NFL Draft: 30 worst first-round picks of the 21st century

This was an example of a team reaching for a player out of desperation and ignoring the signs. Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith tested well at the 2009 NFL Scouting Combine and had some promise. What he didn’t have was any work in an NFL-style offense.

While that’s not always a detriment, the fact is many scouts questioned his ability to adapt from the Art Briles spread offense to the demands of the NFL. Those worries ended up being legitimate, as Smith never became the left tackle the Rams were trying to find.

Smith’s reasons for not panning out with the Rams is summed up in a piece by Cork Gaines and Sam Belden of the Business Insider.

"“Smith’s smaller size and inexperience with an NFL-style offense provided meaningful question marks in the months leading up to the 2009 draft. But the Rams, in need of a franchise left tackle to anchor their rebuilding project, still jumped at him early. They were quickly disappointed by his slow transition to the professional game and growing injury history, eventually trading him to the Jets in 2012. He never started another game, bouncing around the league for a couple of years before hanging up his cleats.” — Gaines/Belden, Business Insider"

It took some time for the Rams to rebound from this one, especially considering they drafted Greg Robinson — who also found his way to this list — just a couple short seasons after giving up on Smith.