The 1998 NFL Draft is widely regarded as one of the most influential in league history. It featured standout quarterback prospects like Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf, along with future stars like Randy Moss and Charles Woodson. But, as expected, the spotlight was on the quarterbacks when draft day came.
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After months of debate over whether Manning or Leaf would be taken first overall, it was Manning who ultimately landed in Indianapolis. As history would later prove, it was one of the best draft decisions the Colts ever made, passing on Leaf, who went second to the Chargers. However, not everyone shared that confidence in Manning at the time of the draft — including at least one NFL executive. Why, you ask?
Many apparently viewed Leaf as the better athlete, with a stronger arm and more appealing physical traits. NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. once revealed to Manning that an NFL executive had reached out to him, claiming the Tennessee quarterback wasn’t worthy of the top pick.
In fact, that executive went so far as to suggest that if Manning didn’t have his famous last name, he wouldn’t have gone anywhere near the first round — let alone first overall.
“I had one guy in the NFL who’s a really good personnel guy,” Kiper said. “He called me up and said, ‘If Peyton Manning’s name was Peyton Jones, he’d be a third-round pick.’”
It’s clear that this unnamed executive didn’t see much upside in Peyton. Had Archie Manning not played as an NFL quarterback for over 10 years, they believed it would’ve been game over for the youngster.
That was quite a jab, but when Kiper revealed it to Peyton, the star QB took the old critiques in stride — and, of course, made a joke out of it.
“I didn’t have any upside?” Peyton playfully questioned. “I mean, I [was only] 22, I haven’t even hit puberty yet, I got bad acne on my chin. I mean, I got to have some upside, I got to grow a little bit at this point.”
Manning would go on to prove every NFL executive who doubted him wrong. He played 17 seasons with two different teams, starting for essentially his entire career. He made 14 Pro Bowls, earned seven First-Team All-Pro selections, won five MVPs, and captured two Super Bowl titles.
Additionally, Manning holds the NFL record for average net yards gained per pass attempt in a career, with 7.23. All of this was more than enough to enshrine Manning alongside the NFL’s greatest in Canton, Ohio.
Meanwhile, Leaf, the scouts’ favorite, would go on to become one of the biggest busts in NFL history. He struggled to complete passes and threw a ton of interceptions. After just three seasons, Leaf called it quits and retired.
In conclusion, Manning vs. Leaf was one of the biggest debates in NFL Draft history. And looking back, Manning became one of the greatest to ever play, while Leaf ended up as one of the biggest disappointments. That’s why it’s amusing to revisit some of the pre-draft comments and analysis from so-called “experts” at the time. At least Manning seemed to get a kick out of it.
