The Cardinals, who began as a franchise in 1898, have been drafting players since 1936. Here's a look at the best draft picks by position for the Cardinals:
OFFENSE
Quarterback: Neil Lomax, second round, 1981, Portland State. There hasn't been a more productive quarterback who was drafted by the franchise than Lomax. Among drafted quarterbacks, he has the most passing yards in a career and a season, the most attempts in a career and the most touchdown passes in a career.
Running back: Ottis Anderson, first round, 1979, Miami. Anderson is the Cardinals' all-time leading rusher in both career yards, yards in a season and career touchdowns. He also has the most carries for any Cardinals running back.
Wide receiver: Larry Fitzgerald, first round, 2004, Pittsburgh. If there was a complete, obvious, undoubted no-brainer of a choice, it's Fitzgerald. He's the best player, not just receiver, but player, in franchise history -- and he's still playing. He's a sure-fire Hall of Famer. The question will be not if he gets in on the first ballot, but by what margin.
Tight end: Jackie Smith, 10th round, 1963, Northwest Louisiana. Smith, a converted flanker who went on to become the team's best tight end, is a Hall of Famer. He was a five-time Pro Bowler who, when he completed his career, was the NFL's all-time leader for receiving at tight end.
Tackle: Dan Dierdorf, second round, 1971, Michigan. For one, Dierdorf is in the Hall of Fame. He's one of the best tackles to ever play the game, showing an elite skill set in both pass protection and run blocking at right tackle.
Guard: Conrad Dobler, fifth round, 1972, Wyoming. Dobler was once considered the dirtiest player in the NFL. He was a fierce offensive lineman who reveled in his role. Dobler was also a three-time Pro Bowler.
Center: Tom Banks, eighth round, 1970, Auburn. Banks was a 10-year member of the Cardinals. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in 1976.
DEFENSE
End: Simeon Rice, first round, 1996, Illinois. In only five seasons, Rice accumulated enough sacks to still sit second on the team's all-time sack list with 53.5. He was the defensive rookie of the year in 1996 and a Pro Bowler in 1999. Rice still owns the franchise record for most sacks in a season with 16.5.
Tackle: Eric Swann, first round, 1991, None. What's most remarkable about Swann is that he didn't attend college. He was drafted out of a semi-pro league in Massachusetts. In 10 seasons, he finished with 45.5 sacks, which is sixth most in franchise history.
Linebacker: Ken Harvey, first round, 1988, California. No other linebacker in franchise history has as many sacks as Harvey (47.5). The next closest is 15.5 away. He was one of the best pass-rushers of his time and led the Cardinals in sacks every season he played for them except his rookie year.
Cornerback: Aeneas Williams, third round, 1991, Southern. Williams wasn't an easy choice because Roger Wehrli, who, like Williams, is also in the Hall of Fame, has just about as good of a case to be the Cardinals' best cornerback drafted as Williams. Williams gets the nod because he has the most interceptions in franchise history among cornerbacks with 46.
Safety: Larry Wilson, seventh round, 1960, Utah. Another Hall of Famer, Wilson mastered the safety blitz. But he's also widely considered one of the best defenders in the team's history. He has the most interceptions (52) in franchise history, which turned into the most interception yardage in franchise history (800).
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker: Bill Gramatica, fourth round, 2001, South Florida. The Cardinals drafted seven kickers since the merger, but not one was memorable -- or successful -- enough to earn a spot in the franchise's record books, except for Gramatica, who made 11 consecutive field goals during his rookie year of 2001.
Punter: Steve Little, first round, 1978, Arkansas. Little all but earned this distinction by default. The Cardinals have drafted four punters in, well, their history. Little was the only one that had any sort of longevity with the franchise, punting 125 times for 4,809 yards