Best NFL careers in USC football history

Carson Palmer is the third player on this list not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and is the second one to be selected first overall. After winning the Heisman Trophy in his senior season, Palmer was selected as the first overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Palmer became the immediate starter for the Bengals and played fairly well for a rookie coming a little over 100 yards short of 3,000 passing yards. He threw 18 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in his first season, leaving room for improvement. However, Palmer took a big step forward in his second season by leading the league in completion percentage with 67.8 and in passing touchdowns with 32. He also added 3,836 passing yards on top of that showing he could be a great QB in the league.

After seven years with the Bengals, Palmer made the move to Oakland to play for the Raiders where he only spent two seasons. He made the short move to Arizona to play the final five years of his career. Palmer was a two-time Pro Bowler in his career and was in the voting mix of MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year on multiple occasions.