15 Worst NFL Draft Picks Who Played in the SEC

The SEC has traditionally been known for its dominance in college football. Schools in the conference have bruising defenses, methodical offenses and produce NFL-ready products such as Cam Newton.

The SEC is college football’s Holy Grail of pro prospects. Yet, not all of them are sure things.

Over the years, even the powerful SEC has had its fair share of draft busts.

Here they are, in no particular order (Tim Tebow, I’ll wait to add your name until you’ve been benched in favor of Brady Quinn).

JaMarcus Russell

True, true, this list is in no particular order, but if it were, JaMarcus Russell would have the No. 1 spot for sure. 

Drafted first overall in 2007 by the Oakland Raiders, Russell played three very uninspiring seasons in the NFL before being released following the 2009 season.

Coming out of LSU, Russell was hailed as the savior of the Raiders franchise. Scouts and NFL organizations were impressed with his arm strength and size and projected him to be a sure-fire draft pick.

In his professional career, Russell threw 18 touchdowns with 23 interceptions and fumbled 22 times, hardly living up to the excessive praise he received at LSU.

Johnathan Sullivan

Johnathan Sullivan was a force when he starred as a defensive tackle for the Georgia Bulldogs. He had 18 tackles for loss in college and terrorized opposing quarterbacks game after game.

In the 2003 NFL draft, the New Orleans Saints recognized Sullivan’s quickness and ability to make the big play and drafted him sixth overall. 

However, upon arriving in New Orleans, Sullivan did not impress. In three years with the Saints, Sullivan recorded just 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble.

In 2006, Sullivan was dealt to the New England Patriots. He never played a game in New England and was cut in October 2006.

David LaFleur

In college at LSU, LaFleur was an All-SEC selection from 1994-96 and was voted an All-American in 1996.

The Dallas Cowboys, sure LaFleur could help resuscitate their offense, selected him with the 22nd pick of the 1997 draft. 

Despite LaFleur’s success in college and his NFL aspirations, he played just four seasons in Dallas, catching 85 passes for 12 touchdowns.

Rex Grossman

Rex Grossman excelled at the University of Florida. In his senior season, Grossman led the nation in passing efficiency, passing completion percentage and yards per attempt. He was also an All-American, AP Player of the Year and runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting.

Grossman was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 22nd pick in the 2003 NFL draft. He has had an up-and-down NFL career, highlighted by inconsistent play and poor decisions. Grossman has thrown 46 touchdowns and 49 interceptions in his career.

Most recently, Grossman was benched as the Washington Redskins starter after throwing four interceptions against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 16.

His time in the NFL has not lived up to his success at Florida, and Grossman has often been berated by fans for his poor play.

Tim Worley

Tim Worley was a standout running back at the University of Georgia. He was named an All-American after rushing for over 1,200 yards in his junior year.

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Worley as the seventh overall pick in the 1989 draft.

Worley had a respectable rookie season, running for 770 yards on 195 carries. However, in his second season, he took a step back, gaining just 418 yards.

After battling injuries and failing drug tests, Worley was traded to the Chicago Bears. He appeared in just five games in Chicago before being released and subsequently announcing his retirement from the NFL.

Heath Shuler

Heath Shuler starred as a quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers. When Shuler graduated, he held nearly all of Tennessee’s passing records and finished second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1993. 

Shuler was drafted third overall by the Washington Redskins and was expected to be the quarterback of the future. However, Shuler underperformed and was eventually benched in favor of Gus Ferrotte.

Shuler played in the NFL for three seasons, amassing 33 interceptions and just 15 touchdowns.

Danny Wuerffel

Admittedly, being selected in the fourth round does not necessarily point to stellar NFL career. However, Wuerffel did win the Heisman Trophy and a slew of other awards in college at Florida.

After college, Wuerffel played five seasons in the NFL and threw 22 interceptions and just 12 touchdown passes.

Either the Heisman Trophy should be awarded more sparingly, or Wuerrfel should be recognized for what he is—a draft bust.

Tim Couch

Tim Couch led a resurgent football program at the University of Kentucky. He was part of the “Air Raid” offense that guided Kentucky to their first bowl game in six years.

Couch was named the SEC Player of the Year, an All-American and a Heisman Trophy finalist. The Cleveland Browns selected him first overall in the 1999 NFL draft, expecting him to turn the franchise around. 

From 1999-2003, Tim Couch threw 64 touchdowns and 67 interceptions. He had success in the 2002 season, leading the Browns to a playoff appearance and a 9-7 record. However, the rest of his career was marred by constant booing and inconsistent play.

Couch cannot be entirely to blame for failing to live up to such lofty expectations. He had a miserable offensive line for all of his five seasons in Cleveland and was constantly fighting off injuries.

Even so, considering the player Couch was most often compared to in college (Peyton Manning), it is clear that he did not produce the way he was expected to in the NFL.

Dewayne Robertson

Dewayne Robertson was a converted defensive tackle who starred for three years at the University of Kentucky. He had five sacks and 48 tackles in his breakout junior season.

In 2003, Robertson was picked fourth overall by the New York Jets, who traded up in the draft to select him. Despite playing in every game in his first two seasons, Robertson did not excel as the Jets had hoped.

He played five seasons in the NFL, recording 16 sacks. Because of how highly he was picked in the draft, however, Robertson was expected to contribute much more and was a disappointment for the Jets. 

Ronnie Brown/Cadillac Williams

Once the most fearsome backfield in the country with the Auburn Tigers, these two running backs have failed to achieve the same success in their NFL careers. 

At Auburn, Ronnie Brown ran for almost 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns.

He was selected second overall in the 2005 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins. In the NFL, Brown has had one 1,000-yard season, but injuries have seen his production decrease over the years. Brown currently has been demoted to the second-string back with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cadillac Williams set an Auburn single-season record with 17 touchdowns and rushed for over almost 4,000 yards in his college career. Williams was also named an All-American and to the All-SEC first team.

Williams was drafted fifth overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2005 draft. He rushed for over 1,000 yards in his first season with Tampa Bay but has not repeated the feat since. He has failed to average over four yards per carry since his rookie year.

Both Williams and Brown have enjoyed some success in the NFL, but because they were both top five picks, much more should be expected of them. Brown and Williams should be among the top running backs in the NFL but have a ways to go before they reach that milestone.

Glenn Dorsey

Glenn Dorsey has not been awful in the NFL, but for a player with as much promise as Dorsey had, more must be expected of him.

In college at LSU, Dorsey was a standout defensive tackle. He was a member of LSU’s 2007 BCS National Championship team and had seven sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss on the season. Dorsey won the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award and was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

Dorsey was drafted fifth overall by the Kansas City Chiefs. He has four sacks in his NFL career. For a player drafted in the top 10 of the draft, more must be expected of Dorsey, and so far, he has failed to live up to those expectations.

Derrick Harvey

In three seasons at Florida, Derrick Harvey recorded 20.5 sacks and 51.5 tackles for loss. Harvey was named the MVP of the 2007 BCS Championship Game.

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Harvey with the eighth pick of the 2008 NFL draft. Harvey then set the Jaguars’ record for longest holdout, waiting 33 days before signing a contract.

When the season began, Harvey failed to produce the way the Jaguars’ wanted him to. He stayed in Jacksonville for three years—totaling eight sacks—before being cut in July 2011. Harvey then signed with the Broncos and has four tackles so far this season.

Aundray Bruce

Aundray Bruce was pegged as the next Lawrence Taylor. He was an All-American in college at Auburn and was named the Citrus Bowl MVP in 1987. Bruce was touted as a physical player who would disrupt offenses at the next level.

In the 1988 draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected Bruce with the first overall selection. Despite playing 11 seasons in his NFL career, Bruce started only 42 games and had 32 sacks.

With such acclaim coming out of college, it was almost impossible for Bruce to live up to expectations. Despite having a lengthy and somewhat productive career, Bruce was unable to shake his hype and was considered a disappointment.

Troy Williamson

Troy Williamson was drafted seventh overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2005 NFL draft. The Vikings pegged Williamson as the replacement for Randy Moss, a deep threat with speed who could be a game-changing player for the Vikings' offense.

In college at South Carolina, Williamson led the team in receiving two years in a row, including averaging 19.4 yards a reception his junior year.

In the NFL, Williamson was constantly plagued by dropped passes. He never enjoyed the same success he had at South Carolina, scoring just four touchdowns in his five year career. 

Williamson was eventually released by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2010 after two very unproductive seasons with the team.

Andre Smith

Andre Smith is, so far, having a solid season for the Cincinnati Bengals. However, just this video of Smith at the NFL combine should be enough to warrant his inclusion on this list.

Smith started all of his games at college in Alabama. In 2008, he was named an All-American and won the Outland Trophy. He was considered a lock to be a top-five pick in the NFL draft.

However, in the NFL combine, Smith looked out of shape and overweight and was unimpressive to scouts. Nonetheless, he was selected sixth overall by the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Smith battled injuries in his first two seasons in Cincinnati, playing just 13 games. This season, Smith appears to be coming into his own, having started all seven games for the Bengals. However, Smith must continue to improve before his label of “draft bust” can be removed.