Players like Patrick Peterson, Larry Fitzgerald, and Anquan Boldin fill the minds of football-junkies when the words "Arizona Cardinals Draft Class" are heard. These players are the three most recent stars to be drafted by the team in the desert, but none of the three came from the same draft year. What year did the Arizona Cardinals have the best draft class from head to tail, and more importantly, who was a part of it? Find out below...

5. 2003

Bryant Johnson was a huge bust for the Cardinals in 2003, but he was a catalytic reason for the Cardinals taking Larry Fitzgerald in 2004. At pick 17, other options were still available at wide receiver, a position of need for the Cardinals. Future Pro-Bowlers like Anquan Bouldin, the Cardinals’ second round choice, and Brandon Lloyd were still on the board. In his five seasons with the Cardinals, Johnson only had 7 touchdowns and slightly over 1,000 yards receiving. The Cardinals’ second first round pick came subsequent to Johnson, but was a bit more successful. Calvin Pace started the vast majority of his games in Arizona, but truly had the most success of his career in New York with the Jets. Although primarily recognized as a Jet, Pace played significant time and contributed many big plays with the Arizona Cardinals. In the second round, the Cardinals selected Anquan Boldin. Boldin was paired with Larry Fitzgerald following the 2004 draft and the two shaped one of the greatest receiving duos in NFL history. Boldin is not finishing his career a Cardinal, but the three time Pro-Bowler and his talented counterpart are forever cemented in the minds of the Cardinal faithful. Third round pick Gerald Hayes was the heart of a ferocious Red Bird defense for many years with his best season coming in 2007. Clarion College Guard Reggie Wells was taken in the sixth round by the Cardinals and started every game on the offensive line from 2006-2009. The 2003 Arizona Cardinals draft class was a disappointing, yet rewarding class, and it deserves a spot in top five draft classes of all time for the club.

4. 1990

The 1990 NFL Draft started off rough for the Phoenix Cardinals. Anthony Thompson, a running back from Indiana, was the Cardinals’ first selection, a second round pick, and was a major bust. Starting only four games in his three seasons in Phoenix, Thompson rushed for just over 700 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Cardinals next drafted Ricky Proehl, a smaller receiver from Wake Forest. Proehl started almost every game in his five seasons with the Phoenix-based club snagging 21 touchdowns. Proehl proved to be a very real offensive weapon. In the fourth round, Larry Centers was selected. A bruising fullback, Centers was a two time Pro-Bowler for the Cardinals, and is still the greatest fullback in Cardinals history. The Stephen F. Austin graduate became the first runningback in NFL history to have over 100 receptions in a single season. Larry Centers is remembered by Cardinals fans for his hands in a struggling offense. Centers was paired with seventh round pick Johnny Johnson to create a young, but talented, backfield. Johnson, a runningback, rushed for 15 touchdowns in three seasons for the Cardinals before joining the New York Jets. David Bavaro, ninth round selection, made 10 tackles in his one season with Phoenix before jumping ship to Buffalo. The pairing of Centers and Johnson along with Ricky Proehl’s hands made the 1990 Phoenix Cardinals draft class a memorable offensive one.

3. 2001

The Cardinals struck gold in the 2003 draft in taking Leonard Davis second overall and Kyle Vanden Bosch thirty-fourth. Sorta. Davis and Vanden Bosch had amazing NFL careers including awards and accolades such as six Pro-Bowls between the two and an NFC Championship, but, none of these awards would come while wearing a Cardinals’ jersey. Davis made his mark in the NFL with the Cowboys, and Vanden Bosch did it with the Titans. Although neither thrived in their time in Arizona, their success with later teams warrants praise on the organization’s part. Adrian Wilson, on the other hand, did stay in-house and thrive. Wilson was a five time Pro-Bowler and three time All-Pro for the Cardinals as a third round selection in 2003: an obvious draft steal. Mario Fatafehi provided needed depth at defensive tackle in round four. Seventh round pick Renaldo Hill heavily contributed to the Red Birds’ defensive totaling eight interceptions in four seasons and eventually became a starter. The bust of the draft, sadly, was second round pick Michael Stone. At safety, Stone made only 20 tackles in three seasons, a horrific stat line for a decorated second round pick. The 2003 Arizona Cardinals’ draft class is one remembered for its talent on other rosters and for its surprise studs.

2. 1991

Eric Swann played semi-pro football for the Bay State Titans. Eric Swann was drafted sixth overall by the Phoenix Cardinals in 1991. Eric Swann was a two time All-Pro. The Arizona Cardinals knew the talent Swann possessed, but the question was whether or not they would take a chance with a player who had never played college football. Unlike the rest of the NFL, the Cardinals had faith in Eric Swann, and drafted him sixth overall rewarding with the largest contract in Cardinal history. Following Swann, the team continued to rebuild the defensive line and selected Mike D. Jones out of North Carolina State. Jones was selected just one pick prior to Brett Favre. The highlight of the 1991 draft for the Cardinals came in the third round when the organization decided to pull the string and take Southern University’s cornerback Aeneas Williams. Williams was an eight time Pro-Bowler, four time All-Pro, NFC Champion, and Bart Starr Man of the Year recipient. One of the greatest corners and arguably the best Cardinal in team history, Williams makes the 1991 draft unique for his phenomenal performance on the field as a third round draft pick. Cornerback Dexter Davis made contributions as a reserve in his three seasons in the desert tallying two interceptions. The Cardinals undoubtedly got the steal of the draft, and the steal of the decade, in Aeneas Williams rightfully making this the second best draft class in Cardinal history.

1. 2004

Coming off a tumultuous 2003 season, 4-12 with humiliating losses to the Browns (44-6) and the Bears (28-3), the Cardinals organization attempted to redeem itself by drafting an unforgettable group of players in 2004. Granted the third overall pick, the Cardinals selected a tall talented receiver out of Pittsburgh named Larry Fitzgerald. And the rest is history. Fitzgerald is an 8 time Pro-Bowler who has been the face and the spirit of the Cardinals’ organization ever since he first touched the red and white jersey at Madison Square Garden. The next receiver to come off the board in 2004 was Reggie Williams to the Jaguars solidifying the Cardinals’ gamble on Fitzgerald at pick #3. With the first pick of the second round, the Cardinals selected Karlos Dansby from Auburn. Although never earning a Pro-Bowl bid with the Cardinals, Dansby led the team in tackles almost every year in Arizona (2004-2009, 2013), and is still performing at a very high level 11 years later for the Cleveland Browns totaling 93 tackles in 2014. Dansby proved to be a steal even in the second round. The Cardinals’ third round choice was just as impressive as their first two rounds. Darnell Dockett, a big-bodied defensive tackle from Florida State, paired with Karlos Dansby to create a dynamic duo on the defense for the Cardinals. On draft day, Dockett’s stock tumbled as teams became frightened by his arrest record and by his frequent coaching staff confrontations. Beginning his career with a chip on his shoulder, Dockett played harder than anyone at his time in Arizona and was awarded with three Pro-Bowl bids. In the fourth round, the Cardinals elected to solidify a shaky offensive line and drafted Ohio State center Alex Stepanovich. After starting all 16 games for the Cardinals in 2004 and the majority of 2005 and 2006, Stepanovich’s career in Arizona was cut short due to injury and, for the most part, so was his time in the NFL. Even after round 4, the Cardinals’ miraculous draft was yet to be complete. Taking Oklahoma State defensive end Antonio Smith in the fifth, the Cardinals fortified their defensive line for years to come as the young stud began 2005 in the starting lineup. Smith was a sack machine in the desert totaling 13.5 sacks in five seasons of play. Drafting another center, Nick Leckey, in round 6 proved to be a lucky decision on the Cardinals part due to Stepanovich’s frequent injuries. Mostly, however, the Kansas State product provided needed depth for the Cardinals. Finally, with their last pick in the 2004 Draft, the Arizona Cardinals selected John Navarre, a quarterback from Michigan. Navarre started one game for the Cardinals in 2004, but the young gun slinger tallied four interceptions and only one touchdown.