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With yet another quarterback going #1 overall in the most recent NFL Draft, there is plenty of speculation in terms of how Caleb Williams will perform for the Chicago Bears. It never seems to get easier projecting how players, specifically quarterbacks, will translate to the NFL. That rings especially true even as recently as the 2023 NFL Draft, with #1 overall pick Bryce Young struggling in his first season with the Panthers while #2 overall pick CJ Stroud dominated with the Texans. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the worst NFL Draft picks ever.
Before we get into our top five, keep in mind that “worst” can be defined in many ways, but we’re going to be looking at players that were drafted extremely high yet did not pan out in the NFL.
When it comes to the worst NFL Draft picks ever, the top two players we have listed are likely two of the first that many fans think of. While they may not come as a huge surprise, that does not take away from the fact that they were significant letdowns.
We’re going to start with JaMarcus Russell, who gets the slight edge as the overall worst as he was the #1 overall pick. It was the Oakland Raiders that drafted the LSU quarterback with the top overall selection, but the late Al Davis would go on to regret the decision. Things weren’t smooth right from the start, as the rookie held out through his first training camp and into the regular season.
Ultimately, his lack of dedication and unwillingness to study led to him utterly failing as a quarterback in the NFL, which is arguably the most cerebral position in all of sports. He was in the league for just three years, throwing a total of 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.
Oftentimes, Ryan Leaf is considered the overall worst NFL Draft pick ever and has even had a documentary and E:60 made about his life. He has been a bit more polarizing than Russell, primarily due to the fact that there were drugs involved in his downfall.
Leaf went just 4-14 in 18 career games with the Chargers, and he had plenty of run-ins that did not put him in the best light, whether in Las Vegas or with media reporters. It was Peyton Manning that was selected just prior to Leaf, so despite trading up for Leaf, the Chargers missed out in a big way. Since his time out of the NFL, Leaf has indeed tried to turn over a new leaf in terms of helping others with drug addictions.
After the first two worst NFL Draft picks ever, there is plenty of debate as to the remainder of the list. However, we’re sticking with another quarterback, and it just so happens that we’re also going in the same order in which the first three were drafted.
The Bengals have recently hit big in the quarterback department with Joe Burrow, but the 1999 NFL Draft was not nearly as kind to them. Although Smith came before Michael Vick, the same type of athleticism was expected, but Smith played just 22 games over four years for the Bengals, eclipsing seven games in a season just once. To make matters worse, he threw for just five total touchdowns in his career and had a completion percentage of just 46.6%.
It may seem strange to have one of the worst NFL Draft picks ever be a player that is still currently in the league, but another quarterback that has not panned out is Trey Lance. What makes this pick far worse is the fact that the 49ers went well out of their way to trade up to select him.
Admittedly, injuries have hindered Lance in a big way, but his small stature was a concern right from the jump. Not only that, but coming out of North Dakota State should have also been a larger red flag, as he did not face top-tier competition. After just 102 passing attempts for the 49ers, he has been traded to the Dallas Cowboys, where he has not thrown a single pass.
Finally, our list of worst NFL Draft picks ever isn’t totally focused on quarterbacks, as one player who should also be considered is Justin Blackmon, who was taken just four picks after Andrew Luck. The Jaguars have recently hit the jackpot on a quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, but Blackmon is no longer around for him to connect with.
The Oklahoma State product played just two seasons with the Jags, ending his career with just 1,280 yards. Like Lance, what makes this pick even worse was Jacksonville trading up to make the selection. Blackmon did have a solid rookie season, but it was his off-field concerns that led to suspensions and his lack of motivation made him one of the worst NFL Draft picks ever.
Mark has been a lifelong fan of all sports, and five years ago turned it into a profession, specializing in the NFL, NHL and MLB. He is a diehard Baltimore Ravens fan and has had his work published in sites such as Sports Illustrated, Pickswise and other top outlets.