To prepare for the 2023 NFL Draft, ESPN’s Jeff Legwold polled NFL scouts, general managers and coaches to find out who were the best prospects they’ve seen.
Legwold’s article, published Friday, featured four players, accompanied by several Hall of Fame-caliber players receiving honorable mentions. Two running backs headline the top four, with one-time Pro Bowler and MLB All-Star Bo Jackson atop the list.
Despite being drafted as No. 1 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1986, Jackson refused to play for the team after believing they had sabotaged his collegiate baseball career. Jackson took a predraft visit with the Buccaneers, which the team told him the NCAA and SEC approved, but that was not the case.
After negotiating a contract that allowed him to play for the Kansas City Royals, Jackson signed with the Los Angeles Raiders, who drafted him 183rd overall in 1987. He played parts of four seasons in the NFL, recording 2,782 rushing yards before a hip injury derailed his career.
Although his career wasn’t as successful as many expected, Jackson is far from a bust and is still renowned as one of the most gifted athletes ever. One scout told Legwold, “Bo will always be the guy for me that I thought would be in Canton.”
