Greatest quarterback classes in NFL Draft history

An elite quarterback can define the success of a franchise but acquiring one is not exactly a straightforward task.

Through the years, the NFL has witnessed a number of first round quarterback selections wilt in the spotlight, while players who were overlooked until the latter stages of the draft - we're looking at you Tom Brady - have gone on to create the greatest dynasties.

However, a championship-winning quarterback can be like London buses; you wait years for one and then several come along at once.

We've looked back on the years which have delivered the greatest quarterback classes in draft history.

• 1983 - Dan Marino, Jim Kelly, John Elway, Ken O'Brien

Not one, not two, but three Hall of Famers feature in the quarterback class of 1983.

The four players as a whole possess the second-best winning percentage (59%) of any draft class since the league merged in 1966, behind only the group of Brady-dominated trio of 2000. This quartet defined success in the 1990s.

One of the greatest quarterbacks to grace the league, John Elway was selected first by the Baltimore Colts before being traded to the Denver Broncos, where he won two championships and was named MVP in 1987.

Jim Kelly led the Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowl appearances, while Dan Marino is the best quarterback to never win a Super Bowl as he obliterated passing records during his 16-year career with the Miami Dolphins.

Completing the crop is Ken O'Brien, who was the first New York Jets quarterback to finish a season with the highest passer rating.

• 1957 - Len Dawson, Sonny Jurgensen, John Brodie, Jack Kemp, Milt Plum

The 1983 batch were special. Draft classes with two or more Hall of Famers are few and far between.

This is where the 1957 quarterback group step in, which consisted of the prolific Sonny Jurgensen and Kansas City chiefs legend Len Dawson.

Picked by the Philadelphia Eagles, Jurgensen was consigned to a back-up role before a switch to Washington saw him flourish as he led the NFL in completions and yardage for three seasons between 1966 and 1969.

Dawson was selected fifth overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers but found his home in Kansas City, leading the Chiefs to their first Super Bowl in 1969.

John Brodie was the third pick of the draft and established himself as one of the best passers in the league at the San Francisco 49ers, Jack Kemp enjoyed success in the latter stages of his career by leading the Buffalo Bills to two AFL titles while Milt Plum received two Pro Bowl nods for the Cleveland Browns.

• 2004 - Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, Matt Schaub

Arguably the greatest quarterback draft class of the 21st century, the 2004 contingent produced two Super Bowl winners.

Selected with the first pick of the draft by the San Diego Chargers, Eli Manning forced a move to New York Giants which saw the fourth pick, Philip Rivers, head in the other direction.

While Rivers never achieved a championship success with the Chargers, you could say it was a fruitful move for both parties.

Manning led the Giants to glory twice in 2007 and 2011, although he was only following in the footsteps of Ben Roethlisberger who had inspired the Pittsburgh Steelers to Super Bowl success in 2005 and 2008.

'Big Ben' was a six-time Pro Bowler, Manning was a four-time Pro Bowler and Rivers featured in the annual star event on eight occasions.

Let's not forget Matt Schaub here either, who assembled a respectable career in Houston and led the league for passing yards in 2009.

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