NFL Draft 2011: Top 50 Biggest Draft Blunders in NFL History
With the second pick in the 1998 NFL Draft, the San Diego Chargers select... Ryan Leaf, quarterback, Washington State.
And the rest is history.
Now, Leaf's name is synonymous with "draft bust."
Teams drafting in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft will try their best to avoid making a mistake as big as the ones in this slideshow.
Unfortunately, it seems that every year, at least one player flames out in unbelievable fashion.
In 1998, that player was Ryan Leaf.
But, was the Chargers' selection of Leaf the worst pick in the history of the NFL draft?
Here's a list of the top 50 biggest draft day blunders in NFL history.
50. Reggie Bush, RB
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Drafted: 2006, Round 1, Pick 2 by the New Orleans Saints
The Saints thought they were getting the steal of the draft when the Houston Texans passed on Bush to take Mario Williams.
People also thought the Texans were crazy for passing up Vince Young. (SPOILER ALERT: Young makes an appearance later in this list.)
I think we all owe the Texans an apology.
While Bush certainly hasn't been a horrible NFL player, he hasn't produced the way a No. 2 pick should produce. And he has trouble staying healthy.
I'm sure the Saints would do things differently if they had a time machine.
49. Mike Williams, WR
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Drafted: 2005, Round 1, Pick 10 by the Detroit Lions
Williams would have been higher on this list, but he's beginning to resurrect his career with the Seattle Seahawks.
He'll always be a bust in the eyes of Lion fans, but he can't be considered an NFL bust if he keeps producing at a decent level in Seattle.
48. Tommy Maddox, QB
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Drafted: 1992, Round 1, Pick 25 by the Denver Broncos
Maddox is another example of a player who completely bombed with the team that drafted him before experiencing mild success with another team.
Maddox actually led the Pittsburgh Steelers to the playoffs in 2002.
But still, even with the Steelers, he never became a quarterback that warranted anything near a first round pick.
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47. Jim Druckenmiller, QB
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Drafted: 1997, Round 1, Pick 26 by the San Francisco 49ers
Druckenmiller wasn't even very successful in the XFL.
His two years in San Francisco were spent backing up Steve Young towards the end of Young's career.
Apparently, the 49ers didn't think Druckenmiller was the answer to their impending quarterback vacancy, so they cut him.
And thus began a string of subpar quarterbacks in San Francisco.
46. Cade McNown, QB
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Drafted: 1999, Round 1, Pick 12 by the Chicago Bears
The Bears have never had a reliable quarterback.
They thought they were getting one in McNown, a quarterback from the same college as the great Troy Aikman.
McNown lasted all of two years in Chicago before being traded to the Miami Dolphins.
45. Dan McGwire, QB
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Drafted: 1991, Round 1, Pick 16 by the Seattle Seahawks
McGwire was so bad he couldn't even beat out other draft busts Rick Mirer and Kelly Stouffer for Seattle's starting QB job.
McGwire lasted only five seasons in the NFL, four with Seattle and one with Miami.
He started only three games in his career, finishing with a 1-2 record.
Maybe he should have stuck to baseball, where his brother, Mark, had great success.
44. Michael Haddix, RB
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Drafted: 1983, Round 1, Pick 8 by the Philadelphia Eagles
To say Haddix never lived up to expectations would be an understatement.
Running backs typically don't last long in the NFL, but usually teams can squeeze a couple productive seasons out of them.
The Eagles didn't get squat from Haddix. Being the No. 8 overall pick, it's definitely fair to call him a bust.
43. Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR
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Drafted: 2009, Round 1, Pick 7 by the Oakland Raiders
The Raiders stunned everyone when they picked Heyward-Bey, the speedy wide receiver from Maryland, with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
What was even more stunning was that they picked him above Michael Crabtree.
Heyward-Bey has been a major disappointment so far in Oakland, but his career is still young.
If he can add any sort of consistency to his career, he could end up being a decent third option for the Raiders.
Still, that's not what teams want from a first round draft pick.
Oh, and speaking of Crabtree...
42. Michael Crabtree, WR
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Drafted: 2009, Round 1, Pick 10 by the San Francisco 49ers
Crabtree was so upset by the Heyward-Bey pick that he demanded to be paid like the best wide receiver in the draft.
He held out of training camp and into the season, even going as far as to say he'd sit out the whole year if he had to.
When he finally did sign a contract and join the team, he was way behind.
But, even after a full offseason of work before the 2010 season, Crabtree was still behind.
He's going to need to work harder if he is going to get off this list.
41. Matt Jones, WR
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Drafted: 2005, Round 1, Pick 21 by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jones had a great performance at the NFL Combine.
But that success didn't translate into the NFL.
It didn't help that Jones couldn't stay away from illegal drugs. Multiple arrests eventually ended his NFL career.
40. Aundray Bruce, LB
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Drafted: 1988, Round 1, Pick 1 by the Atlanta Falcons
Bruce lasted 11 years in the NFL, but never started for any significant length of time.
He finished his career with 32 sacks and four interceptions.
And he only lasted four seasons with the Falcons.
Not exactly a great career for a No. 1 overall pick.
39. Lawrnence Phillips, RB
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Drafted: 1996, Round 1, Pick 6 by the St. Louis Rams
Phillips had a decent rookie season with the Rams.
But in 1997, he got in an argument with Dick Vermeil about playing time.
The Rams subsequently cut Phillips. After moving on to the Dolphins, he couldn't stay out of trouble with the law, ending his brief NFL career.
38. Adam "Pacman" Jones, CB
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Drafted: 2005, Round 1, Pick 6 by the Tennessee Titans
Pacman was super talented, but his off the field issues were too much to handle.
It’s sad to see someone with so much potential have so many problems.
Eventually, Roger Goodell had no choice but to suspend Jones for a whole season, all but ending his NFL career.
Comebacks with the Cowboys and Bengals wouldn't amount to much.
37. Courtney Brown, DE
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Drafted: 2000, Round 1, Pick 1 by the Cleveland Browns
Anytime the No. 1 overall pick is a defensive end, and that defensive end finishes his NFL career with only 19 sacks, you know he was a bust.
Brown didn't contribute much of anything to the Browns.
Health problems were the major culprit behind Brown's lackluster career.
36. Todd Marinovich, QB
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Drafted: 1991, Round 1, Pick 24 by the Los Angeles Raiders
Marinovich was selected ahead of Brett Favre in the 1991 draft.
The Raiders definitely wish they could have had that pick back.
Marinovich was a stud in high school and college, but drug problems led to his failure at the NFL level.
Stints in rehabilitation clinics eventually derailed his NFL career.
35. Brady Quinn, QB
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Drafted: 2007, Round 1, Pick 22
The Browns were thrilled to get Quinn after he fell so far in the first round of the 2007 draft. They even traded back into the first round to grab him.
Unfortunately for Cleveland, his career has yet to amount to anything.
However, trading him to the Broncos landed the Browns Peyton Hillis.
That was probably Quinn’s biggest contribution to Cleveland.
34. Rex Grossman, QB
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Drafted: 2003, Round 1, Pick 22 by the Chicago Bears
Grossman had a couple of decent years in Chicago.
He even helped the Bears reach a Super Bowl in 2006. But he never was able to develop any consistency.
Recently, he had a go in Washington, replacing the disappointing Donovan McNabb.
But, once again, Grossman failed to put his stamp on the starting job
33. Justin Harrell, DT
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Drafted: 2007, Round 1, Pick 16 by the Green Bay Packers
Normally, I don't question general manager Ted Thompson's decisions.
But, why take Harrell in the first round?
Most teams weren't even looking at taking him in the second round.
Using the 16th pick on a guy who simply cannot stay healthy has been the biggest draft blunder in recent Packer history.
32. Jamal Reynolds, DE
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Drafted: 2001, Round 1, Pick 10
Reynolds was another bad pick along the defensive line for the Packers.
He finished his career with only three sacks.
And, when the Packers tried to trade him to the Colts in 2004, he failed his physical, voiding the trade.
31. Tim Biakabutuka, RB
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Drafted: 1995, Round 1, Pick 8 by the Carolina Panthers
Biakabutuka was yet another promising prospect whose career was derailed by injuries.
He was never able to appear in more than 12 games in a season.
At least he found a way to score 17 touchdowns in his six NFL seasons.
30. Jack Thompson, QB
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Drafted: 1979, Round 1, Pick 3 by the Cincinnati Bengals
Thompson went to the same school as Ryan Leaf, who is pictured on this slide.
Apparently, Washington State quarterbacks end up as draft busts more often than not.
Thompson never amounted to a No. 3 overall pick during his years with the Bengals and the Buccaneers.
29. Kelly Stouffer, QB
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Drafted: 1987, Round 1, Pick 6 by the St. Louis Cardinals
Stouffer sat out his entire rookie season after not being able to agree to a contract with the Cardinals.
He was then traded to the Seattle Seahawks.
He would spend the rest of his career primarily as the Seahawks' third-string quarterback.
Maybe he should have just signed with the Cardinals.
28. J.P. Losman, QB
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Drafted: 2004, Round 1, Pick 22 by the Buffalo Bills
Losman failed to take control of the Bills' quarterback position.
That's sad, considering pretty much anyone should be able to take control of that position.
The Bills have been searching for a decent quarterback for a long time now, and might have to draft another first round quarterback this season.
27. Rick Mirer, QB
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Drafted: 1993, Round 1, Pick 2 by the Seattle Seahawks
Mirer was a member of seven teams during his NFL career.
As a No. 2 overall pick, Mirer was a major disappointment for the Seahawks, lasting only four seasons in Seattle.
He finished his career with a dismal 50-76 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 63.5 quarterback rating.
26. John Wesley Jones, WR
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Drafted: 1980, Round 1, Pick 2 by the New York Jets
Johnny Jones was a sprinter who could get past any defender.
But, for a receiver, he was bad at catching the ball.
He could never put his speed to good use in the NFL, lasting only five seasons.
25. Ron Dayne, RB
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Drafted: 2000, Round 1, Pick 11 by the New York Giants
Dayne won the 1999 Heisman Trophy and had a pretty decent rookie season for the Giants, playing in the Super Bowl.
But, in the next few seasons, Dayne couldn't keep his weight under control.
Even after losing weight in 2004, Dayne still couldn't crack the lineup.
After brief stints with the Broncos and Texans, Dayne was out of the NFL.
24. Dewayne Robertson, DT
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Drafted: 2003, Round 1, Pick 4 by the New York Jets
The Jets traded up to get Robertson, making this pick even worse.
Robertson never lived up to expectations, despite being able to stay healthy.
He played in nearly every game during his time with the Jets, but just didn't have the kind of impact a first round pick should have.
23. Dave Klingler, QB
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Drafted: 1992, Round 1, Pick 6 by the Cincinnati Bengals
Klingler lost his starting job with the Bengals to Jeff Blake.
That's not a good sign for a first round pick.
Blake wasn't exactly a Hall-of-Fame caliber QB.
Klingler finished his six year NFL career with just shy of 4,000 passing yards.
22. Vernon Gholston, LB
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Drafted: 2008, Round 1, Pick 6 by the New York Jets
The Jets recently cut Gholston after three disappointing seasons.
After those three seasons, I have as many sacks in the NFL as Gholston: zero.
Not exactly the kind of player that Rex Ryan wants to have around, is it?
21. Rashaan Salaam, RB
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Drafted: 1995, Round 1, Pick 21 by the Chicago Bears
Salaam won the Heisman Trophy in 1994 as a member of the Colorado Buffaloes, leading to the Bears selecting him with their first round pick in 1995.
Unfortunately, Salaam's college success didn't transfer to the NFL.
He had a great rookie season, running for over 1,000 yards for the Bears.
Then injury problems and fumbles began to plague Salaam.
He was done with the Bears after the 1997 season and then was in and out of the NFL for the next few years, never contributing very much to his teams.
20. Reggie Rogers, DT
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Drafted: 1987, Round 1, Pick 7 by the Detroit Lions
The Lions hit a home run with the pick of Ndamukong Suh, pictured here.
The Lions struck out with the selection of Reggie Rogers, another defensive tackle.
Emotional problems and vehicular manslaughter charges kept Rogers from being productive in the NFL.
After serving 18 months in prison, he tried to come back with the Bills and Bucs.
Neither attempt amounted to much.
19. Art Schlichter, QB
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Drafted: 1982, Round 1, Pick 4 by the Baltimore Colts
Peyton Manning, pictured here, is a Colt legend.
Art Schlichter is also a Colt legend, but for a very different reason.
Schlichter was banned from the NFL for gambling.
He managed to blow almost all of his money in gambling schemes and was constantly in trouble with bookies.
Commissioner Pete Rozelle refused to reinstate him to the NFL in 1988.
18. Todd Blackledge, QB
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Drafted: 1983, Round 1, Pick 7
John Elway, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly were all selected in the 1983 draft.
Blackledge clearly doesn't deserve to be mentioned with those all-time greats.
He is, however, a pretty good color commentator for ESPN college football games.
I'll give him that at least.
17. Heath Shuler, QB
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Drafted: 1994, Round 1, Pick 3 by the Washington Redskins
Shuler couldn't even beat Gus Frerotte for the Redskins starting job.
Despite receiving a huge contract, Shuler never amounted to much in the NFL.
His political career, on the other hand, is going much better.
He's currently a congressman from North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives.
16. Vince Young, QB
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Drafted: 2006, Round 1, Pick 3 by the Tennessee Titans
Young had flashes of brilliance, but never was able to put it all together.
Fighting with Jeff Fisher didn't help things either.
He wasn't a complete bust, but he didn't provide nearly as much production as the Titans thought they'd be getting from the No. 3 pick.
However, he still wasn't as big of a bust as one of his college rivals...
15. Matt Leinart, QB
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Drafted: 2007, Round 1, Pick 10 by the Arizona Cardinals
Leinart just didn't have what it took to make it in the NFL as a starting QB.
He was traded from the Cardinals before last season so that Derek Anderson could be the starting QB.
That's not a good sign for a career.
Now, he's the third string QB for the Texans.
14. Alex Smith, QB
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Drafted: 2005, Round 1, Pick 1 by the San Francisco 49ers
Smith has been a major disappointment as a 49er.
He’s lost and regained his starting position more than anyone else I can remember.
The only reason he’s not higher on this list is that I still believe, with the right offensive coordinator in the right system, he could be a serviceable NFL quarterback. But maybe I’m just crazy.
Oh, and Aaron Rodgers, the QB the 49ers almost took No. 1, just won the Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.
13. Andre Ware, QB
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Drafted: 1990, Round 1, Pick 7 by the Detroit Lions
After a great college career in which he won the 1989 Heisman Trophy, Ware never got much playing time with the Lions.
For some reason, he just didn't see eye-to-eye with the Detroit coaching staff.
After brief stints with the Raiders and Jaguars, Ware moved on to the CFL.
12. Tony Mandarich, OT
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Drafted: 1989, Round 1, Pick 2 by the Green Bay Packers
Mandarich was a beast.
A beast on steroids.
Looking back, it should have been pretty obvious that the giant offensive lineman was on 'roids, but the Packers never figured that out.
His results on the field were dismal as well.
He lasted only three seasons in Green Bay and is by far the Packers worst draft selection in franchise history.
11. Curtis Enis, RB
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Drafted: 1998, Round 1, Pick 5 by the Chicago Bears
Don't draft Penn State running backs.
They never amount to much in the NFL.
10. Blair Thomas, RB
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Drafted: 1990, Round 1, Pick 2 by the New York Jets
Really, don't draft Penn State running backs.
I mean it.
9. Ki-Jana Carter, RB
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Drafted: 1995, Round 1, Pick 1 by the Cincinnati Bengals
Come on guys, this isn't funny anymore.
The first overall pick? Really?
DON'T DRAFT PENN STATE RUNNING BACKS!
8. Charles Rogers, WR
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Drafted: 2003, Round 1, Pick 2 by the Detroit Lions
Rogers lasted only three years in Detroit.
He totaled only 36 catches and four touchdowns in those seasons.
Substance abuse problems scared other teams away after the Lions released him in 2005.
7. Steve Emtman, DE
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Drafted: 1992, Round 1, Pick 1 by the Indianapolis Colts
A slew of season-ending injuries plagued Emtman.
In each of his three seasons with the Colts, he was not healthy at the end of the season.
After stints with the Dolphins and Redskins, Emtman retired at the age of 27.
6. Joey Harrington, QB
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Drafted: 2002, Round 1, Pick 3 by the Detroit Lions
The Lions had a horrible stretch of draft picks in the early 2000s.
Harrington was the worst of them though.
Expected to be the new face of the franchise, Harrington bombed in his four seasons in Detroit.
Harrington finished his time in Detroit with an 18-37 record as a starter.
5. David Carr, QB
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Drafted: 2002, Round 1, Pick 1 by the Houston Texans
The first pick ever made by the Houston Texans ended up being David Carr.
And the franchise has been trying to recover from that pick ever since.
They finally have a decent quarterback in Matt Schaub, but so many years were wasted with Carr running around behind center.
Carr has been unsuccessful everywhere he’s played.
He’s one of the top three worst No. 1 overall picks of all time.
4. Tim Couch, QB
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Drafted: 1999, Round 1, Pick 1 by the Cleveland Browns
Couch lasted only five seasons in Cleveland.
During that time, he led the Browns to a grand total of one playoff appearance.
However, he broke his leg and missed the playoff game, a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That pretty much spelled the end of his NFL career.
3. Akili Smith, QB
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Drafted: 1999, Round 1, Pick 3
Despite having only one good year as a college quarterback, the Bengals took Smith with the No. 3 pick in 1999.
The Saints had offered the Bengals a package that included nine draft picks in order to move up to take Ricky Williams, but the Bengals declined.
In hindsight, that move should have been a no-brainer.
Smith only started 17 games in his career and finished with only five touchdown passes.
That's horrible production from a first round pick.
2. JaMarcus Russell, QB
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Drafted: 2007, Round 1, Pick 1 by the Oakland Raiders
Russell was excellent at LSU and has an absolute cannon for an arm.
But, he was never able to turn his raw skills into success in the NFL.
The Raiders didn't put the best pieces around him, but his work ethic also left a lot to be desired.
We'll see if he makes a comeback with a team in the near future, but my guess is that his NFL career is over.
1. Ryan Leaf, QB
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Drafted: 1998, Round 1, Pick 2 by the San Diego Chargers
Leaf has become the epitome of an NFL Draft “bust.”
Whenever someone mentions busts in April, football fans immediately picture Ryan Leaf.
After being a major disappointment in San Diego, he took his talents to Dallas for a season before finally calling it quits on his career.
His dismal 14-36 touchdown-to-interception ratio is all that remains of his brief NFL career.
Because of his name being synonymous with "NFL Draft bust," Leaf takes the No. 1 spot on this list of the top 50 draft busts in NFL history.
Lessons Learned
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Here are some lessons teams should learn from in the future:
1. Don't draft Penn State running backs (sorry JoePa)
2. Taking quarterbacks in the first round is incredibly risky (beware of Gabbert and Newton)
3. Don't be the Detroit Lions or New York Jets (a combined nine appearances on this list)
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