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

30 worst No. 1 overall picks in NFL Draft history: 3. LB, Tom Cousineau

Stats: 

• 10 interceptions
• 6.5 sacks

Tom Cousineau was a well sought after man. After taking a look at his collegiate career, it’s easy to see why. At the University of Ohio State, the linebacker was a monster on the defensive side of the field.

Cousineau helped lead his team to three Big Ten Championships and was routinely mentioned as the best team in the nation. He was named an All-American in back-to-back seasons in the late 90s and the number one overall pick in 1979.

Think of this, although Cousineau hasn’t thrown on an Ohio State jersey in over four decades, still, his name is still littered all over their record book. He currently holds the single-season record for the most tackles with 211 and he is currently tied with Chris Spielman for the most tackles in a single game with 29.

Once Cousineau was taken in 1979, the Buffalo Bills believed they were getting a player who could lead them for the next decade. In actuality, they received a player who didn’t even suit up for them. Cousineau signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian football League and dominated for three years before finally deciding to make the move over to the NFL. The Bills wanted no parts of him as they instead, opted to trade him to the Cleveland Browns for multiple picks, one which turned into Hall of Famer Jim Kelly.

For the most part, Cousineau played decently but was never selected as a Pro Bowler or an Al-Pro. In fact, he never even played in the playoffs. While he made the NFL world wait for his services, the end result was extremely disappointing when he did arrive.