The 1944 2nd Overall Draft Pick from the University of Wisconsin, Pat Harder, lived up to the hype. He helped the Chicago Cardinals win the 1947 NFL Championship and earned First Team All-Pro honors for three consecutive years.

Playing at fullback and also serving as the Cardinals’ placekicker, Harder became the first player in NFL history to exceed 100 points in three straight years (1947-49). Blessed with power and speed, Harder had soft receiving hands and accumulated 3,880 yards from scrimmage over eight seasons, a decent number for his time. UPI named Harder MVP in 1948, and his overall accomplishments earned him a spot on the 1940s All-Decade Team.

Harder's success continued into the 1950s, as he went to the Pro Bowl in 1950. He then joined the Detroit Lions for his final three years, where he helped them win the NFL Championship in both 1952 and 1953 and was a Pro Bowler in the first of those two years.

Del Shofner was a remarkable receiver and a member of the 1960s All-Decade Team. He earned this status through outstanding play from 1958 to 1963, during which he was named a First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection in every year except 1960.

During his time with the Los Angeles Rams, Shofner topped the NFL in Receiving Yards in 1958 with 1,097, and finished second in the following year with 936. In 1960, he was relegated more to punting duties, but after joining the New York Giants, he regained his place as an elite receiver. In his first three years with the Giants, Shofner had at least 1,100 Receiving Yards and finished in the top four in that metric. Although he never had a stretch close to that again, his reputation as one of the top offensive skill players and deep ball threats of his era earns him a high spot on this list.

Marshall Goldberg was a major star at the University of Pittsburgh, and he would ply his trade well for the Chicago Cardinals.  Goldberg did it all in the early 1940s, especially in the 1941 season, when he rushed for 427 Yards, received passes for 313 yards, and was the top finisher in Kick Return Yards (290), earning him the league lead in All-Purpose Yards (1,236) and a Pro Bowl Selection.  He would finish fifth in All-Purpose Yards in 1942.

Like many NFL players, he served his country in World War II, and when he came back, he rejoined Chicago and helped them win the NFL Championship in 1947.  Historically speaking, Goldberg was one of the first Jewish stars of the NFL.

From the University of Mississippi, Larry Grantham was a second-round pick by the New York Titans in 1960 (a 15^th-round pick in the NFL) and a member of the original team. 

Grantham would be a great choice for the Titans (soon to be Jets), as he was one of the best linebackers the organization ever had and the backbone of their defense throughout the 1960s.  The tackling factory went on an immediate streak of five First Team All-Pro Selections, with Second Team Selections in three of the next four seasons.  He was part of the Jets' shocking Super Bowl III win, and the tackling machine spent 13 years with the Jets, where he was a model of consistency.