1988 NFL Draft: The Year A Kicker was picked before the first quarterback

[SeahawkFever]

It’s time for the draft.

One draft class I have found myself thinking about a bit lately is 1988.

That one isn’t mentioned as one of the best, nor the worst.

But there is a record about it that will assuredly never be broken: How many picks until the first quarterback was taken off the board.

A few years back people talked about how it felt like a long time until Kenny Pickett was selected.

Well in 1988, the first college quarterback taken off the board was Tom Tupa in round three at the 68th pick.

Before which point, Washington had selected kicker Chip Lohmiller with pick 55.

Only four other quarterbacks were taken through the end of round six: Chris Chandler (pick 76), Don McPherson who never played in the NFL (pick 149), Scott Secules (pick 151), and Stan Humphries (pick 159)

Out of curiosity, was that class of quarterback prospects in 1988 considered notably poor if no GM spent higher than a third round pick on any of them?

[Jay Z]

There was one other year, 1974, when no QBs were picked in the first two rounds. Danny White was the first, to the Cowboys in Round 3.

Results wise 1988 wasn't the worst performing year, with Chandler and Stan Humphries having careers. 1976 was bad (1st rounder Richard Todd and table scraps). I think the overall worst draft for QBs was 1996. This was the last draft where no QBs were taken in the first round. Tony Banks was drafted #42 in the second round. Only 4 QBs taken overall, Banks being the best. This class has the current record lows in most statistical categories. 1997 wasn't much better with the first pick being flop Jim Druckenmiller at #26, though Jake Plummer wound up being better than Banks. 2022 was nearly a disaster though it looks like Brock Purdy will bail out that weak class.

[SeahawkFever]

There was one other year, 1974, when no QBs were picked in the first two rounds. Danny White was the first, to the Cowboys in Round 3.

Results wise 1988 wasn't the worst performing year, with Chandler and Stan Humphries having careers. 1976 was bad (1st rounder Richard Todd and table scraps). I think the overall worst draft for QBs was 1996. This was the last draft where no QBs were taken in the first round. Tony Banks was drafted #42 in the second round. Only 4 QBs taken overall, Banks being the best. This class has the current record lows in most statistical categories. 1997 wasn't much better with the first pick being flop Jim Druckenmiller at #26, though Jake Plummer wound up being better than Banks. 2022 was nearly a disaster though it looks like Brock Purdy will bail out that weak class.

I should clarify that if we are talking about the few worst draft classes for quarterbacks, 1988 is definitely not one of them as Chandler and Humphries both proved to be capable of being the starting quarterback for teams that went deeper into the playoffs.

That said, given that we went so long before any quarterbacks were taken, I’m just wondering if it looked like the worst quarterback prospect class on paper going into it?

You mentioned 1974. Well Danny White, while a third rounder was pick 53; 15 picks earlier than Tom Tupa was. And while other than White, their careers didn’t pan out in the NFL from the looks of it, the 74 draft had eight quarterbacks taken in the first six rounds as opposed to five in 1988.

88 had more in the 10th-12th round and two more total by the end of the 12th round, but either way, it looks like 88 had fewer quarterback prospects that teams were willing to spend significant draft capital on than 74 did.

If we are talking about what the worst performing quarterback class is, then 1996 gets my vote as only seven players who completed a pass in an NFL game were drafted, and only four players who completed a touchdown pass in an NFL game were drafted. Both those totals include non-quarterbacks by the way.

And the best quarterback in Tony Banks was not that great outside of a decent 1999 season from what I can tell.

[7DnBrnc53]

And the best quarterback in Tony Banks was not that great outside of a decent 1999 season from what I can tell.

He seemed to be thrown into the fire too early with the Rams.

1996 was the same year that the Broncos wasted a fourth round pick on Jeff Lewis, thinking he would be the QBOTF (they could have had Earl Holmes, Zach Thomas, or Laroi Glover with that pick).

[CSKreager]

There was one other year, 1974, when no QBs were picked in the first two rounds. Danny White was the first, to the Cowboys in Round 3.

Results wise 1988 wasn't the worst performing year, with Chandler and Stan Humphries having careers. 1976 was bad (1st rounder Richard Todd and table scraps). I think the overall worst draft for QBs was 1996. This was the last draft where no QBs were taken in the first round. Tony Banks was drafted #42 in the second round. Only 4 QBs taken overall, Banks being the best. This class has the current record lows in most statistical categories.

The irony is that 1996’s draft was otherwise incredible (WR and LB)

It was the draft that had everything but a quarterback

[Sonny9]

2000 Sea Bass was also drafted ahead of a QB. By 1 pick

[SeahawkFever]

2000 Sea Bass was also drafted ahead of a QB. By 1 pick

That’s true. Granted Pennington was a first round pick, whereas the top 1988 quarterback was in the third round.