Like Curtis Enis seven years before him, Benson was drafted in the Top 5 to provide the Bears with a hard-nosed, between-the-tackles feature back. A camp holdout allowed Thomas Jones to win the job outright, and Benson never really got a chance until last season when Jones was dealt to the Jets.
We all knew the Bears couldn’t throw, but with Benson, we found out they couldn’t run either. Benson averaged a paltry 3.4 yards per carry before going down with a season-ending ankle injury. He still has time to resurrect his career, which is why he is only No. 24 on this list.
23. Travis Taylor WR, Baltimore Ravens 10th overall (1st round) 2000
Taylor flashed phenomenal potential at Florida, but like many other Gator receivers, he failed to fulfill it. Partially held back by poor quarterback play in Baltimore, Taylor has bounced around the league as a No. 3 receiver. His collegiate teammate, Darrell Jackson, has proved to be the better pro despite being selected with the 80th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft.
22. Jacquez Green/Ike Hilliard/Reidel Anthony
Note to GMs: Don’t draft wide receivers out of Florida.
Steve Spurrier’s system produced inflated stats for both receivers and quarterbacks, but over the years none of them—with the exception of third-round pick Darrell Jackson—have translated to the NFL.
Anthony and Green, both drafted by Tampa Bay, both flamed out of the league quickly, but Hilliard enjoyed a mildly successful career. Still, he did not come close to living up to expectations as the No. 7 overall pick.
21. Damione Lewis DT, St. Louis Rams 12 overall (1st round) 2001
Lewis was considered to be the best defensive lineman in the country at Miami (Fla.), so the Rams thought they were getting an absolute gem, but for whatever reason, Lewis never became a productive starter in his four years in St. Louis. To make matters worse, All-Pro nose tackle Marcus Stroud came off the board with the very next pick.
20. Michael Booker CB, Atlanta Falcons 11th overall (1st round) 1997
Booker never established himself and lasted just five seasons in the NFL. He was drafted over defensive backs Sam Madison, Ronde Barber, Chad Scott, and Darren Sharper.
19. Tom Knight CB, Arizona Cardinals 9th overall (1st round) 1997
Knight never established himself and lasted just five seasons in the NFL. He was drafted over defensive backs Sam Madison, Ronde Barber, Chad Scott, and Darren Sharper.
18. Wendell Bryant DT, Arizona Cardinals 12th overall (1st round) 2002
Bryant was drafted two picks ahead of Albert Haynesworth, who for all intents and purposes is the most dominant nose tackle in the game today. In just three seasons with Arizona, Bryant totaled an abysmal 29 solo tackles and 1.5 sacks.
17. Peter Warrick WR, Cincinnati Bengals 4th overall (1st round) 2000
Warrick was the Reggie Bush of the late ’90s. As a wide receiver at Florida State, no one could touch him. The man played at a different speed than everyone else. But once he reached the NFL, it seemed as though everyone figured him out. Warrick averaged less than 500 receiving yards per season in his six-year career.
16. Gerard Warren DT, Cleveland Browns 3rd overall (1st round) 2000
Warren didn’t perform terribly, but he certainly did not live up to being the third overall selection. He averaged 44.3 tackles 4.2 sacks per game in three seasons with Cleveland before being traded to Denver, but what made this a bad pick were the players taken after him.
At the time, the Browns needed any kind of playmaking they could get, and LaDanian Tomlinson, who came off the board two picks later, would have certainly qualified. Richard Seymour, the sixth pick, also would have been a better addition on defense.
15. Cade McNown QB, Chicago Bears 12th overall (1st round) 1999
As bad as Tim Couch and Akili Smith were, McNown may have been worse. In his three-year NFL career, McNown mustered only 3,111 yards passing while tossing 19 interceptions. Luckily for Chicago fans, the Bears solved their quarterback problems in 2002 when they drafted Rex Grossman. Oh, wait.
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