There isn’t a single franchise that got it completely right in the NFL Draft. On some occasions, a team would knock every single one of their draft picks out of the water. Yet, no matter how many times an organization picked up a gem such as the New England Patriots grabbing Tom Brady in the sixth round in 2000 or the Seattle Seahawks landing Russell Wilson in the fourth round in 2012, there will always be one player that makes every fan base sick to their stomach.
The circumstances are always the same. A fairly high draft pick is used on a collegiate star and the hopes and dreams of the franchise immediately rest on their shoulders. Unfortunately, not many players can deal with that sort of pressure. It wasn’t just that said player failed to live up to the expectations but more so that he underperformed in the most brutal of ways.
With the 2021 draft approaching rapidly, there will undoubtedly be several players who disappoint their new fanbase. But, before they are excoriated and castigated to no end, let’s remember the draft busts that came before them. Regardless of how bad some of these picks this year will ultimately become, it’ll take a ridiculously bad player from this year’s class to usurp some of the names on this list. So before fans receive a newfound hope with the draft just around the corner, let’s remind you that a bust can come at any moment.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Arizona Cardinals history: Matt Leinart, QB
Stats:
- 4,065 passing yards
- 15 touchdowns
- 21 interceptions
- 57.1 completion percentage
Matt Leinart was one of the most prolific passers in college football history. Not only were his numbers terrific but he was also a major piece on several great USC teams. During his three years there, Leinart never threw for less than 3,300 yards. He also kept his interceptions to a minimum, never putting together a double digit-season.
Leinart essentially won every major award. He was a Heisman Trophy winner, Rose Bowl MVP, AP Player of the Year and has several other notable accolades under his belt.
The Arizona Cardinals took hold of Leinart with the tenth overall pick in 2006 after compiling over 10,000 passing yards, 99 touchdowns and only 23 interceptions. Instead of becoming the face of the franchise, Leinart was a bench warmer for Kurt Warner. In his first year, however, Leinart started in 11 games and it was easy to see why he never became a full-time starter. Leinart led his ball club to a 4-7 record while throwing for 2,547 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
After a few seasons of producing underwhelming results, Leinart began bouncing around the league, backing up every quarterback wherever he went and making a fool of himself when he entered the game. His career came to a close in 2013 after losing to the unheralded Thad Lewis for the fourth-string quarterback position on the Buffalo Bills.
Simply put, if you can’t beat out Thad Lewis, then it’s time to hang ’em up.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Atlanta Falcons history: Aundray Bruce, LB
Stats:
- 32 sacks
- 264 tackles
The University of Auburn had the one player NFL scouts were fawning over, outside linebacker Aundray Bruce. He was an All-American, the Citrus Bowl MVP and took home a number of other awards that made him the runaway favorite as the best player in the 1988 draft.
The Atlanta Falcons believed they were fortunate to have the top pick in the NFL Draft that season and grabbed him as soon as they were given the opportunity. It was the first and only time a linebacker was taken with the first overall pick. While it was a bit risky, Bruce’s talent was simply undeniable.
With their new shiny toy, the Falcons set him out on the NFL world to see what he could do. They waited, waited, waited and waited some more. Then, after twiddling their thumbs, realized that he wasn’t able to do much of anything. By the time year three rolled by, Bruce was officially a bench warmer, playing sparingly if ever. He never registered a double-digit sack season. He was also never selected as a Pro Bowler or All-Pro player. Bruce was simply a gigantic waste of a pick and Falcons fans simply won’t forget it.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Baltimore Ravens history: Kyle Boller, QB
Stats:
- 8,931 passing yards
- 48 touchdowns
- 54 interceptions
Like most of the NFL world, the Ravens sat back in awe as they watched Kyle Boller carve up defenses at California. After sub-par play his first three seasons, Boller saved his best for last. In his senior campaign, Boller threw for 2,816 yards with 28 touchdowns and only ten interceptions.
The Baltimore Ravens saw a future star in Boller and grabbed him with the 19th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. He got off to a rocky start, throwing 1,260 yards and an underwhelming seven touchdowns to nine interceptions before a thigh injury forced him to miss the rest of the season.
Despite the putrid numbers, the Ravens continued to have faith in him. To reward them for their belief, Boller repaid them with horrific play.
Throughout the majority of his career, Boller simply couldn’t stay healthy. Only once did he finish an entire season without going down. With Boller spending more time on the IR as opposed to the actual football field, the Ravens cut their losses in 2007 after another injury-riddled season.
While Baltimore would draft their Super Bowl winning QB in Joe Flacco one year later, they’ll never forget how Boller was expected to lead them to prosperity but never did.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Buffalo Bills history: Aaron Maybin, DE
Stats:
- 6 sacks
- 27 tackles
Aaron Maybin appeared to be a life-changing defensive end.
Maybin burst onto the scene in 2007 with Penn State University. After redshirting in 2006, Maybin hit the ground running the following year. He wrapped up his season with 12 total tackles and four sacks. Maybin quickly became a player to keep an eye on and in 2008, he wrecked college football. On the year, Maybin registered 49 tackles, 20 were for loss, defended three passes, three forced fumbles and managed to register 12 sacks.
Maybin was an easy choice as an All-American and consensus First-Team All-Big Ten selection. At the age of 21, Maybin was ready to take his talents to the next level and entered his name in the 2009 NFL Draft. In desperate need of a pass rusher, the Buffalo Bills snagged him with the 11th overall pick.
Game after game, the Buffalo Bills watched as Maybin struggled. He managed to play in all 16 games but didn’t register a single sack. The following year, Maybin played in 11 games but once again, didn’t get a single sack on the year. Fed up with his play, the Bills didn’t even bother trying to trade him, they simply waived him. Maybin would spend two seasons with the New York Jets before ultimately bowing out of the league altogether.
He’s since moved on to focus full-time on painting. He’s apparently made out well for himself as his work has sold for as high as $20,000.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Carolina Panthers history: Jimmy Clausen, QB
Stats:
- 2,520 passing yards
- 7 touchdowns
- 14 interceptions
Cam Newton was the face of the Carolina Panthers franchise for years. He ran over defenders when he tucked the ball, threw for eye-catching numbers and cruised his way to an MVP award in 2015. Calling him the best player in franchise history isn’t conjecture, it’s merely a fact. But before Superman was given his cape, the Panthers attempted to give it to someone else.
Coming out of Notre Dame, quarterback Jimmy Clausen was highly touted. In 2008, he threw for 3,172 yards and 25 touchdowns to go along with 17 interceptions on 60.9 completion percentage. He took things to another level the following year, throwing for 3,722 yards, 28 touchdowns and only four picks. He did that while completing a ridiculous 68 percent of his passes.
Originally believed to be a top ten pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, Clausen fell to the second round and 48th overall. The Panthers were confident that they had their man but quickly realized that he wasn’t the answer following an awful rookie season in which he completed only 52.5 percent of his passes to along with three touchdowns and nine interceptions. If the numbers weren’t bad enough, wide receiver Steve Smith knew he stunk and wasn’t afraid to let him know it, although he would deny having any issues with Clausen.
The franchise quickly moved on from him and grabbed the aforementioned Cam Newton and the rest is history.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Chicago Bears history: Mitchell Trubisky, QB
Stats:
- 10,609 passing yards
- 64 touchdowns
- 37 interceptions
No, this isn’t a case of living in the moment. Recently let go quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is, in fact, the biggest bust in the history of the Chicago Bears.
Trubisky was an interesting prospect out of North Carolina. For two years he sat behind Marquise Williamson before getting his chance. While it wouldn’t appear to be a big deal, it is once you realize Williamson wasn’t an NFL level quarterback. He went undrafted in 2016 and had a cup of coffee with the Green Bay Packers. From there, he latched on with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League before ultimately landing in the XFL. That’s the player Trubisky couldn’t beat out for the starting job.
Regardless of that, he balled out in 2016, throwing for 3,748 yards to go along with 30 touchdowns and six interceptions. It was love at first sight for the Bears as they moved up to the second pick in the 2017 NFL Draft to take him. On the way to skipping the field, the Bears bypassed Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes.
Don’t let the one Pro Bowl appearance in 2018 fool you, Trubisky was a disaster during his time in Chi-town. He was unassertive, tentative and refused to take any risks both passing or running the ball. After another subpar season, Trubisky opted to sign with the Buffalo Bills to back up Josh Allen as opposed to staying put in Chicago to compete for the starting job.
All in all, it was the worst possible scenario for the Bears. With that said, at least Trubisky won the Nickelodeon NVP award.
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.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Cleveland Browns history: Johnny Manziel, QB
Stats:
- 1,675 passing yards
- 7 touchdowns
- 7 interceptions
- 57 completion percentage
The list for the biggest bust in the history of the Cleveland Browns is a ridiculously long one. Both the organization and the fans had high hopes for just about everyone they drafted but there’s a special place in the heart of those fans for quarterback Johnny Manziel.
Throughout the entirety of the organization’s existence, never have they had a player who exuded so much swag and confidence the way Manziel did. In his college years at Texas A&M, there was nothing Manziel couldn’t do. Whether his team needed him to throw touchdowns all over the field or rush into the end zone to win the game, none of it was a problem for him.
As a redshirt freshman, Manziel ran through the completion, he threw for 3,706 yards to go along with 26 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. He was also prolific at running the ball, racking up 1,410 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. He easily ran away with the Heisman trophy and had an equally strong second year.
The Browns snatched him with the 22nd pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. Shortly after being drafted, Manziel reportedly texted his quarterback coach, Dowell Loggains and said he intends to “wreck the league.” That of course, proved to be harder than he anticipated as he struggled from the very beginning. In his first start, Manziel completed only 10 of his 18 passes for 80 yards as the Browns were smacked around by a score of 30-0. The blowouts continued in his first year and throughout much of his second year as well.
Manziel was cut following the 2016 season and elected to play in the Canadian Football League. He was dreadful as he was a turnover machine. Manziel began bouncing around professional leagues from there, joining the Alliance of American Football and later, Fan Controlled Football. The bravado Manziel once displayed was long gone and the hope he gave the Cleveland Browns franchise fell by the wayside as he simply couldn’t live up to his own hype.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Dallas Cowboys history: Bobby Carpenter, LB
Stats:
- 3.5 sacks
- 170 tackles
The Dallas Cowboys have been lauded for their work in the draft before. Whether they hoist the Lombardi at the end of the year or not, they normally draft players who come in and contribute to winning as soon as possible.
With that being said, they do have their share of swing and misses in the NFL Draft, none bigger than their decision to take linebacker Bobby Carpenter with the 18th overall pick in 2006. The Cowboys grew infatuated with Carpenter the more they sat back and analyzed the tape. The outside linebacker touched every part of the stat sheet during his time at Ohio State University.
In Carpenter’s final year, he wrapped up ball handlers 49 times and registered eight sacks. The year prior was much of the same but Carpenter added a handful of interceptions as well. He appeared to be the type of general on the defensive side of the ball that the Cowboys were missing.
Yet, once they got their hands on him, they quickly realized that what they saw on tape didn’t match up to his physical attributes. Carpenter posted horrendous stats as a rookie. 1.5 sacks and 22 tackles didn’t leap off the page. In his next two seasons, Carpenter failed to record a single sack. He was eventually traded to the St. Louis Rams after four years of inept play. Carpenter would bounce around the league for a little while, bringing little to no production wherever he went.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Denver Broncos history: Paxton Lynch, QB
Stats:
- 792 passing yards
- 4 touchdowns
- 4 interceptions
The Denver Broncos were in a perfect position. They enjoyed great quarterback play from Peyton Manning for four years. During that stretch, they dominated the regular season and made two Super Bowl appearances, winning one in 2015.
With Manning set to ride off into the sunset after the season, the Broncos invested in their future by taking a tall, strong young man with a ton of potential in Paxton Lynch out of Memphis University. It was all perfect, the Broncos needed someone to take the reigns for the next decade-plus and he was clearly the guy.
While at Memphis, Lynch threw a party on defenses. In his final year under center, he pushed the ball downfield for 3,776 yards to go along with 28 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He also proved he was a bit mobile as he rushed for 13 touchdowns the year prior. Luckily for the Broncos, he was still waiting there in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft and with the 26th overall pick, they took him.
Denver showed absolutely no patience with Lynch, pushing him out the door in only two years and four starts. Granted, his numbers were awful, but Denver was never fully committed to him in the first place.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Detroit Lions history: Joey Harrington, QB
Stats:
- 14,693
- 79 touchdowns
- 85 interceptions
- 56.1 completion percentage
Detroit Lion fans gave now former quarterback, Matthew Stafford a ton of grief for his play. Although he put up monster numbers year after year and was widely considered one of the top QBs in the league, his teams often stunk.
For as much flak as they gave him, they would take him in a heartbeat over Joey Harrington. Watching the former college star at Oregon throw interceptions at will for their ball club was depressing in every sense of the word. But before that took place, Detroit believed they were getting their new savior.
At Oregon, he had a strong career but it was his final season that saw him jump near the top of NFL draft boards in 2002. He launched the ball down the field to the tune of 2,764 yards, 27 touchdowns and only six interceptions. The Lions wasted no time and grabbed him with the third overall pick.
Fans quickly found themselves pulling their hair out as Harrington was both inefficient and horrific in his play. In his first two seasons, Harrington threw more interceptions (38) than touchdowns (29). His run in Detroit would last only four seasons and he never came close to sniffing the playoffs during his time.
To be fair, Stafford hasn’t made many playoff runs himself but at least he competed and gave the fanbase gaudy numbers to point to. In the case of Harrington, he was simply all-around bad.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Green Bay Packers history: Rich Campbell, QB
Stats:
- 386 passing yards
- 3 touchdowns
- 9 interceptions
- 45.6 completion perentage
The Green Bay Packers have had roughly three decades of great quarterback play. With Hall of Famer Brett Favre carving up defenses for roughly 20 years and Aaron Rodgers doing the same for roughly half of that time, it’s easy to forget that the Packers haven’t always had it easy at the quarterback position.
Long before Favre or Rodgers were throwing darts down the field, Rich Campbell was chucking the ball into the dirt. At one point though, he appeared to be the next big thing in the league.
Campbell attended California college and put up ridiculously accurate passing numbers. In 1980, Campbell incredibly completed 70.7 percent of his passes. While those numbers are somewhat attainable in today’s game, back in the late 70s and early 80s, that was pretty much impossible.
In desperate need of a signal-caller, the Packers took Campbell with the sixth overall pick in the 1981 draft.
Struggle would be an understatement to explain Campbell’s time in the league as he never started a single game during his four years in Green Bay. In total, he would appear in just seven games and threw three touchdowns and nine interceptions. While the Packers have done quite well for themselves since then, Campbell set them back a few years.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Green Bay Packers history: David Carr, QB
Stats:
- 14,452 passing yards
- 65 touchdowns
- 71 interceptions
- 59.7 completion percentage
Timing is everything in the NFL and everything appeared to be picture perfect for the Houston Texans.
As the 2002 season rolled by, the Texans were looking to make a splash in its first year in the league as an expansion team. While they may have been the new face on the NFL block, they had what other teams didn’t, the number one overall pick.
With it, they took quarterback David Carr out of Fresno State. After putting up solid numbers for the first three years of his career, Carr went off as a senior. On the year he threw for 4,839 yards, 46 touchdowns and nine interceptions on 64.5 completion percentage. Hearing his name called first on draft night was a stone-cold lock.
The Texans were officially ready to go from expansion team to contenders. That may have been true if Carr was actually any good.
There should always be a silver lining when a rookie QB has a bad season. But, in Carr’s case, there was none. The fresh face QB threw for only 2,592 passing yards, nine touchdowns and 15 interceptions. With his propensity for turning the ball over, it came as no surprise to see the Texans finish 4-12 that year. For the duration of his time there, every season was almost a mirror image of the previous one. Carr would confuse his own teammates with those wearing the opposite jersey as he continually gave the ball away.
For the Texans, they couldn’t get rid of Carr fast enough as they released him in 2007.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Indianapolis Colts history: Jeff George, QB
Stats:
- 27,602 passing yards
- 154 touchdowns
- 113 interceptions
- 57.9 completion percentage
Jeff George falls into a special category on this list. Not only was he the biggest bust in the history of the Indianapolis Colts but he was one of the biggest busts in NFL history.
George was a solid signal-caller as he split time at both Purdue and Illinois. Although the overall passing yards were pretty good, standing at 6,212 at the end of his college career, his touchdown to interceptions ratio was even as he threw 35 scores and was picked off the same amount of times.
Still, the Colts saw enough to make him the first player taken off the board in the 1990 draft. It was as if the Colts completely ignored the scouting report of George. To the surprise of no one, he struggled to find the end zone. The arm talent was clearly there though. In only his second season, George threw for 2,910 yards. With that said, his team only won one game that year.
After four years of watching their hopes and dreams swirl down the drain, the Colts traded George to the Atlanta Falcons. His pathetic 41 touchdowns and putrid 46 interceptions, along with a record of 14-35 safely place him ahead of anyone else as the biggest bust in Colts history.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Jacksonville Jaguars history: Justin Blackmon, WR
Stats:
- 1,280 receiving yards
- 6 touchdowns
Coming into the 2012 NFL Draft, Justin Blackmon was viewed as a next-level monster. While attending Oklahoma State, defensive coordinators simply had no answers for him. In his sophomore season, Blackmon put up cartoonish numbers. He totaled 1,782 yards, 20 touchdowns and a ridiculous 16.1 yards per catch. He followed that up with an equally dominant junior season in which he registered 1,522 yards and 18 touchdowns.
The Jacksonville Jaguars had a ton of holes to fill but amongst them was the wide receiver position. With the talent simply too overwhelming to pass up, they snagged him with the fifth pick in the 2012 draft.
Everything seemed to be going according to plan. Blackmon caught 64 passes for 865 yards and five scores. He was named to the All-Rookie Team for his efforts and even bigger things were expected of him down the line. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the legal issues began piling up.
Blackmon was suspended by the league in April of 2013 for four games due to violating the substance abuse policy. A few months later, he would undergo groin surgery but seemed fine once he served his time from his suspension. With several solid games under his belt, Blackmon was once again suspended, this time indefinitely, for violating the substance abuse policy, in total, he played four games that year.
Blackmon’s issues with the law simply wouldn’t stop. In July of 2014, he was arrested for possession of marijuana and in December of 2015, he was arrested for driving while intoxicated. He would never return to the field again as the Jaguars moved on and Blackmon would subsequently fade into the shadows.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Kansas City Chiefs history: Todd Blackledge, QB
Stats:
- 5,286 passing yards
- 29 touchdowns
- 38 interceptions
- 48.1 completion percentage
It may come across as a bit hard to believe but at one point, Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Georgia didn’t have the college football scene on lock. During the early 1980s, Penn State was a powerhouse, mostly due to quarterback Todd Blackledge. In 1982, Blackledge led them to a National Championship and put together a record of 31-5 during his time there.
Blackledge became eligible for the 1983 draft and immediately threw his name into the mix. Despite the high caliber of players, the Penn State signal-caller was thought to be just as good as any of them. He was taken with the sixth overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs, ahead of several Hall of Famers such as Jim Kelly and Dan Marino and just behind John Elway.
Although he was expected to take over the team from the QB position, he never beat out Pro Bowler Bill Kennedy. Blackledge did receive a few chances to prove his worth but he was horrific. From 1984-1986, Blackledge started 22 of 33 games but the results weren’t pretty. He would have back-to-back seasons of six touchdowns and double-digit interceptions. He ultimately moved onto Pittsburgh where he continued to be a backup and stunk up the joint whenever he made a game appearance.
Blackledge would retire after seven unproductive seasons at the age of 28. His draft mates, on the other hand, went on to become some of the best quarterbacks the game of football has ever seen. With the plethora of QBs that were available to them that year, the Chiefs picked the worst of the bunch.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Las Vegas Raiders history: JaMarcus Russell, QB
Stats:
- 4,083 passing yards
- 18 touchdowns
- 23 interceptions
- 52.1 completion percentage
A debate can always be made by a certain fanbase in terms of which player was the worst drafted by their favorite squad. While those debates could go either way, there is no question that JaMarcus Russell is the biggest bust in Raiders history and, in the opinion of most, all time.
Russell appeared to have everything a franchise was looking for. He was tall, physical, had a cannon for an arm and a winner at LSU. He was a Heisman finalist and the Sugar Bowl MVP after dominating Notre Dame. There was seemingly nothing Russell couldn’t do out on the field.
The Raiders slightly paused to consider future Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson with their selection in 2007, but ultimately decided Russell was the right choice.
From the very beginning, they regretted the move. Although he was primarily a backup in his first year, Russell took over the starting job the following season. He was horrendous from the start. With 15 games under his belt, Russell threw for a meager 2,423 yards with 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions. The following year, Russell put the T in terrible. He threw for 1,287 yards with three touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He couldn’t find a receiver even if they were wide open right next to him as he completed only 48.8 percent of his passes.
Russell was let go the following year and never made it back into the league. His God-given talent simply wasn’t enough as he was lambasted for his poor work ethic. It truly got no worst than JaMarcus Russell.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Los Angeles Chargers history: Ryan Leaf, QB
Stats:
- 3,666 passing
- 14 touchdowns
- 36 intercetions
- 48.4 completion percentage
There was no way quarterback Ryan Leaf would be a bust. Sure it could happen to anyone, but Leaf? He appeared to be a virtual lock to have future success at the next level.
Leaf attended Washington State in the mid-1990s and dominated teams during his two years as a starter. 1997 was particularly outrageous, Leaf threw for 3,968 yards, 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He finished third in the Heisman voting and there was a truly heated debate between taking Leaf or Peyton Manning with the number one overall pick in the 1998 draft. Although Manning would eventually win out, heading to the Colts, the Chargers happily snatched up Leaf with the second overall pick.
Fans of the franchise who believed they got the better of the two quarterbacks quickly found out that was a lie. Leaf was laughably bad in his first season. The accuracy he displayed in college abandoned him as he completed just 45.3 percent of his passes. He managed to throw for just 1,289 yards in ten games. His two touchdown passes on the year and 15 interceptions forced fans to place a bag over their head in pure shame.
A shoulder injury saw Leaf go down before the beginning of the following season. He would rehab and make his return the next year. However, it was the same ole Leaf as he struggled yet again. Leaf was let go by year three and subsequently retired after failing to latch on long term with a team. While the Chargers sulked in misery, they were forced to sit back and watch as Manning and the Colts went on to have a decade-plus run of great football.
To give you a comparison as to how far and away the Chargers got this one wrong, Leaf ended his career with 3,666 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. Manning, on the other hand, wrapped up his career with 71,940 passing yards to go along with 539 touchdowns.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Los Angeles Rams history: Lawrence Phillips, RB
Stats:
- 1,453 rushing yards
- 14 touchdowns
Lawrence Phillips had all of the talent in the world, he simply wasn’t in the right frame of mind to deal with the sort of success that was coming in his direction. After spending his first season primarily on the bench at Nebraska, Phillips came on in a big way during the 1994 season. On the year, Phillips gashed defenses for 1,826 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
With his draft stock rising, Phillips flushed it all down the drain with an inexcusable assault on his former girlfriend, Kate McEwen. The incident saw Phillips suspended from the team but would make his way back just in time to play in several games, including the National Championship, a game Nebraska would win.
To the surprise of no one, Phillips elected to move on to the NFL. Despite the controversy, the St. Louis Rams grabbed him with the sixth overall pick. With back-to-back seasons of subpar play, rushing for just over 600 yards, Phillips was cut due to a combination of alcohol abuse and inconsistent effort on the field of play.
From there, Phillips began bouncing from team to team, flashing small glimpses of what he could do but ultimately, failing to provide any team with a long-term spark.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Miami Dolphins history: Dion Jordan, DE
Stats:
- 13.5 sacks
- 82 tackles
Honestly, the Miami Dolphins had it coming.
There were red flags surrounding defensive end Dion Jordan from the very beginning. For starters, Jordan originally played tight end at the University of Oregon in 2008 before ultimately moving to the defensive end position.
Somehow, Jordan was a First-Team All-Pac-12 selection after putting up mediocre numbers. On the year, Jordan registered 42 combined tackles and just 7.5 sacks. He repeated the feat in 2012 even though his numbers were, in some categories, lower than the previous year. Jordan picked up 44 combined tackles and only five sacks.
Despite the not so impressive numbers, as well as shoulder surgery before the 2013 NFL Draft, Jordan was selected with the third overall pick after the Miami Dolphins moved up to grab him. He immediately proved to be a monumental letdown. In his first year in the league, Jordan managed to put together a pitiful season that included just 26 combined tackles and two sacks. Year two was even more horrific, in ten games, Jordan only registered only one sack.
With his awful production on the field coupled with getting busted for using adderall, Jordan’s time in the league ended rather quickly and it’s a major reason why he was the biggest bust in Miami Dolphins history.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Minnesota Vikings history: Troy Williamson, WR
Stats:
- 1,131 receiving yards
- 4 touchdowns
The Minnesota Vikings needed something to take away the sting from losing wide receiver Randy Moss a few years prior. While he left incredibly large shoes to fill, Troy Williamson appeared to be the perfect guy to step into them. He was mostly drafted on potential coming out of South Carolina. In his junior season, he caught 43 balls for a grand total of 835 yards and seven touchdowns. Not overly impressive numbers but still, it was all about potential.
The Vikings took him with the seventh overall pick in the 2005 draft. Any thoughts of Williams becoming the next Randy Moss were immediately laughed at as he struggled in a big way. In his first year with the team, he registered 372 yards and two touchdowns. He followed that up with 455 yards and zero touchdowns the subsequent season. After another terrible year in which he piled up just 240 yards and one score, the Vikings shipped him to the Jacksonville Jaguars where he became an insignificant player and would eventually exit the league altogether just two years later.
The main problem for Williams was that his hands were awful. After fans sat back for years and watched Moss catch passes effortlessly with one hand, this was before the invention of the current gloves receivers wear now which makes catching a pass the easiest thing in the world, they grew acrimonious as they watched Williams drop ball after ball.
In his three seasons with the Vikings, Williams’ catch percentage was 47.03%. It was impossible to trust him in the big moments. He effectively went from Randy Moss replacement to the biggest bust in franchise history.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from New England Patriots history: Daniel Graham, TE
Stats:
- 2,490 receiving yards
- 25 touchdowns
No one ever remembers how bad a draft pick was when the team is smack dab in the middle of a dynasty. For tight end Daniel Graham, he was lucky in that regard. Unfortunately for him, however, we remember just how terrible he was.
Long before Rob Gronkowski began catching passes, blocking tight ends and chugging bears during Super Bowl parades, Graham was expected to do so with the New England Patriots.
During his senior year at the University of Colorado, Graham looked like the real deal. The impressive tight end caught 51 balls for 753 yards and six touchdowns on a winning ball club. The Patriots decided to take him with the 21st overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft and regretted their decision almost immediately. Graham simply didn’t have the speed, skill or physical ability to play at the next level. In his first year, he totaled only 150 yards. He followed that up with 409 the following season. Graham was far from a touchdown scoring machine, scoring only five in that time frame.
In total, Graham registered 1,393 yards, an impressive number for a full season but a pathetic one when you realize that was his total for his entire five years in Foxboro. As mentioned earlier, the criticism of Graham simply wasn’t there due to the team winning in spite of him. In their first championship run in 2003, Graham played in all three games but totaled only 45 yards. The following year was even worse as he once again played in all three games but totaled a horrendously bad 16 yards.
While winning helped mask a lot of things, the stench of his God-awful play was obvious to those who paid attention.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from New Orleans Saints history: Reggie Bush, RB
Stats:
- 5,490 rushing yards
- 36 touchdowns
Reggie Bush was almost like a folk hero during his time in USC. A legitimate argument can be made that Bush was quite possibly the most talented player in college football history.
His trophy mantle is filled with a litany of awards during his three years on campus. He took home the Doak Walker and Walter Camp awards. He was the Sporting News Player of the Year, a two-time National Champion, two-time All-American, two-time Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, and a Heisman Trophy winner. Although some of those awards were vacated due to a scandal, history won’t forget what he was able to accomplish no matter what.
Bush was immediately taken with the second pick in the 2006 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. There was true excitement in the franchise. The organization already had one of the greatest QBs of all time in Drew Brees, so the transition for Bush was expected to be an easy one. Those thoughts though, were untrue.
Bush struggled with the physicality of the league. In college, it was easy for him to dance around defenders and make them miss tackles as he pranced his way to the end zone. At the next level, however, the bigger and stronger players would hear none of it as they rag-dolled him all over the field.
During his five seasons with New Orleans, Bush never came close to rushing for a thousand yards with his highest rushing total coming at 581. Outside of his first year in which his receiving yards totaled an impressive 742, Bush never came near that number again. He didn’t come close to reaching a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team either.
Admittedly, Bush was a part of the 2009 Super Bowl winning Saints team but he was more so just a guy as opposed to an impactful or even an average player. During the title run Bush totaled 117 yards on the ground and 95 through the air in three games. He may have been a fan favorite and one of the best ever in college but in the pros, Bush was about as awful as you could get, considering the hype.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from New York Giants history: Cedric Jones, DE
Stats:
- 15 sacks
- 151 tackles
By no means were the New York Giants ready to compete for titles, but they appeared to be putting all of the pieces in place. In 1993, the franchise grabbed future Hall of Fame pass rusher Michael Strahan. While he was dominant, the franchise realized that having two guys who could terrorize opposing QBs was better than one. In 1996, Cedric Jones was believed to be the perfect pairing with Strahan. However, he proved to be a dud.
In an unbelievable turn of events, the number five overall pick in the 1996 draft was legally blind in one eye. That, in turn, meant he could only play on the right side of the defensive line. Still, even with that tragic news, the Giants held out hope that he could become a dominant player in the league. That said, they quickly realized that he wasn’t going to cut it. Jones didn’t register a single sack in his first two years in the league. He would finally get on the board in year three, nabbing four sacks on the year but still, his production was putrid.
During his best season, Jones scored 7.5 sacks in 1999 but was instantly brought back down to earth the following year with 3.5. The turn of the new Millenium would be the last time Jones was seen on an NFL field. It was a quick career for the man who is widely regarded as the biggest bust in New York Giants history.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from New York Jets history: Vernon Gholston, DE
Stats:
- 0 sacks
- 42 tackles
Vernon Gholston checked all the boxes. He was a big physical defensive end that was productive as can be in college. While attending Ohio State University in the mid-2000s, Gholston played against top competition and shined.
After a redshirt year in 2005, there was simply no stopping Gholston. He put up 49 tackles, 15 accounted for loss, to go along with 8.5 sacks and an interception. He was awarded with a Second-Team All-Big ten selection for his good play. If quarterbacks thought he was a menace before, they grew despondent after he came back the following year as an improved player. Graham registered 37 combined tackles and made the lives of QBs a living hell as he racked up 14 sacks.
In two years with Ohio State University, Gholston scored 22.5 sacks. For the New York Jets, that’s all they needed to see as they grabbed him with the sixth pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. Yet, the moment he left college, it appeared as though he forgot how to play football. After three full seasons with the Jets, Gholston failed to register a single sack. Needless to say, he was released. He attempted to hang onto his NFL career, signing with the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams but he was released by both clubs before playing a single game. Gholston would never play in the NFL again.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Philadelphia Eagles history: Jay Berwanger, HB
Stats:
- N/A
The color is absent from the television screens and the grainy picture makes it almost unrecognizable.
In 1936, halfback Jay Berwanger was a dominant player at the University of Chicago. He was the first-ever winner of the Downtown Athletic Club trophy which was later renamed the Heisman.
Berwanger became the first player drafted into the NFL in 1936 by the Philadelphia Eagles. Ironically enough, he didn’t play a single snap for them or anyone else for that matter. Instead, he chose to compete for a spot in the decathlon in the 1936 Olympics. Ultimately, Berwanger failed to make the cut and attempted to make his way back to the Eagles. The Philadelphia franchise opted to trade him to the Chicago Bears where negotiations quickly went up in flames.
Berwanger’s financial demands were $12,500, yet Bears owner George Halas offered Berwanger simply shook his hand and told him to have a good life. Berwanger later focused on coaching, writing sports columns and owning businesses.
Some players fail to live up to the hype, but in the case of Berwanger, he simply never played a down of football in the NFL, making him an easy choice as the biggest bust in Eagles history.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Pittsburgh Steelers history: Mark Malone, QB
Stats:
- 10,175 passing yards
- 60 touchdowns
- 81 interceptions
- 50.9 completion percentage
The Steelers needed help. Ben Roethlisberger was still a number of years away from entering the league and quarterback Mark Malone appeared to be the best guy to lead them to championship glory. Pittsburgh decided to take a chance on him with the last pick in the first round in the 1980 draft.
Malone would spend the next few years coming off the bench. When he was given the opportunity to show what he could do, Pittsburgh fans begged for him to be subbed out of the game. With few options in 1984, Malone was given the full-time starting gig. Mostly on the back of the defense, the Steelers advanced to the AFC Championship game. Malone was simply asked not to screw things up as a starter.
Well, he didn’t get the memo. Outside of his 1985 season, Malone never threw more touchdowns than interceptions. 1987 was particularly bad. Malone threw for only 1,896 yards to go along with six touchdowns and 19 interceptions. He also struggled with accuracy, completing only 46.4 percent of his passes. Malone would eventually be dropped as the Steelers realized they couldn’t win with him under center. For his career, Malone completed 50.9 percent of his passes, just a clear indication of how terrible he truly was.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from San Francisco 49ers history: Jim Druckenmiller, QB
Stats:
- 239 passing yards
- 1 touchdown
- 4 interceptions
- 40.4 completion percentage
Even well into his late 30s, quarterback Steve Young was a terrific player. At the age of 37, Young was named to a Pro Bowl after throwing for 4,170 yards and connecting on a career-high 36 touchdowns.
But, for as great as Young was, the San Francisco 49ers knew they had to start looking for his replacement. At the time, quarterback Jim Druckenmiller was quietly building a name for himself at Virginia Tech. In his final year under center, he threw for 2,071 yards, 17 touchdowns and only five interceptions. It seemed like the perfect scenario, Druckenmiller could sit back and learn from an all-timer without the pressure of needing to play right away. With that, they selected him with the 26th overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft.
Tabbed as the quarterback of the future, opinions of him quickly changed once he actually played. In four stints of game action in his rookie season, Druckenmiller threw for 239 yards, one touchdown, four interceptions, and a 40.4 completion percentage. After one more season of watching Druckenmiller commit horrendous turnovers and play poorly, the 49ers elected to ship him off to the Miami Dolphins and stuck with their aging quarterback. The Dolphins subsequently cut Druckenmiller and he would never be seen in the NFL again. Instead, he resurfaced in the XFL, proving that he was never cut out for the league to begin with.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Seattle Seahawks history: Dan McGwire, QB
Stats:
- 745 passing yards
- 2 touchdowns
- 2 interceptions
- 50 completion percentage
The 1980s and 90s were a completely different time football-wise. Seldom did quarterbacks put up gaudy numbers in college. Instead, defensive players shined on the collegiate stage along with running backs. The game plan, by and large, was simple. Bleed out the clock, get a ton of stops and score when you can. A stark contrast to today’s game.
Still, even with the limited amount of possessions on the offensive end, quarterback Dan McGwire made teams pay. In his final year at San Diego State, McGwire threw 3,883 passing yards and 27 touchdowns with only seven interceptions. The Seattle Seahawks were impressed with both his counting numbers and overall play and decided to grab him with the 16th overall pick in 1991.
Seattle intended to start him out slow. He settled into a backup role in his rookie year but fell on the depth chart to third-string in 1992. He wouldn’t see much of the field the following year either but was finally given a chance to play in year four. In seven games, McGwire threw for 578 yards with a single touchdown and two interceptions. Needless to say, he was relegated back to the bench.
Seattle shipped him off to Miami in 1995 and after playing in only a single game while there, he was exiled from the league, making him an unbelievable bust.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bo Jackson, RB
Stats:
- 2,782 rushing yards
- 16 touchdowns
There was a ton of hype surrounding Bo Jackson during his college career at Auburn. Not only did he crush defenses on the ground rushing the ball, totaling 1,786 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior but he was also one helluva baseball player as well.
Even with Jackson focusing his time on the baseball diamond, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were very much interested in his services. As a warning though, Jackson informed the Buccaneers that choosing him with the first overall pick would be a bad move as he was focused on flourishing in his baseball career. Ever the skeptic, the Buccaneers decided to draft him anyways in 1986.
Hugh Culverhouse, owner of the Buccaneers at the time, was determined to change Jackson’s mind, even if it meant lying directly to his face.
During his final year of college baseball, Culverhouse took Jackson on a private plane to visit the facility. Jackson was hesitant at first as he knew he would become ineligible to complete his final year of college baseball. Culverhouse flat out lied to Jackson by telling him that he cleared things with the NCAA. Once Jackson found out, he took the five-year $7.6 million dollar offer from the Buccaneers and crumpled it up. Instead, he accepted a three year $1.07 million dollar offer from the Kansas City Royals.
Jackson would eventually make his way to the NFL but never played a single snap for the Buccaneers. In hindsight, they weren’t completely upset considering he became one of the biggest busts in NFL history.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Tennessee Titans: Jake Locker, QB
Stats:
- 4,967 passing yards
- 27 touchdowns
- 22 interceptions
- 57.5 completion percentage
Jake Locker shined while playing at the University of Washington. His final two years, in particular, placed him on the map. Locker threw for over 5,000 yards in his final two years and close to 40 touchdowns.
With Matt Hasselbeck holding a temporary starting position for the Tennessee Titans, the franchise believed it was time to start looking towards the future. To help usher it in was Locker, as he was taken with 8th overall pick in the 2010 draft. Although he began his career on the bench, Locker showed plenty of flashes in his first year.
Believing they had their man for the next decade-plus, Locker beat out Hasselbeck for the starting spot the following year. The flashes he showed in brief spots were nowhere to be found in his first year as a starter. Locker threw for 2,176 yards on 56.4% to go along with 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Still, the team held out hope that he could turn things around. With a solid year starting to take place, a hip injury in 2013 would force Locker to miss most of the season. In seven starts, he threw eight touchdowns and only four interceptions. As the following year rolled by, Locker regressed. In addition to his poor play, Locker suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.
At just the age of 26, Locker decided to walk from the game, saying that his desire to play and love for the game was gone. His career may have been a forgettable one, but fans of the Tennessee Titans will always remember him as being a complete bust.
Biggest NFL Draft bust from Washington Football Team: Dwayne Haskins, QB
Stats:
- 2,804 passing yards
- 12 touchdowns
- 14 interceptions
It may seem a bit early, after all, quarterback Dwayne Haskins was just let go earlier this year, but still, he is by far the biggest bust the Washington Football Team franchise has ever had.
Haskins redshirted as a freshman in 2016 at Ohio State University and in 2017, he played sparingly behind J.T. Barrett. Once Haskins was officially handed the keys to the car in 2018, he drove it in style.
Haskins put together one of the most prolific seasons in college football history. He threw for 4,831 yards, 50 touchdowns, just eight interceptions and completed 70% of his passes. He finished third in the Heisman voting, took home the Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year, the male Ohio State Athlete of the Year award and a long list of other trophies as well.
One year was all he needed to be selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Haskins came into the league with a chip on his shoulder, believing he should have been higher than the 15th overall pick. In hindsight, if the draft was done over, just about every team would pass on him. Haskins was terrible in his first year, throwing for 1,365 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 58.6 percent of his passes. He was equally as bad the following year, throwing for 1,439 yards and five touchdowns.
For Haskins, his horrific play on the field was bad enough but his overall conduct is what lands him a spot here. Haskins twice broke team COVID-19 protocols, once to enjoy a bit of adult fun while his team battled for a playoff spot. (Find link) He was subsequently let go during the backend of the season and has since signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the expectations through the roof for Haskins, he failed miserably at reaching them.