Recently I posted an item showing the track record of quarterbacks selected in the first round of NFL drafts. It's where most of the league's starters (good and bad) come from. Now here are the best seasons turned in by quarterbacks drafted outside the first round -- if drafted at all.

Predictably, it's rarer to come up with success stories . Since 2000, 33 different quarterbacks have made it into the top 12 at the position, so about 1.5 per season. A handful of those guys are Hall of Famers (current or future) who did it multiple times: Brady, Brees, Favre, Warner, maybe Russell Wilson, and (less likely) Tony Romo. Another Cowboy, Dak Prescott, can perhaps move up into that general area.

But the vast majority are guys who had just a couple or a few good seasons, or in many cases just one. Tyler Thigpen, Derek Anderson, Jay Fiedler, Shaun King. Weren't drafted in the first round then, wouldn't be drafted in the first round now.

In the table, I've listed those 33 quarterbacks who had at least one top-12 fantasy season, with their best ones (FF rank) shown. Last year a pair of second-rounders, Derek Carr and Jalen Hurts, had their best seasons. In the last decade, five other non-first-rounders did so: Prescott, Cousins, Wilson, Dalton, Brees. But about half of the names on the list did it in the first few years of the century. It's increasingly rare.

TOP 12 QUARTERBACKS, 2000-PRESENT (NON-1ST RD)
RdYearPlayerCmpAttYdsTDIntPPRRk
22021Derek Carr, L.V.42862648042314343.012
22021Jalen Hurts, Phil.2654323144169365.69
42019Dak Prescott, Dall.38859649023011412.83
42017Kirk Cousins, Was.34754040932713354.64
32017Russell Wilson, Sea.33955339833411415.81
22013Andy Dalton, Cin.36358642933320377.03
22012Drew Brees, N.O.42267051774319437.41
72011Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buff.35356938322423311.111
32009Matt Schaub, Hou.39658347702915362.23
42008David Garrard, Jac.33553536201513285.69
72008Matt Cassel, N.E.32751636932111311.78
72008Tyler Thigpen, K.C.23042026081812271.712
62007Derek Anderson, Cle.29852737872919332.45
62007Tom Brady, N.E.3985784806508462.11
FA2007Tony Romo, Dall.33552042113619379.52
62006Marc Bulger, St.L.3705884301248317.55
FA2006Jon Kitna, Det.37259642082122322.03
22004Jake Plummer, Den.30352140892720338.75
82004Trent Green, K.C.36955645912717348.14
FA2004Jake Delhomme, Car.31053338862915327.47
92003Brad Johnson, T.B.35457038112621299.79
62003Matt Hasselbeck, Sea.31351338412615320.63
42002Rich Gannon, Oak.41861846892610376.12
42001Aaron Brooks, N.O.31255838322622339.44
22001Brett Favre, G.B.31451039213215337.75
22001Kordell Stewart, Pitt.26644231091411295.210
FA2001Jay Fiedler, Mia.27345032902019300.69
FA2001Jeff Garcia, S.F.31650435383212364.32
FA2001Kurt Warner, St.L.37554648303622393.51
82000Elvis Grbac, K.C.32654741692814337.56
52000Mark Brunell, Jac.31151236402014299.67
22000Shaun King, T.B.23342827691813277.812
42000Steve Beuerlein, Car.32453337301918281.19

From the 2022 NFL Draft, I'm expecting just a couple of first-round quarterbacks: Kenny Pickett, who's going to Carolina unless someone jumps ahead of them to take him, and Malik Willis. The other top prospects -- Matt Corral (pictured), Desmond Ridder, perhaps Sam Howell or Carson Strong -- I'm not sure there's another first-rounder. Teams who select them will need to hope they've pulled the next Derek Carr or Dak Prescott. Or maybe Favre or Brady.

--Andy Richardson