page_title: 1998 NFL Draft
section_title: Player selections
hierarchical_section_title: 1998 NFL Draft / Player selections
caption_attribution_description: Peyton Manning.
context_page_description: The 1998 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18–19, 1998, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season.
  Before the draft, there was much debate in the media on if the Indianapolis Colts would select Peyton Manning or Ryan Leaf, both of whom were considered excellent prospects and future franchise quarterbacks, with the first overall pick. Leaf was considered to have more upside and a stronger throwing arm, while Manning was considered a prospect who was NFL ready and more mature.
  On the day of the draft, the Colts selected Manning due to Leaf's disdain for Indianapolis. Manning went on to be a five-time Most Valuable Player award winner, the most of any player in NFL history, and a two-time Super Bowl champion, whereas Leaf, who was selected second overall by the San Diego Chargers, was out of the NFL by 2002, and is considered one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history.
context_section_description: Players are identified as a Pro Bowler if they were selected for the Pro Bowl at any time in their career.
caption: Peyton Manning, taken first overall, won two Super Bowls and is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time
exif: {}