NFL Draft History: 5 best NFL players ever drafted 25th Overall

Jon Beason (2007 NFL Draft – Carolina Panthers)

John Beason’s inclusion on this list goes to show the lack of players picked 25th overall who had sustained success at the NFL level.

Despite his career being quite short for a first-rounder, the 2007 25th overall pick was very productive in his ten years as a pro. The Miami Hurricane product was drafted by the Carolina Panthers and made a big impact immediately upon his arrival. Beason was in contention for 2007 Rookie of the Year and was named to the Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA) 2007 All-Rookie Team.

Beason was the man in charge of the Carolina defense from the middle linebacker spot from 2007 to 2013, and he was one of the league’s best. He was selected to three straight Pro Bowls in that time span and earned a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2008 and Second-Team All-Pro in 2009.

Over his ten years in the NFL, Beason tallied 706 tackles, 33 passes defended, ten interceptions, four fumble recoveries, four sacks, and three forced fumbles. When you consider the fact that he had just five seasons where he played 12 or more games and only played all 16 games in his first four seasons in the NFL.

The injury bug derailed Beason’s hot start to his career, as in his final three seasons in Carolina, he played just eight games. After 2010, Beason would play more than five games in a season just once. That season was 2013, his first season with the New York Giants. Beason played 12 games in his first season with Big Blue and tallied 93 tackles and an interception. Beason’s time with the Giants and ultimately career would ultimately end with a whimper, as he played just nine games in his final two seasons in East Rutherford before calling it a career.

Beason is a prime example of how injuries can derail even the most promising of careers, and that nothing is a certainty in the NFL. If the Bills could get a player of Beason’s talent level at 25th overall in this year’s draft, they would be ecstatic.