The Biggest NFL Draft Busts Since 2000

The Biggest NFL Draft Busts Since 2000

By Will Laws

History repeats itself, so brush up on your draft knowledge before the 2016 NFL Draft. PointAfter determined the worst pick at every first-round slot since 2000.

Earlier this NFL offseason, when the top two picks of the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft still belonged to the league's two worst franchises, PointAfter determined the biggest draft bust of the century for every team. That task was made harder by the complicating factor of each player's draft slot. What's worse? A complete waste of a pick near the end of the first round, or a mild disappointment near the top?

For this exercise, we removed that variable and highlighted the worst draft pick at every slot of the first round since 2000. As before, busts who experienced self-inflicted disappointment took precedent over those who were unlucky to suffer numerous injuries.

Somewhat surprisingly, four teams tied for the most first-round busts, and the Browns weren't one of them! Instead, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Denver and Green Bay shared that dishonor.

 

No. 1: JaMarcus Russell

Team (Year): OAK (2007)
Career games (starts): 31 (25)

Oakland could have had Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas or Adrian Peterson with the top pick in 2007. Any of those would have changed the course of the franchise for the better. Instead, they chose a player who kept them mired in the basement of the AFC West for several more years.

Perhaps the most epic bust in NFL history, Russell recorded more than twice as many turnovers (38) than touchdown passes (18) during his disastrous Oakland tenure. His 50.0 passer rating in 2009 was the lowest single-season mark in more than a decade, giving the Raiders no choice but to cut ties with the LSU product after three seasons.

 

No. 2: Charles Rogers

Team (Year): DET (2003)
Career games (starts): 15 (9)

Rogers' career was a mishmash of immaturity (missed the 2005 season due to third violation of substance abuse policy), injuries (broken clavicles in consecutive seasons) and ineffectiveness (36 receptions, 440 yards in 15 games). Even with recent disappointments at the No. 2 slot such as Jason Smith and Greg Robinson, Rogers is clearly the biggest bust of the bunch.

Of the 25 receivers drafted in the top 10 since 2000, Rogers has the fewest receiving yards of all except Kevin White, who missed his rookie campaign last year due to injury.

 

No. 3: Dion Jordan

Team (Year): MIA (2013)
Career games (starts): 26 (1)

Very tough call here between Jordan and Trent Richardson. At least Richardson registered a 1,000-yard season during his rookie year before falling off a cliff. Jordan, meanwhile, has as many one-year suspensions for substance abuse under his belt as he does NFL starts (that's one each). It'd take a heck of a bounce-back campaign in 2016 for Jordan to shed the "bust" label.

 

No. 4: Aaron Curry

Team (Year): SEA (2009)
Career games (starts): 48 (39)

Like Stephen Curry (no relation), Aaron Curry attended school in North Carolina (Aaron at Wake Forest, Stephen at Davidson). Both also were drafted in the top 10 in 2009 by teams on the West Coast. The comparisons between the pair's athletic careers end right there.

While the Golden State Warrior matured into an MVP and NBA champion, the former Seattle Seahawk was out of the league by 2013 after logging 5.5 sacks in four seasons. His failure was accentuated by his first contract (six years, $60 million, $34M guaranteed) registering as the richest non-QB rookie deal in league history at the time.

 

No. 5: Justin Blackmon

Team (Year): JAC (2012)
Career games (starts): 20 (19)

Blackmon turned in promising stats as a rookie in 2012 (64 receptions, 865 yards, five touchdowns), no small feat when Blaine Gabbert is throwing you the ball. Unfortunately, Blackmon has played just four games since then due to multiple suspensions caused by substance abuse violations. It seems unlikely he'll ever suit up for the Jags again.

 

No. 6: Vernon Gholston

Team (Year): NYJ (2008)
Career games (starts): 45 (5)

The No. 1 overall pick in Gholston's draft class, Jake Long, gave up two sacks all throughout college. One was to Gholston, who also wowed scouts with off-the-charts athleticism for a pass rusher (4.58 40-yard dash, 41-inch vertical leap).

Incredibly, Gholston didn't tally a single sack over three NFL seasons in New York. That sad-sack showing essentially prevented him from getting another shot to prove himself.

 

No. 7: Troy Williamson

Team (Year): MIN (2005)
Career games (starts): 49 (24)

In the wake of trading Randy Moss to the Raiders prior to the 2005 NFL Draft, the Vikings felt they needed a top-tier receiver. Moss had eclipsed 1,200 yards during six of his seven seasons in Minnesota, so that was a big chunk of production that needed to be replaced.

Williamson was not up to the task. He didn't even total 1,200 receiving yards over his five-year NFL career. That makes him only slightly less successful than the guy Minnesota drafted at No. 7 two years later (Adrian Peterson).

 

No. 8: Justin Gilbert

Team (Year): CLE (2014)
Career games (starts): 23 (3)

You know your NFL career hasn't gone to plan when you were drafted by the same team in the same year as Johnny Manziel, yet you have a legitimate argument to being a bigger bust.

Gilbert has only started three games for Cleveland and displayed an "aloof" attitude that's upset teammates and coaches alike. You can't really blame Gilbert for being disenchanted with the seemingly toxic Browns culture, but you'd expect a top-10 pick to take steps to better the situation instead of withdrawing completely. Even though the Browns are currently bereft of talent, it's far from a guarantee Gilbert will make the team's 53-man roster in 2016.

 

No. 9: Dee Milliner

Team (Year): NYJ (2013)
Career games (starts): 21 (14)

A whopping 10 of 16 players drafted at No. 9 this century have gone on to make the Pro Bowl. That doesn't appear to be in the cards for Milliner, a unanimous All-American at Alabama who was benched three separate times during his rookie year.

Injuries have partially derailed Milliner's last two seasons, but even when he was a healthy part of New York's secondary in 2014, he couldn't establish himself in what was then a dreadful pass defense.

 

No. 10: Jamal Reynolds

Team (Year): GB (2001)
Career games (starts): 18 (0)

Only three of the 16 players drafted at No. 10 since 2000 have made the Pro Bowl, the fewest amount among the top 17 picks. Jamal Reynolds is the least accomplished of the bunch, as the former Packer never made a start in Green Bay.

That's even more noteworthy since the franchise traded future Super Bowl QB Matt Hasselbeck and the No. 17 pick to Seattle to acquire Reynolds. It's not as if the Packers sorely needed another quarterback with Brett Favre entrenched under center, but the No. 17 pick turned out to be seven-time Pro Bowl guard Steve Hutchinson.

 

No. 11: Aaron Maybin

Team (Year): BUF (2009)
Career games (starts): 48 (1)

Bills fans not only detest Maybin for his stunningly minimal impact in Buffalo (23 tackles, zero sacks in 22 games), but for his mini revival with the rival Jets. He collected six sacks and forced four fumbles for New York in 2011, including two sacks against Buffalo, before promptly devolving back into league fodder.

 

No. 12: Wendell Bryant

Team (Year): ARI (2002)
Career games (starts): 29 (9)

After three wildly disappointing seasons with the Cardinals, Bryant was suspended for the entire 2005 campaign after committing his third strike in the NFL's substance abuse policy. He never returned to the league, ending his career with 39 tackles and 1.5 sacks in three seasons. Not exactly what you'd expect from a two-time Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year.

 

No. 13: Brandon Graham

Team (Year): PHI (2010)
Career games (starts): 80 (23)

Graham isn't a bust in the true sense of the word, and is in fact a pretty solid contributor for the Eagles to this day. However, nearly every other player selected at lucky No. 13 since 2000 matured into a top-tier player. Seven of the 16 players taken there have made Pro Bowls, and several others such as Ty Warren and Lee Evans probably should have.

 

No. 14: Michael Haynes

Team (Year): CHI (2003)
Career games (starts): 43 (4)

The 2002 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, Haynes had 5.5 sacks in three NFL seasons. Chicago also selected much-maligned quarterback Rex Grossman at No. 22 in 2003, so that wasn't former Bears GM Jerry Angelo's finest hour.

 

No. 15: Jerome McDougle

Team (Year): PHI (2003)
Career games (starts): 37 (0)

The Eagles traded up 15 spots to draft McDougle, who never made a start in the NFL. That wasn't entirely his fault, as the defensive end compiled an extremely unfortunate medical history.

Over his first two seasons, McDougle suffered injuries to his ankle, knee and hip, and was also diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat. Then, four days before McDougle was scheduled to report to 2005 training camp, he was shot in the abdomen during a robbery, causing him to miss the whole season. In 2006, he fractured his ribs during training camp. When McDougle finally stayed healthy, he didn't make much of an impression, and in fact cost Philly a game once by committing two personal fouls during the opponent's game-winning drive. He was released in final cuts before the 2008 season.

 

No. 16: Justin Harrell

Team (Year): GB (2007)
Career games (starts): 14 (2)

In terms of playing time, Harrell peaked as a rookie. Even then, he played in seven games and started two. He'd play seven more over his next two seasons in Green Bay before succumbing to back and knee injuries that wiped out his chances of earning another contract.

 

No. 17: Jarvis Moss

Team (Year): DEN (2007)
Career games (starts): 48 (2)

Amazingly, the biggest bust at No. 17 is not the kicker who was taken here in 2000 -- Sebastian Janikowski has proven his worth to the Raiders over 16 years, though it still seems laughable to spend a first-round pick on him.

Instead, Moss is the choice. He totaled 34 tackles and six sacks in 53 games, only starting two. He's one of several defensive linemen since 2000 to come out of Florida and not live up to their first-round pedigree (Derrick Harvey, Dominique Easley, Gerard Warren).

 

No. 18: Erasmus James

Team (Year): MIN (2005)
Career games (starts): 28 (12)

A consensus All-American and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year during his senior season at Wisconsin, James was expected to pile up sacks for the Vikings. Instead, he mustered just five in 23 games over three seasons, two of which were plagued by injuries. He was traded to Washington before the 2009 season, which ended up being his last professional campaign following five nondescript games.

 

No. 19: Jeff Otah

Team (Year): CAR (2008)
Career games (starts): 29 (29)

Otah was a full-time starter for the Panthers, if a slightly disappointing one, until knee injuries curtailed his career. After two seasons cut short by the nagging issue, the Panthers tried to trade him to the Jets in 2012. However, Otah failed the physical, voiding the trade. The Panthers released him two days later, and Otah never got another shot in the league.

 

No. 20: Stockar McDougle

Team (Year): DET (2000)
Career games (starts): 80 (56)

There really aren't any horrible busts at No. 20. McDougle spent parts of five seasons starting at right tackle for the Lions, during which time they never made the playoffs. He then moved on to Miami and Jacksonville, where a ruptured Achilles tendon effectively ended his career in 2007.

 

No. 21: Matt Jones

Team (Year): JAC (2005)
Career games (starts): 54 (15)

Like Justin Blackmon, another first-round pick at wideout for the Jaguars, Jones had a promising beginning to his career before ultimately falling short of his projections due to substance abuse.

 

No. 22: Johnny Manziel

Team (Year): CLE (2014)
Career games (starts): 15 (8)

The Browns have taken three quarterbacks at the No. 22 slot since 2000, each one worse than the last: Brady Quinn, Brandon Weeden and Manziel. They should probably resist the urge to do so again for the rest of the franchise's existence, because if that trend continues, they are going to draft a truly disastrous QB next time around.

 

No. 23: Rashard Anderson

Team (Year): CAR (2000)
Career games (starts): 27 (9)

Anderson moved into a full-time starting role during his second year in the league, which ended with the Panthers going 1-15. The following spring, he was suspended a full season for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy a third time. That suspension was extended to the entire 2003 season after he failed to meet the requirements for reinstatement.

When Anderson finally got his act together, it'd been nearly three years since he played an NFL snap. The Panthers released him and he never got another chance to redeem himself.

 

No. 24: Willie Middlebrooks

Team (Year): DEN (2001)
Career games (starts): 56 (2)

Every player drafted at No. 24 between 2000-2012 has made at least 28 career starts. All of them except Middlebrooks, that is.

He compiled 74 tackles, one sack, zero interceptions and one assault arrest over his six years in the NFL.

 

No. 25: Tim Tebow

Team (Year): DEN (2010)
Career games (starts): 35 (16)

Not many teams would have taken Tebow here, so you can't fault him too much. Scouts knew about his shortcomings from the beginning, and his accuracy issues played out time and time again.

Did he have one shining moment in the playoffs? Sure. But ultimately, a quarterback drafted in the first round should accumulate more than 16 career starts.

 

No. 26: John McCargo

Team (Year): BUF (2006)
Career games (starts): 44 (1)

McCargo was considered a late second- or early third-round pick in 2006. The Bills went against the grain and paid for it, as McCargo tallied just 2.5 sacks and one start in six seasons. Buffalo tried to trade him after a few years, but the move was voided after McCargo failed his physical. He was unsurprisingly let go soon after, then briefly surfaced with Tampa Bay in 2011 before retiring.

 

No. 27: Mike Rumph

Team (Year): SF (2002)
Career games (starts): 43 (19)

Rumph won a national title during his senior year at Miami, boosting his stock to the late first round. However, after starring for the Hurricanes at cornerback, he couldn't cut it at the position for the 49ers.

San Francisco moved him to safety to try to cover his poor man coverage skills, and he flashed some potential there during his second year in the league by picking off three passes. Unfortunately, injuries ruined his next two seasons, and he didn't make another NFL start after 2005.

 

No. 28: Andre Woolfolk

Team (Year): TEN (2003)
Career games (starts): 39 (12)

A former Oklahoma Sooner, Woolfolk never nailed down a full-time starting job in Tennessee's secondary. Interestingly, he recorded three career interceptions, all in different years off the same quarterback, David Carr.

 

No. 29: R. Jay Soward

Team (Year): JAC (2000)
Career games (starts): 13 (2)

Soward showcased a ton of pure physical talent coming out of USC, but collected only 14 receptions in his rookie season. After that, the NFL took the rare step of suspending Soward for alcohol abuse via its substance abuse policy, which usually covers illegal drug use. Soward later admitted he often came to practice drunk, saying the pressure of being a first-round pick got to his head.

 

No. 30: A.J. Jenkins

Team (Year): SF (2012)
Career games (starts): 28 (3)

During Jenkins' rookie season, he was targeted by a pass just once and dropped it. It didn't get much better from there. Jenkins ended up mustering 17 receptions, 223 yards and not a single touchdown in his career.

 

No. 31: Rashaun Woods

Team (Year): SF (2004)
Career games (starts): 14 (0)

Yep, another 49ers receiver.

Woods made a name for himself by hauling in seven touchdowns in a single college game while at Oklahoma State. He managed all of seven receptions during his NFL career.

 

No. 32: Derek Sherrod

Team (Year): GB (2011)
Career games (starts): 20 (1)

Sherrod missed all of his second year, which is often crucial for developing rookies, with a broken leg suffered late in his rookie season. The offensive tackle out of Mississippi State only once earned a start on Green Bay's offensive line during his three other years with the franchise, indicating that he probably wouldn't have grown into a game-changer, anyway.

 

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