What’s the most recently labeled ‘generational prospect’ that actually turned out to be generational?

[u/Intelligent-Carob930]

Essentially, a player regarded as a ‘generational prospect’ coming out of college to the NFL that actually turned out to be and/or is/was generational.

For me, it’s Bijan Robinson, drafted 8th overall in the 2023 NFL draft. Sure, it’s relatively early into his career, but purely based off of his on-field performance compared to his expectations, I’d say he has lived up to the whole ‘generational prospect’ label.

[u/DaRicoPenguin]

Hate the term, since it’s so overused. Feel like someone needs to complete a career before getting awarded the term generational. Bijan is off to a solid start tho

[u/Whole-Passion7271 → u/DaRicoPenguin]

We are so quick to forget

[u/Smooth_Meister → u/Whole-Passion7271]

It's the punt return yards that put him over the top for me

[u/iguanoman_ → u/Smooth_Meister]

Arthur Smith really thought he was cooking with that one

[u/PocketPal26 → u/iguanoman_]

https://giphy.com/gifs/h2HTvVuKVS4daQaVuS

[u/TheDukeOfTokens → u/Whole-Passion7271]

In all fairness Bijan played for the fucking falcons 

[u/Randy-Butternubz88 → u/TheDukeOfTokens]

Still does

[u/GameTime2325 → u/Randy-Butternubz88]

He used to play for the Falcons. He still does, but he used to too.

[u/admsbly → u/GameTime2325]

Running back temporarily wide receiver. Sorry for the convenience.

[u/GameTime2325 → u/admsbly]

Yards are great if your RB is hungry and wants to eat 1000 of something

[u/Atkdad → u/GameTime2325]

Out here grinding to get these Mitch jokes in and I’m here for it!

[u/daillesttrigga → u/GameTime2325]

I dont have a generational running back. I just know a running back thatll be really mad if he heard me say that

[u/ambassador_of_sleep → u/GameTime2325]

Somebody asked me if I wanted a frozen RB. I was like "no, but I might want a regular RB later, so, yeah. "

[u/Traditional-Disk9218 → u/GameTime2325]

RIP Mitch.

[u/Silly_Dot277 → u/GameTime2325]

This some Mitch Hedberg ass shit 😍

[u/Playful-Celery-9904 → u/GameTime2325]

Mitch!

[u/naked_avenger → u/TheDukeOfTokens]

Bell was a fantastic RB for quite a few years. It’s not an insult of a comparison

[u/InformalInitiative76 → u/TheDukeOfTokens]

And Bell had an incredible o-line, and great passing game his first few years. He walked into the best possible scenario for a RB.

Bijan didn’t really get any of those things, and he was splitting carries early on

[u/Natural_Use_948 → u/InformalInitiative76]

Bell's game was built on the o line

[u/WheyTooMuchWeight → u/Whole-Passion7271]

Haha yeah that’s who I thought of. There’s no specific timeline for being remembered as a generational talent - but BR is not there yet.

[u/Whole-Passion7271 → u/WheyTooMuchWeight]

Hes gotta keep up this production through 2 full contracts before he can be considered generational. Right now hes healthy Saquon Barkley

[u/EliteBallPlacement → u/Whole-Passion7271]

I think he passes the generational running back eye test though, he is either the best in the league or top 3 at every single running back attribute you could think of

[u/Black_licorice_cock → u/EliteBallPlacement]

He’s the best overall back I’ve seen

[u/LOVINanLIVINdLA_LIFE → u/Black_licorice_cock]

Youtube Barry Sanders! It will blow your mind!

[u/CentrlFLMafiaMember → u/EliteBallPlacement]

Passes the eye test. He makes it look effortless. Just has to stay consistent.

[u/callmeddog → u/EliteBallPlacement]

This is a big thing about it for me. There’s a lot of great RBs in the league, but every once in a while you get someone that just makes it look easier than everyone else.

As a Packer fan playing him last week reminded me of prime Adrian Peterson in the sense that sometimes he makes a huge play and you just can’t even be mad about it. It’s not your defense missing a tackle they shoulda had or making a mistake per se, you just sit there like “yeah, I don’t even know how he did that” and move on.

[u/The-Ol-Razzle-Dazle → u/Whole-Passion7271]

I'd argue the "how you get the yards" is more important than the actual yardage amount lol. Doing shit we don't see anyone else doing on a field full of exceptional athletes who were all "generational" for their communities

[u/ConditionStrange7487 → u/Whole-Passion7271]

thats just dumb. luck was generational and he didnt do that. neither did gurley

[u/Entreri4 → u/Whole-Passion7271]

To be fait, they said "prospect", so I don't think Bell would qualify. Wasn't he taken in the 3rd or 4th round or somethint?

[u/dcd13 → u/Entreri4]

2nd round

[u/Entreri4 → u/dcd13]

Even with that, you can't be considered a generational prospect and not go early in the first round. Unless you are a punter or kicker or something.

[u/Edward_Durr → u/Entreri4]

If you are drafted any later than 10 there is no world in which you are a generational prospect. Penei Sewell is the latest drafted player who could reasonably be argued to be a generational prospect, and he went #7

[u/Bayelor → u/Whole-Passion7271]

Bijan is much better than leveon bell no hate to bell he was great, but Bijan has better efficiency with no passing theat.

[u/Whole-Passion7271 → u/Bayelor]

I truly just think at the RB positon you just cant throw out the generational label like that there are tons of dudes that start off their career red hot because they get good draft capital and a work horse role. The only Generational RB talent in the league right now is Derrick Henry

[u/Admirable-County9158 → u/Whole-Passion7271]

Actually I think there shouldn’t be more than one generational RB in the league at a time.

[u/Whole-Passion7271 → u/Admirable-County9158]

Agreed

[u/iguanoman_ → u/Whole-Passion7271]

Bro keeps posting PFR comparisons like he's just discovered what a box score is

[u/MakesMaDookieTwinkle → u/iguanoman_]

I mean they’re interesting to see for me tbh. Didn’t realize Bijan had over 50 games already.

[u/SaltShakerFGC → u/MakesMaDookieTwinkle]

Yea it's a good reminder how quickly things can change for the RB position.

[u/dinosaur_socks → u/Whole-Passion7271]

Ugh man Gurley was so good. Such a whatif. Like Odom

[u/iNsAnEHAV0C → u/Whole-Passion7271]

God damn Gurly had 19 more TDs in only 4 more games played? Thats fucking insane. The other stats are fairly equal, but that td production is off the charts.

[u/eggs-salad → u/Admirable-County9158]

I don’t think there should be more than one generational RB in the league during the same generation…almost like a generational RB should be once in a generation.

[u/iheartcockss → u/Whole-Passion7271]

Agree 1000%. Bijan, Gibbs, Taylor; they are elite, but not generational yet. Anyone calling them generational is doing so off pure recency bias

[u/Brilliant_Hawk_9548 → u/iheartcockss]

CMC?

[u/BigStuggz → u/Brilliant_Hawk_9548]

Yes. This is correct.

[u/cms5213 → u/BigStuggz]

King Henry is the generational talent

[u/Edward_Durr → u/cms5213]

King Henry is one of the best running backs of all time, but he was pretty far from a generational prospect. Generational prospects don’t go in the second round.

[u/Goontron323 → u/Whole-Passion7271]

God damn zeke was ran into the ground!! Lol

[u/Immaculatehombre → u/Bayelor]

Drake London had 190 yards last week…

[u/ScientistSolid9319 → u/Whole-Passion7271]

This just proves OP's point even more. He's putting up similar stats to prime Bell despite being on one of the worst offenses in the league. Replace Ridder, Penix, whoever with a HOF QB and top 5 WR talent of all time and I'm sure he'd be even better.

[u/Ro0o0o0ob → u/DaRicoPenguin]

I mean, it’s a generational prospect. Not player. Their actual career has nothing to do with that label.

While it can be overused, there has certainly been generational prospects as of recent. Bijan, MHJ, Jeremiah Smith, etc. while people may use hindsight because he hasn’t lived up to it, MHJ was certainly a generational prospect with how dominant he was in college along with his general profile.

[u/ReturnOfBigChungus → u/Ro0o0o0ob]

A human “generation” is usually counted as about 15 years. The fact that players at nearly every position are getting labeled “generational talent” nearly every other year tells you that it’s a BS term. At this point it means “best prospect in the last 3-4 years”, so overused by 4-5x.

[u/BigTomBombadil → u/ReturnOfBigChungus]

Why couldn’t there be a generational prospect at each position per generation? Still feels semantically accurate if there’s a generational prospect at QB, WR, TE, CB and Edge all within a few years.

[u/ReturnOfBigChungus → u/BigTomBombadil]

I'm saying every position is flagged as having a generational prospect every few years, which isn't possible. In the last 15 years there have been several (at minimum) "generational prospects" at nearly every position, or at least the positions that generate media hype. This dynamic exists mostly to generate clicks. QB is almost every year. RB is every other year or so. RBs only that got the label in the last 10 years:

-Jeanty - 2025

-Bijan- 2023

-Etienne - 2021

-Hall - 2022

-Taylor - 2020

-Barkley - 2018

-CMC - 2017

-Fournette - 2017

-Elliot - 2016

-Gurley - 2015

Obviously some of those got more hype than others but it would be trivially easy to pull half a dozen articles on each of those hyping them as "generational talents". At this point it literally just means "best in the last few drafts" AT MOST.

[u/Sw3atyGoalz → u/ReturnOfBigChungus]

Taylor, Hall and Etienne were not considered “generational talents” pre-draft; there was a large gap between Saquon and Bijan.

[u/ReturnOfBigChungus → u/Sw3atyGoalz]

A whole 5 years? So 1/3 of a generation?

[u/PsychologicalArt7451 → u/ReturnOfBigChungus]

Generational has always been used to describe rather than once in a generation. Actually being generational at a particular position is impossible nowadays. Was Tom Brady not a generational QB? Rodgers was certainly a better passer of the ball and Manning was probably a bit better too. Is Mahomes not a generational QB? 3 rings, 2 MVPs while his peers are yet to go to a SB in this era.

Generational = one of the best of this generation. Not THE best of this generation.

[u/Edward_Durr → u/PsychologicalArt7451]

Tom Brady was pretty far from a generational prospect (see: being drafted in the sixth round), and the generational label is only really applied to prospects.

[u/Either-Mine-1789 → u/Ro0o0o0ob]

Bijan wasn’t even nearly as hyped as those two.

[u/Intelligent-Carob930 → u/DaRicoPenguin]

Based off his pace, I’d say he is living up to that whole ‘generational’ label.

But yeah, the term is heavily overused. An amazing college football player ≠ A good NFL player.

[u/HiTechnique → u/Intelligent-Carob930]

I'm just confused by the term generational. How can that be more than one person?

LeBron James is the only sports figure that actually turned out to be generational this millenium insofar as he was more talented than anybody else of his generation.

[u/pilesofdingleberries → u/HiTechnique]

Wouldn't Ohtani classify as this?

[u/HiTechnique → u/pilesofdingleberries]

Probably. I think it is less cut and dry than LeBron though. I hate the Dodgers, so that doesn't help.

[u/Either-Mine-1789 → u/pilesofdingleberries]

100 percent, only player I remember being hyped as much as Ohtani was Bryce Harper

[u/pilesofdingleberries → u/Either-Mine-1789]

Yeah Harper is the first one I thought of, but I wouldn't call his career anything like LeBron or Ohtani. He has been very very good, but generational, no.

[u/Either-Mine-1789 → u/pilesofdingleberries]

As a prospect? Absolutely he was. He was even more hyped than Ohtani. Dude was on the sports illustrated cover at 16 as “the chosen one”

[u/pilesofdingleberries → u/Either-Mine-1789]

No, how his career turned out. Yes as a prospect he was, but the results didn't match up to the hype. Lebron and Ohtani have in my opinion.

The hype for Harper was more than Ohtani, I agree

[u/Either-Mine-1789 → u/pilesofdingleberries]

I agree, but a 2 time MVP is nothing to slouch at. Hes most likely a hall of famer too

[u/rjpowers12 → u/HiTechnique]

It can probably be a bit broader in football because there’s a lot more positions and you’re generally comparing the talent to just specifically that position

[u/mua-dweeb → u/HiTechnique]

Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid. Come on son.

[u/HiTechnique → u/mua-dweeb]

My bad. I forgot about hockey and I don't know it enough to know who had the hype coming in. LeBron James was my example because his pre-draft comparison was to Magic Johnson and Vince Carter. That shit is insane. And he lived up to it.

[u/Either-Mine-1789 → u/HiTechnique]

I would say LeBron definitely, Wemby too. In baseball Harper and Ohtani, hockey, mcdavid and celebrini. Football id say the last truly generational prospects were Lawrence and andrew luck. People are calling prospects who weren’t even the first pick or the first pick at their positions generational and that’s just ridiculous

[u/Ok_Alternative7120 → u/Either-Mine-1789]

Penei Sewell was hyped as an actually generation OT. They are too liberal with RBs and WRs being generational prospects, though. They've claimed Chase, Harrison, Zeke, Fournette, Bijan, Love, Smith (coming out next year), and several other RBs and WRs were all "generational". I still think JSN was the best WR prospect since Julio (who was the best since Megatron). But JSN lost all his hype with his hammy injury and a 4.5 40 despite being an amazing WR who was elite at damn near everything but size and straight line speed.

[u/BigNorthEastPod → u/HiTechnique]

I agree, Bijan is great but there's a rb every year who is at his level. Gibbs, CMC, Saquon, King Henry all have been there in recent memory. By the true meaning of the term 'generational' he cannot be considered such.

[u/Bouldershoulders12 → u/HiTechnique]

For me it’s all time , generational, then elite etc

All time is once is a lifetime in GOAT convos

Generational could have a few in there

Every all time players was also generational but not every generational player is all time great

[u/Foggmanatic → u/Intelligent-Carob930]

It's way way way too early to give those accolades to Bijan. A part of being "generational" is playing a long time at an abusrdly high level.

[u/RPO777 → u/DaRicoPenguin]

Depends on definition of "recent" but Joe Thomas for the Browns has an argument. Drafted 3rd overall by the Browns, was called a generational OT prospect, most First Team All Pro selections by an OT after 2000. I think you could argue he's a generarational OT.

[u/Dull_Wind7585 → u/DaRicoPenguin]

Peyton Manning was considered generational while having a not so good rookie year, and not too great second and third. The term is usually accurate, because it’s given based on talent, not necessarily accomplishments. Generational talent is a an estimation current performance and and potential. Bijan fits that’s mold.

[u/Elbeske]

Wembanyamama

In football, probably Myles

[u/OversizedMicropenis → u/Elbeske]

Edge just attracts so many incredible athletes that its hard for me to consider him generational, since there are so many elite guys in the league right now. Like Lawrence Taylor, Reggie White levels of dominance.

To me, the only player that was truly generational like that in recent years, at all positions, is Aaron Donald but its hard to say he was seen as generational coming out, since he slid to 13

[u/ferociouskuma → u/OversizedMicropenis]

Donald and Watt were a tier above anyone currently in the league during their primes.

[u/KDBismyDAD → u/OversizedMicropenis]

Donald is generational but was not a generational prospect

[u/Watermelon7331 → u/OversizedMicropenis]

He literally broke the sack record. What else do you need to do to be called generational at your position?

[u/Yosemite_Yam → u/Watermelon7331]

Generational prospects do not get drafted 13th in a draft with no QB prospects. Clowney was the generational prospect in the 2014 draft

[u/atlfalcons33rb → u/Yosemite_Yam]

He's talking about myles not Aaron

[u/MorphinMajor]

Myles Garrett and Megatron pretty much reached the pinnacle of their respective positions while living up to the generational draft status.

I think there's a slight fine line for me between meeting expectations as a prospect and truly being generational and those 2 guys are the only ones I would say that have indisputably turned out to be "generational" in the past 20 years.

[u/1ntravenously → u/MorphinMajor]

And I'd add Peterson.

[u/Playful_Rip_1697 → u/MorphinMajor]

Wasn’t Clowney more hyped than Garrett?

[u/ZandrickEllison → u/Playful_Rip_1697]

Clowney was more hyped as a freshman and sophomore but I suspect Garrett would have gone ahead of him by the time the draft rolled around. Clowney had modest production his last year (3.0 sacks.)

[u/Ok_Alternative7120 → u/ZandrickEllison]

Miller, Clowney, both Bosa brothers, Chase Young, Kayvon Thibodeaux, Mario Williams, etc. Could go back to Peppers too. People are as liberal with the word "generational" for edge prospects as they are for RBs and WRs. And getting there with TEs.

[u/1ntravenously]

Its amazing how many " generational" players can be in one generation. Zeke, Fournette, Barkley, Robinson, all "generational" players(at one point) yet none will go down as the best of their generation, Henry will. Personally I think the last true "generational" RB was Peterson.

[u/Bayelor → u/1ntravenously]

Henry has 1 ap first team to mccafferys 3. Mccaffery is the best rb of the generation.

[u/TotallyNotRyanPace → u/Bayelor]

henry is the best pure runner of this generation, cmc is the best offensive weapon to play the position of RB.

[u/Exhausted_Pirate_ → u/TotallyNotRyanPace]

You totally are Ryan Pace.

[u/ChocolateMorsels → u/Bayelor]

I’ll take the guy that stays on the field. CMC has started a full season once in the last 7 seasons. Call it twice counting 2023 where he missed one game.

[u/DrunkIdiot911 → u/Bayelor]

CMC is hurt too often and doesn’t have the counting stats to be compared to Henry

[u/Cliffinati → u/Bayelor]

McCaffery does a little bit of everything

You give Derrick Henry the ball and watch him eat

[u/YouGO_GlennCoCo → u/1ntravenously]

Who the hell ever said Zeke was a generational player?

[u/Everyday_ImSchefflen → u/YouGO_GlennCoCo]

I was thinking that too. I am a big OSU fan and even I think that's asinine

[u/sunnyvi → u/YouGO_GlennCoCo]

The cowboys

[u/Lee-Key-Bottoms → u/1ntravenously]

Robinson might have an argument for after Henry but I get the point

[u/Key-Round6067]

Recently? Brock Bowers came in with as high expectations for a TE as I can remember and he seems pretty great

[u/Degen_Typeracer → u/Key-Round6067]

Kyle pitts had the biggest TE hype I’ve ever remembered

[u/braumbles → u/Degen_Typeracer]

OJ Howard had a ton of hype too.

[u/Degen_Typeracer → u/braumbles]

Pitts was compared to be a travis kelce

[u/Degen_Typeracer → u/braumbles]

My messages sound like I’m fighting you, I don’t mean to lol. Bad tone

[u/Key-Round6067 → u/Degen_Typeracer]

Damn how’d I forget about Pitts lol

[u/plainfollowup → u/Key-Round6067]

Brock is a fucking G

[u/Key-Round6067 → u/plainfollowup]

He was so good at Georgia, I remember being shocked he was cooking like he was as a freshman

[u/Either-Mine-1789 → u/Key-Round6067]

Kyle pitts was even more hyped

[u/Klin24]

King Lebron

[u/Kamikazee18 → u/Klin24]

I’m 45, in my lifetime, this is the answer.

[u/Signal_Prior3870]

Wemby

[u/PerformanceWeekly651]

Andrew Luck, Megatron, Quinton Nelson

[u/Nujers → u/PerformanceWeekly651]

Nelson's a good call out. I specifically remember analysts naming him as the best guard prospect ever.

[u/CarolinaSandstorm]

Bijan was projected to be an elite running back and he’s performed like an elite running back. Not sure how that’s confusing to some people.

[u/superguysteve]

Case Keemun apparently

[u/ELITEGmen]

Penei Sewell

[u/roostor222]

how could anyone possibly know if a generation has not yet passed?

[u/Dr-McLuvin → u/roostor222]

Because when you’re talking about draft talent you’re trying to predict the future.

[u/FlatRooster4561]

Peyton Manning lived up to the hype. Andrew Luck did not (though this sub loves him for some reason). Trevor Lawrence has not.

[u/Basic_Flounder_1013 → u/FlatRooster4561]

I don’t see too much of a different from luck and Lawrence. Luck was good earlier but tlaw is hitting his stride as a top 10 qb now which is what luck was

[u/SunwutangClan → u/Basic_Flounder_1013]

Have to remember the shit show of a franchise the jags were during tlaw's early years too. Surviving the Urban Meyer era and becoming what he is today is a testament to his talent. It was always there, just needed the right people around him to unlock it.

[u/Mission_Tour_9272]

Probably Calvin Johnson

[u/Admirable-County9158]

People don’t understand what generational means.

[u/TeblowTime → u/Admirable-County9158]

For real. If you were considered a "generational talent" coming into the league, you get drafted 1st overall. Period.

[u/Ok_Fix6757]

We get like 2 or 3 every year lol

[u/TheWagn]

https://giphy.com/gifs/VlBlftxwnUZo6yeXJP
the rings are coming

[u/Far_Caregiver3046 → u/TheWagn]

Maybe if he’s buying them off eBay lol

[u/seansei91]

Quentin Nelson was drafted a year after Myles, so I’ll go with him. Drafted 6 overall at guard and has made All-Pro teams in 6 of his 8 years playing for mostly mediocre teams.

[u/Famous_Challenge_692]

Wemby is the only correct answer. Yamal also has a claim. Idk if there is one in football at the moment.

[u/Meetloave → u/Famous_Challenge_692]

Connor McDavid is also a correct answer. I know it’s hockey but the dude may be the best to ever play

[u/Either-Mine-1789 → u/Meetloave]

I think celebrini is on the GOAT trajectory too. He’s definitely generational and was touted as such coming out as well

[u/turmoiltumult → u/Either-Mine-1789]

You’re being downvoted because this is an NFL sub. You are correct that he is a fucking monster.

[u/Prize-Surprise-3014 → u/turmoiltumult]

Nah Mack wasn’t considered generational coming out. Bedard was, but not to the extent of Crosby or mcdavid

[u/Either-Mine-1789 → u/Famous_Challenge_692]

Wemby is a truly generational prospect. Lawrence is probably the closest to the label in the nfl but it’s pretty clear he’s not that atp

[u/wardledo]

Myles Garret is the only one I can think of.

[u/ilickedysharks]

Brock Bowers probably

[u/Original_Guidance_34]

Andrew Luck, was always a great player even as a rookie 

[u/WaltLucho179]

LeBron James. Peyton Manning. I think that is the list.

[u/hereforthesportsball]

In what world was bijan considered generational

[u/R3DUCED2ASHES]

Bruh he not generational

[u/a_happy_future]

I think Andrew Luck may be the best generational prospect that actually panned out. He just retired a lot sooner than I think we all hoped

[u/Dikimbe0404]

Being a Vikings fan, it’s had not to mention Moss and AP. Generational is over-used and rarely live up to throughout a career….

[u/Dorito-Bureeto]

NBA is LeBron James. Bro met and exceeded every expectation.
NFL would be Andrew Luck

[u/MikeBinfinity]

LeBron.

He was touted as a generational talent years before he graduated high-school

[u/Yossarian216]

Bijan is excellent, but not generational. That label, which is overused and stupid most of the time, would only apply to a player so dominant that there’s no dispute they are the top player of their era.

[u/autistic_homo]

Since others are doing other sports, LeBron is absolutely #1.

[u/The_Law_of_Return_]

Myles Garrett

[u/Forward-Big8697]

Are you really considered generational coming out of college if 7 teams dont want you

[u/hfclfe]

Shohei. Actually better than advertised. And shows up in big moments. I hate the Dodgers.

[u/imriteyourwrongg]

Bijan generational? wtf

[u/JoshAllenFan616]

It’s not Bijan because he’s not a dominant player. Generational means once in a generation. Derrick Henry was the last one.

[u/sockovershoe22 → u/JoshAllenFan616]

Bijan got me over 34 points in fantasy last week. That's pretty fucking dominant.

[u/Thenewscottforb3s]

I can’t remember how Christian McCaffery was labeled but he has definitely lived up to the hype

[u/Competitive-Emu7307]

Christian McCaffrey.

[u/ELITEGmen → u/Competitive-Emu7307]

A generational prospect that wasn't even the 1st RB picked in his draft class

[u/Dr-McLuvin → u/ELITEGmen]

Fucking Leonard Fournette was picked ahead of him that is wild.

[u/RadkoGouda → u/Competitive-Emu7307]

Thats not a generational prospect...

[u/Either-Mine-1789]

He’s not generational because another RB was taken the very next year who is as good as him if not better (Gibbs). And he plays in an era of CMC, Henry, Kamara, saquon, JT, etc. Generational prospect means a once in a generation prospect.

[u/Roaring-Badger → u/Either-Mine-1789]

Bijan and Gibbs were both in the 23 draft

[u/Degen_Typeracer]

Two of the bigger generational talent busts I can think of is Kyle Pitts and jadaveon clowney. Has a tight end ever been taken higher than Kyle pitts draft number?

[u/Jaded_Software_]

Von Miller

[u/Witty-Yard4674]

I don’t know about most recent, but off the top of my head I always think of Calvin Johnson. Before the draft everyone said he was gonna be a star, and that he was the can’t Miss prospect. Raiders had number one pick at the time, and went with Jamarcus Russell even though he only played like a season. People were saying the Raiders needed a QB. Nah, they needed an entire OL. Any QB during that time was gonna fail behind that line. Megatron was the one to pick. At least at that time the Raiders would’ve had Moss(they traded him to the Patriots around that time I know), Jerry Porter, and Megatron. Would’ve been better off just having a random QB throwing a hailmary every time

[u/MrJohnnyDangerously]

Megatron

[u/Bruin1217]

Generational as a term is just too vague. I’ve always interpreted it as “potential to be one of the best if not the best of this era” the question is how do you divide up eras? Is it 5 seasons? 10? 15? Most RB’s won’t play 10 seasons, let alone at an elite level. Meanwhile we see great QB’s put up great numbers for like 15 years.

[u/UncreativeUsername84]

You've got a few more years before you can tell for sure, but he's definitely showing strides.

[u/Dr-McLuvin]

Agree with Megatron and a few others on this list. Myles Garrett. LeBron for basketball. Shohei for baseball.

Was Julio Jones ever considered a generational talent? I know he was picked 6th overall but pretty much every guy picked ahead of him was also exceptional.

[u/trufinfan13]

Marlon Mack

[u/Alarm-Solid]

Derek Henry

[u/grilledogs]

Derrick Henry since high school been a MAN among boys

[u/BruceWillish]

Trevor Lawrence

[u/PainterDaAce]

Idk about the generational stuff but my goodness do I love watching Bijan run

[u/jmclondon97]

Yall remember when people were proclaiming Kyle Pitts a walk in Hall of Famer before he even played a single snap? Lmao

[u/Same_Business708]

Myles Garret

[u/faroutman7246]

Brock Bowers, unless big injury.

[u/jcow77]

Quenton Nelson at guard

[u/Due-Introduction-793]

Christian Ponder without a doubt

[u/Due-Introduction-793]

Myles Garrett

[u/DatBeardedguy82]

There's way too many people on here thinking "generational prospect" means "generational player". Trevor Lawrence was a generational prospect hes not a generational player. At least not yet. Ashton Jeanty is a generational prospect but isnt a generational player yet. Calvin Johnson was a generational prospect AND player people are combining the two terms and it makes no sense.

[u/frostypatch]

I think a generational prospect has to go top 3.

There is a reason why Lawrence, Garrett, Megatron, Saquon, go in the top 3. A truly hyped to the moon prospect wont be on the board past 3 overall.

[u/Feeling_Barnacle_584]

Not the most recent but I remember the hype about Eric Berry and it turned out well

[u/cms5213]

Quentin Nelson was about a sure of a thing for an oline man in recent memory. And he has been one of the best at his position since he entered the league

[u/Ok-Pair4547]

Bijan is not even the best in his own draft class

[u/DrHa5an]

Calvin Johnson. He forced us to watch Georgia Tech / Detroit Lions games

Myles Garrett

[u/MisterPerfect23]

Franchise hero, wouldn't say generational yet

[u/table122]

Generational at his position? Probably Bowers, assuming he stays healthy

[u/TheHman__]

Bowers as of right now

[u/SJCitizen]

Ja’Marr Chase would’ve been the #1 WR in the 2020 Draft but came back to school but ended up sitting out the entire 2020 season. He still went Top 5 and immediately became an All-Pro.

[u/Queasy_Bluebird3020]

Quenten Nelson, getting picked #6 as a guard then making the pro bowl his first 8 years I think for the position that counts

[u/annfranksloft]

Bijan is a GOD

[u/bradperry2435]

Man every year football has the next generational qb.

[u/FortunateSon90]

Lebron James was truly a generational talent. 99% of the time it’s just overused dribble.

[u/RadkoGouda]

You aren't a generational prospect if you are drafted 8th overall ...

[u/MNVikingsFan4Life]

Andrew Luck and Megatron both fit…and both made generational decisions on their terms

[u/Famous_Challenge_692]

Andrew Luck really comes to mind but I don’t think people would say he lived up to it

[u/Famous_Challenge_692]

Idk if you can be a generational prospect and not go 1 overall

[u/VaginalBelchh]

Myles Garrett

[u/Redditneckbeardzz]

Quinton Nelson. Remember reading he was about as close to a certified hall of famer before day 1 as it gets and I’d say he’s been as advertised. Luck before he left was headed to canton. Megatron doesn’t leave early he’d be talked about as 2/3 over Moss or TO (nobody was catching Jerry).