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

30 worst No. 1 overall picks in NFL Draft history: 1. QB, JaMarcus Russell

Stats: 

• 4,083 passing yards
• 18 touchdowns
• 23 interceptions
• 52.1 completion percentage

The talent was always there for quarterback JaMarcus Russell.

Coming out of high school, Russell was a five-star recruit and rated as high as number three in the nation. Once he made LSU his school of preference, he lit the college football world on fire. In Russell’s junior year he threw for 3,129 yards, 28 touchdowns, eight interceptions and declared for the draft.

Despite future Hall of Fame wide receiver Calvin Johnson in the same 2007 class, the Oakland Raiders bypassed him and instead, made Russell their man. He was forced to watch from the sidelines for much of his rookie year, providing small glimpses of what he can do in his limited time. Once he was given the starting job the following year, the Raiders began second-guessing their pick. In 15 games, Russell threw for only 2,423 yards, 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He had major issues with his accuracy, completing only 53.8 percent of his passes.

Things didn’t get any better the following season. Horrendous play in 12 games saw Russell throw only three touchdowns to 12 interceptions while completing just 48.8 percent of his passes. He was cut the following year and was never seen in the NFL again. Although many names on this list simply didn’t have the skills to compete at the highest level, for Russell, it was a lack of motivation and work ethic that not only saw his once-promising career go down the drain but what also lands him with the top spot on this list.