The NFL Draft is just a weigh station

People tend to think that being drafted high, making a lot of money and being famous will make them happy. The one thing all of these have in common is that they are results-oriented.

In my experience, I have found that people who are results-oriented are more likely to be unhappy and have shorter, less distinguished careers, regardless of their chosen field. I’ve also found that people who are process-oriented tend not only to be happy but also to have more fulfilling careers. If people changed their focus above to building an NFL career, being productive, and doing something they love, they would be much more likely to achieve the results they seek.

Being a top pick in the draft may seem important to the kids who are about to be drafted this week, however, the reality is that they will be measured by what they accomplish once they get there. Being a high-draft pick can be a bit of a drag on a player if he doesn’t have immediate success, and has ended a lot of promising careers too soon.

There have been 19 different quarterbacks among the top five picks in the last 15 NFL drafts. Only two of them have ever played in the Super Bowl and only one has a Super Bowl ring: Eli Manning won twice. During that same time period, 42 quarterbacks have been selected in the first round and only six of them have led their team to a Super Bowl. Those six have a combined Super Bowl record of 6-3.

Ironically, the record for Super Bowl quarterbacks not selected in the first round during that same time frame is also 6-3. Interestingly, two quarterbacks who entered the league undrafted (just before the 1999 draft), Kurt Warner and Jack Delhomme, started four Super Bowls between them. The only player to start at quarterback in more Super Bowls over the past 15 years than Warner not selected in the draft was the 199th player selected in the 2000 draft, Tom Brady.

While it’s nice to be a top pick in the draft (and you’ll see more money initially), it has little to do with what’s ultimately important; what you achieve once you’re on the big stage. To put things in perspective… Would you rather leave a legacy of being a quarterback who was a top five pick in the draft (such as Tim Couch, Akili Smith, David Carr, Joey Harrington, Carson Palmer, Vince Young or JaMarcus Russell)? Or one who ends up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame (like Tom Brady or Kurt Warner)?

You can follow Sam on Twitter: @SuperTaoInc