Worst draft pick for each AFC team since 2018

While Kansas City, Baltimore, Detroit and San Francisco prepare for their conference championship games, 28 other teams can turn their attention to free agency (begins March 13) and the NFL Draft, scheduled April 24-27 in Detroit.

Over the past five years, every team would like a do-over on at least one of its draft picks. As compiled by Yardbarker NFL writers, here are the worst picks for every AFC team since 2018.

AFC East 

BUFFALO BILLS | OL Cody Ford (2019): The Bills swapped second-round picks and sent a fifth-round pick to the Raiders to move up two spots and select Ford 38th overall to be their right tackle, but he quickly proved to be far from that. After allowing seven sacks and 31 pressures as a rookie, Ford was moved inside, where he would struggle for two seasons (41 pressures allowed). The Bills eventually shipped him to Arizona for a 2023 fifth-rounder. 

MIAMI DOLPHINS | CB Noah Igbinoghene (2020): The third of three 2020 Miami first-round picks who are unsettling to look back on, Igbinoghene was drafted as a development project and ultimately proved to be a disastrous investment. Twenty-nine tackles, five pass breakups and one interception in 32 games were enough to convince Miami to cut ties with Igbinoghene, resulting in his trade to Dallas last offseason for CB Kelvin Joseph. 

NEW YORK JETS | QB Sam Darnold (2018): Although Zach Wilson is a far worse quarterback than Darnold, the Jets wouldn't have taken Wilson second overall in the 2021 NFL Draft if the Southern Cal product had panned out. The Jets traded up to select Darnold third overall ahead of future All-Pro signal-callers Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. In three seasons with the Jets, Darnold threw for 8,097 yards, 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions. 

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS | WR N’Keal Harry (2019): Passing up on QB Lamar Jackson twice in 2018 may be New England's biggest draft regret, but its worst selection in recent memory is Harry, chosen in the first round over future Pro Bowl WRs like Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown and DK Metcalf. Harry caught 57 passes for 598 yards and four touchdowns across three injury-riddled seasons with the Patriots before being traded to the Chicago Bears for a 2024 seventh-round pick. — Colum Dell

AFC West 

DENVER BRONCOS | WR Jerry Jeudy (2020): The Broncos selected Jeudy with the 15th overall pick, ahead of CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys) and Justin Jefferson (Vikings). In four seasons, the 24-year-old has made no Pro Bowls, and Denver might move on from him this offseason, per Mike Klis of KUSA-TV in Denver.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS | DE Breeland Speaks (2018): Speaks underwhelmed in one season with Kansas City, only logging 1.5 sacks in 16 games. Since the Chiefs waived the former second-round pick in 2020, he has failed to latch onto another NFL roster and recently signed with the Michigan Panthers in the United Football League. 

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS | OL Alex Leatherwood (2021): When the Raiders took Leatherwood with the 17th pick, then-Raiders GM Mike Mayock claimed it was a risk that would pan out, but he was wrong. Leatherwood played one season in Las Vegas, which waived him in 2022.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS | WR Quentin Johnston (2023): Johnston — who only had two receiving TDs in 17 games — could still turn his career around. However, it’s fair to wonder why the Chargers passed on Zay Flowers (Ravens), Rashee Rice (Chiefs) and Puka Nacua (Rams) over Johnson, the 21st overall pick in the first round. — Clark Dalton

AFC North

BALTIMORE RAVENS | WR Rashod Bateman (2021): The Ravens took Bateman in the first round with WRs Amon-Ra St. Brown (Lions) and WR Nico Collins (Texans) still on the board, making him the team's biggest WR whiff in recent memory. The No. 27 pick in the first round has just 47 catches for 652 yards and three touchdown catches over the past two seasons.

CLEVELAND BROWNS | QB Baker Mayfield (2018): The Browns could have saved themselves a lot of headaches if they had drafted Josh Allen (Bills) or Lamar Jackson (Ravens) with the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Instead, they selected Mayfield, who has proved to be a talented QB but didn't pan out in Cleveland.

CINCINNATI BENGALS | TE Drew Sample (2019): The Bengals wasted their 2019 second-round pick on Sample, who has just 621 yards receiving and three touchdown catches in five seasons. They must be kicking themselves knowing playmakers DK Metcalf (Seahawks), Diontae Johnson (Steelers), Terry McLaurin (Commanders) and Dawson Knox (Bills) were there for the taking.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS | LB Devin Bush (2019): The Steelers traded their 2019 first- and second-round picks, along with their 2020 third-rounder, to acquire the No. 10 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to select Bush. Although he had a promising rookie season, he was never the same player after suffering a torn ACL in 2020. Bush served as a backup in Seattle this season. — Aaron Becker

AFC South 

HOUSTON TEXANS | CB Lonnie Johnson Jr. (2019): The Texans only got three years out of Johnson Jr. after using a second-round pick on him. He had just 13 passes defensed and three interceptions, and he allowed 13.4 yards per reception and six touchdowns in coverage before being cut in 2022.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS | DE Ben Banogu (2019):  “Ben who?” Banogu had quite a forgettable four-year run with the Colts, producing only 29 tackles, 2.5 sacks and one forced fumble. This is the definition of a wasted second-round pick, which stings even worse considering two-time All-Pro edge-rusher Maxx Crosby was still on the board when Indy made this pick. 

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS | DT Taven Bryan (2018): The 2018 draft was one of the weakest for defensive tackles in recent memory, but that didn’t scare the Jaguars from taking Bryan 29th overall. Unfortunately for the Jaguars, he lasted just three seasons, producing 5.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one pass defensed before moving on to Cleveland and Indianapolis in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

TENNESSEE TITANS | OT Isaiah Wilson (2020): Wilson isn’t just the biggest bust in Titans history. He may be up there among the biggest draft busts in NFL history. Tennessee invested the 29th overall pick in Wilson, which cost them $6.54 million for three offensive snaps and a laundry list of legal headaches that included being issued a trespass warning from Tennessee State University police at an on-campus party, a DUI charge stemming from crashing his car into a concrete wall, a one-game suspension for a violation of team rules and getting arrested at gunpoint two days before a Titans 2021 playoff game. — Michael Gallagher