Worst NFL Draft Picks
June 3, 2008
Scouts are dispatched to college campuses. Film is reviewed and dissected. Players are poked and probed, questioned, measured and timed, all in the interest of finding hidden talent or identifying the fatal flaw.
In the weeks and months leading up to the NFL draft, teams spent countless hours and thousands of dollars trying to assure they make the right pick, a call that can separate your Super Bowl winners from your annual also-rans. For all the supposedly scientific nature of the process, however, teams routinely come away with a severe case of buyer’s remorse once training camp and the regular season roll around.
For every Peyton Manning, there is a Ryan Leaf. For each Emmitt Smith, there’s a Ki-Jana Carter. In the seeming blink of an eye, general managers and coaches are made or broken by the names they submit on draft day.
Who are some of the most prominent busts in recent history? Rivals.com took a stab at putting together the worst overall No. 1 picks of all time.
Here’s a sampling of the list:
10. Michael Vick, QB, Atlanta, 2001
9. David Carr, QB, Houston, 2002
8. Courtney Brown, Cleveland, 2000
7. Tom Cousineau, Buffalo, 1979
6. Aundray Bruce, Atlanta, 1988
To see the rest of the list, and a slideshow sure to strike terror in any football executive’s soul, visit Rivals.com.
