Top 15 draft picks taken in Philadelphia Eagles history
. Al Wistert (1943). 2. player. 54. .
It’s hard to find a better player than Philadelphia Eagles legend Al Wistert.
A fifth-round selection in 1943 (and the 32nd selection overall), Al ‘Ox’ Wistert was taken by the Phil-Pitt Combine, a team created by a temporary merger of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles, during the 1943 season due to so many of their players serving in the military during World War II.
The Steagles, as they’re affectionately remembered, disbanded in 1944. Just like that, the Birds as we know them were back in business.
The NFL didn’t play all-star games from 1943 to 1950, but Ox spent all of his nine NFL seasons with the organization and was named a First-Team All-Pro after every year from 1944 to 1949. He earned Second-team All-Pro nods in 1950 and 1951 and was named to the NFL’s Pro Bowl roster in 1950.
Wistert was a two-time NFL Champion (1948, 1949), a member of the NFL 1940s All-Decade Team, the Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His number 70 is retired by the organization (as it should be) after writing his name in the team’s history books as one of the greatest right tackles to ever play the game.
Think of him as the precursor to other Eagles greats who played the right tackle position like Jon Runyan and Lane Johnson.