TOOK A WRONG TURN: GEOGRAPHICALLY INAPPROPRIATE TEAM NAMES

I'm a bit behind on the news (shocking!), but a few days ago, the Charlotte Bobcats announced that they will henceforth be known as the Charlotte Hornets. This was the arrangement settled on when the New Orleans Hornets (the original Charlotte Hornets that moved to the bayou in 2002) changed their name to the Pelicans at new owner Tom Benson's urging.

Which is really cool. "Hornets" is a great name for a team based in Charlotte. The city was nicknamed the hornet's nest as early as the Revolutionary War. It's so ingrained in the city's consciousness that a hornet is on the Charlotte police department's badges.

"Hornets" as a name didn't have any significance to New Orleans. But it's not like it was the only team name that had a tenuous to nonexistent connection to its team's surrounding area. Here's some examples of names that just plain don't work for that team's city, listed in order of kind of to very egregious.

Before we begin, I'd like to thank my brother Erik, paleontologist in training for his help with this article and for not making me look like a moron (or as much of one). I was originally going to put the Toronto Raptors and Nashville Predators on this list, but according to him, raptors and sabre tooth tigers were indeed indigenous to the Toronto area and Tennessee, respectively. So you're off the list Toronto and Nashville. Just watch your asses.

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES

Most of the team names I'm going to list here actually made sense at one point. The Grizzlies' name is no different. They began play in the 1995-96 NBA season as the VANCOUVER Grizzlies, which has an abundance bears in the area, grizzlies included. They moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 2001 and kept their name. Unfortunately for them, there are no grizzlies in Memphis, the state of Tennessee, or any part of the eastern United States. Grizzlies mainly inhabit dense forests and mountainous areas, none of which can be found in the Volunteer State.

The great mountains of Tennessee...

NEW ORLEANS HORNETS

I went over this in the prologue. As much as we may make fun of the "Pelican" name, it's more appropriate for New Orleans than "Hornets." Although New Orleans is no stranger to affecting name appropriateness...

UTAH JAZZ

The Jazz were originally based in New Orleans, known the world over for jazz musicians and hangovers. The Jazz moved to Salt Lake City in 1979. Conservative, Mormon and possibly jazz-hating Salt Lake City. But the name has been embraced in the area because, well, the Jazz were awesome for, like, 25 straight years. Winning really does cure all ills.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Back when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn they had numerous (and often, ridiculous) names. But when "Dodgers" came around it stuck... for two years. Then the team was renamed the Superbas (?!?) and then were the Robins for almost twenty years. But THEN the Dodgers name stuck.

"'Dodgers' is passe. I've been thinking of renaming the team 'the Cthulhus.'"

The name fit the borough, although today it's terribly antiquated. It referred to Brooklyn natives trolley dodging, because apparently the threat of being run over by a trolley was very real eighty years ago. To quote Billy Joel, the good old days weren't always good. Of course there are no trolleys in New York City anymore, or in Los Angeles for that matter. Ironically, if the team moved to San Francisco back in the day, the name would still apply.

Pictured: a potential killing machine.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS

Staying in Tinseltown, here's another name that no longer makes sense. Originally the Minneapolis Lakers, the name was in reference to Minnesota being the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Good name. Once the team moved west in 1960, there was a slight problem- there are no lakes in Los Angeles, or in the entire state of California. Que sera, I guess.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

This one's a bit different, since "Wizards" could be seen as a bit of a generic name. I'll say the name does fit the city, but it calls attention to some pretty shady parts of Washington, D.C.'s history. Now with that carrot dangling in front of you, here's some back-story.

The Wizards were originally based in Chicago, but when they moved to Baltimore in their third season, they assumed the nickname "Bullets." It was a reference/homage to the original Baltimore Bullets, who won the 1948 NBA championship (BAA at the time) and folded in the mid-50s. The moniker stuck even after the team moved a city over to the nation's capital, and all was right in the world. Until 1997.

Washington, D.C. had quite the homicide streak in the early 90s, making owner Abe Pollin increasingly uncomfortable what with his team being named the Bullets and all. Finally, after Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli Prime Minister and Pollin's friend was murdered, Pollin decided to have the name changed to something more politically correct.

A contest was held for fans to choose the team's new nickname, eventually narrowing it down to Wizards (obviously), but also Sea Dogs, Dragons, Express and Stallions. Now none of those names are great, but they didn't call attention to Washington D.C.'s reputation for busting caps in your ass, so when "Wizards" was chosen, all was good. Except it wasn't.

You see, Washington, D.C. was quite the hub for the Ku Klux Klan back in the day. The title for head-racist was grand wizard. (Funnily enough, dragon can also be a high ranking KKK official in certain branches.) So to try and go with a more politically correct name, the team chose the most politically incorrect name it could have possibly gone with. Nice going, Mr. Pollin.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Oh yeah. Even the old ones aren't perfect. The Rangers were founded in 1926 by Tex Rickard, who built the third incarnation of Madison Square Garden where the Rangers would play. Rickard at one time had been the marshal in the town of Henrietta, Texas, and was nicknamed "Tex" by the locals because people from Texas are nothing if not creative.

The Super Rangers from Right to Left: Shorty, Slim, Glasses and Black Guy

Even after he moved on from the Lone Star State, Rickard held Texas firmly in his heart. So when a second New York hockey team was set up (the New York Americans predated the more well known team by one season), Rickard named them "Tex's Rangers" after, you guessed it, the Texas Rangers. So yeah, the New York Rangers are named after a police force from a completely different state. But they aren't the only seasoned New York team to have a geographically impaired name...

NEW YORK YANKEES

Get ready for some sweet, sweet irony. Back in the day (my new favorite sentence, apparently), "Yankee" was a term given to residents of the New England area who descended from the original British colonists. The term eventually became one for ALL Americans, regardless of geographic origin, but New-Englanders are "actual" Yankees, NOT New Yorkers. The term is far more appropriate for people who live in... Boston. Yep. Boston Yankees would be fair game. Maybe the Yankees could go back to one of their older names to make things better. Highlanders, perhaps?

"There can be only me."

HERE'S AN INTERESTING FACT... TOTAL GAME 7s IN STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

Tonight, the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks will square off to determine which team will go on to face the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Finals. It will be a Game 7, the most exciting of all games in any sport. Whenever a series goes to the maximum seven, you know that these teams are (usually) incredibly close in competitiveness and talent and thus, more fun to watch. Game 7s don't come around very often and should be appreciated when they do.

Which makes this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs so interesting- through the first two rounds and twelve different series, six have gone to seven games. If that sounds like a lot to you, you're right.

Since the 1987 postseason, all four rounds of the NHL playoffs have been best-of-seven contests (prior to that point, only the last three rounds were best-of-sevens, with the first round being a best-of-five), so that's 27 postseasons in the current format. Only six of those postseasons saw at least six series go to seven games. The record of seven has only happened twice- in 1994 and 2011.

That brings me to my point- could this be the year where the record for most Game 7s in a single postseason is broken?

The New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens are locked into their Conference Finals match-up. Those teams seem pretty similar, so it's possible their series goes seven games. The Blackhawks are more likely to be taken to a Game 7 by the Kings, in my opinion. Regardless, two of the final three remaining series would have to go the distance for the record to be broken, and while that's possible, it's pretty improbable.

But the NHL has never been more balanced. The days where the first round featured awesome teams against truly crap teams is largely over. The Hartford Whalers and Winnipeg Jets teams of the early 80s that made obligatory playoff appearances only to get tossed quickly from the first round are things of the past. Just look at the match-ups in the first round this year:

Canadiens vs. Lightning
Blackhawks vs. Blues
Flyers vs. Rangers
Blue Jackets vs. Penguins
Bruins vs. Red Wings
Kings vs. Sharks
Avalanche vs. Wild
Ducks vs. Stars

The only series in that group where one team seemed outmatched on paper was the Blue Jackets/Penguins one. And while the Pens did win, it took six games. The Jackets didn't exactly embarrass themselves (and got the first two wins in the postseason in team history, so good for them). Only the Canadiens/Lightning series was a sweep.

That's not to say that some teams that make the playoffs are just plain better than others. The Lightning were flawed from the beginning after trading Martin St. Louis to the Rangers and with an unsettled goalie situation.
The best teams still seem to advance to the later rounds. The Blackhawks, while flawed, are an excellent team. The Canadiens and Rangers are scrappy and talented. The Kings are extremely physical and have Jonathan Quick, perhaps the best goalie in the game today. And the Ducks... well they're just a good team.

But no one knows how long it will take those great teams to advance. That's the beauty. A mismatch can turn into a six or seven game battle of wills. And that's damn fun.

NFL: BEST AND WORST FIRST ROUND SELECTIONS; 2002-2011

It's been a week since the NFL Draft, but I guess I still need to put out some more fluff in regards to the annual event. I went back through ten first rounds for all 32 teams where the draftees have at least three years experience in the pros (2011 at the earliest). Fittingly, that takes me to the Houston Texans' first draft in team history in 2002, so all 32 teams are equally represented. These are the players I believe were the best and worst picks these teams made in this window.

Arizona Cardinals

Best Pick: Larry Fitzgerald (WR, 3rd, 2003)

Since coming into the league in 2004, Fitzgerald has missed only four games, caught fewer than 70 passes just twice (and caught at least 90 five times) and has led the league in touchdowns twice (and caught at least 10 five times). The hall of fame seems like a perfectly reasonable outcome for him.

Honorable Mention: Patrick Peterson (CB, 5th, 2011)

He's only played three seasons so far yet he's not only one of the best cornerbacks in the league, but also one of the best punt returners. He's gone to the Pro Bowl every year of his career so far and has been named 1st Team All-Pro twice. Barring some unforeseen circumstance, a long, fruitful career is likely.

Worst Pick: Wendell Bryant (DT, 12th, 2002)

He spent just three seasons in the NFL and played in 29 games (starting only nine). Bryant's off-feild transgressions were more notable than his game on it. A game which netted just 29 solo tackles and 1.5 sacks. Yikes.

Atlanta Falcons

Best Pick: Matt Ryan (QB, 3rd, 2008)

Ryan is one of the better quarterbacks in the league with a career 63.7 completion percentage and 153 touchdowns to 77 interceptions. Ryan showed last year that he's capable of being really great without his two best receivers and a terrible offensive line, with his stats being only slightly worse than what they are normally. Best Falcons QB ever? Best Falcons QB ever.

Honorable Mention: Roddy White (WR, 27th, 2005)

Despite the fact that he's a total shit-head, White has been an excellent pro. He's caught 83 or more passes six times (leading the league in 2010) and is a little over 500 receiving yards away from joining the 10,000 yards club. Add in four Pro Bowls and a 1st Team All-Pro selection and White's done alright for himself. Now if he would just get off of Twitter...

Worst Pick: Peria Jerry (DT, 24th, 2009)

Jerry has been nothing short of a disappointment (although perfectly acceptable compared to GM Thomas Dimitroff's O-line/D-line draft outlook). He took four seasons before he became a starter. In five seasons, he's recorded a scant 5.5 sacks in his career. He doesn't exactly invoke the memory of John Randle.

Baltimore Ravens

Best Pick: Ed Reed (S, 24th, 2002)

It's pretty easy to pick the best Ravens first rounder when that player is in the top three all-time at his position. Reed is one of just ten players to intercept 60 or more passes and currently sits sixth all-time with 64. Not surprisingly, he's led the league in the category three times to go along with five 1st Team All-Pro selections. Polish that bust, won't you?

Honorable Mention: Haloti Ngata (DT, 12th, 2006)

Ngata has been one of the most dominant defensive tackles in the NFL in the last few years. Terrell Suggs would have been a good choice as well. Joe Flacco, too. The Ravens have done pretty well over the last decade or so.

Worst Pick: Kyle Boller (QB, 19th, 2003)

Boller personified the Ravens' early reputation for having no offense but a great defense. He threw 54 interceptions in his career to 48 touchdowns. He completed 60 percent of his passes just passes twice (one of those times consisted of him being a relief QB while Steve McNair actually started). Just a remarkably ineffective quarterback.

Buffalo Bills

Best Pick: Marcell Dareus (DT, 3rd, 2011)

Dareus has gotten better with each successive season. He recorded 7.5 sacks last year, pretty great for a DT. He's also got 103 solo tackles under his belt already, also great for a DT. Not much else to add. He's solid.

Honorable Mention: Lee Evans (WR, 13th, 2004)

Evans was a perfectly acceptable wide receiver. While he never made a Pro Bowl, he had two seasons where he gained more than 1,000 yards. He also caught 50 or more passes three times. While he was a good player and had a good career, it should tell you something about the quality of Buffalo's drafts in this period that Evans' is my honorable mention.

Worst Pick: John McCargo (DT, 26th, 2006)

McCargo just plain couldn't get on the field. In six year career where he could have played a maximum of 96 games, he played in only 44. He started one. And keep in mind, Aaron Maybin was picked in this window and even he wasn't as ineffective as McCargo.

Carolina Panthers

Best Pick: Julius Peppers (DE, 2nd, 2002)

One of the best pass rushers of his generation. Peppers recorded double-digit sacks in a season eight times and has put up 119 to this point (17th all-time). Eight Pro Bowls and three 1st Team All-Pro selections put the cherry on his awesome career.

Honorable Mention: Cam Newton (QB, 1st, 2011)

Newton has raised eyebrows with his legs, gaining 500 or more yards on the ground and scoring 28 touchdowns. But he's been consistently good with his arm as well. Newton has widened the gap between touchdowns and interceptions more and more with each successive season with a 64-42 TD/INT ratio.

Worst Pick: Jeff Otah (OT, 19th, 2008)

Otah got off to a good start in his first two seasons, but a knee injury in his third completely derailed his career. He only played four games after the 2009 season (all of which came in 2011) and never fully recovered enough to play in the NFL again.

Chicago Bears

Best Pick: Greg Olsen (TE, 31st, 2007)

A good tight end. Olsen was one of the few receiving bright spots for the Bears during his time in the Windy City. He wasn't bad at all, but like Lee Evans above, that Olsen is the best pick in a ten year period says way more about the Bears' misses than it does their hits.

Honorable Mention: Cedric Benson (RB, 4th, 2005)

Speaking of. Benson could have been considered as the worst pick on most other teams due to both his ineffectiveness and off-field transgressions. He turned into a decent player a couple years after he was dumped by the Bears, but he wasn't the worst pick the Bears made in this period.

Worst Pick: Michael Haynes (DE, 14th, 2003)

Haynes was so bad that the Bears' misfires at offensive line are utterly eclipsed. For a team renowned for its defensive history, Haynes was a blemish. He recorded 5.5 sacks in three seasons and started just four games, even though the Bears thought he was better than 248 other players. They were wrong.

Cincinnati Bengals

Best Pick: A.J. Green (WR, 4th, 2011)

Green is already one of the best receivers in the league, gaining 1,000 or more yards in all three seasons so far. 29 touchdowns and 260 catches are pretty good, too, as are three Pro Bowls to start a career.

Honorable Mention: Carson Palmer (QB, 1st, 2003)

Before he got hurt, he was one of the better quarterbacks in the league. Went to the Pro Bowl twice early in his career and led the league in completion percentage (67.8) and touchdowns (32) in 2005. While he was still good after his knee injury, he was never the same, but a good player nonetheless.

Worst Pick: David Pollack (LB, 17th, 2005)

Pollack had a meh rookie season and then hurt his vertebrae the next year, ending his career before it could really begin.

Cleveland Browns

Best Pick: Joe Thomas (OT, 3rd, 2007)

He's one of the best offensive tackles in the league, which more than makes up for the fact that he's played for largely terrible teams. He hasn't missed a single game and has been selected to four 1st Team All-Pro lists.

Honorable Mention: Joe Haden (CB, 7th, 2010)

A great young corner who's hauled in 13 interceptions and deflected 67 passes in the past four years.

Worst Pick: Brady Quinn (QB, 22nd, 2007)

Ironically, the same first round the Browns selected their best player in this window, they also selected their worst. After not being good enough to usurp Derek Anderson in his rookie year, Quinn pretty much validated his draft day slide by playing terribly every season after that.

Dallas Cowboys

Best Pick: DeMarcus Ware (LB, 11th, 2005)

Sack machine future hall of famer. One of the best pass rushers of the new millennium.

Honorable Mention: Roy Williams (S, 8th, 2002)

Not the wide receiver. The good Roy Williams. This Williams went to five straight Pro Bowls and was 1st Team All-Pro in 2003. The other Roy Williams had his best years as a member of the Detroit Lions (there's a rare sentence).

Worst Pick: Bobby Carpenter (LB, 18th, 2006)

Carpenter started a whopping three games as a Cowboy and recorded 3.5 sacks. He didn't even record 100 tackles in his career (he got 96 by 2012, the last time he played).

Denver Broncos

Best Pick: Von Miller (LB, 2nd, 2011)

Miller went nuts recording 30 sacks in his first two seasons, tying with Derrick Thomas for the third most all-time after two seasons. While he had an off year last year (thanks to a combination of PED suspension and injury at the beginning and end of the season, respectively, with a meh middle), there's little doubt he'll be good again going forward.

Honorable Mention: Ryan Clady (OT, 12th, 2008)

Clady had been very durable before tearing his ACL this year. Prior to last season, Caldy didn't miss a game. He's also gone to three Pro Bowls and made two 1st Team All-Pro lists.

Worst Pick: Jarvis Moss (DE, 17th, 2007)

Moss started just two games in his career, never recording more than 2.5 sacks in a season and recording 6 overall.

Detroit Lions

Best Pick: Calvin Johnson (WR, 2nd, 2007)

One of the few Matt Millen picks that went on to do anything. Johnson is an absolute beast, either being the best or one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Unless something goes terribly wrong, he'll go in the hall of fame.

Honorable Mention: Ndamukong Suh (DT, 2nd, 2010)

Despite his dirty reputation, Suh is probably the best defensive tackle in football right now. He's made three Pro Bowls and two 1st Team All-Pro lists, while recording very un-DT-like 10 and 8 sacks in the past.

Worst Pick: Charles Rogers (WR, 2nd, 2003)

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Rogers is that despite the litany of God-awful draft picks Matt Millen made in his tenure as Lions president, this one is still the shittiest by a wide margin. Rogers was fragile, volatile and basically a giant fuck-up. Mike Williams wasn't even as bad as Rogers. And Mike Williams was horrible.

Green Bay Packers

Best Pick: Aaron Rodgers (QB, 24th, 2005)

He's probably the best quarterback in the game when healthy, so yeah, I think they made out alright.

Honorable Mention: Clay Matthews III (LB, 26th, 2009)

Matthews has been a great pass rusher, notching double digits three times. He's made four Pro Bowls and one 1st Team All-Pro list. If nothing else, he's better than his dad.

Worst Pick: Justin Harrell

Harrell was snake-bitten by injuries, limiting to a three year career over four years. He played in 14 games and started two.

Houston Texans

Best Pick: Andre Johnson (WR, 3rd, 2003)

The best player in the Texans' young history, Johnson has had a remarkable career to date. He's lead the league twice in both receiving yards and receptions, and lead in yards per game three times. He's one of just 17 receivers in history to gain more than 12,500 yards (he's 17th all-time). Another receiver that's likely Canton bound.

Honorable Mention: J.J. Watt (DE, 11th, 2011)

I read an article on NFL.com that implied that Watt is already well on his way to a hall of fame career. That might be a bit presumptuous after just three seasons, but not by much. He damn near broke Michael Strahan's single season sack record in 2012 and has 36.5 so far. He's also defended 27 passes since coming into the league (he's a defensive lineman in case you were wondering). J.J. Swat indeed.

Worst Pick: Amobi Okoye (DT, 10th, 2007)

Not a great run on defensive tackles. Okoye was definitely better than other DTs on this list. Maybe I should've gone with Kareem Jackson or David Carr. Eh. Who knows?

Indianapolis Colts

Best Pick: Dwight Freeny (DE, 11th, 2003)

One of the best defensive players on the great Peyton Manning led Colts teams, Freeny is one of thirty players to record over 100 sacks in his career. His 108 rank 22nd all-time. Considering how middling most of the rest of the Colts defense was during this period (and still is, frankly), this pick is especially great.

Honorable Mention: Dallas Clark (TE, 24th, 2003)

A good tight end and a reliable target for Peyton Manning, Clark caught double digit touchdowns twice and caught 50 or more passes three times.

Worst Pick: Anthony Gonzalez (WR, 32nd, 2007)

This was at the point where Bill Polian was drafting scrub receivers to see if Peyton Manning could turn them into Pro Bowl caliber players. At least that's what I assume the mindset was behind this pick. At any rate, Manning couldn't work his magic on this dud.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Best Pick: Marcedes Lewis (TE, 28th, 2006)

A capable tight end, Lewis did what few could as a Jaguar, be a capable player. Lewis isn't spectacular, but for a Jaguar, you could do a lot worse (and they did).

Honorable Mention: Eugene Monroe (OT, 8th, 2009)

Monroe is a good tackle. Stellar analysis, that.

Worst Pick: Blaine Gabbert (QB, 10th, 2011)

2011 was the year of overdrafting quarterbacks and Gabbert was the worst of them all. Gabbert is stunningly bad for a modern quarterback, throwing one touchdown to seven interceptions with a 48.3 (!) completion percentage in 2013.

Kansas City Chiefs

Best Pick: Tamba Hali (DE/LB, 20th, 2006)

Hali got off to a respectable start, but beginning in 2010 he became one of the better pass rushers in the game after switching from the defensive line to a linebacker. He's recorded double-digit sacks three times in four seasons including notching a career high 14.5 in 2010.

Honorable Mention: Dwayne Bowe (WR, 23rd, 2007)

For a little perspective, here are some of the quarterbacks Dwayne Bowe has caught passes from in his career- Damon Huard, Brodie Croyle, Tyler Thigpen, Matt Cassel, Tyler Palko, Kyle Orton, Brady Quinn (!) and Alex Smith. With the exception of Smith (and Cassel and Orton in small doses), all of these quarterbacks were terrible. Despite that, Bowe has only once failed to catch at least 50 passes and has caught 70 or more four times. He's also hauled in 44 touchdowns in his career. Not bad considering the contexts.

Worst Pick: Jon Baldwin (WR, 26th, 2011)

What kind of dick would get into a fight with Thomas Jones? Jon Baldwin, that's who! In addition to being an insufferable douche, Baldwin's also a terrible player, catching just 44 passes and two touchdowns in three seasons.

Miami Dolphins

Best Pick: Jake Long (OT, 1st, 2008)

Long was one of the best offensive lineman in the game until injuries made him merely good. But Long is still an effective tackle and provides a leadership role in the trenches. He went to four straight Pro Bowls to begin his career and made the 1st Team All-Pro list in 2010.

Honorable Mention: Mike Pouncey (C, 15th, 2011)

Pouncey is most definitely a moron, but he is a great center. He's missed only two games so far in his career and made the Pro Bowl for the first time last year.

Worst Pick: Jason Allen (DB, 16th, 2006)

Allen's time in Miami was ineffective, starting just 19 games in four-and-a-half seasons. While he seemed to do better as a bench player latter in his career with the Texans, he still washed out and hasn't played since 2012 (where he only played in four games).

Minnesota Vikings

Best Pick: Adrian Peterson (RB, 7th, 2007)

League MVP, offensive rookie of the year, a 2,000 yard rushing season, three time 1st Team All-Pro selection, six Pro Bowls and easily the best running back in Vikings history. No more need be said.

Honorable Mention: Kevin Williams (DT, 9th, 2003)

One of the best DTs over the last decade-and-a-half. He raked up 22 sacks (!) in his first two seasons and was 1st Team All-Pro five times (!!!). Another Viking that should get hall of fame consideration when it's all said and done.

Worst Pick: Troy Williamson (WR, 7th, 2005)

One of the biggest busts ever and refreshingly, not because of off-field transgressions, but for being spectacularly bad at his job. It's always tragic when someone is diagnosed with the dropsees.

New England Patriots

Best Pick: Vince Wilfork (DT, 21st, 2004)

One of the few truly great defensive players on the Pats post-near-perfect season. Until this past season, Wilfork was remarkably durable for a defensive tackle, missing only six games in the first nine years of his career. He's been just a wall of a player and should get hall of fame consideration in a just world.

Honorable Mention: Logan Mankins (OG, 32nd, 2005)

Mankins is definitely one of the best guards in the game, going to six Pro Bowls and making one 1st Team All-Pro list. He's only missed 14 games in his career to this point and started every game he's played in.

Worst Pick: Laurence Maroney (RB, 21st, 2006)

He gained just 2,504 yards in a career marked by injury and ineffectiveness (though he did play well in the 2007 postseason).

New Orleans Saints

Best Pick: Will Smith (DE, 18th, 2004)

A good pass rusher for the Saints, Smith accumulated 67.5 sacks in his decade long career in the bayou. Also, he's from my neck of the woods, which is pretty cool.

Honorable Mention: Sedrick Ellis (DT, 7th, 2008)

A perfectly fine DT who retired young. Ellis wasn't special, but he was solid.

Worst Pick: Johnathan Sullivan (DT, 6th, 2003)

Sullivan flamed out quickly, lasting only three seasons where he only started four games after his rookie year (all of them in 2004). He also notched 1.5 sacks in his career.

New York Giants

Best Pick: Jeremy Shockey (TE, 14th, 2002)

Shockey was great in the first half of his career, particularly his rookie season when he was 1st Team All-Pro. He also made four Pro Bowls and caught 371 passes in his Giants career. Although, Shockey apparently wanted way more than that.

Honorable Mention: Hakeem Nicks (WR, 29th, 2009)

Nicks caught more than 50 passes four times in five seasons and hauled in 27 TDs.

Worst Pick: William Joseph (DT, 25th, 2003)

Here's a shock- Joseph's career was derailed by injury and ineffectiveness. I know! Right?

New York Jets

Best Pick: Nick Mangold (C, 29th, 2006)

One of the best centers in football. Mangold has only missed two games at this point in his career and has twice been named 1st Team All-Pro to go along with five Pro Bowl selections.

Honorable Mention: Darrell Revis (CB, 14th, 2007)

He'd be the best if he was still on the team. Revis is one of the primer cornerbacks in the league today, but he was obscenely good earlier in his career. He was named 1st Team All-Pro three straight times and went to five Pro Bowls. There was also a period where he had the Nnamdi factor, where opposing teams just flat out wouldn't throw to his side of the field. Revis Island indeed!

Worst Pick: Vernon Gholston (DE, 6th, 2008)

One of the biggest busts ever. Gholston played three seasons and recorded no sacks. That's not hyperbole. He literally didn't have a single sack (or in other words, he didn't beef the stat he was specifically drafted for). And keep in mind, he played for Rex Ryan for most of his career. Ryan got Aaron Maybin to six sacks. Take that into account when thinking about Gholston.

Oakland Raiders

Best Pick: Nnamdi Asomugha (CB, 31st, 2003)

The only legitimately good player drafted by the Raiders in this window. Asomugha, as I mentioned in Darrell Revis' section, had a factor that I (and maybe some other people) named after him. Opposing teams just didn't throw to his side of the field. That seemed to work out okay since the Raiders' opponents had a 91-37 record during Nnamdi's stay in the bay area. But he was a good player nonetheless.

Honorable Mention: Robert Gallery (OT/OG, 2nd, 2004)

Considering that Gallery is seen as a bit of a bust and he's an honorable mention, that should tell you how Al Davis' last ten first rounds went. Gallery was an abject failure as a tackle but turned into a serviceable guard. So even though he was a disappointing player, he at least turned into something somewhat resembling a fine player. Which is more that can be said of most other recent Raiders first rounders (alliteration!).

Worst Pick: JaMarcus Russell (QB, 1st, 2007)

After Ryan Leaf and before Blaine Gabbert, there was JaMarcus Raussell. Probably the worst number one overall pick in modern NFL history, Russell started just 25 games and posting beyond pedestrian numbers like a career 52.1 completion percentage and an 18/23 TD to INT ratio. Also, three-seasons-and-done put him firmly in bust territory.

Philadelphia Eagles

Best Pick: Lito Sheppard (CB, 26th, 2002)

A good cornerback. Sheppard was mostly a fine player but was excellent in 2004, intercepting 5 passes, taking two of them back for touchdowns and recorded a career high 52 solo tackles. He made two Pro Bowls and one 1st Team All-Pro list. Nothing to sneeze at.

Honorable Mention: Jeremy Maclin (WR, 19th, 2009)

Maclin was a fine receiver before his injury. Who knows if he will continue to be good this year on. But as for the past, he never caught fewer than 56 receptions and caught 26 touchdowns in his career. Good stuff.

Worst Pick: Jerome McDougle (DE, 15th, 2003)

Injuries? Check. Mediocre at best play? Check. 3 sacks in three seasons in Philly? No good.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Best Pick: Troy Polamalu (S, 16th, 2003)

The second best safety of his era behind Ed Reed. Polamalu isn't an interception machine like Reed, but Polamalu makes up for it with his physical play. Much has been made about Polumalu being brought up to the line of scrimmage to try and cause pressure that way. So a different kind of safety, but definitely one likely headed for Canton.

Honorable Mention: Ben Roethlisberger (QB, 11th, 2004)

Roethlisberger has quietly been one of the best quarterbacks in the league for years. Since 2009, Roethlisberger hasn't had a completion percentage below 61.7, hasn't thrown fewer than 17 touchdowns or thrown more than 14 interceptions in a single season. Undeniably underrated as a player with only two Pro Bowl selections.

Worst Pick: Ziggy Hood (DE, 32nd, 2009)

Yeah, I'm going here. Hood doesn't get sacks, doesn't get tackles, doesn't deflect passes, doesn't intercept passes, force fumbles, or anything else I can think would show up on a stat sheet for a defensive player. Maybe he does stuff that allows other players to get numbers, but somehow I doubt that.

San Diego Chargers

Best Pick: Antonio Cromartie (CB, 19th, 2006)

A consistent interceptor, he usually gets at least two or at most four. He had ten in 2007, his second season. He's gone to the Pro Bowl three times and made one 1st Team All-Pro list.

Honorable Mention: Quentin Jammer (CB, 5th, 2002)

A consistent, durable, if not spectacular corner. Jammer was a solid starter in San Diego for over a decade- that goes a long way in the NFL.

Worst Pick: Larry English (DE, 16th, 2009)

Disappointing linebacker. English has only 11 sacks in five seasons and has never had more than 3 in a single campaign. He's been mostly a reserve player, only starting nine games in his career.

San Francisco 49ers

Best Pick: Patrick Willis (LB, 11th, 2007)

The Ray Lewis of the NFC. Willis has gone to the Pro Bowl every year of his career and has made a staggering five 1st Team All-Pro lists. He's made 100 or more solo tackles five times. AND he's made 20.5 sacks, which is great for an inside linebacker. Another likely hall of famer on this list.

Honorable Mention: Vernon Davis (TE, 6th, 2006)

A great tight end. Davis has caught more than 50 passes five times and has caught at least five touchdowns since 2009, including two 13 TD campaigns (he led the league in receiving touchdowns in 2009). Two Pro Bowl selections round out his career.

Worst Pick: Rashaun Woods (WR, 31st, 2004)

Get this- Woods caught seven passes in his rookie season and then never played again in the NFL. If that doesn't say "bust," I don't know what does.

Seattle Seahawks

Best Pick: Earl Thomas (S, 14th, 2010)

One of the cornerstones of the great Seattle secondary. Thomas has gone to three Pro Bowls and has thrice been named 1st Team All-Pro. He can tackle, he can pick off passes, he can force fumbles. He can flat out ball.

Honorable Mention: Marcus Trufant (CB, 11th, 2003)

One of the best defensive players on the Seahawks teams of the 00s. Trufant was a solid corner, Quentin Jammer-esque if you will. He only made one Pro Bowl, but had a good career regardless.

Worst Pick: Aaron Curry (LB, 4th, 2009)

One of the biggest busts in the last few years. Curry only lasted about two-and-a-half seasons in Seattle despite being in the top 5. He had only 5.5 sacks in his career and didn't do much else. Just bad.

St. Louis Rams

Best Pick: Steven Jackson (RB, 24th, 2004)

Jackson rushed for 1,000+ in eight straight seasons. He's run in 62 touchdowns, led the league in yards from scrimmage in 2006 and went to three Pro Bowls. Pretty good for the guy who replaced Marshall Faulk.

Honorable Mention: Sam Bradford (QB, 1st, 2010)

Bradford has been pretty good since coming into the league and was actually having the best season of his career last year before he got hurt. QB isn't a problem in St. Louis.

Worst Pick: Jason Smith (OT, 2nd, 2009)

A colossal bust, Smith is the face of crappy Rams drafts of yesteryear.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Best Pick: Gerald McCoy (DT, 3rd, 2010)

It took until his third season, but McCoy has become one of the best DTs in the game. Comparisons to Warren Sapp are inevitable and to McCoy's credit, they're not completely absurd. While McCoy is raking up sacks to Sappian levels, he's still capable getting a lot for a DT with nine last year. Two Pro Bowls and a 1st Team All-Pro selection shine a light on a very promising career.

Honorable Mention: Davin Joseph (OG, 23rd, 2006)

A consistent guard. Joseph is just... really solid. Look, I've done more than 80 of these already. I'm running out of things to say.

Worst Pick: Michael Clayton (WR, 15th, 2004)

Clayton had a great rookie season where he caught 80 passes for 1,193 yards and seven touchdowns. All of those were career highs. He never caught more than 38 passes, gained more than 484 yards or hauled in more than one touchdown for the rest of his time in Tampa.

Tennessee Titans

Best Pick: Michael Griffin (S, 19th, 2007)

Griffin has been a great safety for the Titans, rarely missing games getting picks. He's a sure tackler as well.

Honorable Mention: Chris Johnson (RB, 24th, 2008)

A 2,000 yard rusher and far and away the most scattershot of all former 2,000 yard rushers. Johnson has been fine, but not great. Still, he's okay. But mostly he's meh. Totally acceptably banal.

Worst Pick: Andre Woolfolk (DB, 28th, 2003)

He played four seasons and had three interceptions. Oh, and he only started 12 games.

Washington Redskins

Best Pick: Brian Orakpo (LB, 13th, 2009)

A great player and sack machine in training. When he's been healthy, Orakpo has never had less than 8.5 sacks. He's made three Pro Bowls as well.

Honorable Mention: Sean Taylor (S, 5th, 2004)

Taylor was a physical threat and a great defender, able to deflect passes and pick them off. If not for his senseless murder, he likely would have gone on to be one of the best safeties of his era.

Worst Pick: Patrick Ramsey (QB, 32nd, 2002)

Y'know, he was not a very good NFL quarterback.

***

And that'll do it. Whenever I get an idea for an article, I think it'll be simple and then it takes forever to write. I gotta quit doing that all the time.