By KIT STIER
The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News

Ask Ernie Accorsi to compare the potential of the talent in Saturday's NFL draft, especially the quarterbacks, to the amazing group of players who emerged from a 1983 draft that is considered to be the best of all time, one in which he played a major role.

What is the N.Y. Giants' general manager's reply?

What about 1957?

"People ask me about the 1983 draft, but the 1957 draft was probably a better draft," Accorsi said. "They had 13 picks - one bonus pick - and four made the Hall of Fame. ... The Eagles drafted two quality players first and second, and then drafted a Hall of Famer in the third and fourth round."

Paul Hornung, Len Dawson, Jim Brown and Jim Parker are Hall of Famers from the first round of the 1957 draft. Philadelphia, with Tommy McDonald and Sonny Jurgensen, and Cleveland, with Brown and Henry Jordan, each picked two players from that draft who were inducted into the Hall.

The 1957 draft also produced John Brodie, Don Maynard, John Arnett and Jack Kemp.

But John Elway, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly, who is already in the Hall of Fame, were among the six quarterbacks selected in the first round in 1983. Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson was also chosen in the first round in 1983.

Accorsi, GM of the Colts in 1983, drafted Elway. The Stanford quarterback threatened to make baseball his profession if the Colts didn't trade him. Elway wound up in Denver and has a spot being kept warm for him at the Hall of Fame.

"They are probably the best two that I can remember," Accorsi said.A quick survey of four draft prognosticators found that all had the Cincinnati Bengals, with the first pick in the draft, making USC quarterback Carson Palmer their top choice. The four also had various teams selecting four other quarterbacks in the first round, including Byron Leftwich of Marshall, Chris Simms of Texas, Kyle Boller of Cal and Rex Grossman of Florida.

Other quarterbacks in this year's grouping who will draw first-day interest are Dave Ragone of Louisville, Seneca Wallace of Iowa State and Drew Henson, the N.Y. Yankees' infielder and former Michigan quarterback.

But in the end, time and performances will determine the worth of this year's talent pool. Gold isn't discovered that often.

"You don't know," Accorsi said. "You prepare and you hope to have an idea, but you have to wait and let time see how they will turn out. This will turn out to be a good draft."

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