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On this day 25 years ago the made one of the best decisions in history, selecting first overall over Ryan Leaf, who went second to the .Peyton Manning's career speaks for itself. He retired as the all-time leader in touchdown pa ses and pa sing yards (before being pa sed Chicago Cubs Jersey by Drew Brees and ), won an NFL-record five MVP awards, and was the first quarterback to win a with two different teams.Leaf had a 4-17 record, 14 touchdown pa ses and 36 interceptions in his four-year career.In hindsight, Manning over Leaf was the most clear-cut decision ever. But, at the time, it wasn't so obvious. In fact, Colts scouts were 50/50 on who to take first overall at the start of the offseason. Manning had a stellar four-year career at Tenne see, but there were concerns about his arm strength and athleticism. Leaf was a late riser at Washington State and had all the upside and physical traits. Former Colts general manager Bill Polian detailed the proce s that eventually led Indianapolis to draft Manning in his book 'The Game Plan.' Here's how everything developed.In early January/late February, Colts scouts voted on who to take with the first pick. It was a 50/50 split between Manning and Leaf.Leaf mi sed his interview with the Colts at the NFL Combine. According to Polian, 16 years later Leaf's agent Leigh Steinberg wrote in his book 'The Agent' that he suggested Leaf intentionally skip the meeting to discourage the Colts from drafting him so he could play with San Diego.Polian, head coach Jim Mora, a sistants Tom Moore and Bruce Arians watched the tape of every throw for Manning and Leaf in college. Polian later wrote that the tape showed Leaf didn't drive the ball downfield quite like Manning.The Colts held a private workout for Manning in late March/early April where he erased any concerns about his arm strength in what Polian called a "slam dunk workout."The Colts held a private workout for Leaf the following day. Polian remembers telling Tom Moore "his arm is Ron Santo Jersey not as strong as Peyton's."After Leaf's private workout, Jim Mora told Leaf that May 10 would be the first day he could work out with the Colts if they drafted him. Polian claims Leaf responded that he couldn't make it until May 15 because he had a trip to Las Vegas planned with friends. This didn't sit well with the Colts.Manning met with Polian at the Colts facility a few days before the draft. As Manning got up to leave he said to Polian, "If you draft me, I promise we will win a championship. And if you don't, I promise I will come back and kick your a**."The next day Polian and head coach Jim Mora met and both agreed the pick would be Manning. Polian met with owner Jim Irsay afterward and explained. "Here's the i sue: I can't tell you if either of these guys is going to win a Super Bowl or become a Hall of Famer. We are just trying to find a quarterback that we can win with. But I'll tell you this, if we bust out with Leaf, we have busted out everything. If he busts out, we've lost. If we Kris Bryant Jersey are wrong on Peyton Manning, the worst we have is Bernie Kosar -- a really good, winning quarterback."The rest is history. All signs pointed to Manning and he absolutely delivered on his promise to win a championship. Meanwhile, the Chargers are still seeking their first Super Bowl title.Things could not have played out with a bigger contrast for Manning and Leaf's NFL careers. Manning won more MVPs (five) than Leaf played seasons in the league (four). Peyton ManningRyan LeafW-L186-794-17Pa sing TD-INT539-25114-36Pa sing yards71,9403,666That's the intrigue of the draft, in a nutshell. One pick can be the difference between an all-time great and an all-time bust, even at the very top of the draft. Perhaps no sequence in the draft exemplifies it better.Here's another way to quantify the wild difference in their careers. The difference in Manning and Leaf's careers, as measured by approximate value (a Pro Football Reference metric which places a single value on a player's career) was the second-largest disparity between consecutive picks in draft history. The only bigger disparity was between Tom Brady, the 199th overall pick in 2000, and WR Sherrod Gideon, the pick that followed Brady. Gideon never played a down in the NFL.Side note: If you haven't seen ESPN's E:60 profile on Leaf, including his recovery from drug addiction and how he's an advocate for mental health struggles, you should check it Tyler Chatwood Jersey out. Leaf's football career is only part of a more powerful and inspiring story.Now, 25 years later, the Colts once again find themselves with a tough decision to make with an intriguing QB cla s that has shades of 1998. There are QBs touted for their college production (Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud) and two more for their upside (Anthony Richardson and Will Levis). There was a clear winner in the production (Manning) versus potential (Leaf) debate in 1998, but there could be a completely different outcome in 2023. The only thing I'm confident in is that the more known commodities, Young and Stroud, will go ahead of Richardson and Levis.Undoubtedly, like the 1998 Colts, NFL franchises are dedicating thousands of hours to make the best po sible draft Kyle Schwarber Jersey decisions, particularly at quarterback. They will leave no stone unturned, from reviewing medicals, psychological testing, talking to coaches and scouts, interviews, the NFL combine, pro days, private workouts and more. And the thing is, it's still somewhat of a crapshoot. In the 2010s, 37 percent of QBs drafted in the first round signed a second contract with their draft teams. As a fan of the draft, I marvel at its unpredictable nature, highlighted by the stunning results of 1998, and can't wait to see how the 2023 QB cla s unfolds.