In terms of athleticism, Bobby Bell was well ahead of his time as he was a larger athlete (though he would not be considered that today) with blistering speed.  Bell was named the Outland Trophy winner at the University of Minnesota and when the Chiefs drafted him late in the 1963 Draft they may not have expected to sign him, but luckily for them, they did. 

Tony Gonzalez is arguably the greatest Tight End in NFL history and even if you don’t agree with that you can’t dispute that he was the most successful in terms of offensive potency.

Derrick Thomas was the fourth overall Draft Pick out of The University of Alabama where he was the Butkus Award winner as the nation’s top Linebacker.  That defensive prowess translated to the pro game immediately as he would be named the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1989 and was chosen for what would be his first of nine Pro Bowls.  In his second season, he solidified himself as an elite defensive player in the league by going to what would be his first of three straight First Team All Pros and he would also lead the NFL in Sacks that year.

We certainly could have made a case for Len Dawson at the top of this list.  There is also merit to stating that Dawson was the greatest Quarterback in the AFL throughout the 1960’s.