The 1983 Draft, 30 years later

Last night was the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. Unlike many years, when a glamorous player is taken No. 1, the top pick for the Kansas City Chiefs last night was a left tackle. In fact, the second pick was a left tackle too, and in all nine offensive lineman were taken in the first round.

As I watched the action, I couldn't help but reflect on "From Elway to Marino," and ESPN "30 for 30" documentary released last week that chronicled the draft 30 years ago. Among other things, the class of 1983 is noted for the quarterbacks taken, and their impact on the game.

I am a life-long Denver Broncos fan. I love John Elway, and I think when the Broncos won Super Bowl 32, it was one of the happiest moments of my life. I loved everything about that game. I loved what Elway brought to the Broncos.

Watching the ESPN documentary, it was amazing to reflect on how different it could have been.

In 1983, six quarterbacks were taken in the top 27 picks, but the prize was Elway. He was the No. 1 draft pick by the Baltimore Colts, except he said he'd never play there. So there were a number of teams that tried to make a play for Elway. It was hard for me, watching it after seeing his whole career, to imagine some of these scenarios playing out. Among the teams that tried to make a deal for Elway were the Seattle Seahawks, San Diego Chargers, and Oakland Raiders — all division rivals of the Broncos — the Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and the San Francisco 49ers. It's amazing to think how differently I would have thought of Elway, and how incredible it was that he ended up in Denver.

On the flip side, it was fascinating to watch the path of Dan Marino. Marino retired as one of the greatest quarterbacks to play the game, and heading into the draft he thought he'd be a high pick. He wasn't.

Five quarterbacks — Elway, Todd Blackledge, Tony Eason, Jim Kelly, and Ken O'Brien — were taken ahead of Marino, until he fell to the Miami Dolphins at pick No. 27. Again, it was incredible to think what it might have been like if Marino had played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Patriots, the New York Jets, or one of a handful of other teams.

But Marino was considered a risk then. When he retired nearly two decades later, he had one of the most amazing careers of all time.

My suspicion is you could play the what if game for nearly every draft. When your team fumbles on draft day, it's fun to imagine a different scenario. But in the case of the Broncos, I have to think that the 1983 draft was the best thing to ever happen to the team.

I can't be sure, but I think the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills were pretty happy about it too. In 30 years, we'll have to see how everyone feels about what happened last night.