The best late-round draft picks in Eagles history

Nobody's still paying attention when the 6th or 7th round of the draft rolls around these days. Just imagine what it was like back in the day, when the 30th round rolled around.

Some of the greatest players in Eagles history were taken in the forgotten rounds. They were footnotes when they were selected. But not when they played.

Here's the length of the NFL draft throughout its history:

1936-1938: 9 rounds

1939-1942: 20 rounds

1943-1948: 30 rounds

1949: 25 rounds

1950-1959: 30 rounds

1960-1966: 20 rounds

1967-1976: 17 rounds

1977-1992: 12 rounds

1993: 8 rounds

1994-2020: 7 rounds

With this year's draft coming up in a couple weeks, we set out to find the top-10 late-round players in Eagles history.

We set the 6th round or later as the benchmark for "late-round" picks. And this list doesn't include guys like Pete Retzlaff, a 22nd-round pick in 1953, Timmy Brown, a 27th-round pick in 1959 or Harold Jackson, a 12th-round pick in 1968, because they were all drafted by other teams (Retzlaff Lions, Brown Packers, Jackson Rams).

Russ Craft, 15th round, 1943: Craft was a key two-way back on the 1948 and 1949 NFL Championship teams. He made two Pro Bowls as a 15^th-round pick, intercepted 22 passes and in 1950 picked off seven passes. Brookshier, with 8 INTs in 1953, is the only other Eagle in history drafted in the 7^th round or later with seven or more interceptions in a season. Craft is the only player the Eagles have ever selected in the 15^th round or later to make more than one Pro Bowl.

Norm Willey, 13th round, 1950: “Wildman” Willey is the only player the Eagles have ever drafted after the 10^th round to make 1^st-team all-pro and the only player they’ve ever drafted after the 13^th round to make two or more Pro Bowls. Willey played long before sacks were an official stat, but his prowess as a pass rusher is legendary. According to football lore, he once had 17 sacks in a game in 1952 against the Giants. After he retired, Willey taught for over 30 years at Pennsville High School in South Jersey.

Bobby Walston, 14th round, 1951: Walston was the 166^th player taken in 1951 and went on to a fantastic 12-year career with the Eagles. He made two Pro Bowls, caught 30 passes during the 1960 NFL Championship season and finished his career with 311 catches, 5,363 yards, 46 touchdowns and 40 field goals. When he retired he ranked 11^th in NFL history in catches and yards and second in scoring. Only four players in history taken in the 12^th round or later had more yards than Walston, and three are Hall of Famers.

Tom Brookshier, 10th round, 1953: Brookie was the 34^th defensive back taken in the 32-round 1953 NFL draft, but his 20 career interceptions were more than any of the 33 d-backs taken ahead of him. Interestingly, Fred Bruney – who years later would become Dick Vermeil’s defensive coordinator – was second with 15. Brookshier is only of only six players in NFL history drafted in the 10^th round to make two Pro Bowls and one of only four to be a 1^st-team all-pro.

Harold Carmichael, 7th round, 1971: Carmichael’s 8,985 career receiving yards are 9^th-most in NFL history by a player  taken in the 7^thround or later, and his 79 career TD catches are 4^th-most. Carmichael was the 161^st player taken in the 1971 draft and the 19^th wide receiver. Seven of the WRs selected ahead of Harold never caught an NFL pass. Harold caught 590. He’s one of only three WRs taken in the 7^th round in the Hall of Fame, along with Bobby Mitchell and Bob Hayes.

Wilbert Montgomery, 6th round, 1977: Montgomery was the 25^th running back taken in 1977 but one of only two multiple-Pro Bowlers in that group. The other was Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett, the second player taken overall. The only 6^th-round pick in NFL history with more rushing yards than Montgomery’s 6,789 is Hall of Famer Terrell Davis, who had 7,607. Davis is also the only 6^th-round RB to make more Pro Bowls than Montgomery. He made three, Wilbert made two.

Charlie Johnson, 7th round, 1977: Johnson is the only defensive tackle in NFL history taken in the 7^th round or later to make 1^st-team all-pro twice. Jerry Mays, the Vikings’ 11^th-round pick in 1961, also did, but he was a 5^th-round pick of the Dallas Texans and made his all-pro teams in the AFL. Johnson is one of only two multiple all-pros in Eagles history drafted in the 7^th round or later. Johnson was the 175^th player and 25^th defensive lineman taken in the 1977 draft.

Seth Joyner, 8th round, 1986: Seth Joyner, a familiar face to everyone who watches NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Eagles pre- and post-game shows, was the 208^th player taken in 1986, but his 52 career sacks are 5^th-most ever by any player drafted in the 8^th round or later, and his 20 career INTs are 4^th-most ever by a LB taken in the 8^th round or later. Joyner was the 30^th linebacker taken in 1986. He’s one of four 8^th-round linebackers picked to at least three Pro Bowls.

Clyde Simmons, 9th round, 1986: Just 25 picks after taking Joyner, the Eagles took Simmons, who was the 233^rd pick overall and the  24^th of 31 defensive ends. Simmons finished his career with 121 ½ sacks, second-most in history by any player drafted after the 5^th round. The only 8^th-round defensive end picked to more Pro Bowls than Clyde was Ed Husmann, who played in the 1950s. There were three players drafted in the 8^th round or later in 1986 who became multiple Pro Bowls and they were all teammates with the Eagles in 1993 – Joyner, Simmons and Vai Sikahema.

Jason Kelce, 6th round, 2011: Kelce is one of only 12 players in NFL history drafted in the 6^th round to make 1^st-team all-pro three times and one of just four offensive linemen to achieve that. The three others were all drafted by 1956. Kelce was the 191^st player taken in the 2011 draft. He was the 30^th of 40 offensive linemen taken in 2011 but the only one to make all-pro three times. The only player in that entire 2011 draft to make all-pro more than Kelce is J.J. Watt, the 11^th pick overall.

Honorable Mention

Wayne Robinson, 8th round, 1952

Jerry Norton, 7th round, 1954

Irv Cross, 7^th round, 1961

Tom Woodeshick, 8th round, 1963

Nate Ramsey, 14th round, 1963

John Bunting, 10th round, 1972

Carl Hairston, 7th round, 1976

Ray Ellis, 12^th round, 1981

Andy Harmon, 6th round, 1991

Mark McMillian, 10th round, 1992