This Sunday's matchup between Jared Goff and Carson Wentz -- oh, and the rest of their teams -- represents a rarity in NFL history. The pair is one of only seven quarterback duos to be drafted No. 1 and 2 during the common draft era (since 1967), and in no other instance have both experienced this degree of success so soon -- if at all.
As the playoff push accelerates, Goff has the Los Angeles Rams (9-3) atop the NFC West. Wentz's Philadelphia Eagles (10-2) can clinch the NFC East as early as this week. Both rank among the NFL's top 11 in passing yards and touchdowns, and if Wentz wins the NFL's Most Valuable Player Award -- he finished second in the latest edition of our MVP Poll -- he would join Peyton Manning as the only quarterback drafted No. 1 or 2 in the common era to receive that honor. Manning, though, didn't win his first of five MVPs until his sixth season.
Goff's and Wentz's success stands out in particular to the mostly desultory history of quarterbacks taken at the top of drafts. None have made the Hall of Fame, although Manning is a lock when he is eligible in 2021, and at least four can safely be called busts. You'll find that the early success of Goff and Wentz already stands apart from their predecessors, though that history shouldn't be stunning given the general ineptitude of teams typically at the top of the draft.
What follows is an attempt to rank the six previous duos, using balanced success as the primary category. (Pro Football Reference provides an amazing database for this type of information.)
1. Jim Plunkett and Archie Manning: 1971
By Year 2: The New England Patriots went 9-20 in 1971-72 with Plunkett as their starter. He threw 41 interceptions over that span. Manning's New Orleans Saints were 5-16-3 in his starts as he was sacked a league-high 83 times in 26 total games.
Overall: Manning became a two-time Pro Bowl player for a Saints franchise that never managed a winning record during his 11-year tenure. When he retired in 1984, after stops in Houston and Minnesota, his career total of 23,911 passing yards ranked No. 7 in NFL history. Plunkett, meanwhile, found career success with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, leading them to victories in Super Bowls XV and XVII. Plunkett and Manning represent the only duo on this list that both developed into long-term starters for any franchise.
2. Drew Bledsoe and Rick Mirer: 1993
By Year 2: Bledsoe led the NFL with 4,555 passing yards in 1994 for the Patriots and was named to the Pro Bowl. Mirer was less established, but still managed to start 29 of the Seattle Seahawks' 32 games, during which the team compiled an 11-18 record.
Overall: Bledsoe was a four-time Pro Bowl player over his 14-year career that included stints with three teams. He was famously unseated as the Patriots' starter by Tom Brady in 2001, but when he retired after the 2006 season, Bledsoe's 44,611 passing yards ranked No. 6 in NFL history. The Seahawks gave up on Mirer after four seasons as their primary quarterback. They were 20-31 in games he started. Mirer made stops in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and Oakland before retiring in 2004. If anything, however, a 12-year career span stands out relative to this list.
3. Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III: 2012
By Year 2: Both players were instant sensations. Luck earned Pro Bowl honors in each of his first two seasons, leading the Indianapolis Colts to a pair of playoff appearances. Griffin was arguably better than Luck in their rookie year -- he was named Offensive Rookie of the Year -- throwing 20 touchdown passes and rushing for 815 yards to lead the Washington Redskins to a rare playoff appearance.
Overall: Neither has played in 2017. Griffin's football world crashed after his magical rookie season and Luck's career has been derailed by three years of injuries. Griffin rushed his return from knee surgery in 2013 and hasn't played since an aborted run as the Cleveland Browns' 2016 starter, in which he started only five games in total. Luck missed nine games in 2015, was less effective last season and will miss the 2017 season. While there is optimism that Luck can return to previous form in 2018, Griffin's career is presumed to be over after 40 career starts.
4. Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota: 2015
By Year 2: Both players had winning records in their starts by the end of their second year. Mariota (8-7) threw 26 touchdown passes to have the Tennessee Titans in playoff contention. Winston (9-7) threw for more than 4,000 yards in each of his first two seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Overall: The trajectory has straightened in Year 3. Although the Titans are 8-3 and atop the AFC South, Mariota has struggled with interceptions, throwing 12 against 10 touchdowns in 11 starts. Winston has navigated a shoulder injury and the Buccaneers are just 2-7 in his starts. Their teams remain firmly committed to them as starters, but it's undeniable that Winston and Mariota have stepped backward during a season in which there was hope they would break through as elite-level passers.
5. Tim Couch and Donovan McNabb: 1999
By Year 2: Couch lost 17 of his first 21 starts with the Browns and missed nine games in his second year because of a broken thumb. McNabb fared much better, making the 2000 Pro Bowl in his first full season as a starter for the Eagles.
Overall: Couch's career was derailed by injuries and ended after the 2004 season. He did help lead the Browns to the playoffs in 2002, their only appearance in the past 19 years, but backup Kelly Holcomb started that game. Couch's injuries and ultimate failure kicked off what has been a disastrous return to the NFL for the franchise. McNabb, on the other hand, was the Eagles' starter for a decade. He earned six trips to the Pro Bowl, took them to five NFC championship games and an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIX. He was by far the best of a 1999 quarterback class that included five first-round draft picks.
6. Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf: 1998
By Year 2: The diametric contrast between the two players had already emerged. Manning rebounded from a 28-interception rookie season to throw for 4,135 yards and make the Pro Bowl for the Colts in 1999. Leaf followed a disastrous rookie season -- two touchdown passes and 15 interceptions with the San Diego Chargers -- by missing all of 1999 with a shoulder injury.
Overall: This story has been well told. Manning was one of the best players in NFL history, a five-time MVP and two-time Super Bowl champion. Leaf was one of the NFL's all-time flameouts. He returned to the Chargers in 2000, but struggled once again, throwing 18 interceptions in 11 games and endearing himself to no one with a surly personality. He parted ways with the Chargers after the season and threw his last NFL pass a year later for the Dallas Cowboys. The Colts' decision to choose Manning over Leaf, which was hotly debated at the time, proved one of the most fortuitous choices in league history. While Manning is the best player on the list, Leaf was the worst. When judging by class balance, this one deserves bottom billing.