The greatest player of all time! Some fans regard this as an emotion rather than just a tag. And, from an objective standpoint, it may fit into a variety of categories. And there’s some buzz about one such category in the NFL world. The category? The best third-round pick steal of all time in the NFL draft. While the answer to this might come off as an easy pick, it appears that Travis Kelce and Joe Montana are now rivals for the top spot.

Travis Kelce just suffered a heartbreak at Super Bowl LIX. And the TE’s name is making rounds, not just because of his lackluster performance but also for his supposedly impending retirement. And his assertion that he was the reason the team lost stands somewhat true. Despite all this, Kelce is undoubtedly a legend and has done more than enough for the Chiefs. So as he approaches his probable retirement, fans and reporters are looking for ways to honor him. Among these tributes was MLFootball’s post branding him the best third-round choice: “BIGGEST 3RD ROUND STEALS IN #NFL HISTORY… I’ll start: TRAVIS KELCE.”

They picked Travis Kelce as their top pick to honor his legacy. But fans disagree. I mean the TE has 1,004 receptions for 12,151 in his 11-year career. However, people have identified another star as being more gifted than Kelce. And the player is none other than the 4 time Super Bowl Champion Joe Montana. 

No one can deny, Montana is an icon thanks to his leadership qualities and 3,409 completed passes for 40,551 yards and 273 touchdowns. The former QB with 14 years under him is surely one of the few players to have done it all. From winning Super Bowls to being the only player to win three MVP awards, Montana was a terror during his career. Despite the fact that it has been years since he last played, fans remember that this outstanding quarterback was also drafted in the third round by the San Francisco 49ers.

And this is why fans feel that picking Travis Kelce as the GOAT NFL Draft third-round pick is unfair to Montana.

Fans believe Joe Montana and Travis Kelce are not even close

In an NFL game, the quarterback is always preferred over the tight end. Consider this: if you too were to choose between a better QB or a better TE for your team. Then you will go with the QB as a clear decision. And Joe Montana had this same advantage even before the comparison between the two began. The former QB got massive support from the fans as multiple fans wrote his name in the comments of this X post. Not only that, some fans use the 1980s pictures of Montana on the field while writing: “Joe Montana”.

This is not all; one of the fans pointed out how the former QB is also a Hall of Famer. And while Kelce is a great player, he is yet to achieve that feat. The major sentiment still revolved around Montana being better: “Niners drafted Joe Montana in the 3rd round. Debate over.” Maybe he will do that in the future, but still, Montana would have an edge over the TE. One of the fans even claimed that Kelce is nowhere near the QB: “Joe Montana and it’s not even close.”

While the major debate was between these two players. Some fans had other picks in their mind. Some picked Maxx Crosby, others Mark Andrews or Russell Wilson and even Nico Collins. So which of these players will you pick as the GOAT third-round pick? Or do you some other pick in your mind?