st33lersguy
05-15-2018, 11:15 PM
This post may seem random and a little late for some, but I have decided to do a countdown of my list of the 10 biggest draft busts in NFL history. There was a lot of horrible busts so not all of them will fit on the list. Draft position and poor performance were all most factored in
10. Vernon Gholston: 2008, 5th pick, New York Jets
When you draft an edge rusher 5th overall, he better end up being a franchise player that a championship defense is built around. Gholston, however turned out to be the exact opposite. Gholston spent 3 years in the league, all with the Jets, and recorded 0 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, and 0 recoveries. The Jets lost back-to-back AFC Championships in 2009-2010 while Gholston proved useless
9. Heath Shuler: 1994, 3rd pick, Washington Redskins
The Redskins haven't made it to the NFC Championship since 1991. Since then they have won only 3 division titles and 2 playoff games. This total lack of success is due to numerous terrible personnel decisions, one of the earliest being selecting Shuler 3rd overall. The Redskins had gone from dominant Super Bowl champs in 1991 to 4-12 in 1993 and hoped Shuler would get them back on track. Instead he threw more INTs than TDs and completed less than 50% of his passes in 3 seasons with Washington before spending another year with the Saints
8. Aaron Curry: 2009, 4th pick, Seattle Seahawks
Anyone following the NFL pre-draft process probably remembers Curry being dubbed the best player and the safest pick in the draft. People thought Curry was a great value selection at pick 4. Curry however fell well below expectations and didn't last long in the league. Curry was traded to Oakland before the end of his 3rd season and was out of the league after 4 years, before the Seahawks won Super Bowl 48. I'm sure it was the refs fault though, right Seattle?
7. Courtney Brown: 2000, 1st pick, Cleveland Browns
I decided to give Tim Couch a pass because he was put in a very hard situation QBing a team starting over (same for David Carr with the Texans), Cleveland's next 1st pick though, doesn't get lucky. a year after getting what they hoped would be their franchise QB, Cleveland then got what they hoped was their franchise edge rusher. They instead got a guy who collected 17 sacks in 5 seasons with the Browns before getting 2 in one more year with the Broncos. He is one of Cleveland's worst draft picks since 1999 and that's saying A LOT
6. Charles Rogers: 2003, 2nd pick, Detroit Lions
Probably Matt Millen's worst draft pick, which says a lot, and the biggest WR bust ever. After drafting Joey Harrington 3rd overall the year before (snickers), the Lions hoped they found a weapon for Harrington. He failed to top 40 receptions in 3 seasons marred by injuries and drug related suspensions. To make matters worse, 7-time pro bowler Andre Johnson was selected with the very next pick by the Texans
5. Dion Jordan: 2013, 3rd pick, Miami Dolphins
In one of the weakest drafts in NFL history, Jordan is probably the worst pick. The Dolphins traded up from 12 to 3 to grab the raw but athletically gifted Jordan. Jordan's tenure in Miami was short, unproductive, and marred by drug suspensions (including being suspended all of 2015). Jordan was released after the 2016 season. The Dolphins selected Jordan while seriously needing O-line help and with pro bowl tackle Lane Johnson going the next pick, a player vital to the Eagles Super Bowl winning season
4. Cleveland Browns 1st round picks 2011-2014 (Phil Taylor, Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden, Barkevious Mingo, Justin Gilbert, Johnny Manzeil)
I am going unconventional here. The Browns had 6 1st round picks from 2011-2014, all of them became massive flops, an amazing feat of draft failure that can't be ignored. After passing on Juilo Jones to trade down with the Falcons, the Browns selected Phil Taylor whose career was marred by injury. The next year they selected Trent Richardson (one of the worst RBs I've ever seen play) 3rd overall then reached for 29 year old QB Brandon Weeden, neither of which made it to 2014 on the Browns (albeit Richardson was amazingly traded to the Colts for a 1st round pick). In 2013 they selected Mingo who collected 7 sacks in 3 years in Cleveland. Then there was 2014 where the Browns selected 2 notorious trouble makes who bombed on the field, Justin Gilbert and Johnny Football both of whom were gone after 2 years. That kind of futile drafting over 4 years is impossible to match.
3. Tony Mandarich: 1989, 2nd pick, Green Bay Packers
4 of the first 5 picks in this draft class are in the hall of fame, yet with the 2nd pick in the draft, Green Bay found one of the NFL's biggest flops. Billed as the incredible bulk and the greatest O-line prospect ever, Mandarich instead flopped in the pros thanks to poor footwork. He spent some time in Indianapolis later, but it wasn't enough to negate his failures in Green Bay. Imagine how much better those 90s packers would have been had they selected Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, or Deion Sanders instead of Mandarich. They at least likely win Super Bowl 32 over the Broncos.
2. JaMarcus Russell: 2007, 1st pick, Oakland Raiders
In a year in which Matt Millen struck gold with Calvin Johnson 2nd overall, the Browns of all teams hit a grand slam homerun selecting Joe Thomas 3rd overall, and major talents such as Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, and Darrell Revis were selected, the Raiders set their franchise back at least 7 years by selecting Russell. Russell's big arm was negated by his lack of desire to learn an NFL offense. He eventually ballooned past 300 lbs and got in trouble for taking purple drank. 3 seasons in Oakland netted more INTs than TDs, barely over 4,000 yards, and barely over a 50% completion. All this in one of the strongest draft classes ever, ouch.
1. Ryan Leaf: 1998, 2nd pick San Diego Chargers
Hyped up to be as good if not better than NFL legend Peyton Manning during the pre-draft process, Leaf instead became in my opinion the biggest draft failure ever (an opinion shared by many). Leaf was not only wildly immature and the embodiment of locker room cancer, he was also a dreadful NFL player. In 3 ill-fated seasons in San Diego and another in Dallas, Leaf threw well over 2 times as many INTs as he did TDs and his career completion percentage was below 50%. He also never topped 4,000 career yards and the Chargers cut him after the team went 1-15 in 2000. Leaf was a walking calamity and the worst draft bust ever.
Dishonorable mentions: Lawrence Phillips, Brian Bosworth, Ki-Jana Carter, Akili Smith, Jason Smith, Rick Mirer, Aundray Bruce
10. Vernon Gholston: 2008, 5th pick, New York Jets
When you draft an edge rusher 5th overall, he better end up being a franchise player that a championship defense is built around. Gholston, however turned out to be the exact opposite. Gholston spent 3 years in the league, all with the Jets, and recorded 0 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, and 0 recoveries. The Jets lost back-to-back AFC Championships in 2009-2010 while Gholston proved useless
9. Heath Shuler: 1994, 3rd pick, Washington Redskins
The Redskins haven't made it to the NFC Championship since 1991. Since then they have won only 3 division titles and 2 playoff games. This total lack of success is due to numerous terrible personnel decisions, one of the earliest being selecting Shuler 3rd overall. The Redskins had gone from dominant Super Bowl champs in 1991 to 4-12 in 1993 and hoped Shuler would get them back on track. Instead he threw more INTs than TDs and completed less than 50% of his passes in 3 seasons with Washington before spending another year with the Saints
8. Aaron Curry: 2009, 4th pick, Seattle Seahawks
Anyone following the NFL pre-draft process probably remembers Curry being dubbed the best player and the safest pick in the draft. People thought Curry was a great value selection at pick 4. Curry however fell well below expectations and didn't last long in the league. Curry was traded to Oakland before the end of his 3rd season and was out of the league after 4 years, before the Seahawks won Super Bowl 48. I'm sure it was the refs fault though, right Seattle?
7. Courtney Brown: 2000, 1st pick, Cleveland Browns
I decided to give Tim Couch a pass because he was put in a very hard situation QBing a team starting over (same for David Carr with the Texans), Cleveland's next 1st pick though, doesn't get lucky. a year after getting what they hoped would be their franchise QB, Cleveland then got what they hoped was their franchise edge rusher. They instead got a guy who collected 17 sacks in 5 seasons with the Browns before getting 2 in one more year with the Broncos. He is one of Cleveland's worst draft picks since 1999 and that's saying A LOT
6. Charles Rogers: 2003, 2nd pick, Detroit Lions
Probably Matt Millen's worst draft pick, which says a lot, and the biggest WR bust ever. After drafting Joey Harrington 3rd overall the year before (snickers), the Lions hoped they found a weapon for Harrington. He failed to top 40 receptions in 3 seasons marred by injuries and drug related suspensions. To make matters worse, 7-time pro bowler Andre Johnson was selected with the very next pick by the Texans
5. Dion Jordan: 2013, 3rd pick, Miami Dolphins
In one of the weakest drafts in NFL history, Jordan is probably the worst pick. The Dolphins traded up from 12 to 3 to grab the raw but athletically gifted Jordan. Jordan's tenure in Miami was short, unproductive, and marred by drug suspensions (including being suspended all of 2015). Jordan was released after the 2016 season. The Dolphins selected Jordan while seriously needing O-line help and with pro bowl tackle Lane Johnson going the next pick, a player vital to the Eagles Super Bowl winning season
4. Cleveland Browns 1st round picks 2011-2014 (Phil Taylor, Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden, Barkevious Mingo, Justin Gilbert, Johnny Manzeil)
I am going unconventional here. The Browns had 6 1st round picks from 2011-2014, all of them became massive flops, an amazing feat of draft failure that can't be ignored. After passing on Juilo Jones to trade down with the Falcons, the Browns selected Phil Taylor whose career was marred by injury. The next year they selected Trent Richardson (one of the worst RBs I've ever seen play) 3rd overall then reached for 29 year old QB Brandon Weeden, neither of which made it to 2014 on the Browns (albeit Richardson was amazingly traded to the Colts for a 1st round pick). In 2013 they selected Mingo who collected 7 sacks in 3 years in Cleveland. Then there was 2014 where the Browns selected 2 notorious trouble makes who bombed on the field, Justin Gilbert and Johnny Football both of whom were gone after 2 years. That kind of futile drafting over 4 years is impossible to match.
3. Tony Mandarich: 1989, 2nd pick, Green Bay Packers
4 of the first 5 picks in this draft class are in the hall of fame, yet with the 2nd pick in the draft, Green Bay found one of the NFL's biggest flops. Billed as the incredible bulk and the greatest O-line prospect ever, Mandarich instead flopped in the pros thanks to poor footwork. He spent some time in Indianapolis later, but it wasn't enough to negate his failures in Green Bay. Imagine how much better those 90s packers would have been had they selected Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, or Deion Sanders instead of Mandarich. They at least likely win Super Bowl 32 over the Broncos.
2. JaMarcus Russell: 2007, 1st pick, Oakland Raiders
In a year in which Matt Millen struck gold with Calvin Johnson 2nd overall, the Browns of all teams hit a grand slam homerun selecting Joe Thomas 3rd overall, and major talents such as Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, and Darrell Revis were selected, the Raiders set their franchise back at least 7 years by selecting Russell. Russell's big arm was negated by his lack of desire to learn an NFL offense. He eventually ballooned past 300 lbs and got in trouble for taking purple drank. 3 seasons in Oakland netted more INTs than TDs, barely over 4,000 yards, and barely over a 50% completion. All this in one of the strongest draft classes ever, ouch.
1. Ryan Leaf: 1998, 2nd pick San Diego Chargers
Hyped up to be as good if not better than NFL legend Peyton Manning during the pre-draft process, Leaf instead became in my opinion the biggest draft failure ever (an opinion shared by many). Leaf was not only wildly immature and the embodiment of locker room cancer, he was also a dreadful NFL player. In 3 ill-fated seasons in San Diego and another in Dallas, Leaf threw well over 2 times as many INTs as he did TDs and his career completion percentage was below 50%. He also never topped 4,000 career yards and the Chargers cut him after the team went 1-15 in 2000. Leaf was a walking calamity and the worst draft bust ever.
Dishonorable mentions: Lawrence Phillips, Brian Bosworth, Ki-Jana Carter, Akili Smith, Jason Smith, Rick Mirer, Aundray Bruce