Ranking the top 10 NFL Draft busts over the past 30 years or so. There are some UGLY stories, involving crime, lack of production, drugs, addiction, and much more.
Would you include anyone else on this list? Let us know in the comments!
10: Trent Richardson, RB, Browns
Trent Richardson would have a strong first year in the NFL, rushing for 950 yards and 11 touchdowns as a first-year back in Cleveland. Then, they mysteriously dealt him to the Colts, where he would immediately flop and become a disaster. He rushed for just 458 yards in 14 games when he first got there and then 519 yards the season after. He would never play another down of NFL football again after his third season in the league after being a third-overall pick.
9: Zach Wilson, QB, Jets
Sometimes, it’s easy to see a superstar when you’re throwing in short in a scripted environment. The throw that shocked the world during Zach Wilson’s Pro Day sent him flying into the top 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft. Wilson’s qualities are obvious; he has an incredible arm and playmaking qualities, but the Jets destroyed any ounce of potential, and Wilson unfortunately couldn’t live up to the hype. His career is trending toward nothingness, but there may be a backup role for him out there, somewhere.
READ MORE: Giants GM Joe Schoen on drafting a QB: ‘We have other needs’
8: Trey Lance, QB, 49ers
Is it too soon to put Trey Lance here? Well, right now he looks like he belongs firmly in this top ten list. Not only has he barely played, attempting just 102 passes with eight games and four starts, but he’s been awful in that sample size as well. His lack of playing time comes from a lack of success, and the 49ers were quick to bail on him even before Brock Purdy completed a full season as an NFL starter. He resides as a backup in Dallas, where his time seems limited in this league.
7) Johnny Manziel, QB, Browns
Johnny Manziel was one of the best college football players of the 21st Century, and his electric and mesmerizing personality came with plenty of excitement but also plenty of concern. His party-heavy lifestyle and carefree attitude made him a cancer in the Browns’ locker room, failing to accomplish anything when he did play. He was cut after just his second season in the NFL, and he’s one of the biggest “what-if” stories in recent memory.
READ MORE: Giants three-round mock draft revamps their offense with playmaking talent
6) Lawrence Phillips, RB, Rams
Another running back selected in the top 10 of his draft class, the Rams would incorrectly select the Nebraska product in the 1996 NFL Draft. He rushed for just 1,453 yards in his career, as St. Louis got rid of him within two years of being an NFL starter. His production was poor, the tenure was short-lived, and the draft pick spent was a premium one, with Marvin Harrison being selected as a few picks later in that round.
5) Ki-Jana Carter, RB, Bengals
The first overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, the Bengals selected Ki-Jana Carter over players like Tony Boselli, Steve McNair, and Warren Sapp, two of whom are Hall of Famers and one of them an MVP. Carter rushed for just 1,144 yards in his NFL career, failing to be the feature back that the Bengals were hoping he would be, as his tenure with the Bengals ended in just four disappointing seasons.
READ MORE: The one position the Giants 100% need to avoid selecting in the 1st round
4) Charles Rogers, WR, Lions
Two receivers were selected in the top three of the 2003 NFL Draft: Hall of Famer Andre Johnson and draft bust Charles Rogers. It doesn’t take much time to figure out who the Lions ended up selecting. Racking up just 440 career yards, the wideout did not get the job done in Detroit, lasting just three seasons in the NFL.
3) Akili Smith, QB, Bengals
Akili Smith was expected to be a franchise-changer for the Bengals, as they spent the third overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft on him to be their QB of the future. Selected one pick before Hall of Fame defensive edge Edgerrin James, the Bengals walked away with a QB who failed to complete above 47% of his passes. Yikes.
2) JaMarcus Russell, QB, Raiders
Infamously lying about his film-studying habits, Russell was a highly touted QB prospect coming out of LSU, but to say he flopped would be an understatement. He had a 65.2 Passer Rating and completed just 52.1% of passes in his career, being arguably the worst number-one overall pick in NFL history. There are few redeeming qualities here, even being compared to Jabba the Hut by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
1) Ryan Leaf, QB, Chargers
When the then-San Diego Chargers selected Ryan Leaf second overall in the 1998 NFL Draft, they were hoping for a nice consolation prize for missing out on all-time great Peyton Manning. Instead, they got the biggest draft bust in NFL history, as he fired 14 touchdowns to a whopping 36 interceptions, going 4-17 in his starts and accumulating a career passer rating of 50. Off-field issues and bouts with the media didn’t help his cause, and his tenure in the NFL was a dumpster fire.