Biggest NFL Draft busts by position

It might seem hard to believe today, but there was a time when NFL pundits were debating whether Ryan Leaf should be the No. 1 overall pick of the 1998 draft over Peyton Manning. Instead, Manning went first overall to the Colts, and Leaf went second to the Chargers. It was all downhill from there for Leaf. Maturity issues prevented him from turning into even a serviceable NFL quarterback. He was out of the NFL by 2001 and goes down as one of the biggest draft busts ever.

Quarterback is such an important position, how can you only limit it to just one draft bust, especially when you take into account the career of JaMarcus Russell? The No. 1 overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Raiders, Russell started just 25 games for the Silver and Black before a variety of issues put him out of an NFL job, permanently. Weight issues, work ethic, partying, drugs use and legal issues ended Russell’s NFL career before it had a chance to go anywhere.

A stud running back from Penn State, the Cincinnati Bengals took running back Ki-Jana Carter with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1995 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for the Bengals, Carter blew out his knee in his first preseason game and never came close to developing into the star they assumed he would become. Carter played seven seasons in the NFL, averaging just 3.6 yards a carry for his career.

Although the fullback position is becoming extinct in the modern-day NFL, back in 1992 it was an important part of any offense. The Browns found a decent one in Tommy Vardell, but using the ninth pick in the that year’s draft was just too high for the player from Stanford. Vardell played four decent seasons for Cleveland but never turned into the Pro Bowl-caliber player that made him such a high draft pick.

Charles Rogers is a prime example of an athlete loaded with talent whose career ambitions were ruined by injuries. The second overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, Rogers played a mere 15 games for the Lions before the wide receiver’s career came to an end.

A speed demon out of Texas, the New York Jets failed to realize that wide receiver Lam Jones had trouble catching the football when they took him the with the second overall selection in the 1980 draft. Jones' inability to make routine catches hamstrung his NFL career, as quarterbacks failed to trust him. To make matters worse, the Jets traded two first-round picks to draft Jones, making him one of the NFL’s biggest busts at the wide receiver position.

The son of Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow, Kellen Winslow II didn’t experience the same success in the NFL that his father did. Although he was selected to a Pro Bowl in 2007, the former Browns tight end had his career cut short by injures both on and off the field.

Heading into the 1989 NFL Draft, Sports Illustrated called Tony Mandarich “the best offensive line prospect ever.” Mandarich didn’t even come close to living up to the hype. The second overall pick of that year’s draft by the Packers, Mandarich played three lackluster seasons for the team before the Packers cut him. Attitude issues and rumors of steroid use followed Mandarich his entire career before he retired in 1998. He is thought of by many to be the greatest bust at the offensive tackle position in NFL history.

Considered to be a "can’t miss" prospect, the Raiders drafted offensive lineman Robert Gallery with the second overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for Oakland, Gallery failed to develop into even an average tackle, and the team switched his position to guard. Even at guard, Gallery struggled, and he was finally let go by the Raiders in 2010.

Not too many centers are drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft and, when they are, they typically develop into Pro Bowl-quality players. This was not the case with Steve Everitt. The 14th overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, Everitt did start almost 100 games over the course of his NFL career but was never more than a mediocre offensive lineman.

The No. 1 overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in the 2000 NFL Draft, defensive end Courtney Brown was expected to become a dominant NFL pass rusher. For whatever reason, however, Brown failed to adapt to life in the NFL and never recorded more than six sacks in a season. Brown is one the biggest draft busts in NFL history.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 1992 NFL Draft, Steve Emtman was set up to fail from the start. Playing his first three years on Astroturf with the Colts, Emtman ended each of his three NFL campaigns on the injured reserve list. In six seasons in the NFL, he blew out his left knee, tore the patellar tendon in his right knee and suffered a ruptured disc in his neck. With those injury issues, a career in the NFL just wasn’t meant to be for the defensive tackle out of Washington.

Expected to stuff the middle for New York, the Jets took nose tackle Dewayne Robertson with the fourth overall pick in 2003. Robertson had a few decent seasons for the Jets but never justified his lofty draft status.

The Seattle Seahawks haven’t had too many misses in the NFL Draft until recently with Malik McDowell, but the selection of linebacker Aaron Curry was a huge whiff. The fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft, Curry never lived up to his lofty expectations, as he failed to pressure opposing quarterbacks and missed many open-field tackles. He was out of the NFL by the end of 2012.

The second overall pick in the 1992 draft, the Colts were expecting middle linebacker Quentin Coryatt to be a tackling machine for the team. Although Coryatt did record an incredible 150 tackles in 1993, it was all downhill from there for the former Texas A&M star. His development stagnated, and the Colts tried to move him to outside linebacker. The position change only seemed to make things worse, as Coryatt looked lost on the field. His NFL career was over by the end of 1999.

The third overall pick in the 1991 draft, the Atlanta Falcons were expecting cornerback Bruce Pickens to pick up where Deion Sanders left off. Unfortunately, Pickens just didn’t have the football IQ to succeed in the NFL, as he could hardly carve out any playing time with the Falcons. He started a mere nine games in four NFL seasons and is the biggest bust at the cornerback position.

The sixth overall pick in 1984 by the Chargers, free safety Mossy Cade had all the natural tools to develop into an All-Pro player. However, Cade was convicted of sexual assault in 1987, effectively ending his pro football career. He played just 30 games in the NFL.

Bengals safety Rickey Dixon never lived up to the potential that made him the fifth overall pick in the 1988 draft. Dixon played five mediocre seasons in Cincinnati before the team felt it was time to move on. He played one more season in the NFL with the Raiders before calling it quits.

The Oakland Raiders famously used a first-round pick on Sebastian Janikowski back in 2000, but at least he spent most of the next two decades as a reliable kicker with a massive leg. The Buccaneers not only used a second round pick to select Roberto Aguayo, but they actually traded up to get him. On top of that, he was bad from the start, lasting only one forgettable season in Tampa before getting cut in just his second preseason.

Punters are important but never worthy of a first-round pick. In 1979, the Saints took punter Russell Erxleben with the 11th pick of the draft. Erxleben played just five years for New Orleans before being let go. Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow was taken just two picks after Erxleben in 1979.

The second overall selection by the Rams in 2009 NFL Draft, offensive tackle Jason Smith disappeared from the NFL landscape quickly. Smith played just 29 career games before his NFL career ended in 2012.

One of the most controversial college football players ever, Brian Bosworth turned out to be a bust in the NFL. The linebacker out of Oklahoma was taken with the first overall pick in the 1987 NFL Supplemental Draft by the Seahawks and was expected to become a star. Instead, Bo Jackson ran over him, and “The Boz” only lasted three years in the NFL.

A stud at Penn State, running back Blair Thomas was supposed to become the next great NFL runner when the Jets took him with the second pick in the 1990 draft. Unfortunately for Jets fans, Thomas never rushed for more than 1,000 yards in a season, and the team let him go in 1993. He is remembered by Jets fans as one of their greatest draft misses.

With the first overall pick of the 1999 draft, the expansion Cleveland Browns selected quarterback Tim Couch out of Kentucky. Couch went 22-37 as a starter in his career with the Browns and finished his NFL playing days with more interceptions than touchdowns.

The results were not pretty for Richardson. The third overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Richardson’s work ethic and inability to see running lanes caused him to bounce around the league and earned him the label of a “bust.” He last played in an NFL game in 2014, earning playing time in just three seasons.