32 Biggest Draft Busts in NFL History

Irwin20

Irwin20

Well-known member
I recently saw an article listing the biggest draft busts. I knew the Browns have had some selection issues in the past 20 years but forgot they had 7 busts:
Couch, Courtney Brown, Coleman, Quinn, Manziel, Trent Richardson, Gilbert

Bengals had : Kijana Carter, Dan Wilkinson, Akili Smith

Steeler, Ravens: none.
 
 
Irwin20 said:
I recently saw an article listing the biggest draft busts. I knew the Browns have had some selection issues in the past 20 years but forgot they had 7 busts:
Couch, Courtney Brown, Coleman, Quinn, Manziel, Trent Richardson, Gilbert

Bengals had : Kijana Carter, Dan Wilkinson, Akili Smith

Steeler, Ravens: none.
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Hard to call Carter a bust. Injuries happen.
 
Irwin20 said:
I recently saw an article listing the biggest draft busts. I knew the Browns have had some selection issues in the past 20 years but forgot they had 7 busts:
Couch, Courtney Brown, Coleman, Quinn, Manziel, Trent Richardson, Gilbert

Bengals had : Kijana Carter, Dan Wilkinson, Akili Smith

Steeler, Ravens: none.
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I really think of Akili, Cedric Oboogi and Klingler as their biggest busts
 
zeeman said:
I really think of Akili, Cedric Oboogi and Klingler as their biggest busts
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Maybe. Kajana would have been very good except for the injuries..that was just bad luck on the Bengals part. Was Klinger a 1st round pick? I don’t recall.
 
David Klinger was the 6th pick in the 1st rd of the 1992 draft by the Bengals. Klinger finished with career #’s of 16 td’s, 22 int’s for 3,994 yards. He played for the Bengals for 3 years and a couple of seasons bouncing around the NFL.

I just remember Klinger getting hit or sacked on almost every drop back. This was the David Shula Bengals…..bad is being kind. Bengals record by season:
1992: 5-11
1993: 3-13
1994: 3-13
 
WJ-OSU-STEELERS said:
David Klinger was the 6th pick in the 1st rd of the 1992 draft by the Bengals. Klinger finished with career #’s of 16 td’s, 22 int’s for 3,994 yards. He played for the Bengals for 3 years and a couple of seasons bouncing around the NFL.

I just remember Klinger getting hit or sacked on almost every drop back. This was the David Shula Bengals…..bad is being kind. Bengals record by season:
1992: 5-11
1993: 3-13
1994: 3-13
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Thanks for dragging up those repressed nightmares of seasons.
 
For the Browns, the 2014 draft was the worst with Gilbert and Manziel. Ray Farmer, the General Manager, had a delightful habit of not attending All-Star games or doing any in-person scouting. When the scouts asked Gilbert to work out returning kicks, he refused, saying he didn't return kicks. That eliminated him from the Ravens' consideration. But, Ray forged ahead, drafting Gilbert without ever speaking to him before the draft. Manziel was a total bust, unwilling to learn plays or get serious about his employment. He was all flash and was drafted by the Haslams who hoped to sell jerseys and make a big PR splash. The qb at the time, Brian Hoyer, was assailed by the fans and the press for refusing to work with Manziel, but eventually it was found that Manziel just didn't want to be bothered with working, but was just interested in the glamor. It all came to a head during the Bengals game in which it was obvious that he had no idea of what he was doing. The o-line even had to explain the plays to him in the huddle.

And people wonder why they have been such a joke.
 
Akili Smith.... but not because he couldn't play. Rather for what the Bengals gave up to draft him. The Saints offered the Bengals their entire draft to move up so they could draft the RB who wouldn't take his helmet off during interviews and really enjoyed smoking pot.

I'd like to say those picks could have turned the organization around but realistically the Bungals would have squandered those picks on bad talent.
 
Irwin20 said:
I recently saw an article listing the biggest draft busts. I knew the Browns have had some selection issues in the past 20 years but forgot they had 7 busts:
Couch, Courtney Brown, Coleman, Quinn, Manziel, Trent Richardson, Gilbert

Bengals had : Kijana Carter, Dan Wilkinson, Akili Smith

Steeler, Ravens: none.
Click to expand...
I'm actually having a hard time calling Brady Quinn and Johnny Manziel busts. Both guys stunk as NFL QBs, but with the way both guys plummeted on draft day, it's apparent that the majority of decision makers in the league didn't expect much from those guys. The Browns were the busts for drafting them.

Tim Couch got done in by the lack of an offensive line. Courtney Brown was derailed by injuries.

Trent Richardson wasn't completely awful his rookie year, and the team was able to move him for a high draft pick the following season by trading him to the Colts.

Gilbert and Coleman were bad.

When I think busts, I immediately think of guys like: Tony Mandarich, Steve Emtman, Ryan Leaf, and Robert Gallery. I can forgive a guy like David Carr for the same reason as Couch. Texans gave him no protection whatsoever.
 
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Richardson and Brown were at least serviceable for some period of time.

Ray Farmer's 2014 draft list was taken straight from the SI of Kids Coolest College Players list.

As much as some of the fans fawned over John Dorsey, his drafting record is deteriorating as time goes on.
 
Probably not a bust that gets much pub because most of you probably never heard of him.

Tennessee Titans - 2020 first round pick, #29 overall, T Isaiah Wilson, U of Georgia

Wilson was a project, he was drafted, came in out of shape, went on the Covid list, was activated for 1 game.
Was traded to the Dolphins in March of 2021, 3 days later was released by the Dolphins. Currently on the Giants practice squad.

Reading between the lines, NFL teams do not trade and cut first round draft picks unless there is something REALLY wrong.
 
Based on what I saw last night, Zach Wilson may eventually make the list if he can't find a way to alter the current trajectory of his NFL career path.
 
Irwin20 said:
I recently saw an article listing the biggest draft busts. I knew the Browns have had some selection issues in the past 20 years but forgot they had 7 busts:
Couch, Courtney Brown, Coleman, Quinn, Manziel, Trent Richardson, Gilbert

Bengals had : Kijana Carter, Dan Wilkinson, Akili Smith

Steeler, Ravens: none.
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Ravens drafted Kyle Boller (2003)

Not so much a draft pick, but the Steelers passed on Marino and Favre in 83 to replace Bradshaw. Wouldve been cool to see Marino play for his hometown.
 
LCL said:
Ravens drafted Kyle Boller (2003)

Not so much a draft pick, but the Steelers passed on Marino and Favre in 83 to replace Bradshaw. Wouldve been cool to see Marino play for his hometown.
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If I recall correctly the Steelers drafted a DT that year Gabe Rivera, Who was Crippled in a car accident in the off season and never played another down.
 
Irwin20 said:
If I recall correctly the Steelers drafted a DT that year Gabe Rivera, Who was Crippled in a car accident in the off season and never played another down.
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That’s correct. He was an extremely talented DT, every indication was he was hopefully/going to be the the 1980’s Steelers version of Joe Green. I believe Rivera recently passed .
 
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