8 Biggest NFL Draft Busts of All Time

Few moments on the NFL calendar create as much optimism as the draft.

Every offseason, fans believe—or, in some years, they need to believe. They trust in the front office, the scouting department. They're ready to see a rebuild take a positive step or a playoff contender become a Super Bowl hopeful.

And, hey, this is a difficult job. Even the best executives and organizations make mistakes, and draft classes are always going to have misses.

There are misses, however, and then there are straight-up busts.

Led by JaMarcus Russell—a very financially secure man who would like you to put "biggest" on that label—these are the most glaring draft mistakes ever.

Tony Mandarich, OT, Green Bay Packers (1989)

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Tony Mandarich (L)

Tony Mandarich put together a dazzling career at Michigan State. He was a two-time All-American and Big Ten Lineman of the Year.

So, when the Green Bay Packers used the No. 2 pick on him, it seemed the left side of the offensive line was settled. "The Incredible Bulk" was considered one of the best prospects at his position—ever.

Unfortunately, that potential went unrealized.

Mandarich held out, barely played as a rookie, struggled badly as a starter in 1990 and 1991, then missed the entire 1992 campaign. Mandarich dealt with substance abuse; he later said he never spent a day sober in Green Bay.

After three seasons out of the NFL—and a successful stint in rehab to get sober—he returned in 1996 and played for the Indianapolis Colts until 1998.

Lawrence Phillips, RB, St. Louis Rams (1996)

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Lawrence Phillips ruined his career with off-field problems.

The issues dated back to the running back's time at Nebraska, where he was twice arrested for assault. That, however, did not deter the St. Louis Rams from taking him with the sixth pick in 1996 and trading Jerome Bettis—a future Hall of Famer—to clear the backfield for Phillips.

In 25 appearances for St. Louis, he averaged only 3.4 yards per carry. Phillips was arrested three times and jailed for 23 days during his time on the Rams.

Behavioral issues ended his brief tenures with the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers, and he was out of the league after the 1999 season.

Phillips, while in prison, died by suicide in 2016.

Ryan Leaf, QB, San Diego Chargers (1998)

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Following a standout career at Washington State, Ryan Leaf entered the 1998 NFL draft as the potential No. 1 pick alongside Peyton Manning.

Their trajectories went in opposite directions.

Manning became an all-time legend, whereas Leaf toiled into the opposite kind of recognition with the San Diego Chargers. He posted a 4-14 record with an ugly 5.6 yards per attempt and 13 touchdowns to 33 interceptions in 21 games with San Diego, also missing the 1999 season with a shoulder injury.

Between his poor on-field performance, a reported poor work ethic and injury woes, he lasted only three seasons with the Chargers. One final winless stretch with the Dallas Cowboys in 2001 ended Leaf's career.

Akili Smith, QB, Cincinnati Bengals (1999)

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This memory is doubly painful for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Prior to the 1999 draft, the Ricky Williams-desperate Mike Ditka offered a total of nine picks—including the New Orleans Saints' first-rounder in 1999, 2000 and 2001—for the No. 3 selection.

Cincinnati rejected the haul, instead prioritizing a chance to draft a quarterback. The team landed on Akili Smith, a standout from Oregon.

First, that's so many draft picks. My word.

Second, the decision didn't pay off. Smith logged 17 starts in four seasons with the Bengals, trudging to a ghastly 4.8 yards per attempt with five touchdowns to 13 interceptions. He wouldn't play an NFL game after 2002.

Charles Rogers, WR, Detroit Lions (2003)

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You could hardly be faulted for wanting the storybook career.

Born and raised in Saginaw, Charles Rogers became an All-American receiver at Michigan State. He landed with the Detroit Lions as the No. 2 pick of the 2003 draft, setting up a potential lifelong arc in the Mitten.

Two collarbone injuries, an addiction to painkillers and multiple failed drug tests overshadowed his talent.

The wideout made 36 catches in just 15 games, and Detroit released Rogers before the 2006 season. He wouldn't play in the NFL again.

Rogers died in 2019 after a cancer diagnosis.

JaMarcus Russell, QB, Oakland Raiders (2007)

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Shaping a list of this nature can feel like piling on; JaMarcus Russell, for example, is well-aware of his inclusion in these articles.

To his credit, he's loudly embraced it.

"My s— didn't turn out how I ever wanted it to, or not how they expected it to," Russell said in 2022. "But if you're going to call me a 'bust,' put the 'biggest' on that m----------r then. That s--t don't bother me, man."

The standout from LSU went to the Oakland Raiders as the first selection of the 2007 draft. Russell had a powerful arm, but a subpar work ethic doomed his NFL tenure. He finished 7-18 with Oakland, throwing 18 touchdowns to 23 interceptions in scattered starts over three seasons on the Raiders.

The good news for Russell? According to Spotrac, he made nearly $40 million.

Zach Wilson, QB, New York Jets (2021)

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Sure, throw on the asterisk.

Zach Wilson remains a backup in the NFL, most recently on the Denver Broncos and—as of this writing—now with the Miami Dolphins. There, in theory, is still a chance he could shed the dreaded "bust" label.

But that's not going to change his time on the New York Jets, who drafted him second overall in 2021 following a breakout year at BYU.

Wilson spent three seasons with the dysfunctional franchise and made 33 starts. He typically had a mediocre supporting cast yet didn't elevate the offense, managing just 6.3 yards per attempt with 25 touchdowns to 23 interceptions—and also a league-worst seven lost fumbles in 2023.

Days before the 2024 draft, the Jets shipped him to the Broncos in a trade that otherwise swapped late-round picks.

Trey Lance, QB, San Francisco 49ers (2021)

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Although the same asterisk applies to Trey Lance, a little more context only fuels the disappointment around his selection.

In that same 2021 draft, the San Francisco 49ers packaged three first-round selections to land the No. 3 spot from the Miami Dolphins. San Francisco paid up for Lance, who guided North Dakota State to an FCS national title.

Two injuries, quite simply, wrecked his time on the Niners.

First, it was a knee injury as a rookie in Lance's first start. Then, he earned the starting job in 2022, but a broken ankle in Week 2 ended his season—which set off a string of events leading to Brock Purdy's emergence.

San Francisco sent Lance to the Dallas Cowboys in an August 2024 trade, and he only played a meaningless game in Week 18.

Lance, who's tallied 143 pass attempts in only 12 appearances, is now a backup for the Los Angeles Chargers.