NFL #1 Picks of the 2000s Multiple Choice Quiz | NFL Drafts and Trades

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Courtney Brown, the first pick from 2000, is often considered a bust, but he had a very productive rookie year at least. Which of these did he achieve in the 2000 season?

Answer: Played all 16 games

Brown seemed like a good selection at first, playing all 16 games in his rookie year with the Browns. He also recorded 4.5 sacks, 69 combined tackles and a single fumble recovery.

Unfortunately, Brown was never able to stay fit. He only played 16 games combined in the next two seasons. He never became the pass rushing phenomenon the Browns wanted and never recorded more than six sacks in a season. He left the Browns after the 2004 season and was out of the NFL by 2006.

2. 2001's first selection Michael Vick was a talented yet troubled player. After his release from prison following a dog fighting conviction in 2009, he was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles. Whose idea was it for the Eagles to sign him?

Answer: Donovan McNabb

Vick was signed in August 2009, having last featured for the Atlanta Falcons between 2001 and 2006. McNabb said to reporters following Vick's signing that it had been his suggestion to head coach Reid that the team should sign Vick, who just a year later would take McNabb's job in the starting position.

Vick would stay with the Eagles until 2013, when a hamstring injury inadvertently led to Nick Foles becoming the Eagles starter. He also had stints with the New York Jets and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Vick retired as a four-time Pro Bowler and with the most rushing yards by any quarterback ever. (6,109)

3. While 2002 first overall pick David Carr struggled with the expansion franchise Houston Texans, a standout moment was when he tied the record for most successive pass completions in NFL history in 2006. Against which team did he achieve this?

Answer: Buffalo Bills

Carr completed 22 successive passes in a Week 11 meeting with the Bills on 19 November 2006. This didn't save his job however as he was released the following off-season. He went on to spend time with the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants, winning a championship ring as Eli Mannning's back up in Super Bowl XLVI.

Carr is now considered a draft bust and was ranked as the 8th worst #1 pick in history by New England Sports Network.

4. After which season did 2003 #1 pick Carson Palmer win the Pro Bowl MVP?

Answer: 2006

Palmer was the MVP of the 2007 Pro Bowl after the conclusion of the 2006 playoffs. His highlight in the game was a 72 yard pass to Reggie Wayne for a touchdown. Palmer also featured in the Pro Bowl after the 2005 and 2015 seasons.

While Palmer never led a team to a championship, he had a number of impressive moments. He was Second Team All-Pro in 2015 and led the league in touchdown passes in 2005. He retired following the conclusion of the 2017 season.

5. 2004's top pick Eli Manning had arguably his best statistical season in 2015. However, which of these did he fail to achieve a personal best in that season?

Answer: Passing yards

Manning had 4,432 passing yards that season, and had his best year in that category in 2011 with 4,933. Manning had a great year with 35 touchdown passes, 387 completions and a 93.6 passer rating. Surprisingly, his New York Giants still missed the playoffs.

Eli had a successful career with Big Blue, making four Pro Bowl visits, winning three NFC East titles and two Super Bowl victories over Tom Brady. He was replaced as the Giants starter in September 2019 by Daniel Jones.

6. Alex Smith was taken first overall by the San Francisco 49ers in 2005. How many wins did he lead the Niners to in games he started in his first five seasons?

Answer: 16

Smith went 2-5 in his rookie year, leading the Niners to seven wins in his sophomore year in 2006. He followed this up with two wins in 2007 and five wins in 2009. He missed all of 2008.

While Smith has not had the career of fellow 2005 first rounder Aaron Rodgers, Smith excelled in his time with the Kansas City Chiefs (2013-17) where he had five winning seasons and four playoff berths. He joined the Washington Redskins in 2018, but suffered a likely career-ending injury that same season.

7. Just like the previous year, Mario Williams was a surprise when the Houston Texans drafted him first overall in 2006. Williams recorded nearly 100 sacks in his career, but which quarterback was the first he sacked?

Answer: Daunte Culpepper

Williams recorded 97.5 sacks in his eleven NFL seasons, with his first coming in Week 4 of his rookie season against the Miami Dolphins, who at the time were led by Culpepper. McNabb was the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, Williams' first NFL opponent.

Williams went to four Pro Bowls, was a three time All-Pro and by the time he left the Texans in 2012, he was the team's all-time leader in sacks and forced fumbles. (Both records were broken by J.J Watt in 2014) Williams retired after a one year stint with the Miami Dolphins in 2016.

8. 2007's first selection JaMarcus Russell was taken by the Oakland Raiders. He turned out to be a huge disappointment, due to how poor he played and because of the massive array of talent the Raiders passed on. How many future Pro Bowlers were taken in the first round in 2007?

Answer: 17

It is perhaps the overall talent in the 2007 NFL Draft that makes the Russell pick look even worse. The 17 Pro Bowlers in the first round were Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas, LaRon Landry, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Marshawn Lynch, Darrelle Revis, Lawrence Timmons, Michael Griffin, Reggie Nelson, Dwayne Bowe, Brandon Merriweather, Joe Beason, Anthony Spencer, Joe Staley, Ben Grubbs and Greg Olsen.

Russell was in the NFL for just three years, throwing 18 touchdowns to 23 interceptions. His numerous attempts to return to the NFL have failed.

9. Throughout his early years in the league, 2008's top pick Jake Long was considered one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL. As a result, he was ranked as the best offensive lineman on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011. Which of these players was second?

Answer: Jahri Evans

Long was 28th overall on the list, also ahead of players such as Ben Roethlisberger, Terrell Suggs and Champ Bailey. Evans, a guard for the New Orleans Saints, was 34th. Thomas was 43rd and Gurode was 57th.

Long made it to four Pro Bowls and was in the All-Pro First Team in 2010. He retired in 2016 after spells with the St Louis Rams, Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings.

10. In 2009, the Detroit Lions took Matthew Stafford with the first overall pick. In November 2009, Stafford threw five touchdowns in a game against the Cleveland Browns. Which of these quarterbacks never achieved this as a rookie?

Answer: Cam Newton

Stafford, at the time, was the youngest player to throw five touchdowns in one game, breaking Dan Marino's record. He received praise during this game as he refused to come off despite medical advice telling him to. While Newton had an incredible 854 yards in his first two starts, he never threw for five touchdowns in his rookie year.

Stafford has been a prolific passer in the NFL, reaching 15,000, 20,000, 25,000 and 30,000 yards quicker than anyone else. He has also been renowned for his fourth quarter comebacks.

Source: Author TheOracler

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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NFL #1 Picks of the 2000s Trivia Quiz

The #1 pick should guarantee that you draft a superstar. Let's find out how true that was in the 2000s.

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