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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Steve Bartkowski (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

30 worst No. 1 overall picks in NFL Draft history: 24. QB, Steve Bartkowski

Stats:

24,124 passing yards
156 touchdowns
144 interceptions
55.9 completion percentage

Steve Bartkowski was about as shaky as you could get at the quarterback position on the collegiate level. After two forgettable years at the University of California, the words number one overall pick and Bartkowski didn’t appear to go together. After all, he threw for 944 yards to go along with four touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his first year and followed that up with 910 passing yards and four touchdowns with seven interceptions.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the light switch went on for Bartkowski. He dominated college football by throwing for over 2,500 yards with 12 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Mediocre numbers by today’s standards but note-worthy in the 1970s. He was taken number one overall by the Atlanta Falcons and went on to disappoint fans for over a decade.

On only three occasions did Bartkowski lead them to a winning record in the regular season and a playoff berth. Only once did those Falcon squads make it out of the first round. He did have a few good seasons, making back-to-back Pro Bowls, including leading the league in touchdowns with 31, but those moments came few and far between. His starting record currently stands at 59 wins against 68 losses. Not exactly number one overall pick material

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