Hello. I tried to name the best draft pick st every single selection — 1 through 262 — in the modern draft era https://t.co/negOi1PPc2
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) July 3, 2025
The Washington Huskies have a long history of churning out quarterbacks for the NFL ranks. On Thursday, ESPN’s Ben Solak recognized former UW standout Mark Brunell on a unique list, where he named the top all-time player at each slot in the NFL draft.
Solak named Brunell as the best selection of all time at No. 118 after he was taken in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers following four years on Montlake, where he threw for 3,423 yards and 23 touchdowns.
However, he spent just two years with the organization before he became the first trade acquisition for the newly minted Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995.
The left-hander was named to the Pro Bowl three times in his first five years of playing for the team and went 41-17 as a starter after going 3-7 in the team’s first season. He led the NFL in passing yards in 1996, throwing for 4,367 as the Jaguars finished No. 2 in the then-AFC Central in their second year in the league.
He remained with the Jaguars through the 2003 season, throwing for 25,698 yards, which still stands as the team record. After departing from Jacksonville, he played seven more seasons in New Orleans, Washington, and with the New York Jets, totalling 17 years in the NFL before retiring at the end of the 2011 season.
Now, after eight years coaching at Episcopal School of Jacksonville, Brunell is back in the NFL as a coach. He’s acted as the quarterbacks coach for Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions since 2021, aiding in the turnaround of Jared Goff’s career.