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NFL Draft: Biggest bust from each franchise’s history

By Hans Themistode

LOS ANGELES, CA - CIRCA 1988:Aundray Bruce of the Atlanta Falcons against the Los Angeles Raiders at the Coliseum circa 1988 in Los Angeles,California on November 20th 1988. (Photo by Owen C. Shaw/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - CIRCA 1988:Aundray Bruce of the Atlanta Falcons against the Los Angeles Raiders at the Coliseum circa 1988 in Los Angeles,California on November 20th 1988. (Photo by Owen C. Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Akili Smith
Akili Smith (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

Biggest NFL Draft bust from Cincinnati Bengals history: Akili Smith, QB

Stats: 

  • 2,212 passing yards
  • 5 touchdowns
  • 13 interceptions
  • 46.6 completion percentage

In the 1999 NFL Draft, three quarterbacks stood above the rest of the field. Those would be Tim Couch, Donavan McNabb and Akili Smith. With the aforementioned Smith falling to the Cincinnati Bengals with the third overall pick, they couldn’t have been happier with their selection.

Their exuberance was for good reason. At the University of Oregon, Smith lit opposing teams on fire. During his final year on campus, Smith threw for 3,763 yards 32 touchdowns and only eight picks. Smith believed he knew his worth and wouldn’t settle for a penny less. After holding out during training camp, Smith and the Bengals agreed upon a seven-year deal worth $56 million with $10.8 million in signing bonuses.

Despite the high price tag, Smith was a disaster. In his second year with the team and first full-time season as the starter, Smith threw for just 1,253 yards to go along with just three touchdowns and six interceptions. He was inaccurate as humanly possible, connecting on only 44.2 percent of his passes.

Smith spent the remainder of his two years as a bench warmer before Cincinnati ultimately let him go. Although he tried to revive his career, there wasn’t a single team in the league that believed in him enough to bring him on board.

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