10 Most Against-the-Grain NFL Draft Picks of the Last 30 Years

Contrarian thinking can either build a dynasty or blow up a franchise. A closer look at unorthodox NFL Draft choices reveals how bold moves have shaped modern team-building, for better and worse.

Here are the 10 most against-the-grain picks of the last 30 years and their impact on the league.

10. Switching positions

Jaguars draft Matt Jones at No. 21 to play WR (2005)

Other players had success transitioning from quarterback to wide receiver - Hines Ward, Antwaan Randle-El, Julian Edelman - but teams didn't waste first-round picks on those experiments. Jones, a mobile QB at Arkansas, blew everyone away at the combine. At 6-foot-6, 242 pounds, he ran a 4.37 40. The Jags thought his straight-line speed and size would make up for his inexperience.

Impact: Jones played just four seasons and served as a warning to the rest of the NFL. The nuances of other positions aren't easy to pick up. No team has tried this kind of experiment with a college QB in the first round since Jones.

9. Ignoring the trends

Lions select Jahmyr Gibbs at No. 12 (2023)

Detroit took Gibbs at the height of the "don't draft running backs" movement. Like several players on this list, Gibbs said he was "shocked," because he thought he would go in the 20s. Detroit was still building a playoff-caliber roster and had multiple needs, so fans were skeptical. But the Lions saw something in Gibbs that the public and the media did not.

Impact: Gibbs is one of the most explosive players in the NFL and has helped shift the pendulum back to taking running backs in the top 10. The Raiders took Ashton Jeanty at No. 6 in 2025. Jeremiyah Love, who is often compared to Gibbs, could go even higher this year.

8. Size is just a number

Browns take Baker Mayfield at No. 1 (2018)

Short quarterbacks had been having success - particularly Drew Brees and Russell Wilson. But taking them at No. 1 overall still wasn't a thing until Cleveland took Mayfield over the standard prototypes like Sam Darnold and Josh Allen. Mayfield was also coming out of Lincoln Riley's spread offense at Oklahoma and was considered somewhat arrogant by critics.

Impact: Mayfield's instant success in Cleveland (27 TDs, 14 INTs as a rookie) paved the way for Kyler Murray and Bryce Young to go No. 1 overall.

7. Ignoring the public

Texans take Mario Williams at No. 1 over Reggie Bush (2006)

The Texans held the No. 1 pick in an era when drafting RBs high didn't scare teams. Bush was a heavy favorite to be the first name off the board. Houston had a need at running back and could have used the Heisman Trophy winner's star power. There was also sentiment for local hero Vince Young, the Texas QB who ended up going No. 3. Williams, a pass-rusher out of N.C. State, was a relative unknown to local fans.

Impact: Turns out, Williams was the right pick. He totaled 45 sacks in six seasons in Houston before leaving via free agency. Bush, who went No. 2 to New Orleans, was a good player who never lived up to the hype. The smart pick isn't always glamorous.

6. Overloading the QB room

Washington takes Kirk Cousins in the fourth round (2012)

Washington finally solved its QB problem by taking Robert Griffin III with the No. 2 overall pick. Then it surprised everyone, including Kirk Cousins, when it took another QB in the fourth round. "I was shocked," said Cousins, who later admitted he was disappointed because he thought he would not be able to compete to start.

Impact: Griffin struggled with injuries and Cousins led Washington to back-to-back winning seasons before eventually leaving for Minnesota. Washington showed that over-investing in QB can pay off. Cleveland tried it last season with Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, although the circumstances were far different.

5. Speed over production

Raiders take Darrius Heyward-Bey at No. 7 overall (2009)

The Raiders could have a list of their own against-the-grain moves. They took Heyward-Bey, who had only 13 touchdowns in three seasons at Maryland, over Michael Crabtree, who had 41 TDs in just two seasons at Texas Tech. After Heyward-Bey ran a then-record 4.30 40-yard dash, owner Al Davis couldn't resist. It was the ultimate "testing over production" pick. But Davis stuck to his principles and having speed at receiver was one of his foundational beliefs.

Impact: No surprise, Davis' strategy failed and Heyward-Bey never reached the 1,000-yard mark in an unremarkable career. The Raiders never learned … they kept picking fast receivers. But teams learned from their mistakes and don't overrate the 40 at receiver as much these days.

4. Overloading the WR Room

Lions take WRs in the top 10 three years in a row (2003-05)

Detroit started with Michigan State star Charles Rogers at No. 2, followed by Texas receiver Roy Williams at No. 7 and then USC's Mike Williams at No. 10. Former GM Matt Millen told SI's Peter King that he was on the phone with DeMarcus Ware when his staff convinced him that Mike Williams would make their offense unstoppable. Detroit could have made a sunk cost argument or claim that it was taking the best player available.

Impact: Using this much draft capital on one position would seem unthinkable in today's game. Except that Panthers GM Dan Morgan floated the idea in his pre-draft press conference this week, after taking Xavier Legette and Tetairoa McMillan the last two seasons. After the three Lions receivers quickly flamed out, they finally got it right with Calvin Johnson at No. 2 in '07.

3. When good isn't good enough

Chiefs take Patrick Mahomes at No. 10 (2017)

Drafting a quarterback when you have a still-viable starter is a gutsy move. The Packers did it twice, first with Aaron Rodgers and then Jordan Love, but the starters were getting older at the time. The Chiefs traded significant capital to move up for Mahomes despite coming off a 12-4 season with a 32-year-old Alex Smith. Critics labeled Mahomes an "Air Raid" QB who couldn't win in college and needed too much work to adjust to the NFL.

Impact: Mahomes has led the Chiefs to three Super Bowl titles and should teach the rest of the league not to be satisfied with average quarterback play. It still takes a lot of guts to move on from a QB who is good enough to get a team to the playoffs.

2. Re-thinking a position

Colts take Edgerrin James at No. 4 (1999)

Indianapolis traded running back Marshall Faulk to the Rams and were presumed to be looking at Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams. But GM Bill Polian was ahead of his time, valuing James' blocking and catching ability in a pass-heavy offense led by Peyton Manning. Polian said that the fan base crushed him, but the team wasn't impressed by Williams and never seriously considered taking the former Texas star.

Impact: James' three-down versatility helped redefine the modern running back. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

1. Going all in on a kicker

Raiders take Sebastian Janikowski at No. 17 overall (2000)

The Raiders became the only team in the modern era to pick a kicker in the first round. Janikowski was at a golf course in Florida when Oakland called in the pick and was just as surprised as everyone else. Not only did the Raiders take a kicker, they took one who had run-ins with the law at Florida State. Davis was sick of special teams issues and didn't want to take any more chances.

Impact: "Sea Bass" kicked for the Raiders for 18 years and brought stability to a part of the game in which they had struggled. On the other hand, the next two picks in 2000 after Janikowski were Chad Pennington and Shaun Alexander, two players who could have made a huge impact. Perhaps that's why no kicker has gone in the first since then … although the Bucs did take Robert Aguayo in the second round in '16.

Related: 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Final 4-Round Forecast

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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 6:01 AM.