NFL Draft History: 5 best NFL players ever drafted 25th Overall
By Aaron Tully
Ted Washington (1991 NFL Draft – San Francisco 49ers)
Ted Washington is the only Buffalo Bills player to appear on this list, and it is only fitting, considering the Bills will pick 25th in 2022.
Washington was the 25th overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft for the San Francisco 49ers. The Louisville standout played 16 seasons from 1991 to 2007 for seven different teams and was a solid run stopper up the middle as a nose tackle.
Washington has plenty of accolades to his name, being a Super Bowl champion with New England in Super Bowl XXXVIII, a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2001, a Second-Team All-Pro selection with Buffalo in 1997, and four Pro Bowl selections (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001). His success with the Bills in the late 1990s makes him the most noteworthy member of this list.
Over the course of his 16 years in the NFL, Washington racked up 603 tackles, 34.5 sacks, eight forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. Washington posted a large bulk of his career totals while in Buffalo, accumulating 378 tackles, 19.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery during his six years with the Bills.
Washington’s 693 tackles are considerably more impressive when you consider that he did not record a single tackle in his first two seasons, essentially giving him a two-year setback. Washington was a nominee for the 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame class but did not get the nod.
Washington’s time in Buffalo came to a bit of an abrupt end when he was cut in 2001 due to his refusal to take a pay cut to help the team meet the salary cap. However, his impact during his six years with the Buffalo Bills should not be overlooked, and although he was not selected by the Bills, they reaped the benefits of the most productive seasons from 25th overall pick from 1991.