Ranking the top 10 Eagles first-round draft picks in franchise history

Here are the top 10 Eagles first-round draft picks:

After going third overall in the 1973 draft, Sisemore became an anchor for the Eagles offensive line for a decade, most notably during the four-year stretch from 1978-81 when Dick Vermeil’s Eagles made four consecutive playoff appearances.

Sisemore made two Pro Bowls in his career and started 127 games in his 12-year career primarily as a right tackle.

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The 13th pick out of Michigan in 2010, Graham’s longevity in the organization and production the last few seasons have solidified his place in Eagles history and vaulted him into the conversation of the team’s best first-round picks.

Graham’s 70 career sacks rank fourth in Eagles history, and he’ll have a chance to surpass David Akers for the most regular-season games played in an Eagles uniform. Graham doesn’t have as many individual accolades or dominant seasons as some of his peers, but he made arguably the most important play in franchise history: Strip-sacking Tom Brady to secure the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII victory.

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Brown’s career came to a tragic end in 1992, but his impact in just five seasons is remarkable.

The defensive tackle from the University of Miami went ninth overall in 1987 and recorded 29.5 sacks as a running mate to Reggie White and Clyde Simmons. He was named to two All-Pro teams before dying in a car crash following the ‘92 season.

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The Eagles took Johnson, a converted tight end out of Oklahoma, fourth overall in 2013 and have enjoyed elite play from him pretty much ever since.

The right tackle for the 2017 Super Bowl championship team and a two-time All-Pro, Johnson has been one of the best tackles, left or right, in the league during his career and has helped change the perception that right tackles are of lesser importance than their counterparts on the opposite side of the line.

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Another all-time great right tackle, Brown was the second overall pick in the 1964 draft and the first Pro Football Hall of Famer on this list so far. Brown was also named to the Hall of Fame’s all-decade team in the ‘60s.

Similar to Johnson, Brown started his career as an undersized but athletic right tackle. The former Nebraska standout earned the nickname “Boomer” because of the punishing blocks he delivered and was one of the league’s premier offensive linemen during his 10-year career, with the first five coming with the Eagles.

Another current Eagles player, Cox has both the longevity and the dominant stretch to cement himself among franchise greats.

The No. 12 pick out of Mississippi State in 2012, Cox has compiled 65 career sacks that rank fifth all-time. He was the focal point of a pass rush that led the Eagles to Super Bowl LII. Cox was arguably the best interior rusher in the NFL outside of Aaron Donald for most of his career and, even though his production has tailed off the last few seasons, was a major contributor for a historic Eagles pass rush last season.

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Quick is another Eagle with a stretch as good as just about anyone. The No. 20 overall pick in 1982 left his native North Carolina State University and quickly became one of the best receivers in the league before a knee injury slowed him down.

Even with a truncated nine-year career, Quick ranks third in franchise history in receiving touchdowns (61), fourth in yards (6,464), and ninth in receptions (363).

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The Eagles famously selected McNabb second overall instead of star running back Ricky Williams in 1999, much to the chagrin of fans in attendance that night in New York. Two decades and a 13-year career later and McNabb possesses the title as the best quarterback in franchise history.

McNabb holds franchise records in passing touchdowns (216) and yards (32,873). His 92 wins under center for the Eagles is also significantly ahead of any other signal caller. A championship may have vaulted him higher among his peers, but McNabb led an era with seven playoff appearances and sustained winning for the better part of 11 years.

Van Buren is one of a few icons from the franchise’s early days that will be difficult to unseat.

The fifth overall pick in 1944, Van Buren was the best running back of his generation in short order. He led the league in rushing four times during his nine-year career and was named to the all-decade team in the ‘40s. He retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing attempts, yards, and touchdowns and led the Eagles to two championships during his career, scoring the lone touchdown of the first title game and running for nearly 200 yards in the latter.

Bednarik is not only responsible for one of the most iconic photographs in NFL history, but is one of the very best Eagles of all-time.

The picture snapped in the aftermath of his seemingly bone-crushing tackle on Frank Gifford only tells part of the story for Concrete Chuck, who the Eagles drafted first overall in 1949. One of the original “60 minute men,” Bednarik played both ways as a punishing linebacker and tone-setting center. Along with his running mate Van Buren, the former University of Penn standout won two championships during his 14-year career and only missed 14 games during that time.

Bednarik was named first-team All-Pro six times and second-team All-Pro three additional times. Among the greatest players in franchise history, only one or two players rival his legacy as an Eagle.