NFL Draft 2018: 5 Worst picks of the last five years

Sometimes players coming out of college have the measurables, but can’t thrive in the pros. Here we look at the five biggest NFL Draft busts in the last five years.

With months of pre-NFL Draft scouting and countless hours of player evaluation, an NFL franchise invests a lot of stock into their early round draft picks. Unfortunately, sometimes a team strikes out and selects a player that just doesn’t pan out at the next level.

We all know the term used for those players: Busts.

Looking back in the last half-decade, we evaluate the players considered the worst draft picks over that span.

Roberto Aguayo, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2016, Round 2, Pick 59)

Coming out of Florida State, Aguayo was the third most accurate kicker in NCAA history and considered to be the very best kicker in his draft class. The Bucs took a chance on Aguyao and traded up to select him, making him the first kicker picked in the second round since Mike Nugent was drafted 47th overall by the New York Jets in 2005.

In a snowball of disappointing events, Aguayo struggled in the 2016 season and was eventually waived by the Bucs before the 2017 season kicked off. Aguayo then spent a few months with the Chicago Bears practice squad before being released and signing with Carolina’s practice squad. This video (via HBO’s Hard Knocks) of the Bucs releasing Aguayo is a reminder that the NFL is a cutthroat league.

Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns (2014, Round 1, Pick 22)

The Browns have a sad history of selecting draft busts. Johnny Manziel is their most recent and well-documented example. Manziel, the former Heisman Trophy winner at Texas A&M, was supposed to stop the embarrassing line of sub-par quarterbacks who stopped by Cleveland over the last 20 years. However, Manziel was only the most recent quarterback to fail in Cleveland.

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Manziel started eight games for the Browns in two seasons and accumulated seven touchdowns, seven interceptions and 1675 passing yards during his tenure. However, his off the field problems were more of an issue for Cleveland. In 2015, the Browns sent their first-round pick to rehab to help with his excessive partying and alcohol abuse. Manziel is still young, so time will tell if #ComeBackSZN is for real, but Cleveland must continue to search for their franchise quarterback.

EJ Manuel, Buffalo Bills (2013, Round 1, Pick 16)

Another Florida State alum makes this list. EJ Manuel was the first quarterback selected in 2013, a class lacking talent at the quarterback position. Manuel did little during his Buffalo career, throwing for 19 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in four seasons before becoming a full-time backup to Tyrod Taylor in 2015.

Manuel spent the 2017 season in Oakland, backing up Derek Carr, and likely won’t be starting for a team anytime soon. With great size and a big arm, scouts were excited to see what Manuel would do in the NFL. Unfortunately, he never grew into the player many hoped he would become.

Dion Jordan, Miami Dolphins (2013, Round 1, Pick 3)

Jordan, a defensive end from Oregon University, played only 26 games in four seasons with the Dolphins due to a multitude of suspensions and other off the field issues. When a top-five pick spends more time in street clothes rather than his uniform, he is going to be considered a bust.

It’s hard to tell what Jones would have become had he been able to play full seasons with Miami. But the team had enough of his antics and released him in 2016. Now on Seattle’s roster, Jordan will have to prove to his new team that he is not the same person as he was during his Dolphins career.

Jonathan Cooper, Arizona Cardinals (2013, Round 1, Pick 7)

2013 seemed to be the year of the bust as Cooper is added to this list after playing two underwhelming seasons with the Cardinals before being traded. Cooper was highly touted coming out of North Carolina and was picked higher than any other offensive guard in 20 years.

Next: Grading each 2017 first-round pick after rookie year

After breaking his fibula in the third preseason game with Arizona, Cooper never stayed healthy and was shipped to New England for defensive end, Chandler Jones. Cooper never started a game with New England and has bounced from Cleveland to Dallas since leaving the Cardinals. If he can stay healthy, he might have a chance to re-write his career.