinals put together an offensive game plan, and how they call plays, with special attention to passing-game coordinator Mike Miller. Urban: "Miller was worked into the play calling during games early this season. But his role in developing the call sheet -- part of the process building up to game day -- was long established."

Clare Farnsworth of seahawks.com says ex-Seahawk Howard Green's unlikely play helped turn the Super Bowl in Green Bay's favor. Green was once out of football for three seasons.

Also from Farnsworth: Cortez Kennedy says he's honored to make the final 10 in Hall of Fame voting over the past two seasons. Kennedy: "It’s such an elite group. Dermontti Dawson, he’s a Hall of Fame player. Andre Reed, Tim Brown and all those guys, they are too. You just have to wait your turn. So I’m not upset at all."

Scott Wolf of the Los Angeles Daily News says Seahawks assistant Rocky Seto lost a job he accepted at UCLA after posting news about his hiring on his Facebook page. Wolf: "Seto was offered and accepted the job last week. But before it became official, Seto allegedly posted a comment on Facebook that he accepted the job. Sources said that infuriated UCLA and also ignited a fan backlash." Strange happenings. UCLA's reaction seems a little petty if that's all that was involved.

Eric D. Williams of the Tacoma News Tribune says the Seahawks would not be wise to trade the 25th overall choice in the draft for Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb. Williams: "No, I wouldn't. You already made a trade for Charlie Whitehurst. I think you try and get a guy through the draft. This team is not one player away. They need talent across the board. If they were San Francisco of Minnesota maybe you make that deal, but this team still needs an infusion of talent."

John McGrath of the Tacoma News Tribune says there was no Hall of Fame snub for Kennedy. McGrath: "The reason Kennedy isn’t scheduled for induction into the Hall of Fame this summer is because there was room for only five new bronze statues, and another two designed from the veterans group. Running back Marshall Faulk and cornerback/return man Deion Sanders were obvious choices as first-time candidates, and can anybody make a case against tight end Shannon Sharpe and defensive end Richard Dent? The other selection from the mainstream pool -- Ed Sabol, the mastermind behind NFL Films -- was logical to the point that it posed a question: How was it possible Sabol had not gained a Hall pass years ago?"

Nick Wagoner of stlouisrams.com passes along this thought from Rams owner Stan Kroenke regarding Marshall Faulk's recent enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: "I cannot think of a more deserving person for this honor. Marshall Faulk epitomizes what all football players should aspire to in sport and in life. He was a champion on the field and a leader in the community. He represented the St. Louis Rams and our fans in a first-class manner from Day 1. He accomplished things on the field that no one before or since has achieved in the storied history of the National Football League. It was a privilege to watch him play and an even greater honor to know him."

Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com checks in with Jim Harbaugh one month into Harbaugh's tenure as the 49ers' head coach. Harbaugh made an observation after breaking down NFL video. Harbaugh: "There was a pass play that was making its way around the league from Week 4 through 8. Several teams hit it for a big play. It was a bootleg throwback. It was interesting to see. I saw six or seven teams that used it. They saw it from another team and then used it. ... After about Week 10, it made its way through and people were defensing it."

Taylor Price of 49ers.com says Patrick Willis was named top linebacker by the NFL Alumni Association.

Eric Branch of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat checks in with draft analyst Rob Rang regarding the 49ers' needs. Rang: "In terms of the depth at the positions, quarterback and cornerback are both better than pass-rushing linebackers."

DALLAS -- Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors elected Marshall Faulk, Deion Sanders, Richard Dent, Shannon Sharpe and NFL Films founder Ed Sabol to the class of 2011.

Les Richter and Chris Hanburger earned enshrinement as seniors candidates.

I was one of the voters. We spent more than seven hours discussing the 15 modern-era candidates and two seniors committee candidates.

Some candidates with very strong credentials missed the cut. That is not a travesty. It's the process. There were only five spots for 15 players, forcing 10 strong candidates to wait another year.

I presented the case for Cortez Kennedy. He made the final 10 for a second year in a row, keeping him firmly in the mix for the future.

With that, let's take a closer look at the candidates with ties to teams currently aligned in the NFC West:

Marshall Faulk

Position: RB

NFC West team: St. Louis Rams

The verdict: Yes

Quick take: Voters spent considerable time laying out the case for Faulk even though there seemed to be little doubt about his status as a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer. Faulk had no significant weaknesses. He could run for speed or power. He could catch the ball. He was a tenacious blocker. He could line up as a true wide receiver (former teammate D'Marco Farr told me he once saw Faulk beat a cornerback on a post route. What would a cornerback be doing covering a running back? That's the point. Faulk could do it all, and he did it all for historically great offenses that competed for championships and won one. Case closed.

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Richard Dent

Position: DE

NFC West team: San Francisco 49ers

The verdict: Yes

Quick take: Dent had been a finalist seven times and among the final 10 five times. This was his time, although it's always tough to know when that time will come. Dent was a dominant pass-rusher and very strong against the run. He put up the necessary sack numbers to get voters' attention, but his status as an elite all-around end offset criticisms that he earned Pro Bowl honors only four times. Dent had 137.5 career sacks, including 34.5 sacks over a two-year period early in his career.

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Deion Sanders

Position: CB

NFC West team: 49ers

The verdict: Yes

Quick take: The most dominant cover cornerback of his generation, and perhaps all time, offered more than just stellar play in the secondary. Sanders averaged more than 15 yards every time he got his hands on the football. He scored five different ways during the regular season. Sanders made his only season with the 49ers a memorable one, helping San Francisco win the Super Bowl after the 1994 season.

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Les Richter

Position: LB

NFC West team: Los Angeles Rams

The verdict: Yes, as seniors candidate

Quick take: Richter went to eight consecutive Pro Bowls as a hard-hitting, allegedly dirty enforcer type beginning in 1952. He also played center and kicker. Richter passed away last summer.

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Cortez Kennedy

Position: DT

NFC West team: Seattle Seahawks

The verdict: Made the final 10, but not the final five

Quick take: Kennedy has made the final 10 two years in a row. That means he commands respect in the room. Kennedy was among the players potentially losing out when selectors voted in a non-player in NFL Films founder Ed Sabol. The fact that this was Dent's year also might have had an impact on Kennedy. They played different positions on the line, but both were defensive linemen. Voters went with only one this time.

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Charles Haley

Position: OLB

NFC West team: 49ers

The verdict: Did not make the final 10

Quick take: Dent was the preferred pass-rusher this year. Haley played a pivotal role in helping the 49ers and Dallas Cowboys win championships. He affected the rivalry between the teams. Haley won five Super Bowl titles while with the 49ers and Cowboys.

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Jerome Bettis

Position: RB

NFC West team: Rams

The verdict: Did not make the final 10

Quick take: "The Bus" departed St. Louis following three productive seasons when the Rams traded him to Pittsburgh after using a first-round draft choice for Lawrence Phillips. Consider it one of the more ill-fated moves in Rams history. This was Bettis' first year of eligibility. His size-speed-moves ratio sets him apart from just about every back in NFL history. Faulk's enshrinement might have made it tougher to accommodate another running back, particularly with Curtis Martin also on the ballot.

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Chris Doleman

Position: DE

NFC West team: 49ers

The verdict: Did not make the final 10

Quick take: Doleman enjoyed most of his success with the Minnesota Vikings, but he had 38 sacks in three seasons with the 49ers from 1996-98. Doleman had 150.5 career sacks and he had a knack for forcing fumbles. Dent was the defensive end to break through this year. Doleman was a finalist for the first time. He has a shot in the future.

DALLAS -- Pro Football Hall of Fame voting is finished for another year.

Up next: formal announcement during an NFL Network broadcast beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

Officials from the Pro Football Hall of Fame swore selectors to secrecy after we learned which candidates emerged from two rounds of reductions.

We all know which candidates survived the cut, but we do not know which ones will receive the necessary 80 percent approval on a yes-no vote (often a formality).

Marshall Faulk, Cortez Kennedy, Charles Haley, Richard Dent, Deion Sanders, Jerome Bettis, Chris Doleman and seniors candidate Les Richter were candidates with ties to teams currently aligned in the NFC West. No more than five modern candidates and two seniors candidates can qualify for enshrinement in any one year.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- A quick look at the Pro Football Hall of Fame candidates with ties to teams currently aligned in the NFC West:

• Marshall Faulk, running back. Faulk began his career with Indianapolis before becoming the NFL's offensive player of the year three times in a row for the St. Louis Rams beginning in 1999.
• Cortez Kennedy, defensive tackle. Kennedy played each of his 11 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, earning eight Pro Bowl appearances and defensive player of the year honors.
• Charles Haley, outside linebacker. Won five Super Bowl titles for San Francisco and Dallas, leading the 49ers in sacks for each of his first six seasons.
• Deion Sanders, cornerback. Won a championship with the 49ers following the 1994 season and was one of the best cover corners in NFL history. Also an outstanding returner.
• Jerome Bettis, running back. Bettis began his career with the Los Angeles Rams before earning most of his Hall credentials with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was the Rams' leading rusher from 1993-95. Ranks fifth in all-time rushing yards with 13,662.
• Richard Dent, defensive end. Won a championship with the 49ers following the 1994 season. Had 34.5 sacks over a two-year period with Chicago in the mid-1980s.
• Chris Doleman, defensive end. Doleman led the NFL with 21 sacks in 1989 and was the NFC's defensive player of the year in 1992. He spent the 1996 through 1998 seasons with the 49ers.
• Les Richter, linebacker. Richter played for the Rams from 1954-62 and went to eight consecutive Pro Bowls. Never missed a game.

I'm looking forward to participating in the discussion, presenting Kennedy's case to the other selectors and voting on the candidates that seem most deserving. Should be a fun day. Results will be announced during an NFL Network show beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

Super Bowl week begins in full Monday and I'll be on the scene for the 13th year in a row.

It's a great privilege to attend a usually eventful week.

NFC West teams appeared in two of the past five Super Bowls.

I'll be chasing down NFC West storylines and contributing to our broader Super Bowl coverage during the week, but the personal highlight will have nothing to do with the big game. This marks my second season as one of 44 selectors for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and I'll be presenting the case for Cortez Kennedy, who made the final 10 the previous year.

This could be a significant year for NFC West teams and the Hall of Fame.

St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk appears likely to earn enshrinement in his first year of eligibility. The same could be true for cornerback Deion Sanders, who helped the San Francisco 49ers win a Super Bowl in his only season with the team.

Kennedy, Faulk and Sanders are among seven Hall of Fame finalists with ties to teams currently residing in the NFC West. The others: running back Jerome Bettis, who played with the Los Angeles and St. Louis Rams from 1993-95; defensive end Richard Dent, who spent the 1996 season with the 49ers; defensive end Chris Doleman, who was with the 49ers from 1996-98; and outside linebacker Charles Haley, who was with the 49ers from 1986-91 and again in 1999.

Identifying players worthy of the Hall of Fame is the easy part. The hard part: settling on no more than five modern candidates in a given year. Worthy candidates routinely miss the cut, something we can discuss as selection day approaches (voting takes place Saturday, with winners announced that evening).

Enjoy your Sunday. I'll check in upon landing in Dallas.

Five first-time finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame pushed San Francisco 49ers great Roger Craig off the list this year.

That's a bad sign for his long-term Hall hopes because there's already a backlog of Hall-worthy players. Former St. Louis Cardinals coach Don Coryell also did not make the list of finalists this year after appearing previously.

Jerome Bettis, Marshall Faulk, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf and Deion Sanders made the list of 17 finalists for the first time. I thought former Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams defensive back Aeneas Williams would make the list. The fact that he did not shows how high the bar for enshrinement has risen.

Seattle Seahawks great Cortez Kennedy is back on the list of 17 this year after making the final 10 last season. I hold the Hall of Fame vote for the Seattle market and will again present Kennedy's case to voters this year. I consider Kennedy to have been the most dominant all-around tackle of the 1990s. No interior defensive lineman dominated against run and pass the way Kennedy did while earning eight Pro Bowl berths from 199o to 2000 (two more than any other defensive tackle earned during that time).

Faulk's inclusion on the list of 17 hardly qualifies as news, and I mean that as a compliment. Very few players in NFL history possessed his specific combination of talents as a runner and receiver.

Bettis also played for the Rams, but he earned his Hall credentials with Pittsburgh. Chris Doleman (49ers) and Richard Dent (49ers) made the list of 17 finalists after playing most of their careers elsewhere.

Former 49ers and Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Charles Haley is back on the list of 17 and will again get strong consideration.

Also on the list of 17: Tim Brown, Cris Carter, Dermontti Dawson, Chris Hanburger, Andre Reed, Ed Sabol and Shannon Sharpe.

Settling on just five enshrinees, plus two seniors candidates, is a tough task.

Facebook friend Scott writes: "Mike, I love Ike Bruce and hated it when we let him go, especially to the 49ers. But I have a question about retiring his number. Is anyone talking about Henry Ellard? Remember, he wore No. 80 before Ike and was the Rams' leading receiver before being passed by Ike."

Mike Sando: Isaac Bruce has earned his day in the spotlight, but it is unfortunate, I think, that Ellard also wore No. 80. Both were terrific players for the Rams. I think Ellard could be the more dangerous receiver. Bruce played in a more pass-happy era. He also played in the most pass-happy offense of his time.

Ellard averaged 16.9 yards per reception. Bruce averaged a still-healthy 14.9 yards per catch. Ellard played during a time when defensive backs could be more aggressive in coverage. This probably made it tougher to make as many catches, but it also might have opened up more big-play opportunities against tight coverage.

Ellard was also a dynamic punt returner. He averaged 11.3 yards per return on 135 chances, scoring four touchdowns. The great Deion Sanders averaged 10.4 yards per punt return with six touchdowns. Ellard's contributions in this area should not go unnoticed (Bruce was never a returner). Ellard averaged between 13.4 and 13.6 yards per punt return during his first three seasons in the league. Sanders averaged more than 12.3 yards per return only once (excluding the 1995 season, when Sanders' lone return covered 54 yards).

The first chart compares career receiving stats for Ellard and Bruce based on information from Pro Football Reference.

The second chart breaks down their receiving stats while with the Rams only.

Notable players: QB Joe Montana, QB Steve Young, WR Jerry Rice, WR John Taylor, RB Roger Craig, FB Tom Rathman, TE Brent Jones, G Guy McIntyre, FS Ronnie Lott, OLB Charles Haley, DE Pierce Holt, DE Kevin Fagan, OLB Keena Turner, LB Matt Millen.

Analysis: The San Francisco 49ers had multiple teams worthy of consideration as the best in franchise history. I'll take the one that outscored its opponents 126-26 during the postseason, including 55-10 over the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. Denver led the NFL in scoring defense that season.

The 1989 team featured the 49ers' offense at the peak of its powers.

Joe Montana averaged 9.1 yards per attempt with 13 starts that season. The figure for three-game starter Steve Young -- 10.9 yards per attempt -- was even more ridiculous. Drew Brees set a career high at 8.5 yards per attempt last season. Tom Brady's average was 8.3 during his historic 2007 season. Dan Marino was at 9.0 in his 1984 career season. None could match the 49ers' top two quarterbacks during this special season.

This was the first 49ers team of the 1980s without Bill Walsh, but offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren was still there, as were nearly all of the team's iconic offensive players from the decade. Tight end Brent Jones emerged as a starter. Roger Craig topped 1,000 yards rushing. Fullback Tom Rathman caught 73 passes. Montana set a career high for passer rating at 112.1, completing 70.2 percent with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Rice caught 17 touchdown passes while averaging 18.1 yards per reception.

The defense was typically overlooked except by those forced to play against it. John Elway completed only 10 of 26 passes for 108 yards and two interceptions against the 49ers in the Super Bowl.

"Their defense doesn't get enough credit," Broncos coach Dan Reeves said afterward. ''I can't say enough about them.''

Walsh later regretted retiring. This team made it easy to see why.

Most impressive win: Having already touched on the Super Bowl victory, let's focus on the victory that delivered the NFC West title to San Francisco that season. Montana passed for 458 yards, including 286 to receiver John Taylor, and the 49ers twice overcame 17-point deficits to edge the division-rival Rams, 30-27, on the road.

Transcending Walsh: This 49ers team became the only one in NFL history to win back-to-back Super Bowls with different head coaches. The change from Walsh to George Seifert might have actually helped this team, at least for a season. The offensive-minded Walsh left the defensive-minded Seifert with a veteran offense trained to function at a high level without much big-picture help. Holmgren took the best of what Walsh taught him and made it even better with his own tweaking. In that sense, the 1989 team might have gotten the best of what Walsh and Holmgren had to offer. Montana was also at his best. He never enjoyed a finer season.

Honorable mention

1984: This was the team that knocked off Marino in the Super Bowl after the quarterback shredded defenses for a then-record 48 touchdown passes. This was a great 49ers team with a franchise-best 15-1 record, but the best group in 49ers history needed to include Rice, I thought. He arrived the next year.

1994: Proponents of this team will point to a defense featuring Deion Sanders, Rickey Jackson, Ken Norton, Merton Hanks, Eric Davis, Tim McDonald, Bryant Young and others. They'll point to Young's record six touchdown passes against the San Diego Chargers in the Super Bowl.

1948: Let's save some recognition for one of the early 49ers teams. This one outscored opponents by more than 17 points per game on its way to a 12-2 record. Frankie Albert put up modern-day numbers with 29 touchdown passes, 10 interceptions and a 102.9 rating.

The 1983 NFL draft might have been the best of the modern era even without Hall of Fame quarterbacks John Elway, Jim Kelly or Dan Marino.

It was that good.

"I think if you asked each guy to a man, in particular the Hall of Fame guys, there has always been a pride about our class," said cornerback Darrell Green, the 28th overall choice in 1983 and a Hall of Famer. "Without ever discussing it, we knew we were a pretty special class of athletes."

The class produced six Hall of Famers –- Elway, Kelly, Marino, Green, Eric Dickerson and Bruce Matthews -– in addition to recent Hall finalists Richard Dent and Roger Craig. Of the 335 players drafted, 41 combined for 142 Pro Bowl appearances.

No other draft class has produced more than 34 Pro Bowl players since the NFL and AFL combined for a common draft in 1967, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That year served as the starting point for this project ranking the five best draft classes. The 1996, 1981, 1969 and 1985 drafts also made the cut.

Not that making the cut was good enough for some.

"If you took the defensive players in our draft and put them on the field against any class, we would shut them out," said Ronnie Lott, one of the more decorated members of a 1981 class featuring Lawrence Taylor, Mike Singletary, Rickey Jackson, Howie Long and Kenny Easley.

The project was biased against recent classes because their players haven’t had time to achieve in ways that set apart the older classes. The 2001 class has already produced 33 Pro Bowlers, same as the 1996 class and more than every other class but 1983, 1987 and 1988. But the best players from that class aren't finished achieving.

The biggest challenge, at least to me, was settling on the right criteria. ESPN Stats & Information provided an updated version of the spreadsheet used to identify elite draft classes for a previous project . The spreadsheet awarded points to players based on:

• Hall of Fame enshrinement (15 points)
• MVP awards (8)
• Player of the year awards (6)
• All-Pro first-team awards (4)
• All-Pro second-team awards (3)
• Super Bowl victories (3)
• Pro Bowls (2)
• Rookie of the year awards (2)
• Super Bowl defeats (1)

I used the spreadsheet as a starting point.

From there, I assigned 15 points to current or recently retired players likely destined for Canton. The players I singled out were: Troy Polamalu, Dwight Freeney, Ed Reed, LaDainian Tomlinson, Steve Hutchinson, Brian Urlacher, Tom Brady, Champ Bailey, Peyton Manning, Randy Moss, Alan Faneca, Orlando Pace, Walter Jones, Tony Gonzalez, Jason Taylor, Jonathan Ogden, Marvin Harrison, Ray Lewis, Brian Dawkins, Terrell Owens, Derrick Brooks, Marshall Faulk, Larry Allen, Michael Strahan, Brett Favre, Junior Seau and Deion Sanders.

I added five points for Hall of Fame finalists not yet enshrined -- Cortez Kennedy, Shannon Sharpe, etc. These changes allowed the rich to get richer, of course, because all those players already had lots of Pro Bowls on their resumés. But if it was important to recognize current Hall of Famers -- and it was, I thought -- then it was important to acknowledge the strongest candidates not yet enshrined.

Another thing I noticed: These changes didn't significantly alter results, which were predicated mostly on Pro Bowl appearances, a statistical correlation revealed.

The next challenge was making sure the formula didn't acknowledge great players at the expense of good ones. ESPN's John Clayton and Gary Horton of Scouts Inc. felt the formula should take special care in this area. I wasn't as adamant.

"You love the Hall of Famers," Horton said, "but I like the class where the guy plays at a high level for a long time. I love those third-round picks that just play and play. We shouldn’t make a mistake at the first pick. That guy should be a great player."

Clayton used approximate-value ratings from Pro Football Reference to produce averages for each draft class. The 1993 class produced the highest average, followed by the 1996, 1983, 1975 and 1971 classes. Clayton also plugged in total games played. The 1983 class edged the 1993 class for the most, followed by the 1990, 1976 and 1988 classes.

A few key variables changed along the way.

Teams drafted at least 442 players annually from 1967 to 1976. They drafted more than 330 players each year from 1977 through 1992. The 1993 class featured only 224 players, fewer than any class under consideration. The first 224 players drafted in 1969 had much higher average approximate-value ratings than the 1993 class, for example. More recent draft classes also benefited from league expansion, which opened roster spots and opportunities for additional players.

NFL regular seasons also grew in length from 14 to 16 games beginning in 1978.

My focus was more on what the draft classes produced and less on extenuating circumstances.

The 1993 class is among those deserving honorable mention. Do the most decorated members of that class -- Strahan, Willie Roaf, Will Shields, John Lynch, Jerome Bettis and Drew Bledsoe among them -- hold up to the best from other years?

Take a look at my top five classes and decide for yourself.

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1983

Why it's the best: No other class came close using the point system from ESPN Stats & Information. The 1983 class finished in a virtual tie with the 1996 and 1981 classes even when I removed from consideration the three Hall of Fame quarterbacks -- Elway, Marino and Jim Kelly. No class had more combined Pro Bowls from its top-10 picks (42) or more combined Pro Bowls from players drafted later than the 200th overall choice (26). Five of the six Hall of Famers played their entire NFL careers with one team for 83 combined seasons, or 16.6 on average.

Hall of Famers: Elway (Broncos), Kelly (Bills), Marino (Dolphins), Green (Redskins), Dickerson (Rams), Matthews (Oilers)

Hall of Fame finalists: Richard Dent (Bears), Roger Craig (49ers)

Other big names: Karl Mecklenburg (Broncos), Joey Browner (Vikings), Chris Hinton (Broncos), Charles Mann (Redskins), Dave Duerson (Bears), Leonard Marshall (Giants), Albert Lewis (Chiefs), Curt Warner (Seahawks), Jimbo Covert (Bears), Henry Ellard (Rams), Mark Clayton (Dolphins), Tim Krumrie (Bengals), Greg Townsend (Raiders), Gill Byrd (Chargers), Don Mosebar (Raiders), Darryl Talley (Bills).

Late-round steals: Mecklenburg was the 310th overall choice. Dent went 203rd overall. Clayton went 223rd. They combined for 15 Pro Bowls.

Ah, the memories: Green grew up in Houston rooting for the Oilers, but his hometown team wasn't very accommodating on draft day. His family didn't have cable TV, so they couldn't watch the draft on ESPN. They had heard the Oilers would be showing it at their facility, or at least providing real-time updates, but Green was turned away.

"They sent my little behind on out of there," Green said. "That is the way that went. What is funny, I’m a Houstonian, I played 20 years in the NFL, started 18 years and I never played in Houston but one time, so I couldn’t stick it to them. ... But you always love your hometown. I was a Luv Ya Blue, Bum Phillips, Kenny Burrough, Earl Campbell, Dan Pastorini fan."

Green was used to the cold shoulder. Tim Lewis, drafted 11th overall by Green Bay, was supposed to be the superstar cornerback that year. Looking back, Green liked going one spot after Marino. Green also values being a bookend to a first round featuring Elway on the other side.

"[Redskins general manager] Bobby Beathard told me if I was there, he would take me," Green said. "I'd always been told by pro players, 'Hey, don’t believe anything they say.' As an adult, I know why. Things change. But the man told me. We got down to Dan Marino at 27 and I knew I wouldn't be 27. Then when we got to 28, the last pick of the first round, now I’ve got nothing else to do but believe it. I was extremely excited he maintained his word."

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1996

Why it's No. 2: Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis arguably rank among the three best players at their positions in NFL history. Marvin Harrison and Terrell Owens arguably rank among the 10 greatest receivers. Between four and seven members from this class have strong credentials for Canton. Only the 1983 class produced more total Pro Bowl appearances. Unlike some other classes -- 1988 comes to mind -- this one provided star power deep into the draft.

Hall of Famers: none yet.

Hall of Fame finalists: none yet.

Strongest Hall credentials: Jonathan Ogden (Ravens), Marvin Harrison (Colts), Ray Lewis (Ravens), Brian Dawkins (Eagles), Terrell Owens (49ers), Zach Thomas (Dolphins), La'Roi Glover (Raiders).

Other big names: Mike Alstott (Bucs), Willie Anderson (Bengals), Simeon Rice (Bucs), Lawyer Milloy (Patriots), Tedy Bruschi (Patriots), Eddie George (Titans), Jeff Hartings (Lions), Keyshawn Johnson (Jets), Donnie Edwards (Chiefs), Jon Runyan (Oilers), Amani Toomer (Giants), Muhsin Muhammad (Panthers), Stephen Davis (Redskins), Joe Horn (Chiefs), Marco Rivera (Packers).

Late-round steals: Fifth-rounders Thomas, Glover and Horn combined for 17 Pro Bowls. Another fifth-rounder, Jermaine Lewis, added two more. No other fifth round produced more total Pro Bowls during the period in question. Although expansion added additional picks to more recent fifth rounds, those picks were also later in the draft. Thomas and Glover should get strong Hall of Fame consideration.

Ah, the memories: Glover was the 16th defensive tackle drafted in 1996. He wasn't even invited to the combine initially, and when he did get the call, there wasn't enough time to prepare for the specialized events. Glover, who weighed about 265 pounds at San Diego State, was in trouble and he knew it.

"It's funny to me now, but it wasn't funny then," Glover said. "I got a call maybe a week before the combine, so I wasn’t prepared. I was out there doing my long-distance conditioning training and I wasn’t doing speed-type training. I may have ran like a 5.1 or 5.2, a very bad time."

Glover performed much better at his personal workout, dropping those times into the low 4.9s. Oakland made him the 166th player chosen that year.

"I just remember feeling goosebumps and I started sweating -- the dream is coming true," Glover said. "And then I was put on the phone with Mr. Al Davis. He asked me a very specific question: 'How would you like to be an Oakland Raider?' And I damn near lost it. I didn’t cry or anything. I kept my composure over the phone. As soon as I hung up and saw my name come on the ticker -- I lived in a tiny 2-3 bedroom home -- the place just erupted. All the women were crying and all the men were asking for tickets."

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1981

Why it's No. 3: This was arguably the greatest defensive draft under consideration, particularly near the top. The NFL's best athletes typically played offense, but 1981 draftees Taylor, Lott and Easley helped change the dynamics. This draft wasn't as strong as some throughout, but its star power on defense set it apart. Key players from this draft helped the 49ers, Redskins, Giants, Bears and Raiders dominate at times during the decade. Only the 1986 draft produced more Super Bowl winners.

Hall of Famers: Taylor (Giants), Lott (49ers), Mike Singletary (Bears), Howie Long (Raiders), Rickey Jackson (Saints), Russ Grimm (Redskins).

Hall of Fame finalists: none.

Other big names: Easley, Eric Wright (49ers), Dennis Smith (Broncos), Cris Collinsworth (Bengals), Hanford Dixon (Browns), Freeman McNeil (Jets), James Brooks (Chargers), Brian Holloway (Patriots), Hugh Green (Bucs), Carlton Williamson (49ers), Neil Lomax (Cardinals), Dexter Manley (Redskins), Mark May (Redskins), E.J. Junior (Cardinals).

Late-round steals: Charlie Brown, chosen 201st overall by the Redskins, caught 16 touchdown passes in his first two seasons, earning Pro Bowl honors both years. Wade Wilson, chosen 210th, played 19 seasons and earned one Pro Bowl berth, in 1988.

Ah, the memories: Once the 49ers drafted Lott eighth overall, the USC safety headed to the airport to use a ticket the team had held for him. Easley, chosen sixth by the Seahawks, was the other great safety in that draft class and the two were so closely linked that the person behind the airline counter mixed up Lott's destination.

"You are going to Seattle?"

"No, San Francisco," Lott replied.

Lott often looks back on how things might have been different if the Saints had drafted Taylor instead of George Rogers first overall. That wasn't going to happen because the Saints wanted a running back to help them control the clock, and they were especially particular about character in that draft -- their first with Bum Phillips as head coach.

"Lawrence Taylor, I didn't realize he was going to be that type of player, but Rickey Jackson did turn out to be the player we needed [in the second round]," Phillips said. "We needed a great player and a great individual. We needed some leadership and we needed the right kind of character to be leaders."

The 49ers needed a new secondary. They used that 1981 draft to select Lott, Wright and Williamson.

"I talked to Bill Walsh and his statement was, 'If I see it on film once, then my coaches should be able to get it out of a guy,'" said Horton, the Scouts Inc. founder and veteran NFL talent evaluator. "That always stuck with me. He was amazing at seeing things on tape. That '81 draft was a smart draft. You could look at that draft and you could see what teams were thinking."

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1969

Why it's No. 4: Roger Wehrli's 2007 Hall of Fame enshrinement gave this class five inductees. Only three other classes managed more combined Pro Bowl appearances. Some of the names in this class won't resonate with recent generations, and that is understandable. But this was still a strong class and one worthy of our consideration.

Hall of Famers: Joe Greene (Steelers), Ted Hendricks (Raiders), O.J. Simpson (Bills), Wehrli (Cardinals), Charlie Joiner (Oilers).

Hall of Fame finalists: L.C. Greenwood (Steelers), Bob Kuechenberg (Eagles).

Other big names: George Kunz (Falcons), Bill Bergey (Bengals), Bill Stanfill (Dolphins), Calvin Hill (Cowboys), Ed White (Vikings), Gene Washington (49ers), Jack Rudnay (Chiefs), Bill Bradley (Eagles), Ted Kwalick (49ers), Jim Marsalis (Chiefs), Ron Johnson (Browns), Fred Dryer (Giants).

Late-round steals: Greenwood was a six-time Pro Bowl choice and was the 238th overall pick. The Falcons found five-time Pro Bowler Jeff Van Note with the 262nd choice. Larry Brown, chosen 191st overall, was a four-time Pro Bowl selection.

Ah, the memories: There was no scouting combine back then. Wehrli couldn't remember seeing a pro scout, even at Missouri practices. He had never even run a 40-yard dash until a Cardinals scout asked him to run one at the Hula Bowl all-star game in Hawaii.

Wehrli agreed to run on the spot even though he was wearing pads, the playing surface was natural grass and the stakes were higher than he realized.

"At the time, I didn’t know it was a Cardinals scout," Wehrli said. "I ran the 40, came back and he said, 'Man, we didn’t realize you were that fast.' Later, he told me that timing moved me up to a first-round draft choice [from the third round]."

Wehrli had clocked in the 4.5-second range. He would run 4.4s on Astroturf later in the pros.

"You never really trained for it back then," he said.

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1985

Why it's No. 5: Just as the 1983 class featured more than quarterbacks, the 1985 version offered much more than the most prolific receiver in NFL history. Yes, Jerry Rice was the 16th overall choice, helping set apart this class from some others. But the supporting cast featured elite talent, from Bruce Smith to Chris Doleman and beyond.

Hall of Famers: Rice (49ers), Smith (Bills).

Hall of Fame finalists: Andre Reed (Bills).

Other big names: Lomas Brown (Lions), Steve Tasker (Oilers), Ray Childress (Oilers), Kevin Greene (Rams), Jay Novacek (Cardinals), Bill Fralic (Falcons), Jerry Gray (Rams), Randall Cunningham (Eagles), Ron Wolfley (Cardinals), Al Toon (Jets), Jim Lachey (Chargers), Kevin Glover (Lions), Mark Bavaro (Giants), Herschel Walker (Cowboys), Duane Bickett (Colts), Doug Flutie (Rams), Jack Del Rio (Saints).

Late-round steals: Tasker became a seven-time Pro Bowl choice on special teams as the 226th overall choice (albeit with Buffalo, after the Oilers waived him). Greene was a fifth-rounder, Novacek was a sixth-rounder and Bavaro, one of the toughest tight ends, provided excellent value in the fourth round.

Ah, the memories: Bill Polian was a little-known pro personnel director with USFL roots when Bills general manager Terry Bledsoe suffered a heart attack two months before the draft. The Bills had already landed their franchise quarterback in Kelly two years earlier, but his two-year detour through the USFL had set back the organization. Buffalo held the No. 1 overall pick, and the stakes were high.

Polian took over GM duties. Norm Pollom, a holdover from the Chuck Knox years, headed up the college scouting side.

The Bills were in great hands. Although some fans hoped the team would draft Flutie, Polian and Pollom found building blocks.

Aggressive wheeling and dealing allowed Buffalo to land cornerback Derrick Burroughs with the 14th choice, acquired from Green Bay, even after drafting Smith first overall. Reed was a steal in the fourth round. The decision to draft Smith over Ray Childress was the right one even though Childress became a five-time Pro Bowl choice for the Oilers.

MIAMI -- Anyone advocating Jerry Rice as the greatest player in NFL history can bury the opposition in statistics.

Rice averaged 1,145 yards receiving and more than 10 total touchdowns per season -- for 20 NFL seasons.

Rice caught 69 touchdown passes -- more than the career totals for Art Monk, Michael Irvin, Charlie Joiner, John Stallworth and numerous other Hall of Fame receivers -- during a five-season span ending in 1993. Rice then caught 28 touchdown passes over the next two seasons, more than half the career total for Hall of Famer Lynn Swann.

He retired holding NFL records for:

• Touchdowns (208), receiving TDs (197), receiving TDs in a season (22), consecutive games with a TD reception (13), TDs in Super Bowls (8), receiving TDs in a single Super Bowl (3) and postseason TDs (22).
• Receptions (1,549), consecutive games with a reception (274), receptions in Super Bowls (33) and postseason receptions (151).
• Receiving yards (22,895), receiving yards in a season (1,848), receiving yards in Super Bowls (589), receiving yards in a Super Bowl (215), postseason receiving yards (2,245) and seasons with at least 1,000 yards receiving (14).

Rice, whose selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a formality Saturday, probably enjoyed the greatest NFL career. He was probably the greatest wide receiver despite some arguments for Don Hutson. But was he the greatest player, period?

"Oh, yeah," Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson said almost reflexively during Super Bowl media day.

Woodson, perhaps mindful of history as a member of the NFL's 75th Anniversary team, then showed he could still backpedal a bit.

"I mean, he is definitely up there," he said. "I don't think one player is the greatest player ever, but he is in that water-cooler conversation. Now, if you say greatest receiver, absolutely. But the greatest player, to make him the most dominant player ever in NFL history or just say pro football history, that is a profound statement. But I can say that he will be in that argument time in and time out."

The conversation might include Otto Graham, Jim Brown, Sammy Baugh, Lawrence Taylor, Joe Montana, Johnny Unitas, Hutson, Walter Payton and Barry Sanders among players no longer active. And that list is probably shortchanging defensive greats such as Deacon Jones and Dick Butkus.

But Ray Lewis, arguably the greatest defensive player of the current era, didn't hesitate in singling out Rice.

"I don't know what argument you are going to make why he is not," Lewis said.

And that might be what separates Rice from the rest. There really isn't a great case against him. No one played at such a high level for as long with such grace.

"Jerry Rice doesn't rank in the all-time greats," said Saints safety Darren Sharper, a five-time Pro Bowl choice and member of the 2000s All-Decade team. "He is the greatest receiver and maybe the greatest football player of all time."

Maybe?

"I can't comment on eras that I didn't perform in," retired cornerback Deion Sanders said, "but the era I performed in, Jerry Rice is the best football player to play in that era."

On what grounds beyond the numbers?

"Work ethic, precision, routes, physical toughness, awareness, that hunger," Sanders said. "Jerry stayed hungry until the day he retired."

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