Biggest NFL Busts Last 5-10 Years

[GMackey32]

Mfer out kicked his coverage in college tho. Wowzer.

Then broke up with her! What a moron!

 

[PSYclone22]

2012 - Trent Richardson
2013 - Tavon Austin
2014 - Greg Robinson (though Sammy Watkins was mega-hyped and hasn't panned)
2015 - Kevin White
2016 - nobody went super high and busted; Treadwell or Josh Doctson or Paxton Lynch
2017 - Trubisky (dummies)
2018 - Mayfield / Darnold / Rosen
2019 - N'Keal Harry? If I recall this draft was panned as just not good anyway.
2020 - Ruggs and Jeudy

 

[Clark]

Farther back than 10...Biggest of all time, Robert Gallery?

wouldn't crack the top 100 busts. He was a bad tackle but ended up being a pretty good guard, which is an overdraft at #2 but far from a bust.

 

[Jer]

I forgot that Rosen only made it 1 year in Arizona before they moved on, and then he went on to **** over Miami as well.

 

[Clark]

Mitch Trubisky

Considering who was drafted after him....yeesh

 

[Bigman38]

• I probably would have put Tua and Lawrence on the "early but not looking good" list prior to this year but they've looked good.
• Wentz had a ton of hype and other than his first year has looked like trash.
• Fournette is still playing but doesn't feel like he's had nearly the career that was expected.
• Rashaad Penny was 1st round but I don't think he's even over 1,000 career yards yet.
• Justin Blackmon had an amazing rookie season in 2012 but after being suspended right after, I don't think he's played since.
• Kevin White went 7th overall in 2015 and I don't think has a TD catch yet.
• RG3 had an amazing rookie year but battled injuries and obviously flamed out thereafter.
• Paxton Lynch - not much needed to be said.
• Johnny Manziel probably tops the list by a mile.

Honorable mention - Urban Meyer.

Wentz isn't the biggest but he's one of the most unique. From Super Bowl and maybe Pro Bowl? to a journeyman fill in until that team can find their next real QB.

 

[Cyfan1965]

Mitch Trubisky

Didn't take him long to turn into "Mitchie Turd Biscuit"

 

[PSYclone22]

As a Titans fan I always keep an eye on Mariota.

He and Winston going 2nd and 1st both looked like busts but have done alright with their second chances.

 

[Clark]

Wentz isn't the biggest but he's one of the most unique. From Super Bowl and maybe Pro Bowl? to a journeyman fill in until that team can find their next real QB.

Exhibit A of shouldn't assume players will come back the same after an injury. Had he not gotten hurt he would have been MVP and deservedly so.

 

[JP4CY]

I forgot that Rosen only made it 1 year in Arizona before they moved on, and then he went on to **** over Miami as well.

Rosen is sooooooo bad.

 

[hurdleisu24]

Trey Lance

 

[Carlisle Clone]

I think a lot of people were shocked Fields went so high, but don't remember where he was projected. He NEVER should have been a projected franchise QB though, in my opinion.

Hurts has to be one of the bigger surprises, second to Lazzard of course

Ohio State QBs are just like USC QBs. They are surrounded by great linemen, RBs and ALWAYS ALWAYS have great WRs. Of course they look great in college but they have also crapped the bed in the NFL.

 

[CYdTracked]

Mitch Trubisky

Recently he sure is up there. The Bears passed up on a lot of solid players in that draft other than QB but they could have taken Mahomes or Watson (obviously has issues now) and their outlook now could be a lot different.

 

[Jer]

Forgot about Roberto Aguayo - from possibly greatest college kicker of all time to one of the worst NFL kickers. Left college a year early, went in 2nd round - crazy for a kicker, and only made it 1 year in the NFL with the worst field goal % in the league.

I mean, that is almost impossible to explain. It's not like the players around him make the difference - the goal posts don't move.

 

[JP4CY]

As a Titans fan I always keep an eye on Mariota.

He and Winston going 2nd and 1st both looked like busts but have done alright with their second chances.

Collegiately, think about Jimbo Fisher's career without Jameis. It's underwhelming for his status.

 

[Rabbuk]

Timothy Richard Tebow

 

[Mr Janny]

To me, if you're going to add the superlative "biggest" to the bust term, you have to be talking about guys that were taken in the first half of the first round, if not the top ten. The hit rate for first round picks is about 50% so taking a guy like Paxton Lynch with the 26th pick, while still a bust, isn't going to make my list of biggest busts, because his draft position was probably inflated due to his position as a QB. He was a risk from the beginning, is what I'm saying. And putting him on the list with a guy like Josh Rosen isn't really fair, because Rosen was considered much more of a sure thing.

To me, in the last 10 years, it's guys like
Rosen
Sam Darnold
Clelin Ferrell
Morris Claiborne
Dion Jordan

Others to be sure, but those guys stick out to me

 

[Rural]

• I probably would have put Tua and Lawrence on the "early but not looking good" list prior to this year but they've looked good.
• Wentz had a ton of hype and other than his first year has looked like trash.
• Fournette is still playing but doesn't feel like he's had nearly the career that was expected.
• Rashaad Penny was 1st round but I don't think he's even over 1,000 career yards yet.
• Justin Blackmon had an amazing rookie season in 2012 but after being suspended right after, I don't think he's played since.
• Kevin White went 7th overall in 2015 and I don't think has a TD catch yet.
• RG3 had an amazing rookie year but battled injuries and obviously flamed out thereafter.
• Paxton Lynch - not much needed to be said.
• Johnny Manziel probably tops the list by a mile.

Honorable mention - Urban Meyer.

You can't call him a bust, underwhelming for draft position, sure, but Jacksonville.

 

[PSYclone22]

Ohio State QBs are just like USC QBs. They are surrounded by great linemen, RBs and ALWAYS ALWAYS have great WRs. Of course they look great in college but they have also crapped the bed in the NFL.

You're going off a sample of two QBs drafted inside the first 3 rounds in the last 25 years.

Haskins was drafted 15th and Fields 11th. The fact they weren't top 10 picks means people already had identified some reason not to take them.

I won't be surprised if Stroud ends up being a serviceable-to-good NFL QB.

 

[Jer]

To me, if you're going to add the superlative "biggest" to the bust term, you have to be talking about guys that were taken in the first half of the first round, if not the top ten. The hit rate for first round picks is about 50% so taking a guy like Paxton Lynch with the 26th pick, while still a bust, isn't going to make my list of biggest busts, because his draft position was probably inflated due to his position as a QB. He was a risk from the beginning, is what I'm saying. And putting him on the list with a guy like Josh Rosen isn't really fair, because Rosen was considered much more of a sure thing.

To me, in the last 10 years, it's guys like
Rosen
Sam Darnold
Clelin Ferrell
Morris Claiborne
Dion Jordan

Others to be sure, but those guys stick out to me

I agree, but I think you also have to look at impact to team. Depending on pick order and the number of early round picks, taking a guy at 26th could still have a huge impact if that dude is a bust. Likewise, if you trade a lot of value to move up in the draft and get a bust, that makes the impact worse.

It's also a lot easier to call a WR, RB, or QB a bust after only 4-5 years where other positions (DE, LB, CB, etc) seem to get a little more time to develop.