NFL Draft: 30 worst No. 1 overall picks in league history

NASHVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 12: Jadeveon Clowney #99 of the Tennessee Titans talks with teammates during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium on November 12, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Colts defeated the Titans 34-17. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

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Vinny Testaverde (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

30 worst No. 1 overall picks in NFL Draft history: 22. QB, Vinny Testaverde

Stats:

46,233 passing yards
275 passing touchdowns
267 interceptions
56.5 completion percentage

In most scenarios, players who are selected with a high pick in the NFL draft but ultimately flame out, are immediately shunned from the league. It isn’t because they don’t present any value for other franchises but more times than not, they simply fall by the wayside.

In the case of quarterback Vinny Testaverde, he was very much a bust, however, he stuck around the league plucking job after job.

Testaverde was the clear favorite to go number one overall in the 1987 NFL Draft. In his senior year, Testaverde was efficient in his play at the University of Miami. He threw for 2,557 yards, 26 touchdowns, only nine interceptions and completed 63.4% of his passes. Testaverde came within just a few plays of hoisting the National Championship but with the Heisman already in his possession, along with a slew of other awards, there was no doubt that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would take him with the first pick.

Testaverde was one of the worst number one overall picks mankind has ever witnessed. In his second year, Testaverde couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean. He completed 47.6% of his passes and set an NFL record for the most interceptions in a season with 35. In total, Testaverde spent six years in Tampa and never had a winning record, he also threw for more interceptions than touchdowns each season he was there.

From there, Testaverde would bounce around the league, finding enough small moments of success to warrant a team sliding an NFL contract across his desk. To his credit, Testaverde was actually a two-time Pro Bowler. Still, even with that feather in his cap, Testaverde was God-awful.

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