Ranking the 10 best draft hauls of the last 5 years

Simply put, the NFL draft is a crapshoot.

Even after months of researching prospects and analyzing everything from three-cone drills to favorite breakfast cereals, first-round picks have roughly a 50-50 chance of being a success; selections after the fourth round are widely recognized as blindfolded throws at the dartboard.

But great draft classes, while rare, do happen - and they can change the course of a franchise, or sometimes the entire league. Here, we rank the 10 best hauls since 2014:

10. 2016 Atlanta Falcons

Thomas Dimitroff and the Falcons brass found a lot of value with their six selections in 2016. Picking in the middle of each round, Atlanta found three Day 1 starters with its first three picks and an eventual starting guard in sixth-rounder Wes Schweitzer.

Keanu Neal and Deion Jones became Pro Bowlers by their second seasons while Austin Hooper took over an important role in the Atlanta offense left barren by the retirement of Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez in 2013. - McClymont

9. 2014 Oakland Raiders

This class would've been much higher on the list just a few years ago when Derek Carr was garnering MVP talk and Khalil Mack still wore silver and black.

But Carr hasn't looked like the same player over the past two seasons, and it's impossible not to penalize the Raiders for shipping out the best player they've drafted since Charles Woodson in 1998 during his prime, no matter the return they received for Mack.

Aside from Carr and Mack, the Raiders also landed a handful of productive players later in the draft. Gabe Jackson has been a staple of the offensive line from Day 1, Justin Ellis is a solid starter and run defender, and T.J. Carrie appeared in 60 games before leaving in 2018. - Browne

8. 2014 St. Louis Rams

Two-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald highlights this group, but the Rams' brain trust loses points for waiting until its second first-round selection to get the one-man wrecking ball.

No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson lasted just three years with the team before he was shipped out of town. He represents a substantial miss in a class that also included Khalil Mack, Odell Beckham Jr., Taylor Lewan, and Mike Evans, players selected before the Rams' next turn at the dais.

There were certainly some misses among the Rams' 11 selections, but the Lamarcus Joyner and E.J. Gaines picks boost this haul to above grade. - McClymont

7. 2017 Pittsburgh Steelers

When the Steelers selected JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Conner in 2017, it would've been impossible to imagine them replacing, instead of complementing, superstars Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell - but here we are.

Smith-Schuster and T.J. Watt - after a 111-catch year and a 13-sack campaign, respectively - would easily be top-10 picks if the 2017 group was redrafted, while Conner demonstrated first-round value after his own breakout season.

Cameron Sutton flashed talent in limited action in 2018 after an injury-filled rookie season, but he's been a disappointment for a team that's long been seeking an answer at cornerback. The rest of the class is a wash, but that hardly matters when Pittsburgh arguably landed three first-round talents despite its highest pick being 30th overall. - Browne

6. 2015 Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota found quality and quantity in its 2015 draft.

While Trae Waynes has yet to play up to his first-round designation - and is reportedly being shopped - he remains a starting corner on one of the league's best defenses. The Vikings nailed their next two picks. Eric Kendricks has led the team in tackles in every season since he was drafted and Danielle Hunter has been corralling quarterbacks since his debut, with 40 sacks in four seasons.

Then there's Stefon Diggs. Injuries dropped the former five-star recruit to a fifth-round selection and the Vikings have since reaped the benefits. He produced his first 1,000-yard season in 2018 and has formed a deadly tandem with undrafted teammate Adam Thielen. - McClymont

5. 2018 Indianapolis Colts

The Colts' 2018 draft class might just be a year old, but it deserves a top-five spot after producing the only rookie All-Pro teammates in NFL history.

Quenton Nelson was universally considered an instant game-changer, but general manager Chris Ballard deserves credit for eschewing conventional positional value with his first pick. In contrast, the small-school Darius Leonard was viewed as one of the worst Day 2 picks in the immediate aftermath, only for the linebacker to embarrass his doubters by comfortably leading the league in tackles and winning Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Aside from adding elite talent, Indy also unearthed vital depth. Braden Smith locked down the right tackle spot, Kemoko Turay had four sacks in limited snaps, Nyheim Hines caught 63 passes in a scatback role, and both seventh-rounders appeared in all 16 games. The small sample size likely benefits how we view this class, but if it can hit its potential, it could challenge for the top spot in a few years time. - Browne

4. 2016 Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars completely rebuilt their defense with their first three picks of the 2016 draft. All-Pro corner Jalen Ramsey is now the franchise cornerstone, buttressed by linebacker Myles Jack and blooming defensive end Yannick Ngakoue.

That trio already has three Pro Bowls between them. Along with 2017 first-round pick Leonard Fournette, they are the building blocks on which the 2017 AFC Championship Game finalists were constructed.

Jacksonville has finished in the top six in team defense in each of the past three years and has this draft haul to thank. - McClymont

3. 2018 Cleveland Browns

It's easy to forget now, but it wasn't until days before the draft that Baker Mayfield was mentioned as a top contender to go No. 1 overall, as Saquon Barkley, Sam Darnold, and - to a lesser extent - Josh Allen dominated the conversation. But Mayfield turned out to be the Browns' man, and GM John Dorsey was quickly proven right as the quarterback looked like an instant star.

The selection of Denzel Ward was also met with surprise, as most expected Cleveland to snap up defensive end Bradley Chubb to partner with Myles Garrett. But again, Dorsey's decision was instantly justified as Ward made the Pro Bowl, filling the team's long-time need for a true shutdown corner. Meanwhile, Nick Chubb came four yards shy of 1,000 and scored just five fewer touchdowns than Barkley (15 versus 10) despite being out-touched 352 to 212.

Cleveland also got valuable snaps from Antonio Callaway (43 catches) and Genard Avery (40 tackles). This class will go down in history as the start of a new era in Cleveland, and the only thing holding it back from all-time status is its small sample size. - Browne

2. 2016 Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys changed their fortunes from a 4-12 rebuilding franchise to a 13-3 division winner with one draft. Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott were immediate stars and were the leading candidates for 2016 Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Jerry and Stephen Jones also deserve kudos for taking a risk on linebacker Jaylon Smith, who was recovering from an apparent career-threatening knee injury. He repaid the team with an impressive 121-tackle season in 2018.

The Joneses admittedly preferred Paxton Lynch and Connor Cook to Prescott, but they still managed to land Dallas' quarterback of the future. Prescott deserves all the credit for turning himself from the Cowboys' third choice into the franchise quarterback for America's Team. - McClymont

1. 2017 New Orleans Saints

New Orleans was stuck spinning its wheels from 2015-17, finishing 7-9 in each campaign and looking likely to waste the final years of Drew Brees' Hall of Fame career. Then the class of 2017 arrived.

Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore became the first teammates since 1967 to take home both Rookie of the Year honors. The versatile Kamara is one of the most feared weapons in the league and has racked up over 3,100 yards from scrimmage in just two years. Meanwhile, Lattimore didn't allow a single touchdown as a rookie and only gave up two in 2018.

The Saints also added a third instantly elite player in right tackle Ryan Ramczyk, who looked like a seasoned veteran from Day 1. While Marcus Williams and Alex Anzalone aren't close to the level of their compatriots, they've both been solid starters.

If the Saints manage to win another Super Bowl before Brees rides off into the sunset, it'll likely be thanks in large part to this unbelievably stacked class.