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Photo gallery: Ten greatest NFL draft classes of all time

 
10. Cleveland, 1957 The Browns took three eventual Hall of Famers in '57, though one (DT Henry Jordan) evolved into Hall of Fame material elsewhere (Green Bay). Still, any class with Jim Brown, pictured, in it (sixth overall pick) warrants legendary status. One round after picking Brown, Cleveland snagged QB Milt Plum, whose 110.4 passer rating in '60 remains one of the best ever. Gene Hickerson, who became a Hall of Fame guard, was swiped in Round Seven. [AP photo]
10. Cleveland, 1957 The Browns took three eventual Hall of Famers in '57, though one (DT Henry Jordan) evolved into Hall of Fame material elsewhere (Green Bay). Still, any class with Jim Brown, pictured, in it (sixth overall pick) warrants legendary status. One round after picking Brown, Cleveland snagged QB Milt Plum, whose 110.4 passer rating in '60 remains one of the best ever. Gene Hickerson, who became a Hall of Fame guard, was swiped in Round Seven. [AP photo]
Published April 20, 2015

Roughly eight years before the greatest Sunday in Buccaneers lore unfolded on a warm West Coast afternoon, the greatest Saturday played out in a Madison Square Garden theater.

Exactly no one fully appreciated the impact of the moment, nor the prosperity it ultimately would yield.

On that day, 20 years ago on April 22, two of the franchise's three Hall of Famers — Warren Sapp (12th pick) and Derrick Brooks (28th) — were taken in the first round of the 1995 NFL draft. It remains only the second time a pair of Hall of Famers was picked by the same team in the same round, affording it legendary status over time.

But is it the most legendary? Does the Sapp-Brooks quinella constitute the greatest draft class ever? We did some research and reasoning, dissected and deliberated, and determined it ranks ... well, um ... you'll just have to read further.

In descending order, here's our list of the 10 greatest NFL draft classes ever.

Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls.