Ranking the 7 Worst Draft Picks in NFL History
One of the reasons the NFL draft has become such a popular event over the last few decades is that it provides hope for all 32 fanbases. Each team has the chance of grabbing the next Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson, a player who could dramatically change the future of his franchise for years to come.
What can make the draft so agonizing at the same time is the potential of selecting a "bust." Missing on a player, especially in the top five picks, can set a franchise back for years. Here, we are looking at the seven worst draft selections in NFL history.
However, we will be doing so with a bit of a twist. We will only be discussing players who failed in the NFL primarily because of their play and not injuries. That will rule out someone like a Ki-Jana Carter, who never really got a fair chance to display his skill set in the pros. While these kinds of players certainly didn't help their respective teams, it's not entirely their fault for the missed pick.
We will also be evaluating each pick by the context of their draft class. Some misses are worse than others given the players that were selected immediately after them, while other picks don't look nearly as bad in weaker draft classes.
Tune in to our 2020 NFL Draft Show for live, in-depth analysis on what each pick means for your team, with hosts Adam Lefkoe, Matt Miller and Connor Rogers. No fluff, no B.S. Download the B/R app and watch starting Thursday, April 23, at 8 p.m. ET.
Honorable Mentions
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Narrowing down the seven biggest draft busts is always incredibly difficult as there were 15 other players considered. Here is a list of honorable mentions for the biggest draft misses in NFL history, sorted by the year they were drafted:
Seahawks LB Brian Bosworth (First-round pick in 1987 Supplemental Draft)
Jets RB Blair Thomas (No. 2 pick in 1990 draft)
Lions QB Andre Ware (No. 7 pick in 1990)
Falcons CB Bruce Pickens (No. 3 pick in 1991)
Bengals QB David Klingler (No. 6 pick in 1992)
Seahawks QB Rick Mirer (No. 2 pick in 1993)
Redskins QB Heath Shuler (No. 3 pick in 1994)
Browns QB Tim Couch (No. 1 pick in 1999)
Lions QB Joey Harrington (No. 3 pick in 2002)
Jets DT Dewayne Robertson (No. 4 pick in 2003)
Cardinals QB Matt Leinart (No. 10 pick in 2006)
Jets DE Vernon Gholston (No. 6 pick in 2008)
Seahawks LB Aaron Curry (No. 4 pick in 2009)
Browns RB Trent Richardson (No. 3 pick in 2012)
Browns QB Johnny Manziel (No. 22 pick in 2014)
No. 7: QB Blaine Gabbert, Jaguars
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Blaine Gabbert is the only player on this list who wasn't selected inside the top eight picks. In fact, only one other was taken outside the top five.
Gabbert experienced somewhat of a draft-day fall. He slipped to pick No. 10 despite many believing he could have been the No. 1 pick. But Jacksonville decided to make the bold move to trade up into the No. 10 spot to select the former Missouri quarterback.
Gabbert was expected to become the long-term replacement to David Garrard, but he never was able to live up to the hype. He started just 27 games for the Jaguars, losing 22 of those contests. He averaged just 5.6 yards per attempt in Jacksonville and had more interceptions (24) than touchdowns (22).
What makes this pick stand out in all the wrong ways for the Jaguars is the rest of the talent that they left on the board in a historic draft class. The pick immediately after them was J.J. Watt, who continues to terrorize them in the AFC South. From picks No. 11 to 16, there would be a combined 15 Pro Bowl appearances and six All-Pro selections.
The 2011 first round was littered with elite talent, and the Jaguars gave up two picks (Nos. 16 and 49) for the right to take Gabbert. It's a pick and a draft class that the Jaguars wish they could forget.
No. 6: QB Jake Locker, Titans
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Like Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker appears on this list because of how elite the 2011 draft class was. At pick No. 8, Locker was selected by the Titans to make up for the Vince Young selection from the 2006 draft. Unfortunately, Locker had even less career success than Young, leaving the NFL after just four seasons.
Locker ultimately started just 23 games in the NFL, as he was never accurate enough for the Titans offense to function at a high level.
As mentioned previously in the Gabbert slide, the Locker miss by the Titans was amplified due to an outstanding draft class. Picked directly after Locker was All-Pro offensive tackle Tyron Smith, who was recently named to the All-Decade Team after making seven Pro Bowls from 2013 to 2019. The Titans also passed on J.J. Watt, who has sacked Tennessee quarterbacks 17 times in his NFL career.
Locker finishes higher on this list than Gabbert because he had a shorter career and he was taken two picks before.
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No. 5: QB Akili Smith, Bengals
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The fifth-biggest draft bust in NFL history is Akili Smith, the No. 3 pick of the 1999 draft. While you could certainly make the case for No. 1 pick Tim Couch of the Browns, he joined an expansion team that had far less talent. Couch also had far more success in the NFL than Smith did with the Bengals.
Smith started only 17 games in the NFL, going 3-14 with a passer rating of only 52.8. He completed less than 47 percent of his passes in the NFL, averaging only 4.8 yards per attempt. Smith finished his career with only five touchdown passes to 13 interceptions to go along with 19 fumbles (eight lost).
The Smith pick looks even worse when you compare it to the other selections after him. From picks No. 4 to 11, there were two Hall of Famers in Edgerrin James and Champ Bailey. Wide receiver Torry Holt was drafted at No. 6, and cornerback Chris McAlister went at No. 10 to the Ravens. In total, there were 31 Pro Bowl appearances combined in the next eight picks.
Considering how great the rest of the 1999 draft class was, one could make a case that Smith deserves to be even higher on this list.
4. QB Ryan Leaf, Chargers
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Ryan Leaf comes in at No. 4 on our list of biggest draft busts in NFL history, which might seem low considering where he usually ranks.
Heading into the 1998 NFL draft, there was a significant amount of debate as to who should be the No. 1 pick. Peyton Manning was considered the safer option after a stellar career for the Tennessee Volunteers, but Leaf was more athletic and had the much bigger arm. Ultimately, the Colts settled on Manning, the Chargers selected Leaf, and the rest is history.
Leaf only started 21 games in his NFL career, winning just four of those contests. In San Diego, Leaf completed only 48 percent of his passes and threw 33 interceptions to only 13 touchdowns.
Leaf did suffer a shoulder injury in 1999 that robbed him of some of his arm talent. However, the questions of his leadership and work ethic likely would have made sure he never succeeded in the NFL.
The reason Leaf isn't higher on this list is the 1998 top seven is pretty weak overall. Among them, only Manning and Charles Woodson ever made it to the Pro Bowl. While there certainly was value to be had in this class later in the first round (Tra Thomas, Keith Brooking, Randy Moss), most of the teams in the top 10 didn't do much better than the Chargers.
But no matter how you frame it, the Leaf selection is an all-time draft miss.
3. WR Charles Rogers, Lions
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The first non-quarterback to make our list is former Michigan State wide receiver Charles Rogers. Still considered one of the best college receivers of all time, Rogers caught 135 passes for 2,821 yards and 27 touchdowns in his two seasons with the Spartans. He was a no-brainer selection for the Lions at No. 2 in the 2003 NFL draft, as they wanted to keep the All-American receiver in the state Michigan.
Rogers started just nine games in the NFL before he was suspended and released by the Lions. While he did have a few injuries that set him back early in his career, the failed drug tests are the biggest reason as to why he could never reach his full potential. Rogers finished his career with just 35 receptions for 440 yards and four touchdowns.
As a whole, the 2003 draft class wasn't the strongest. But the pick after Rogers was the incredibly consistent Andre Johnson, who went on to have a 14-year career. Johnson would go on to make seven Pro Bowls as he caught 1,012 passes for the Texans from 2003 to 2014.
Rogers is one of the greatest wide receiver prospects in the history of the NFL draft. It's too bad it didn't work out for him and the Lions.
2. QB JaMarcus Russell, Raiders
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Coming in at No. 2 is 2007 No. 1 overall selection JaMarcus Russell.
Russell had an outstanding year in 2006 for LSU, throwing 28 touchdown passes to just eight interceptions and leading the Tigers to a Sugar Bowl win over Notre Dame. Given his massive arm, he was deemed a perfect fit for Al Davis and the Raiders.
Russell didn't last long in the NFL, starting just 25 games before he was eventually released in 2009. He finished his career completing just 52 percent of his passes and threw more interceptions (23) than touchdowns (18).
Not only was Russell a historically bad quarterback, but the pick looks even worse in hindsight as the next two players selected (Calvin Johnson and Joe Thomas) combined to make 16 Pro Bowls and nine All-Pro selections. Both Johnson and Thomas made the All-Decade Team for the 2010s, while Russell never even started a game in the decade.
To make matters worse, other superstars such as Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Marshawn Lynch and Darrelle Revis were selected in the top 14. In total, there were 43 total Pro Bowl appearances for the top 14. The selection of Russell will go on to haunt Raiders' fans for years.
No. 1: OT Tony Mandarich, Packers
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Between JaMarcus Russell and Tony Mandarich, it's not hard to make the case that the former Packers offensive linemen had the better NFL career. While he didn't work out in Green Bay, he went on to start 63 games in the NFL, 32 for the Colts at right guard and right tackle. While he certainly never lived up to his status as the No. 2 pick in the 1989 draft, he had at least had a six-year career.
However, what makes Mandarich the biggest draft whiff in NFL history is the players he was selected ahead of that year. Picked directly after him were three Hall of Fame players in Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Deion Sanders. They combined to make 27 Pro Bowls and 14 All-Pro teams. Not only did the Packers not get an elite tackle, but they missed out on generational talents at running back, defensive end and cornerback.
Mandarich was built up as the "best offensive line prospect ever" by Sports Illustrated. He certainly didn't live up to those standards and now tops our list as the biggest draft bust in NFL history.
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