Yvette
03-29-2009, 09:01 PM
... according to ESPN Stats and Information's rating system, but are the only one of the six not to win a Super Bowl. The franchise has drafted seven Hall of Famers, second only to the Steelers (10).
There have been bumps in the road (the franchise was the worst drafting team in the NFL in the 1990s). It has improved since the team moved to Tennessee in 1997 as the Oilers (becoming the Titans in 1999).
TITANS' BEST CLASS: 1983
The Houston Oilers pulled in the franchise's best draft class in 1983, thanks in large part to its selection of Hall of Fame guard Bruce Matthews.
G Bruce Matthews (Round 1, 8th overall, Southern Cal):
Matthews wasn't the first offensive lineman taken in the '83 draft (nor was he the first guard), but he might have had the most successful career of any lineman in NFL history. He and Anthony Munoz are the highest-rated linemen of all time, according to ESPN Stats and Information's point system. Matthews' 14 Pro Bowls and 292 career starts are both NFL records, and no other player has played in as many games (296) for the same franchise as Matthews played for the Oilers and Titans.
DB Keith Bostic (Round 2, 42nd overall, Michigan):
After drafting Hall of Fame safety Kenneth Houston in the 1967 draft, the Oilers didn't select another Pro Bowl defensive back until they picked Bostic in '83. Bostic started 88 games at safety for the Oilers from 1983 to 1988 and had his best season in 1987, when he had six interceptions and three sacks in 12 games. That year, Bostic earned second-team All-Pro honors and made the Pro Bowl for the first and only time in his career.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/slurker/football%20etc/Oilersdraft.jpg
HONORABLE MENTION
1967: The Oilers took linebacker George Webster, who went to three Pro Bowls in his first three seasons, with the fifth overall pick. But the gem of the draft didn't come until the ninth round, when Houston grabbed Houston. In his six seasons with the Oilers, the Hall of Famer went to five Pro Bowls, had 25 interceptions and scored 10 defensive touchdowns. He went to 12 Pro Bowls in all, the most in NFL history for a defensive back. In the modern era, no Hall of Famer has been selected lower in the draft. Two other notables: LB Peter Barnes (6th round) was a second-team All-Pro in 1969, and RB Woodrow Campbell (10th round) went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 1967.
1978: Running back Earl Campbell was the only Oilers player from this draft to make our rankings, but Campbell's production alone made this the franchise's third-best draft. The Oilers had the first pick in the draft and used it to select Campbell, the 1977 Heisman Trophy winner. Campbell burst onto the scene with a phenomenal three-year stretch to start his career. From 1978 to 1980, he led the league in rushing all three seasons, earned three AP Offensive Player of the Year awards, an offensive rookie of the year award in 1978 and an MVP award in 1979. Campbell rushed for 8,574 yards as an Oiler, which stood as a franchise record until 2002 (Eddie George). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.
Best picks: G Bruce Matthews (1983): Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007; RB Earl Campbell (1978): Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991, 1978 Rookie of the Year, 1979 MVP, three-time offensive player of the year (1978-80); G Mike Munchak (1982): Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001, nine-time Pro-Bowler, two-time first-team All-Pro, six-time second-team All-Pro; SS Kenneth Houston (1967): Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986, 12 Pro Bowls (the most for a defensive back), nine interceptions returned for touchdowns (tied for second all-time).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/slurker/football%20etc/Oilerstop10.jpg
HONORABLE MENTION:
Eddie George (1996) is the franchise's all-time leading rusher (10,009 yards), a four-time Pro-Bowler and was named offensive rookie of the year in 1996. Steve McNair went to two Pro Bowls with the Titans and shared MVP honors with Peyton Manning in 2003.
Note on Rankings
We ranked players based on the following criteria: Hall of Fame induction, MVP awards, All-Pro first-team selections, All-Pro second-team selections, Pro Bowls, offensive and defensive player of the year and rookie of the year awards and membership on a Super Bowl-winning or -losing team. A player scores on our ranking system when he earns at least one of those honors.
ESPN Insider
There have been bumps in the road (the franchise was the worst drafting team in the NFL in the 1990s). It has improved since the team moved to Tennessee in 1997 as the Oilers (becoming the Titans in 1999).
TITANS' BEST CLASS: 1983
The Houston Oilers pulled in the franchise's best draft class in 1983, thanks in large part to its selection of Hall of Fame guard Bruce Matthews.
G Bruce Matthews (Round 1, 8th overall, Southern Cal):
Matthews wasn't the first offensive lineman taken in the '83 draft (nor was he the first guard), but he might have had the most successful career of any lineman in NFL history. He and Anthony Munoz are the highest-rated linemen of all time, according to ESPN Stats and Information's point system. Matthews' 14 Pro Bowls and 292 career starts are both NFL records, and no other player has played in as many games (296) for the same franchise as Matthews played for the Oilers and Titans.
DB Keith Bostic (Round 2, 42nd overall, Michigan):
After drafting Hall of Fame safety Kenneth Houston in the 1967 draft, the Oilers didn't select another Pro Bowl defensive back until they picked Bostic in '83. Bostic started 88 games at safety for the Oilers from 1983 to 1988 and had his best season in 1987, when he had six interceptions and three sacks in 12 games. That year, Bostic earned second-team All-Pro honors and made the Pro Bowl for the first and only time in his career.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/slurker/football%20etc/Oilersdraft.jpg
HONORABLE MENTION
1967: The Oilers took linebacker George Webster, who went to three Pro Bowls in his first three seasons, with the fifth overall pick. But the gem of the draft didn't come until the ninth round, when Houston grabbed Houston. In his six seasons with the Oilers, the Hall of Famer went to five Pro Bowls, had 25 interceptions and scored 10 defensive touchdowns. He went to 12 Pro Bowls in all, the most in NFL history for a defensive back. In the modern era, no Hall of Famer has been selected lower in the draft. Two other notables: LB Peter Barnes (6th round) was a second-team All-Pro in 1969, and RB Woodrow Campbell (10th round) went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 1967.
1978: Running back Earl Campbell was the only Oilers player from this draft to make our rankings, but Campbell's production alone made this the franchise's third-best draft. The Oilers had the first pick in the draft and used it to select Campbell, the 1977 Heisman Trophy winner. Campbell burst onto the scene with a phenomenal three-year stretch to start his career. From 1978 to 1980, he led the league in rushing all three seasons, earned three AP Offensive Player of the Year awards, an offensive rookie of the year award in 1978 and an MVP award in 1979. Campbell rushed for 8,574 yards as an Oiler, which stood as a franchise record until 2002 (Eddie George). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991.
Best picks: G Bruce Matthews (1983): Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007; RB Earl Campbell (1978): Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1991, 1978 Rookie of the Year, 1979 MVP, three-time offensive player of the year (1978-80); G Mike Munchak (1982): Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001, nine-time Pro-Bowler, two-time first-team All-Pro, six-time second-team All-Pro; SS Kenneth Houston (1967): Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986, 12 Pro Bowls (the most for a defensive back), nine interceptions returned for touchdowns (tied for second all-time).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/slurker/football%20etc/Oilerstop10.jpg
HONORABLE MENTION:
Eddie George (1996) is the franchise's all-time leading rusher (10,009 yards), a four-time Pro-Bowler and was named offensive rookie of the year in 1996. Steve McNair went to two Pro Bowls with the Titans and shared MVP honors with Peyton Manning in 2003.
Note on Rankings
We ranked players based on the following criteria: Hall of Fame induction, MVP awards, All-Pro first-team selections, All-Pro second-team selections, Pro Bowls, offensive and defensive player of the year and rookie of the year awards and membership on a Super Bowl-winning or -losing team. A player scores on our ranking system when he earns at least one of those honors.
ESPN Insider