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Tom Brady was drafted in the sixth-round, 199th overall, by the New England Patriots in the 2000 NFL Draft, and, of course, became the best and most decorated player in the history of the league.
Brady spent the first 20 years of his NFL career in New England before moving to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. He has won a record seven Super Bowl titles, along with 15 Pro Bowl appearances and three MVP awards.
Brady announced his retirement following the conclusion of the 2021 season, but in a shocking turn of events, announced his intention to return for the 2022 season in March of this year.
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Despite this, coming out of college, Tom Brady wasn’t seen as a top prospect, and there were a total of six quarterbacks taken before him in the 2000 draft, none of whom have had the same level of success in the league when compared to Tom Brady.
All the quarterbacks picked before Tom Brady in the NFL Draft
#1 - Chad Pennington, Round 1, Pick 18th
Chad Pennington was the first quarterback selected in the 2000 draft, taken 18th overall by the New York Jets. The Marshall signal-caller was seen as, by far and away, the top quarterback prospect of the class, and he went on to forge an 11-year career in the NFL. Pennington spent time with both the Jets and the Miami Dolphins, passing for 102 career touchdowns against 64 interceptions with a 44-37 record as a starter. However, he only managed to play a full season twice in his career, often struggling with injuries.
He also won the Comeback Player of the Year twice and finished second in the MVP voting in 2008, after leading the Dolphins to the AFC East title, but the award was ultimately won by Peyton Manning.
#2 - Giovanni Carmazzi, Round 3, Pick 65
The San Francisco 49ers selected Giovanni Carmazzi out of Hofstra with their third-round selection in 2000. They picked him over Tom Brady, who was a lifelong 49ers fan. Carmazzi would be a career backup in the NFL, never appearing in a regular-season game.
He played for the 49ers in the 2000 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, but only completed three out of seven passes in a 20-0 loss. After leaving San Francisco, Carmazzi would spend time in NFL Europe with Rhein Fire before playing for the BC Lions and Calgary Stampeders in the CFL.
In a 2011 ESPN documentary made about the six quarterbacks taken before Tom Brady, it was reported that Carmazzi was a yoga practitioner who owned five goats and had no television.
#3 - Chris Redman, Round 3, Pick 75
Unlike Carmazzi, Chris Redman would see an NFL field after being taken by the Baltimore Ravens with the 75th overall selection. The Louisville quarterback was never a starter during his career, having spent time as a backup in Baltimore, never overthrowing Trent Dilfur and Tony Banks on the depth chart.
Redman would see the most success with the Atlanta Falcons, where he spent four years as Matt Ryan’s backup before retiring in 2011.
He also spent time with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in 2005, albeit as a practice squad member.
All the quarterbacks picked before Tom Brady in the NFL Draft
#4 - Tee Martin, Round 5, Pick 163
Tee Martin was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 163rd overall pick of the 2000 draft after starring for Tennessee at college. However, his career in the NFL wasn’t so fruitful, as he only spent one year in Pittsburgh, before moving to Rhein Fire in NFL Europe. Martin would also play for the Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders afterwards, but would only complete six career passes in the pros.
He has found more success in the coaching game and currently serves as the wide receivers coach for the Baltimore Ravens, but his playing career in the NFL will ultimately go down as a disappointment.
#5 - Marc Bulger, Round 6, Pick 168
Marc Bulger was the first quarterback drafted in the same round as Tom Brady, as the New Orleans Saints drafted him in round-six with the 168th overall selection. Bugler went on to have one of the best careers of the quarterbacks on this list, playing for the Saints, Atlanta Falcons, St. Louis Rams and Baltimore Ravens in a career that spanned 10 years.
Bulger would see most of his success in St. Louis, where he played from 2000-2009, and made two Pro Bowls in 2003 and 2006.
Bulger would, however, struggle with injuries and inconstancy during his time in the NFL, and ended his career with a 41-54 record as a starter, passing for 122 touchdowns against 93 interceptions.
#6 - Spergon Wynn, Round 6, Pick 183
The final quarterback selected before Tom Brady in the 2000 draft was Spergon Wynn, who was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 183rd overall selection, just 17 picks before the Greatest of All-Time was drafted. Wynn’s career in the pros was nothing short of a disaster, as he only spent one year in Cleveland, where he started only one game, a 48-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Wynn, like many others on this list, spent time in NFL Europe with the Amsterdam Admirals before re-joining the NFL where he joined the Minnesota Vikings. However, he only passed for one touchdown against six interceptions while in Minneapolis.
Wynn would spend time in the CFL, with the BC Lions, Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Toronto Argonauts before calling time on his playing career in 2006.
