Revisiting the greatest wide receiver class ever- the 1996 NFL Draft
In every NFL Draft since 1996, the #1 overall pick was either a quarterback, defensive end or offensive tackle. In the final draft before this new trend emerged, the #1 overall pick was actually a wide receiver- Keyshawn Johnson.
This was “the wide receiver draft,” just like the previous year was “the running back draft,” as 1995 marked the last time a RB went first overall (Ki-Jana Carter, Penn State, to the Cincinnati Bengals).
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The Jets took Johnson first overall out of USC, with picks #2 Kevin Hardy (Jacksonville Jaguars) and #3 Simeon Rice (Arizona Cardinals) actually coming out of the same school- Illinois.
Fun fact: Hardy and Rice fittingly met up at the opposing quarterback on the final play of their collegiate careers, and it occured in the last tie (3-3, at Wisconsin) that we’ll ever see.
The NCAA created and implemented the overtime format the next year.
At pick #7, another wide receiver was selected, as Ohio State’s Terry Glenn went to the New England Patriots. Four receivers went in the top 19, with five wideouts being drafted in the first round.
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Keyshawn went on to have a Hall of Very Good level career, eclipsing 10,000 career receiving yards, making three Pro Bowls and winning a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003 (the 2002 season).
However, he’s not the reason that this is the wideout draft. The ’96 class produced two Hall of Famers at the wide receiver position- Marvin Harrison and Terrell Owens. Both are considered to be amongst the greatest receivers of all-time.
Harrison, who was selected 19th overall, by the Indianapolis Colts, out of Syracuse. From 2002 until 2019, he held the NFL record for single season receptions. He also selected first team All-Pro five times, and second team All-Pro three times.
Owens, selected out of Chattanooga with the 89th overall pick (3rd round) by the San Francisco 49ers, went to become a five time first team All- Pro. One of the game’s all-time most colorful characters, he made the NFL 2000s All-decade team, as he racked up close to 16,000 career receiving yards.
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This receiver class also included Muhsin Muhammad (pick #43 out of Michigan State by the Carolina Panthers) and Eric Moulds (pick #24 out of Mississippi State by the Buffalo Bills); both of whom made multiple Pro Bowls.
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: Looking back at the last time a WR taken first overall- 1996