Each NFL team’s best ever 1st-round draft pick

Mississippi Valley State. Jerry Rice. '85. player. 42. <p>In 1985, the San Francisco 49ers selected receiver Jerry Rice from Mississippi Valley State at No. 16 overall. And it was tantamount to a Texans oil tycoon winning the Lottery as the 49ers just won the Super Bowl. Yes, the Super Bowl winner picks one of the greatest players, the greatest receiver, to ever play the game.</p> <p>They called then head coach Bill Walsh a genius and for this pick alone, he should get credit for that. Running a 4.7 40 in predraft workouts, not many saw Rice as having the game-breaking speed he had. Walsh cited his speed from 15-50 yards as the reason why his timed speed wasn’t great.</p> <p>On a deep ball, the ball is in the air from 15-50, making his speed more applicable than other receivers. To go along with that speed, Rice had hands like glue and his route-running got him tons of separation. Being 6’2″, 200 pounds in the ’80s gave him an edge in strength and physicality too.</p> <p>And Rice used all of the above to re-write the record books with 22,895 receiving yards and TDs with 208. He also helped the 49ers win back-to-back Super Bowls in 1988-89, another one in 1994 and the Raiders get to one in 2002. In his 20-year Hall of Fame career, Rice made 13 Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro 10 times.</p>. WR