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Seth from Newport News, Va., says the ESPN.com/ESPN The Magazine's NFL Any Era team "is a joke" if the St. Louis Rams' Steven Jackson does not appear on the list.

Mike Sando: Jackson did not appear on the list. Tim Tebow did. That seems wrong. We do not even know for sure whether Tebow will be good in this era, do we?

The overall list is strong. Ray Lewis, Troy Polamalu, Charles Woodson, Brian Urlacher, Patrick Willis, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Ed Reed, Darrelle Revis, Jared Allen and Dwight Freeney are among those listed.

I thought the San Francisco 49ers' Justin Smith was an obvious omission among those watching him play regularly. But how many people, Hall of Famers or otherwise, have watched the 49ers' defensive line in recent seasons?

People should know plenty about Steven Jackson, because he carries the ball and, quite frequently, defenders trying to tackle him. Seth is surely right about the Rams' poor record hurting Jackson in these types of polls.

In retrospect, I should have broken out an item about Jackson's omission without any prompting. He has demonstrated all the necessary qualities -- toughness, grit, consistency, leadership, versatility, production -- to make him a timeless player. Very few running backs have run with more ferocity than Jackson.

The way Jackson has played through injuries becomes more impressive when we consider the stakes for his team were relatively low. I'll never forget watching him slam himself into the 49ers' defense while trailing 35-0 a few years ago. He made a statement to his teammates and anyone watching. Circumstances would not diminish what he represented. I'll also never forget how he fought through a 2009 back injury that would require surgery. He started 15 games even though his team was 1-15 that season.

A lesser man -- even a normal one -- would have shut it down late in that season. What was the point? Jackson refused to do that. He kept coming back for more and finished with 324 carries, the second-highest total of his career.

Jackson was clearly qualified for the Any Era team. So were Larry Fitzgerald and others. But as with voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, there are usually more worthy candidates than spots available for enshrinement. That means very good candidates do not always get their due, at least right away. That should not diminish them in any way.

The San Francisco 49ers step onto the national stage Thursday, which means it's time to consider five things to watch in the most highly-anticipated game of the season for an NFC West team to this point:

Special teams must bounce back. The 49ers' victory over the Arizona Cardinals last week looked good from afar, but this was easily the worst special-teams performance of the season for San Francsico. David Akers had two field-goal tries blocked. Akers missed another attempt. The 49ers incurred three penalties on their punt-coverage team. Ted Ginn Jr. averaged four yards per punt return and 21 yards per kickoff return, pedestrian numbers. All this came one week after coach Jim Harbaugh pointed to 49ers special-teams coach Brad Seely as a head-coaching candidate. Harbaugh's brother, John, became the Baltimore Ravens' head coach after making a name for himself coaching special teams. Seely will be looking for a bounce-back effort from his unit this week.

49ers left tackle Joe Staley vs. Terrell Suggs. Suggs has gone three games in a row without a sack for the first time since the 2009 season. Staley has been solid for the 49ers. Durability has been a concern for him the last two seasons, however. He made nine starts in 2009 and nine last season, suffering injuries both seasons. Staley has made all 10 starts this season. He now faces a tough matchup on a short week. I'll be watching to see how he fares and how well he holds up physically.

Patrick Willis on a national stage. The 49ers are playing in Ray Lewis' house. It'll be fitting, in a way, if Lewis' injury situation prevents him from playing. Willis, more than any other inside linebacker, appears positioned to pick up where Lewis eventually leaves off. Lewis has said so. The 49ers haven't gotten to play in many prime-time games since Willis arrived as a first-round pick in 2007. This stage provides an opportunity for Willis to show the nation what he's shown 49ers fans for years, that he's the best inside linebacker around.

Big hits from the safeties. Donte Whitner and Dashon Goldson have been big hitters for the 49ers all season. The Ravens' Ed Reed continues to set a high standard for the position overall. The 49ers need continued feisty play from Whitner and Goldson, plus heightened awareness from them when the Ravens look for receiver Torrey Smith on deep passes.

The postgame handshake. The Harbaugh-against-Harbaugh storyline has already gotten tiring. The matchups on the field are so much more compelling, at least in my view. Still, I'll be interested in seeing the dynamic after the game given the overall competitiveness of the two. This would be an emotional game even without the sibling rivalry element. The sight of Jim Harbaugh untucking his shirt and dancing around the Ravens' field is one John Harbaugh surely wants to avoid.

Five things I noticed while watching the Seattle Seahawks' 22-17 home victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 10:

• Seahawks had the better QB. Tarvaris Jackson outplayed Joe Flacco by a shockingly wide margin. Jackson hung tough in the pocket when pressure was mounting and delivered the ball accurately, including to Marshawn Lynch. But the most impressive play for Jackson showcased his strong arm. Jackson, supposedly limited by a strained right pectoral muscle, threw a pass 45 yards in the air to Doug Baldwin on an across-the-body throw while rolling hard to his left. Not many quarterbacks can make that type of throw. Flacco repeatedly missed receivers. He missed one potential touchdown on a deep pass and another when tight end Dennis Pitta slipped behind linebacker Leroy Hill in the end zone. Flacco overthrew both passes. He also threw into double coverage in the end zone on another play. Seattle's Brandon Browner and Earl Thomas collided while trying to make the pick, or else this would have been an interception.
• Offensive line depth improved. The Seahawks lost starting right guard John Moffitt to a knee injury early in the game. Lemuel Jeanpierre replaced him and proved, again, that Seattle's depth along the line is not longer such a liability. The personnel department has done a good job in that area. Jeanpierre seemed to function well despite facing a formidable Ravens defensive front. He made a positive impression starting at center against Cleveland a few weeks earlier. Right tackle James Carpenter still has problems protecting. Officials flagged him for holding on a third-and-goal play from the 3. Carpenter's right foot was outside the 5-yard line before the snap in an effort to get a jump in protection, but it wasn't enough. The line's strong blocking for Lynch helped Seattle take an early lead and minimize obvious passing situations. That was huge for the line.
• Letting Mare leave worked out OK. Seattle wanted to re-sign kicker Olindo Mare, but the Carolina Panthers made on offer the Seahawks weren't willing to match. The offer was sensational from Mare's perspective, but also above market. A contending team might have found a way to keep its kicker, but the Seahawks remained in rebuild mode. Mare has made 14 of 18 attempts this season. Steven Hauschka made all five attempts for Seattle against Baltimore. He has now made 15 of 17 attempts. Mare has more touchbacks.
• Gallery's veteran savvy shows up. You had to watch carefully, but with about 4:17 left in the second quarter, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis inexplicably fell down while closing on Jackson in the Seattle backfield. The fall gave Jackson time to escape the pocket and throw away the ball without risking a penalty for intentional grounding. Lewis had beaten Seahawks left guard Robert Gallery on the play, but as Gallery was down on all fours, he made sure one hand snagged Lewis' right foot. Lewis stumbled, got up quickly and raised his arms in protest as if to say, "Hey, what was that?" It's tripping, but only if the officials see it.
• Seattle needs another Lynch. At one point during the Fox broadcast, analysts said Lewis had called Lynch the Seahawks' heartbeat. Seattle lacks another big halfback on its roster, however. If Lynch misses a game, as he did at Cleveland, the Seahawks cannot play offense they way they want to play it. Lynch should have a strong second half of the season as the line continues to improve. I'm just not sure how long he'll hold up carrying the ball as much as he has in the last couple games. He has 55 carries and 61 total touches over the last two games. It'll be fun to watch Lynch and the St. Louis Rams' Steven Jackson in the same game next week. Defensive players will want to keep the ice packs handy. Seattle might want to add another big back in the offseason, though.

I'm writing this from San Francisco 49ers headquarters following Jim Harbaugh's news conference and will be heading to the airport shortly. More to come once I'm settled.

Five things I noticed while watching the Arizona Cardinals during their 19-13 overtime victory against the St. Louis Rams in Week 9:

• Still no Fitzgerald on third down. The Cardinals targeted Larry Fitzgerald for passes 12 times in 35 attempts. That included eight of 17 times on first down, three of 11 times on second down and only once in seven chances on third down. Fitzgerald had no yardage on third down. He has four receptions for 60 yards on third down all season. Early Doucet has accounted for 248 of the team's 467 third-down receiving yardage. Even Andre Roberts has more third-down yardage (65) than Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald has generally finished past seasons with closer to 20 receptions on third down. The team's overall third-down struggles could be to blame. Arizona's third-down conversion rate over the past two seasons has fallen to levels the team has not seen since 2001.
• Too many missed tackles. On one play, Adrian Wilson threw his body at Steven Jackson without wrapping up. On another, Rashad Johnson bounced off Jackson. Linebacker Paris Lenon couldn't bring down receiver Greg Salas. Plays such as those helped the Rams possess the ball for more than 20 minutes of the first half.
• About that running game. The Cardinals' running backs rushed for 32 yards, including only four yards on first down from starter Beanie Wells. That was probably the most disappointing aspect of the game from a Cardinals standpoint. Arizona is a vastly different team from a temperament standpoint when Wells is healthy enough to run hard. Wells, slowed by knee trouble, had been more productive playing hurt the week before.
• General thoughts on Skelton. Coach Ken Whisenhunt qualified praise for John Skelton by saying the Cardinals' backup quarterback missed some basic plays. Whisenhunt would know all the particulars. my general feel watching the game was that Skelton seemed more comfortable than injured starter Kevin Kolb. A second-and-9 play early in the third quarter stood out. The Cardinals lined up in an offset-I formation with base personnel. The Rams rushed six and got immediate pressure with safety Quintin Mikell. Skelton dodged Mikell, moved purposefully to his left and threw a perfect touch pass to Roberts between defenders. Roberts dropped the ball or else this would have been a first down. A delay penalty set up third-and-14, but Skelton kept his poise, firing another perfect pass, this one to Doucet for a first down. Skelton has 48 yards on three attempts when facing third-and-11 or longer. Kolb has 95 yards on 19 such attempts.
• Daryl Washington on the cusp. The second-year inside linebacker often looks like one of the better young defensive players in the league. He's exceptionally active against run and pass alike. He had a chance to make a game-changing play with four minutes left in the third quarter. Arizona trailed, 11-6, when Sam Bradford threw a pass to Salas underneath the coverage. Washington recognized the pass right away, accelerated into position and should have scored a touchdown on the play. Washington did everything but catch the pass. This was a good play that should have been a great one -- emblematic of the team's missed chances this season.

Time ran out on last week before I could finish five observations from the Cardinals' game against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8. I'll pass along the notes I did take:

• Humble beginnings. The first offensive play of a road game can be a tough one. The opposing crowd is at its loudest. I've wondered more than once why coaches don't run the ball a little more frequently on first plays, particularly in hostile conditions. The San Francisco 49ers took a sack on their first play at Detroit, for example. Why invite trouble? In this case, the Cardinals came out passing and gave up pressure right away. Terrell Suggs bull-rushed left tackle Levi Brown into Kolb's face before Kolb had time to react. Kolb had room if he would have stepped forward to his right, but in turning back to his left, he ran right into Suggs and fumbled. After a penalty gave the Cardinals a first down, the Cardinals ran the ball three times in a row, moving the chains. Much safer, smarter football under the circumstances.
• Low man wins. Even the greatest players relearn tough lessons. That seemed to be the case when Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis absorbed a big hit from Cardinals right tackle Brandon Keith, forcing Lewis from the game with a stinger. Lewis was standing a little too upright near the line of scrimmage when Keith blasted him on a Beanie Wells running play to the right side. How much did the Ravens miss Lewis? It's tough to say, but Kolb completed a 66-yard pass over the middle to Fitzgerald on the first play Lewis missed.
• Missed chance for Wilson. Wilson nearly picked off a pass in the end zone before Baltimore kicked a field goal to tie the game, 3-3. This would have been a difficult play to make because the ball was on Wilson quickly. Wilson, who made an athletic play to pick off Rex Grossman at Washington in Week 2, missed chances against Seattle, the New York Giants and now Baltimore. The Cardinals lost to the Seahawks by three, the Giants by four and the Ravens by three. They were a play or two away.

In one month's time, we've gone from discussing the St. Louis Rams' playoff prospects to how they might handle the first pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

The chances suddenly appear very real. The Rams are 0-4 heading into their bye week. Their top receiver and top three cornerbacks are out for the season. Their remaining receivers lead the NFL in dropped passes. Their offensive line and defensive front seven aren't meeting expectations. Their quarterback is on pace to absorb 72 sacks, three shy of the NFL record.

Amid those troubling indicators, the Rams visit Green Bay and Dallas before returning home for a game against New Orleans. They then play two more games on the road before a four-game stretch of NFC West matchups. They have a road game against Pittsburgh later in the year.

Six division games in the final nine weeks still might save the Rams, but if the Arizona Cardinals could go 1-5 against the NFC West in 2010, which they did, the Rams in their current state could finish in that range.

To the point: The Rams already have 2010 No. 1 overall choice Sam Bradford on their roster. They're not in the market for a quarterback. They would have some thinking to do if sitting atop the 2012 draft with Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck available.

Let's get this conversation going.

Matt from Tucson, Ariz., asks whether the Seattle Seahawks would move to acquire the first pick from St. Louis.

Mike Sando: Yes, the Seahawks would certainly consider that type of move for a quarterback, in my view. I just do not see the Rams helping a division rival land a franchise quarterback. Instead, if the Rams traded the pick, I would look for them to deal it to an AFC team located far, far away. Miami?

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Tim from Olympia, Wash., asks whether the Rams would consider trading Bradford if they entered the 2012 draft in position to draft Andrew Luck.

Mike Sando: Interesting concept. I question whether that would work very well from a salary-cap standpoint. I do not think the Rams' current leadership would consider making that move. If new leadership were in place, anything could be possible. But an organization cannot casually consider trading its franchise quarterback without risking its relationship with that player. The team would have to know for certain it could get a deal done.

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William from Bloomington, Ind., isn't ready to give up on the Rams just yet given their second-half schedule, but he wonders what the team could expect the top pick to fetch. He notes that the Atlanta Falcons gave up quite a bit in moving up to the sixth pick in 2011.

Mike Sando: The Falcons paid such a high price because they were moving up from so far down in the draft order (27th overall). Any team moving up for Luck would likely be doing so from nearer the top of the order. Still, the price would have to be high. Multiple teams could be bidding, as well.

San Diego, having whiffed on Ryan Leaf in 1998, traded the first pick of the 2001 draft to Atlanta for the fifth pick, the 67th pick, a second-rounder the next year and receiver Tim Dwight. The Falcons then took Michael Vick. Rams general manager Billy Devaney had already left the Chargers when that deal went down.

The Cleveland Browns picked first overall in 2000, one season after making quarterback Tim Couch the top pick. That was an odd situation, however, because the 2000 draft featured no quarterbacks taken before Chad Pennington at No. 18. The Browns took defensive end Courtney Brown first overall.

The Indianapolis Colts picked fourth overall in 1999, a year after they took Peyton Manning first overall. Quarterbacks went 1-2-3 before the Colts made Edgerrin James the fourth player taken in that 2000 class.

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Rob from Augusta, Ga., asks whether Josh McDaniels' hiring in St. Louis has done more harm than good because the personnel was acquired for another system. He thought a conservative, West Coast system helped the Rams compete in 2010, and he fears the team will need years to build its roster for McDaniels' more aggressive approach. He also thinks it's clear the Rams needed to pursue a top-flight receiver more aggressively.

Mike Sando: The Rams did not want to change coordinators. Pat Shurmur's departure forced the Rams to make a choice. They could promote continuity by hiring someone familiar with the system Shurmur was running. Or, they could search for the best candidate they could find, regardless of system. They chose the latter approach with an eye toward the longer term because they thought McDaniels was an excellent candidate.

This was before the lockout, at a time when teams did not know how the offseason would unfold. The Rams' thinking seemed sound at the time. In retrospect, I don't think the offense would be dramatically better had the team gone with someone else at coordinator. Injuries have played a significant role in the Rams' struggles.

Your thinking at wide receiver makes sense. The Rams were among the few who thought they were OK at the position in terms of top-end talent. McDaniels had gotten good production from Brandon Lloyd in Denver, counter to outside expectations, so there was some thought he might coax similar production from players already on the Rams' roster. While Danny Amendola was the one receiver he could least afford to lose, it's fair to say the Rams failed to sufficiently protect themselves at a position decimated by injuries in 2010.

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Mackay from Pleasant Grove, Utah, thought the Arizona Cardinals failed to use play-action passes against the New York Giants even though Beanie Wells was on his way to a 27-carry, 138-yard performance. He would expect play-action passes to help Kevin Kolb, but wonders whether lack of success has steered the Cardinals away from using that tactic.

Mike Sando: It's a little early in the season to draw conclusions from the Cardinals' use of play-action passes. This is an area to monitor as the season progresses.

Kolb completed 4 of 7 passes for 78 yards and one interception against the Giants on play-action passes, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He has completed 12 of 22 passes for 231 yards with one touchdown, one interception and two sacks on play-action plays this season. Twenty-four quarterbacks have more play-action attempts than Kolb this season. Fourteen quarterbacks have at least 30 attempts.

Kolb ranks 24th in Total QBR (52.9) and NFL passer rating (87.5) on play-action passes this season. His yards per attempt on these throws, 10.5, ranks fifth in the league behind Matt Stafford, Matt Schaub, Aaron Rodgers, Tony Romo and Chad Henne. But four of those players (all but Henne) are completing at least 75 percent of these passes. Kolb is at 54.5 percent, which ranks 26th among the 32 quarterbacks with more than 10 such attempts.

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Colin from Santa Rosa, Calif., agrees that San Francisco 49ers linebacker NaVorro Bowman has stood out this season, but he says this doesn't reflect poorly on teammate Patrick Willis. "It doesn't seem like Willis has stepped back at all," he writes. "Takeo Spikes isn't there eating up blocks, so Willis is having to take on more of that duty, and offenses are targeting Willis with more resources anyway, freeing up Bowman."

Mike Sando: One question would be to what degree the 49ers' new defense in combination with Bowman's abilities has affected what the team asks from its inside linebackers. I appreciate your points and will explore this subject in greater detail as the season progresses.

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Terrell from San Francisco likes what he sees from the 49ers' front seven, but he thinks the team needs a playmaking safety to pair with Willis, giving San Francisco something along the lines of what Baltimore has enjoyed with Ray Lewis and Ed Reed working together.

Mike Sando: The 49ers had a chance to add a playmaking safety in the 2010 draft, but they traded up for right tackle Anthony Davis instead of drafting free safety Earl Thomas. The 49ers then used their second-round choice for safety Taylor Mays. I see absolutely no way to justify those decisions based on what we've seen from those players so far.

The 49ers' efforts to upgrade their offensive line by drafting Davis and guard Mike Iupati made sense in theory, but Davis hasn't become nearly the player Thomas has become, and Mays lasted only one season with the team. Worse, the 49ers will have to play against Thomas twice a season for years to come.

Five things I noticed while watching the St. Louis Rams' 37-7 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3:

• No one blocked Terrell Suggs. The Rams got cute early with an end-around to rookie tight end Lance Kendricks. Nobody blocked Suggs, one of the Ravens' best players, on the play. How could this happen? The play established two dynamics early. One, the Rams weren't feeling great about their conventional running game even though Steve Jackson was active. Two, they weren't going to fool this veteran Ravens defense, either. Even if Suggs had missed Kendricks, linebacker Jameel McClain was also rushing toward the play unblocked. Losing 8 yards on second down ruined the Rams' opening drive. Later, with the Rams facing third-and-6 while trailing 7-0, they failed to block Suggs coming from the other side of the formation. Again, how can this happen? The Rams had six blockers for six pass-rushers, only to leave the very best rusher of them all, Suggs, completely unblocked. It is possible quarterback Sam Bradford was supposed to account for Suggs after the snap or by setting the protection a certain way, but that was not my inclination. The Rams would be better off punting on third down than allowing Suggs a clear path toward their franchise QB.
• Flacco had a perfect pocket. The Rams had no shot at pressuring Joe Flacco when the Ravens' quarterback found Torrey Smith for a 74-yard touchdown. Right defensive end James Hall dropped into coverage. Left defensive end Chris Long lined up wide enough to jam Ravens tight end Ed Dickson at the line. Long was at the Baltimore 25-yard line just inside the yard-line numbers and well outside right tackle Michael Oher when Flacco was setting up in the pocket at his own 20 on the hash nearest Long. Running back Ray Rice picked up blitzing linebacker Ben Leber. Flacco delivered the ball before the Rams could do anything about it. Smith's speed on the play was startling. He was at the Baltimore 35 when Flacco released the ball. He covered an additional 21 yards before catching it at the St. Louis 44. Aenaes Williams might not have been able to defend this one. Of the three scoring passes Smith caught, the second one was the truly regrettable one from a Rams standpoint, with safety Darian Stewart getting caught peeking into the backfield.
• The Jason Smith complaints are overblown. Coach Steve Spagnuolo had seen enough in the second half after Smith, the Rams' right tackle, gave up pressure more than once during a tough stretch. Spagnuolo benched Smith, but singling out Smith for the Rams' problems on the line would be unfair. The rest of the line also struggled once the Rams fell behind. I considered it progress when Smith got into a brief altercation with Lewis, drawing a 15-yard penalty. The Rams need not revisit the Richie Incognito era, but they need their linemen to play with an edge. Smith came to the Rams out of college with a tough-guy reputation that proved misleading. He missed half his rookie season to injuries and has hardly been an enforcer type, one reason guard Harvey Dahl appealed to the Rams in free agency. Smith has played through the ankle injury, first thought to be a high sprain, that he suffered in the regular-season opener. Now, he's scrapping with Lewis.
• Bradford cannot find anyone open. Bradford scrambled effectively for the Rams early in the game, but only because none of his receivers appeared open. Bradford also paid a price. The Ravens' Haloti Ngata and Ray Lewis buried him following a scramble on the Rams' second possession. Could anyone come up with a worse scenario for the Rams than one pitting Bradford alone in the ring against the tag-team combination of Ngata and Lewis? Not likely. Bradford got up limping. This was surely the play when he suffered the sprained toe that is bother him this week. Ngata, listed at 350 pounds, rolled across Bradford's lower legs after right after Lewis made the tackle. Don't blame the offensive line for this injury. Bradford actually had time to throw very early in the game, but life changed for him once the team fell behind.
• The Rams have no chance playing from behind. That might change a little once Jackson and top receiver Danny Amendola return to health. For now, though, the Rams just need to survive their rough first-half schedule while hoping their division rivals falter. The final eight games feature six NFC West opponents, plus Cincinnati and Cleveland. Life will get worse before it gets better. Getting Bradford to Week 9 in one piece must be the priority.

We'll find out Wednesday whether Jackson is a full participant in practice. The Rams have a bye in Week 5, but if Jackson is ready to play a bigger role this week, the Rams have at least a chance against Washington on a short week for the Redskins.

The St. Louis Rams can use all the hard-nosed, physical players they can get heading into their game against Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens.

Running back Steven Jackson, sidelined since the early going of a Week 1 defeat to Philadelphia, is one of the players St. Louis needs the most. The team did not list him among its inactive players Sunday, meaning Jackson will be available to them.

Jackson's first carry of the season went for 47 yards and a touchdown, but he suffered a strained quadriceps on the play. He returned for one more carry and has not played since.

The Rams will be without receiver Danny Amendola, safety Jermale Hines, receiver Greg Salas and defensive end C.J. Ah You.

Passing along a few general thoughts after watching the most recent games from Week 3 NFC West opponents Baltimore and Cincinnati:

• Rams' running game: The Ravens look like they're still tough against the run, but a quick-thinking quarterback can fare well against them. Tennessee's Matt Hasselbeck did just that in Week 2. Hasselbeck found receivers on short routes when pressure arrived quickly. He was very accurate on deeper passes and his receivers/tight ends made outstanding individual plays for him. The Rams' Sam Bradford hasn't fared as well against pressure. He needs to improve in that area for the Rams to win this game. He needs someone, whether it's Danario Alexander again or another teammate, to help him out down the field. The Ravens' Ray Lewis still tackles with bad intentions, but he does not move nearly as well as he did years ago. That stood out watching the Ravens against Tennessee.
• Rams' pass-rush: The Ravens' Joe Flacco held the ball too long a few times, inviting sacks. The Rams' pass rush should be able to give Flacco problems in the noisy Edward Jones Dome. That will be easier if St. Louis improves its so-far-disappointing run defense. The Rams have struggled against the run so far, but coach Steve Spagnuolo hasn't sounded overly concerned. The Rams' personnel should let them play the run better. The Ravens' screen game is also a variable to watch. Ray Rice hurt Tennessee with a 31-yard touchdown reception off a screen.
• 49ers' pass defense: The Bengals have a rookie quarterback in Andy Dalton. They no longer have Chad Ochocinco at receiver. Still, the Bengals showed an ability to get the ball downfield in the second half against Denver last week, a concern for the 49ers. Jerome Simpson's 84-yard reception in the fourth quarter recalled the 77-yarder Dallas completed against San Francisco in overtime. Dalton is not yet as good as Romo, but he completed 27 of 41 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns and no turnovers against Denver. Dalton had second-half pass plays covering 22, 25, 26, 31 and 84 yards to Simpson and A.J. Green.

I don't always get a chance to watch games for all the upcoming non-divisional opponents, but when I do, I'll pass along a few impressions.

Enjoy your Saturday.

The Cleveland Browns' Peyton Hillis and the Philadelphia Eagles' Michael Vick are the last men standing in the race to grace the "Madden 12" video game cover.

Hillis has surprisingly (to me) taken out Ray Rice, Matt Ryan, Jamaal Charles and Aaron Rodgers to reach the finals. Vick knocked off DeMarcus Ware, Patrick Willis and Adrian Peterson.

My early favorites to represent the NFC West for the 2013 version:

Arizona Cardinals

Favorite: Larry Fitzgerald. Bradford beat out Fitzgerald in the first round this year. The Cardinals will need to improve their record, which will require upgrading their quarterback situation. Fitzgerald's contract situation will ultimately determine whether he's a candidate. His contract expires after the 2011 season. We should know by this time next year where Fitzgerald is staying.

Sleeper candidates: Fitzgerald's consistency and high profile make it highly unlikely a defensive player would do enough to represent Arizona. A breakout season from running back Beanie Wells probably would not be enough, either.

St. Louis Rams

Co-favorites: Bradford and Steven Jackson. Bradford played well for a rookie and was a logical choice to represent the Rams this offseason. His career should continue on an upward trajectory. It's tough to bet against Bradford if he plays well enough for the Rams to win the NFC West. Jackson remains the only Rams player to reach the Pro Bowl in recent seasons, so we should not forget about him. His track record makes him a safer pick.

Sleeper candidates: Chris Long pressured quarterbacks far more than his sack total (8.5) indicated. He has a good chance to reach double-digit sacks for an improving defense. Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis is also important to the Rams' defense, but Long's ability to rack up sacks gives him a clear edge.

Seattle Seahawks

Favorite: Earl Thomas. The rookie safety finished the season with five interceptions and seven passes defensed while starting all 16 games. He was on pace for double-digit interceptions through Week 7. Sustaining that sort of production over the course of the 2011 season would push Thomas into consideration. The Seahawks' lack of start power left the 12th Man as Seattle's representative this year.

Sleeper candidates: Mike Williams dominated at times on his way to a 65-catch season. Can he continue on his current course? Running back Marshawn Lynch could emerge as another worthy candidate if Seattle improves its offensive line enough to pay off in the running game. Lynch's 67-yard touchdown run in the playoffs put him on the map, at least.

San Francisco 49ers

Favorite: Willis. The 49ers can bank on Willis' production. Ray Lewis singled out Willis as the young linebacker most likely to follow in his footsteps. An ESPN.com panel voted Willis the best linebacker in the league. Willis has the ability to rack up tackles, pick off passes, sack quarterbacks and generally dominate. He's a force in the Madden game, too.

Sleeper candidates: Tight end Vernon Davis has 20 touchdown receptions over the last two seasons. He has the potential to score 15 touchdowns in a season, which would put him in the mix. Running back Frank Gore needs better luck with injuries to reemerge as the 49ers' favorite for the cover. Does receiver Michael Crabtree face an uphill fight playing in an offense that could lean heavily on running backs and tight ends? On defense, Justin Smith should get consideration based on how well he plays, but 3-4 defensive ends general are not flashy enough to become cover boys. That is probably fine by Smith.

Who am I missing?

ESPN.com’s NFL writers rank the top 10 linebackers in the league today. Next week: Top 10 cornerbacks.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis beat out a strong and diverse field for top billing in ESPN.com's latest positional power rankings.

All eight panelists ranked Willis among their top three, elevating the 26-year-old perennial Pro Bowler above James Harrison and DeMarcus Ware as our No. 1 linebacker in the NFL.

Even 12-time Pro Bowler Ray Lewis, the dominant linebacker of his era, pointed to Willis as a worthy successor to his undisputed reign. Not that Lewis is finished just yet. He placed fifth in the rankings behind Willis, Harrison, Ware and the Green Bay Packers' Clay Matthews. But there was no more complete linebacker than Willis.

"Nobody in the NFL plays their position better than Patrick Willis, and that is saying a lot," said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc., whose insights helped shape my ballot. "He is as good a linebacker as Peyton Manning is a quarterback, as Andre Johnson is a receiver, as Adrian Peterson is a running back. He has no weaknesses."

Willis, a three-time Associated Press All-Pro first-team selection, is the first 49ers player since Ronnie Lott to earn Pro Bowl honors in each of his first four seasons. Joe Thomas and Peterson are the only other 2007 draft choices with four Pro Bowls.

Apples and oranges: Comparing linebackers from 3-4 schemes to their 4-3 counterparts proved problematic for some panelists. AFC East blogger Tim Graham ranked Ware first among pass-rushers three weeks ago, but only ninth among linebackers.

"Patrick Willis, Brian Urlacher and Ray Lewis would be great linebackers in a 3-4 or a 4-3," Graham explained. "DeMarcus Ware and Cameron Wake might not even be linebackers if they played in Indianapolis, Tennessee or Minnesota. At some point, I had to value elite pass-rushing abilities on my list even though those players aren't universal-type linebackers."

There was room for differing views. ESPN.com's John Clayton and AFC North blogger James Walker ranked Ware first among linebackers and first among pass-rushers. AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky ranked Ware first among linebackers and second among pass-rushers.

"Separating Ware, Willis and Harrison is like splitting hairs, because it really depends on what you want in a linebacker," said Walker, who went with Ware, Willis and Harrison atop his ballot. "Ware is a slightly better pass-rusher than Harrison, and Willis is a future Hall of Famer in his prime. Age also has to be a consideration if you’re building a defense, and Harrison will be 33 in May. But they're all great."

First things first: Graham and NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert joined me in ranking Willis first. AFC West blogger Bill Williamson had Willis second only to Harrison.

"When I think of linebacker play in the current day, James Harrison pops out," Bill Williamson said. "I think he’s the gold standard of complete linebacker play. Look at his signature play in the Super Bowl against Arizona. That play will forever be part of NFL lore. Patrick Willis, who is also a great player, doesn’t have that play on his résumé. Plus, Harrison is an ornery cuss on the field. The man was born to be a 'backer."

Willis can't match Harrison in Super Bowl memories -- he could use a quarterback, for starters -- but he's not hurting for signature plays:

• There was the time, as a rookie in 2007, when Willis tracked down and tackled Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Sean Morey 62 yards downfield, in overtime, to save the game.
• There was the time in 2008, when Willis picked off Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and weaved his way 86 yards to the tying third-quarter touchdown -- the longest interception return by a linebacker since Willis entered the league.
• There was Willis' crushing hit against the New York Jets' Brad Smith in 2008, the hit that left Hasselbeck with a broken rib in 2009 and the two-game stretch last season when Willis collected 28 tackles despite wearing a cast following in-season hand surgery.

Lewis pointed to Willis when ESPN's Dana Jacobson recently asked him which young linebacker reminded Lewis of himself.

"I just love the way he plays the game," Lewis said. "He plays the game with a fire. He reminds me of myself -- a lot, a lot, a lot."

Unanimous decisions: The top five finishers received votes from all eight panelists. The gaps between highest and lowest votes fell between four and seven places for all but Willis, who ranked no lower than third.

Seifert ranked Lewis third. I had Lewis 10th and feared I might be measuring him against himself. No list of top linebackers would be complete without him, I thought, but a younger generation is taking over.

Hugs for Suggs: Lewis' teammate, Terrell Suggs, finished just out of our top 10 despite getting a No. 5 ranking from Kuharsky.

"I unabashedly love Suggs, and frankly would have placed him higher if I thought there was any way he needed help to crack the top 10," Kuharsky said. "To me, there is a great deal of subjectivity in ranking this position when mixing guys from 4-3s and 3-4s, so I did a lot of know-them-when-I-see-them ranking. Suggs is absolutely a top-10 guy to me."

Clayton, Seifert, Graham and I did not list Suggs on our ballots while searching for the right mix of 3-4 and 4-3 talent.

Fit to be tied: The players tied for ninth on our list illustrate the varied criteria for the position. Kansas City's Tamba Hali is a pure pass-rusher in the Chiefs' 3-4 defense. Carolina's Jon Beason is a traditional 4-3 linebacker with the versatility to play multiple spots. He changed positions twice in 2010.

Beason peaked at No. 5 on my ballot. NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas had Beason sixth and considered ranking him higher.

"There was a time when I would have ranked Beason in the same echelon as Willis," Yasinskas said. "I think he has a chance to re-emerge if Carolina can put a better team on the field, particularly by getting better at defensive tackle and keeping blockers off Beason. If that happens, I think Beason can be as good as any linebacker in the league."

Youth on his side: New England's Jerod Mayo appeared on six of eight ballots, ranking sixth overall between Lewis and Urlacher. At 25, Mayo was one of two linebackers younger than Willis to earn a spot among the top 10. Matthews, 24, was the other. Graham ranked Mayo third.

"Nose tackle Vince Wilfork might be the anchor of the Patriots' defense, but Mayo is the one who ties their defense together," Graham said. "Mayo is a tackling machine who compensates for shortcomings at outside linebacker and injuries along the defensive line. He would be a star in any system."

On an island: Four linebackers received a single vote. That list featured Brian Orakpo (Clayton), Lance Briggs (Seifert), London Fletcher (Walker) and Wake (Graham).

Best doesn't mean most valuable: Matt Williamson called linebacker the toughest position to evaluate. I'll close by passing along a few of his thoughts:

• "Willis is so exceptional it would be a coin flip with Ware. Willis has no weaknesses, but if I were a general manager, I would take Ware because pass-rushers are so hard to find. You can get away with a C-level middle linebacker and still have a good defense. You can have a two-down run-stopper and pull him out in nickel."
• "Ray Lewis would not be in my top five at this point. For his age, he is still exceptional and a borderline Pro Bowler, but he doesn't run like he did. I remember when I was with the Browns, I looked at every report the team had written since 1999 and Lewis had the highest grade ever given out. He was nearly perfect."
• "Hali is a one-trick pony, a pass-rusher, but he is great at it -- as good as any pass-rusher in the league."
• "Beason is like Patrick Willis, but he is 95 percent of him. He can play outside, inside, he's smart -- but there is so little around him that people don't realize how good he is."
• "Pass rushing is Clay Matthews' greatest gift, but he is the prototypical outside linebacker. He's a great technician and way more explosive and athletic than people realize. He's good in coverage, not great, but they line him up all over."
• "London Fletcher is underrated, but not in this conversation. How Beason is to Willis, Fletcher is to Lewis. He is smaller and slower than Lewis, good among older guys."
• "Brian Urlacher is still a really good player, but the top 10 might be a stretch. I would take him ahead of Lewis, behind Beason and Willis among 'Mike' 'backers. He is good in coverage. People forget that he was a safety at New Mexico. He doesn't run like he used to and is just not as dynamic as he was in the day."
• "The Steelers have the best linebackers in the league. LaMarr Woodley is very strong and in that conversation too. Definitely top 15. Harrison is great against the run, extremely strong and one of the few linebackers in the league that is a difference-maker from an attitude standpoint. He brings attitude to the table like a Jack Lambert or a Dick Butkus or a Ray Lewis type. He is feared. He is one of the best leverage players in the league, great in pursuit, tenacious as hell. The other guy to know about is Lawrence Timmons. He will be spectacular."

Ray Lewis had high praise for San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis during an ESPN First Take appearance with Dana Jacobson.

Lewis, when asked which young linebackers remind him of himself:

I like a lot of them, but the one I talk to the most who I think kind of emulates me a lot is Patrick Willis. I just love the way he plays the game. He plays the game with a fire. He reminds me of myself -- a lot, a lot, a lot. Not just on the field, but off the field. It would definitely have to be Pat.

I'll have more on Lewis, Willis and other NFL linebackers when our positional power rankings continue Tuesday.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, the final NFC West man standing in the race to grace the "Madden 12" cover, fell from consideration after Michael Vick rolled to a 61-39 percentage victory over him in the latest balloting.

While Vick won comfortably, Willis commanded a higher percentage than Drew Brees, who suffered a 62-38 percentage defeat to Adrian Peterson in the other quarterfinal.

The Vick-Peterson winner faces the Aaron Rodgers-Peyton Hillis winner for the right to suffer a significant injury in 2010, or something like that. Update: Or even 2011.

A consolation prize for Willis: high praise from Ray Lewis.

Our weekly power rankings turn their focus from head coaches to linebackers next week.

I'm putting together a ballot featuring my top 10 and will be ranking the San Francisco 49ers' Patrick Willis very high. Should he rank first on the field, if not on the Madden 12 cover?

Among the challenges:

• Differentiating for scheme. Willis, DeMarcus Ware and Jon Beason are all NFL linebackers. They do not have the same job descriptions. Ware makes his money crunching quarterbacks. Willis is a physical force with good pass-rush ability on blitzes. Beason has played multiple linebacker positions within a 4-3 scheme.
• Filtering for reputation. Ray Lewis will go down in NFL history as one of the all-time great linebackers. How high should he rank at age 35 (he turns 36 next month)? I'm not implying Lewis has fallen off significantly.
• Seeing beyond stats. Tackle numbers are unofficial and unreliable. Some of the very best linebackers rarely get sacks. Some dominate against the run. Some excel in coverage. A few can do everything well.

That last point is where I'm inclined to start. Which linebackers do everything, or nearly everything, at the highest level? Insider subscribers can check out Scouts Inc. rankings heading into 2010.

Lawyer Milloy returned to the Seattle Seahawks because the coaching staff promised a more prominent role for the veteran safety.

This had the potential to be one of those offseason storylines that never materializes when it matters.

Six games into the 2010 season, it's clear the Seahawks were serious about featuring Milloy. They've made him a starter and used him effectively on blitzes, most recently against the Chicago Bears in Week 6. Milloy got credit for one sack and he's almost certainly going to get credit for another once the Elias Sports Bureau reviews a sack credited to teammate Raheem Brock. Replays showed Milloy making the play.

That second as-yet-unofficial stat would allow Milloy to join Week 7 Seahawks opponent Adrian Wilson of the Arizona Cardinals among 11 known players with at least 20 interceptions and 20 sacks. Milloy has always been a big hitter, but he hasn't been used consistently as a blitzer. His experience, sense of timing and ferocity make him well-suited to the role.

The chart shows players with at least 20 sacks and 20 interceptions since sacks became an official statistic in 1982. I sorted the chart by most total sacks and interceptions.

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.