Number 2: 1983 Chicago Bears Draft Class
The penultimate draft class on this list is the Chicago Bears' 1983 group, led by two Hall of Famers in first-round tackle Jimbo Covert and eighth-round defensive end Richard Dent. Covert made 110 starts in eight seasons and was named a Pro Bowler and All-Pro player twice and Dent's 124.5 sacks are still the most in team history.
Alongside Covert and Dent, this draft class featured five players who would go on to start in Super Bowl XX in receiver Willie Gault, who was selected 18th overall, second-round defensive back Mike Richardson, third-round defensive back Dave Duerson, fourth-round guard Tom Thayer, and eighth round guard Mark Bortz. As a unit, this group addressed several team needs and strengthened the team's identity defensively and in the trenches. It is hard to imagine the team winning their lone Super Bowl without this productive class.
Number 1: 1965 Chicago Bears Draft Class
Last but not least is the Chicago Bears' 1965 draft class, which was led by two future Hall of Famers in linebacker Dick Butkus and running back Gale Sayers. Selected third and fourth overall respectively, these two went on to dominate their sides of the ball and remain two of the more respected figures in the history of the NFL. In nine years with the Bears, Butkus was named a Pro Bowler in all but his final season, missing just seven total games along the way. Sayers' numbers are a little more eye-popping, as the back was able to average nearly 1,200 all-purpose yards per year over his first five seasons.
Beyond these two legends, the '65 draft class brought in seventh-round receiver Dick Gordon, who totaled 35 touchdowns in seven seasons, and 20th-round receiver Ralph Kurek, who played in 81 games over six seasons. Even without these later selections, the tandem of Butkus and Sayers catapults this draft class to not only the number one spot in Chicago Bears history but perhaps within the history of the NFL as a whole.