Michigan's All-Time NFL Team: The Best Of The Best On Offense

Who are the best Michigan Wolverines football players ever to play in the NFL on the offensive side of the ball? We have compiled a list below of the greatest at each position (quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end and offensive line), along with who each of their "backups" (if you will) would be.

Current Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal-caller Tom Brady was an obvious choice at quarterback, but we had to dig deep into the archives to find some all-time greats at a few other key positions.

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Not much needs to be said for this one. Brady has won six Super Bowls, been to 14 Pro Bowls, won three NFL MVP awards and is the game's all-time leader in touchdown passes.

He is viewed by many as the greatest football player in the history of the sport, and could potentially cement that legacy further if his Tampa Bay Buccaneers are able to take down the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's Super Bowl.

Alternates: We're digging deep into the archives on this one, but Benny Friedman fits the bill. He threw 66 touchdowns and ran for another 18 during his eight years as a pro (1927-34), and was named an All-Pro first-teamer four times. Elvis Grbac and Brian Griese are also in the discussion.

His NFL career was fairly short (just seven years, spending 1969 with the Cleveland Browns and then 1970-75 with the New York Giants), but Johnson nevertheless racked up 4,308 yards and 40 touchdowns as a pro.

He was a two-time Pro Bowler (1970 and 1972) and named an All-Pro in 1970, while adding 1,977 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns through the air during his time in the NFL.

Alternates: Tyrone Wheatley would be next in line. He racked up 4,962 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns from 1995-04, chipping in another 900 receiving yards. Anthony Thomas' NFL career began with a bang when he won the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award with the Chicago Bears in 2001, but he only wound up playing six more seasons after that.

Thomas concluded his NFL tenure with 3,891 yards and 23 touchdowns.

They both posted massive numbers during their time in the pros, with Carter recording 7,733 yards and 55 touchdowns from 1985-95, and Toomer compiling 9,497 yards and 54 touchdowns from 1996-09.

Carter was a three-time Pro Bowler (1987-89) as a Minnesota Viking and a second-team All-NFC member twice (1987-88), while Toomer helped lead the New York Giants to a Super Bowl championship in 2008.

Alternates: Derrick Alexander posted stats that weren't far behind Carter's and Toomer's, notching 6,971 yards and 40 touchdowns from 1994-02. Braylon Edwards, meanwhile, only spent eight years in the NFL (2005-12), but accumulated 5,522 yards and 40 scores, and was a Pro Bowl selection in 2007.

Both McGee and Kramer registered excellent career statistics, with the former logging 4,089 receiving yards and 21 TD grabs from 1993-03. Kramer's stats, meanwhile, weren't far behind, as the Girard, Kan., native posted 3,272 yards and 16 touchdowns with the Green Bay Packers (1957, 1959-64) and Detroit Lions (1965-67).

Alternates: Jay Riemersma hauled in 2,524 yards and 23 TD grabs with the Buffalo Bills (1996-02) and Pittsburgh Steelers (2003-04) from 1996-04, while Jerame Tuman helped lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl title in 2006.

Dierdorf, Hutchinson and Mack are all in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, while Kenn was a semifinalist in the 2015 class. Their list of accolades are all long ones. Hutchinson was a seven-time Pro Bowler and named to the 2000s All-Decade Team, while Dierdorf was a six-time Pro Bowler and a member of the 1970s All-Decade Team.

Mack made 11 Pro Bowls and started 176 of the 184 NFL games he appeared in, while Kenn was chosen to five Pro Bowls and incredibly started all 251 games of his pro career.

Lewan, meanwhile, is the only active member of the bunch, but has already been voted to three Pro Bowls and has started 85 of the 90 games he has participated in.

Alternates: Reggie McKenzie and Jumbo Elliott are the next best offensive linemen in line. McKenzie played 13 years in the league and was a first-team All-Pro in 1973 with the Bills, while Elliott started 156 of the 197 games he competed in and helped lead the Giants to the 1991 Super Bowl title.

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