When Was The Last Time A Generational Player Actually Turned Out To Be Generational

Also... if you define "generational prospects" as dudes like Calvin Johnson or Andrew Luck, where they aren't just the best player at their position in years but are the best prospect at any position in years, and scouts are practically tailoring their gold jacket before they even take an NFL snap. Then I think the only guys in recent drafts who fit that bill are Myles Garrett and maybe Trevor Lawrence.
 
True generational prospects? You are talking guys that come around once inna generational. So there should only be a couple playing at any given time. Here are the guys I consider the last generational prospects at each position

QB: Luck. I think Lawrence was just south of generational as a prospect. Close though

HB: Barkley

WR: Megatron. Some great prospects since, but none are true "generational"

OT: Probably Jake Long. Joe Thomas could be considered as well. Which would be odd because the went in back to back drafts. You may have to go all the way back to Orlando Pace, who was a Heisman candidate

OG: Quinton Nelson. Very rare OG prospect. Best I can remember

OC: None

DE/3-4 OLB: Myles Garrett

DT: Suh. And that might be a stretch. May have to go all the way back to Dan Wilkerson

LB: Gotta go all the way back to Lavar Arrington

CB: Patrick Peterson

S: Eric Berry
 
My thinking was players that fans and media called generational in college, in the last 20 years. That actually became once in 20 year players. Garrett and Megatron come to mind. Luck didn’t have the longevity.
 
Megatron, Garrett are the two who leap to mind in the last decade or so. Bowers and Chase possibly will be considered that way by the end of their careers.
 
stilltheguru said:
He's generational. It's other overrated pass rushers who don't deserve that tag but myles deserves it.
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is he a rare talent? what's the physical or athletic ability that sets him apart? is he a great player? yes, I will name you a lot of great players that are not generational. but great players.
he has good skills, but has he fundamentally redefined the Defensive end position? I am not sure he has. again, great player.
is he close to being generational talent? perhaps. but right now IMHO, he is not generational.

Deion sanders was generational on defense? he was lock down, took half the field away, had rare size and speed and smarts and he also was a great return player and had offensive talent.
Barry Sanders was generational. the way he ran, unlike any other RB. there hasn't been anyone like him. his style, speed, vision, ability to make people miss, make something out of nothing, take it to the house each and every time he touched the ball. that's generational.
Reggie White was generational. size, speed, skills, smart, ability, agility, could play anywhere on the line but was devastating as a DE. redefined the DE position for a long time.
Lawrence taylor. redefined 34 OLB. terror. 4.3 speed, but with size and agility unseen for the time. he was a big LB and for the time he played he was very big. a DE, playing LB, that could run down WRs.

like I said, garrett comes close perhaps, but has he redefined the position? is his skills, size, speed and athletic ability unseen in a generation?
 
Robbieac said:
Lol.

In only 9 seasons….

Garrett has the NFL single season sacks record,
7 times all Pro,
7 times pro Bowl,
2 Time Defensive MVP after this season,
And will be top 5 all time in sacks in about 2 years.

If that isn’t the definition of a generational player…..what is?
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was bruce smith generational? he had similar stats
was michale strahan generational? he had similar stats
was JJ Watt generational? he had similar stats
How about Juluis peppers? 9 probowls
Dwight freeney? was he generational?

all of the above were great players. but were they generational?
I can name a few more. how about charles Haley?

generational is like Lawrence Taylor.... once in a generation. those stats, I just named 6 other players that are similar. do we have 3,4 generational players each decade?

that's watering down the generational type
 
CowboysFaninHouston said:
is he a rare talent? what's the physical or athletic ability that sets him apart? is he a great player? yes, I will name you a lot of great players that are not generational. but great players.
he has good skills, but has he fundamentally redefined the Defensive end position? I am not sure he has. again, great player.
is he close to being generational talent? perhaps. but right now IMHO, he is not generational.

Deion sanders was generational on defense? he was lock down, took half the field away, had rare size and speed and smarts and he also was a great return player and had offensive talent.
Barry Sanders was generational. the way he ran, unlike any other RB. there hasn't been anyone like him. his style, speed, vision, ability to make people miss, make something out of nothing, take it to the house each and every time he touched the ball. that's generational.
Reggie White was generational. size, speed, skills, smart, ability, agility, could play anywhere on the line but was devastating as a DE. redefined the DE position for a long time.
Lawrence taylor. redefined 34 OLB. terror. 4.3 speed, but with size and agility unseen for the time. he was a big LB and for the time he played he was very big. a DE, playing LB, that could run down WRs.

like I said, garrett comes close perhaps, but has he redefined the position? is his skills, size, speed and athletic ability unseen in a generation?
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Generational is say once in 20 years
LT and Deion are players a step above that- changed the position
so you need to get with the definition better
 
CowboysFaninHouston said:
is he a rare talent? what's the physical or athletic ability that sets him apart? is he a great player? yes, I will name you a lot of great players that are not generational. but great players.
he has good skills, but has he fundamentally redefined the Defensive end position? I am not sure he has. again, great player.
is he close to being generational talent? perhaps. but right now IMHO, he is not generational.

Deion sanders was generational on defense? he was lock down, took half the field away, had rare size and speed and smarts and he also was a great return player and had offensive talent.
Barry Sanders was generational. the way he ran, unlike any other RB. there hasn't been anyone like him. his style, speed, vision, ability to make people miss, make something out of nothing, take it to the house each and every time he touched the ball. that's generational.
Reggie White was generational. size, speed, skills, smart, ability, agility, could play anywhere on the line but was devastating as a DE. redefined the DE position for a long time.
Lawrence taylor. redefined 34 OLB. terror. 4.3 speed, but with size and agility unseen for the time. he was a big LB and for the time he played he was very big. a DE, playing LB, that could run down WRs.

like I said, garrett comes close perhaps, but has he redefined the position? is his skills, size, speed and athletic ability unseen in a generation?
Click to expand...
Yes myles is a rare talent. You haven't seen someone his size with those movements since Julius peppers which was a different generation.
 
Garrett at his size shouldn't be as quick or fast as he is, even to this day.

Definitely generational, IMO

Outside of him, I think the rest of the current top NFL players are elite but below that cusp.
 
CowboysFaninHouston said:
is he a rare talent? what's the physical or athletic ability that sets him apart? is he a great player? yes, I will name you a lot of great players that are not generational. but great players.
he has good skills, but has he fundamentally redefined the Defensive end position? I am not sure he has. again, great player.
is he close to being generational talent? perhaps. but right now IMHO, he is not generational.

Deion sanders was generational on defense? he was lock down, took half the field away, had rare size and speed and smarts and he also was a great return player and had offensive talent.
Barry Sanders was generational. the way he ran, unlike any other RB. there hasn't been anyone like him. his style, speed, vision, ability to make people miss, make something out of nothing, take it to the house each and every time he touched the ball. that's generational.
Reggie White was generational. size, speed, skills, smart, ability, agility, could play anywhere on the line but was devastating as a DE. redefined the DE position for a long time.
Lawrence taylor. redefined 34 OLB. terror. 4.3 speed, but with size and agility unseen for the time. he was a big LB and for the time he played he was very big. a DE, playing LB, that could run down WRs.

like I said, garrett comes close perhaps, but has he redefined the position? is his skills, size, speed and athletic ability unseen in a generation?
Click to expand...
You’re overthinking (and frankly babbling too).

‘Generational’ is used of a player who is the best (either singularly, or along with one or two others at the same elite level) of his generation. That’s literally what ‘generational’ means.

So who, within Garrett’s generation, has been a better edge rusher, over the span of their career, than he has?

He’s a generational player, period.
 
I'll go with the definition that they were claimed to be generational and actually achieved expectations.

However, what would be an indication of being generational. The word does get thrown around a lot. Why would have to happen for them to be truly considered generational?

First of all, their talent and potential would have to be universally accepted. Everybody agrees, this guy is the stud coming out of college. Big things are expected.

Teams don't pass on guys like that. If a college player is "generational", then he is getting drafted first. I would say that he would be the 1st non-quarterback taken if he is not a quarterback.

Thinking about it, "generational" implies he was the best player at his position during a 25-year span. Technically, you could only list two WRs during a 50-year span.

Then how would we define success, that is, he achieved the expectations in some statistical way and/or in the number of important games in which he contributed.

I think one way to identify an active generational player is immediate, constant, impactful and superior productivity.

How many players drafted in the top 5 overall made all five Pro Bowls in their first five seasons?

These are steep requirements but we are talking about generational players. they were highlty sought and they highly achieved.

It turns out that, since the Cowboys joined the league in 1960, there have been 11 of these players. That is exclusive enough to be considered generational.

The players that were top 5 draft picks that went to the Pro Bowkl in all five of their first seasons:

DT Merlin Olsen

LB Dick Butkus

DT Joe Greene

DB Mike Haynes

LB Lawrence Taylor

LB Derrick Thomas

RB Barry Sanders

OT Joe Thomas

CB Patrick Peterson

WR A.J. Green

WR Jamarr Chase

If I'm not mistaken, only Joe Thomas and the two active receivers are not in the Hall of Fame
 
plasticman said:
I'll go with the definition that they were claimed to be generational and actually achieved expectations.

However, what would be an indication of being generational. The word does get thrown around a lot. Why would have to happen for them to be truly considered generational?

First of all, their talent and potential would have to be universally accepted. Everybody agrees, this guy is the stud coming out of college. Big things are expected.

Teams don't pass on guys like that. If a college player is "generational", then he is getting drafted first. I would say that he would be the 1st non-quarterback taken if he is not a quarterback.

Thinking about it, "generational" implies he was the best player at his position during a 25-year span. Technically, you could only list two WRs during a 50-year span.

Then how would we define success, that is, he achieved the expectations in some statistical way and/or in the number of important games in which he contributed.

I think one way to identify an active generational player is immediate, constant, impactful and superior productivity.

How many players drafted in the top 5 overall made all five Pro Bowls in their first five seasons?

These are steep requirements but we are talking about generational players. they were highlty sought and they highly achieved.

It turns out that, since the Cowboys joined the league in 1960, there have been 11 of these players. That is exclusive enough to be considered generational.

The players that were top 5 draft picks that went to the Pro Bowkl in all five of their first seasons:

DT Merlin Olsen

LB Dick Butkus

DT Joe Greene

DB Mike Haynes

LB Lawrence Taylor

LB Derrick Thomas

RB Barry Sanders

OT Joe Thomas

CB Patrick Peterson

WR A.J. Green

WR Jamarr Chase

If I'm not mistaken, only Joe Thomas and the two active receivers are not in the Hall of Fame
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Generation is commonly defined as 20 years
So Generational should be defined the same way
That said, it should be someone picked at least in the top 5, and honestly should be 1 or 2 at the least

Pro Bowl stopped meaning a lot some time ago; honestly I would say the early 90's and should NEVER be counted unless you were the first choice; no substitutions

All Pro is the gold standard

Bottom line is he comes in from rookie year on shining like a searchlight
and keeps getting better
to where he is accepted as the best at his position

oF that list I would not put Peterson or Chase as worthy of it

You look at the very best at each position and well, Brady and Montana are it at QB pretty much; neither one came out of college generational
Emmitt Smith certainly was not considered that
Larry Allen came in unknown

generational does not mean all time. Mahomes is the current gold standard at QB and he was what the 10th pick and no one thought he would be what he became.

Megatron came in and was exactly that; honestly since then the list is pretty thin
Barry Sander and who else?
 
CowboysFaninHouston said:
was bruce smith generational? he had similar stats
was michale strahan generational? he had similar stats
was JJ Watt generational? he had similar stats
How about Juluis peppers? 9 probowls
Dwight freeney? was he generational?

all of the above were great players. but were they generational?
I can name a few more. how about charles Haley?

generational is like Lawrence Taylor.... once in a generation. those stats, I just named 6 other players that are similar. do we have 3,4 generational players each decade?

that's watering down the generational type
Click to expand...
Just stop.

Myles Garrett was the #1 pick in the draft, and he has been far and away the best DE in the league for the past decade while setting new records at the same time. He is already one of the greatest players of all time, and he has many more years of high-level play left in him.

That is the very definition of a generational talent. My friendly advice to you is to admit that you are wrong and walk away from this discussion.
 
gtb1943 said:
Generation is commonly defined as 20 years
So Generational should be defined the same way
That said, it should be someone picked at least in the top 5, and honestly should be 1 or 2 at the least

Pro Bowl stopped meaning a lot some time ago; honestly I would say the early 90's and should NEVER be counted unless you were the first choice; no substitutions

All Pro is the gold standard

Bottom line is he comes in from rookie year on shining like a searchlight
and keeps getting better
to where he is accepted as the best at his position

oF that list I would not put Peterson or Chase as worthy of it

You look at the very best at each position and well, Brady and Montana are it at QB pretty much; neither one came out of college generational
Emmitt Smith certainly was not considered that
Larry Allen came in unknown

generational does not mean all time. Mahomes is the current gold standard at QB and he was what the 10th pick and no one thought he would be what he became.

Megatron came in and was exactly that; honestly since then the list is pretty thin
Barry Sander and who else?
Click to expand...
I would include HOFer Earl Campbell, #1 overall pick and first three season 1st team All-Pro as well as Pro Bowl five of his first six seasons.
 
Robbieac said:
Just stop.

Myles Garrett was the #1 pick in the draft, and he has been far and away the best DE in the league for the past decade while setting new records at the same time. He is already one of the greatest players of all time, and he has many more years of high-level play left in him.

That is the very definition of a generational talent. My friendly advice to you is to admit that you are wrong and walk away from this discussion.
Click to expand...
You are entitled to your opinion.
I never said he wasn't great.
Just not generational.
 
Its likely just because of the definition.

Some use generational as "top 5 at the position over the next 20 years".

I use generational as the one guy who just stands out above all the others to play that position at the same time. That generation of players at whatever position has a #1 thats simply better than everyone else.

I dont even personally care what their college career or draft hype looked like. And maybe even the stats dont show it, but you can still see the tangibles are just above everyone else.

Now, maybe I have a flawed definition and you disagree, but here are some that I consider generational.

Adrian Peterson
Chris Johnson
Calvin Johnson
Patrick Mahomes
Tyron Smith
Luke Kuechly
Darrell Revis
Troy Polamalu
Devin Hester
Russell Wilson
 
plasticman said:
I would include HOFer Earl Campbell, #1 overall pick and first three season 1st team All-Pro as well as Pro Bowl five of his first six seasons.
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I can grok that
that run against the Rams is an all time epic play!
 
65fastback2plus2 said:
Its likely just because of the definition.

Some use generational as "top 5 at the position over the next 20 years".

I use generational as the one guy who just stands out above all the others to play that position at the same time. That generation of players at whatever position has a #1 thats simply better than everyone else.

I dont even personally care what their college career or draft hype looked like. And maybe even the stats dont show it, but you can still see the tangibles are just above everyone else.

Now, maybe I have a flawed definition and you disagree, but here are some that I consider generational.

Adrian Peterson
Chris Johnson
Calvin Johnson
Patrick Mahomes
Tyron Smith
Luke Kuechly
Darrell Revis
Troy Polamalu
Devin Hester
Russell Wilson
Click to expand...
Well I thought this conversation was about college players projected to be great, HOF, etc when they were picked and then lived up to it
now on that list I would honestly only put Megatron, Mahomes, Revis
Russel Wilson was CERTAINLY NOT GENERATIONAL
 
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