Best #1 Overall Pick Per Sport

[George]

Just read about Chipper Jones’ imminent induction to the Hall of Fame. That guy was everything a GM dreams of when picking #1 overall. Seriously: what more could you ask for from Jones? Win in ‘96? Another championship?

So this got me thinking: is he the best #1 overall pick in MLB history? If not, then who? And who’s the best #1 OVERALL in other sports?

LeBron in basketball?

Who you got?

[KevinHall]

Ken Griffey, Jr. is easily MLB's best number one pick. IMO Arod was better than Chipper too. Bryce Harper could surpass them all before he is done.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/draft...re=number_ones

[KevinHall]

Here's a list of NFL number one picks. For me its a toss up between Elway and Peyton Manning. You can't go wrong with either.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_first_overall_National_Football_League_draft_picks

[KevinHall]

Here's the NBA. They are a lot more choices. Lew Alcindor AKA Kareem Abdul Jabbar is a really great player that never gets talked about anymore. No one could stop him in his prime. He was 7-3 and had a great shooting touch. Also had that sky hook no one could figure out how to stop. Also Magic was one of the best and could play any position. Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor were some of the best too and could play today. I would take Kareem over any of them. He has more championships too, I think, than any of those other number one picks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_first_overall_NBA_draft_picks

[Matt Dillon]

MLB: Ken Griffy Jr.
NBA: Lew Alcindor aka Kareem Abdul Jabbar
NFL: Peyton Manning

[catfaninin]

Hard to make much of an argument against anything Kevin says for any sport. What was amazing to me is reading through the list and seeing the amount of #1 picks that turned into complete busts.

[surveyor]

Here's a list of NFL number one picks. For me its a toss up between Elway and Peyton Manning. You can't go wrong with either.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_first_overall_National_Football_League_draft_picks

Had Bo Jackson never had that career ending hip injury, he would have been my pick. I'd probably edge Manning over Elway.

The 1989 draft was interesting. 4 of the top 5 are Hall of Famers, but there were no other HofF players from that draft.

[KevinHall]

Had Bo Jackson never had that career ending hip injury, he would have been my pick. I'd probably edge Manning over Elway.

The 1989 draft was interesting. 4 of the top 5 are Hall of Famers, but there were no other HofF players from that draft.

I thought the same thing about Jackson. He could have been a HOFer in football or baseball.

[Spiritof96]

ELWAY!!! I don't see how Peyton is even in the conversation.

I would put Griffey and A-Roid over Jones.

LeBron is probably the best #1, but like Hakeem a LOT more. Kareem was also in the conversation.

[George]

Great as Griffey was, he never won a championship and didn’t get near the same mileage as Jones.

My thinking there had more to do with Jones checking every box, so to speak. Yeah, Griffey (and probably A-Rod, too) was more talented and/or impressive in ways, but the Braves pretty much got everything they could possibly ask for out of Jones. If you’re picking #1 overall, isn’t that what you want?

[Catsrock]

MLB with no salary cap and absolutely nothing in place to even the playing field is certainly the most unfair US professional sports league. Griffey playing his entire career for the Mariners and Reds didn't leave him the opportunity to check some of those boxes that Chipper did playing in the heyday of Ted Turners big $ Braves.

Obviously I'm a biased Reds fan and never liked the Braves.

[Spiritof96]

Great as Griffey was, he never won a championship and didn’t get near the same mileage as Jones.

My thinking there had more to do with Jones checking every box, so to speak. Yeah, Griffey (and probably A-Rod, too) was more talented and/or impressive in ways, but the Braves pretty much got everything they could possibly ask for out of Jones. If you’re picking #1 overall, isn’t that what you want?

You make a good point. Were I conducting a draft today with all the number ones, I would take Griffey 1st and possibly Jones 2nd. (Mainly because I dislike A-Roid) For the record I am also pro PEDs...

[Blue Heaven]

Pro PED's? That's an interesting view that gets no support. I am there with you.

I have to give the edge to Manning over Elway. There was something about Elways whining that rubbed me the wrong way just like how Eli did. Seems nobody wanted to play for the Colts except Peyton.

[Spiritof96]

Pro PED's? That's an interesting view that gets no support. I am there with you.

I have to give the edge to Manning over Elway. There was something about Elways whining that rubbed me the wrong way just like how Eli did. Seems nobody wanted to play for the Colts except Peyton.

I don’t like Peyton’s nervous feet in big moments. And that pick in the Super Bowl...

As for PED’s, I think their use is pervasive in all sports and pretending they aren’t is stupid. I also think the research suggests that they aren’t nearly as dangerous as lawmakers believe. (If under a physician care) All “anti aging” clinics are doing is prescribing low dose “PEDs”. If you can put a dead guys tendon in your knee, you ought to be able to chew a bottle of anavar to heal and recover from the demands of the sport.

[Blue Heaven]

Agree on the PEDs. It has nothing to do with bat speed, strength, hand eye coordination. You know, the things that come with years of practice or technology. It's all about recovery. When the word "drugs" are involved, an automatic red flag is raised. Ridiculous.