Regarding QB talent, can the 2012 NFL Draft eclipse THE best ever NFL QB Draft of 1983?

[deejaydana]

I only saw a 5 year old thread that was somewhat similar by Bubba so gonna let this one rip.
The 1983 Draft has been the gold standard for QB talent but I'm wondering, could 2012 end up eclipsing that incredible class of talent? To refresh the young pups in the E.S. crowd, that '83 class had 3 future HOF'ers in John Elway, Jim Kelly and of course Dan Marino. (Amazingly Marino went 2nd to last in the first round.) We're already seeing some really solid and even spectacular games from RG3, Luck and Russell Wilson and some really solid games from Tannehill. I know, Russell didn't go first round (he went 3rd round) but he's looking like a helluva deal for the Seahawks & there are assuredly teams already kicking themselves for passing on him. So, can this class surpass what was just an incredibly productive QB Draft way back in 1983? Maybe not a question that can be rightfully answered now but since these threads are subjective it's just something to debate for fun. On a related note, the Skins drafted Darrell Green with the final selection that year AND then we landed Charles Mann in the third round. Not too shabby indeed. What say you fellow Skins fans?

[China]

Well of course the 1983 draft will always be considered the best, after all that QB class included Babe Laufenberg.

[deejaydana]

I just noticed Richard Dent went in the 8th round? Wow. That one panned out just a bit for the Bears.

[China]

I just noticed Richard Dent went in the 8th round? Wow. That one panned out just a bit for the Bears.

The whole 1983 draft was good for the Bears, it included seven starters on the Bears' 1985 Super Bowl team, including three-fifths of the offensive line.

[Fight4RGIII]

We'll see in 10-15 years but one thing is almost for sure...the 2013 NFL QB Draft class blows. At least in comparison to this year's class it will. Poor Jax and KC.

[skinsfan07]

We'll see in 10-15 years but one thing is almost for sure...the 2013 NFL QB Draft class blows. At least in comparison to this year's class it will. Poor Jax and KC.

well Geno Smith, Landry, and Barkley could be decent starters for those teams. But yeah no one stands out.

[terpskins10]

well Geno Smith, Landry, and Barkley could be decent starters for those teams. But yeah no one stands out.

I'd take Weeden over all three of them. And I don't think very much of Weeden.

[AsiaticSkinsFan]

The 2012 QB class has the best performing rookies at QB since.... man who knows how long. Certainly better than 1983 in their rookie years.

Nick Foles hasnt looked bad recently either.

[MattFancy]

Way too early to tell, the 2012 class is off to a good start so far, but it's going to take at least a decade to know the answer. I mean the 83 class won multiple Super Bowls and had some of the all-time greats in the class. A group that is close could be the 2004 class with Eli, Rivers, and Roethlisberger.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

The whole 1983 draft was good for the Bears, it included seven starters on the Bears' 1985 Super Bowl team, including three-fifths of the offensive line.

Can an old head explain to me why the highly vaunted '85 Bears team only won a single Super Bowl? Always hear about them being one of the best teams ever and never understood that.

[deejaydana]

Can an old head explain to me why the highly vaunted '85 Bears team only won a single Super Bowl? Always hear about them being one of the best teams ever and never understood that.

McMahon ended up being a brittle QB for one. That and Buddy Ryan and Ditka mixed like oil and water. Ryan departed for his own coaching gig shortly thereafter. Walter Payton was really at the end of his playing days too.

[aREDSKIN]

We'll see in 10-15 years but one thing is almost for sure...the 2013 NFL QB Draft class blows. At least in comparison to this year's class it will. Poor Jax and KC.

On the morning sports talk radio this morning they were actually talking about how they ( the Jags) could get Kirk Cousins from washington. LOL I loved it.

[Bonez3]

Can an old head explain to me why the highly vaunted '85 Bears team only won a single Super Bowl? Always hear about them being one of the best teams ever and never understood that.

The Washington Redskins had something to do with that my friend.

1987 win in Chicago remains greatest playoff game I ever seen for Skins. And I went to 2 NFC Championship games at RFK.

[JMS]

No the 1983 Quarter back draft is not in jeprody... It's has 3 HOF QB's and one long time starter in Blackledge... Who is the third and fourth 2012 rookie even if RGIII and Luck become the next Elway and Marino... who's going to be Kelly (HOF) and Blackledge long time starter?

Elway ( HOF)
Todd Blackledge
Jim Kelly ( HOF)
Dan Marino ( HOF)

(Amazingly Marino went 2nd to last in the first round.)

Yeah I remember we had the 28th pick and choose Daryl Green.. Miami had the 27th pick and picked Dan Mariano..

---------- Post added December-11th-2012 at 12:37 PM ----------

Can an old head explain to me why the highly vaunted '85 Bears team only won a single Super Bowl? Always hear about them being one of the best teams ever and never understood that.

In this order.

1. The heart and soul of the 85 Bears was the defense and the heart and brains of that defense was Buddy Ryan. When Buddy went to the eagles after the Super Bowl the Bears defense took a major hit. The new defensive coordinator adopted a new scheme and while the Bears remained a great defensive team, they weren't great enough to compete against the offensive power houses in the NFC.. The Skins and 49ers, and their defense basically got worse every year after Buddy left..
2. The Redskins stole their most athletic linebacker Wilbur Marshal by making him a financial offer the Bears could not match. Other than Dent he was the one guy they could not replace.
3. The Bears most talented and athletic interior defensive lineman, the fridge, without Ryan there to brow beat him into conforming.. ate himself out of the league and basically played out his career with the bears at 50 to a 100 lbs over weight.
4. Daryl Green, The Redskins with a dominant offense basically hit a wall against Chicago in 1987 playoffs... We ended up beating them cause we had the fastest man in football returning punts for us, that day.. The bears proved vulnerable on special teams.

After 85, two seasons removed from Buddy Ryan's tutelage the Bears defense, the most dominant defense probable in the history of the Superbowl, became rather normal. By this time the offense and Jim McMahn was much better and carrying more of the load, but the Bears in 85 dominated on defense, and that just wasn't there any longer.. Free agency, personalities, and coaching issues brought them back down to earth, and the Redskins and 49ers who were also a very very good teams defeated them in the playoffs in their diminished state in

• 1986 the skins beat them (27-13),
• 1987 the skins beat them (21-17)
• San Fran beat them 1988 (28-3),
• 1989 they didn't even make the post season.

[G.A.C.O.L.B.]

Thanks for the breakdown all.

Also, I've always heard that Gibbs was all set to take Marino at 28 if Miami hadn't of taken him. I wonder how many SB's he would've had with him at QB.