Peyton Manning named by ESPN as the elite top dog above 14 Hall of Famers in the most pressure-packed spot in NFL history

The top pick of the NFL Draft is filled with lots of dollar signs and attention, but with a level of pressure that no other player takes on.  That's double the case when the top pick is a quarterback.  And many players have folded under that pressure or otherwise failed to live up to those expectations. 

And then there's Tennessee Vols legend Peyton Manning.  The VFL was taken with the first overall pick of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts, and despite the call by some to take former Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf, the Colts' pick of Manning turned out to be one of the smartest and easiest picks in league history, dramatically changing the direction of the franchise. 

So good, in fact, that ESPN named Manning the top #1 NFL draft pick off all time.  The network put out a list of the best players at each draft position in the modern draft era - 1 through 262 - and Manning came in as the best #1 overall draft pick ever, and ahead of some very, very esteemed company. 

Fourteen Hall of Famers have been selected with the first overall pick since the draft began in 1936, including Bruce Smith, Orlando Pace, John Elway, Terry Bradshaw and Earl Campbell. (By the time Myles Garrett is done, we'll be well on our way to the 15th.) As such, selecting a winner for the best No. 1 pick ever is the splitting of fine hairs, but Peyton Manning gets my nod. Five MVPs, two Super Bowl championships (with two different teams) and still-standing records for single-season passing touchdowns (55) and single-season passing yardage (5,477) is an impossible résumé to knock. - Ben Solak, ESPN

There's undoubtedly some terrific talent that heard their names called first in the NFL Draft, with Troy Aikman also a top pick to add to the names Solak mentioned.  Some of the best of all time at their positions filled those big shoes of being the top overall pick and lived up to the hype. 

But none more so than Manning.  The Colts evolved from up and down fringe playoff contender in the 1990s to a perennial playoff team with championship aspirations for the next decade-plus on the strength of Manning's golden arm and Indianapolis' elite passing attack featuring Marvin Harrison, Jr., Reggie Wayne, and Dallas Clark.

In addition to two Super Bowl rings in Indy and Denver, the former Vol earned 14 Pro Bowl nods, 7 First Team All-Pro selections, and 5 MVP trophies. He held a slew of NFL records at the time of his retirement following the 2015 season, including career passing yards (71,940), touchdown passes (539), 4000+ yard passing seasons (14), consecutive seasons with at least 25 touchdown passes (13), and game-winning drives (54). 

An untouchable resume among all who entered their professional careers with a bullseye on their back.  Ironic for someone who threw darts for 17 years.