TOP 10 BIGGEST NFL DRAFT BUSTS

Scouting has come a long way from scouring every football field from coast to coast, north to south, this side of the tracks and that side of the tracks. Scouts would bribe college coaches with loose change or whiskey to let them see their tapes first, before representatives from other teams came knocking. Some footage from prosperous players in second-rate football programs would mysteriously go missing. These days every play by every college player is easily accessible and readily available. 

While this makes scouting easier, it's still far from a perfect process. Talent evaluators can break down all the film they want on a player, at the end of the day it all comes down to opinion. "The finished product or the raw potential?" "Do we need more improvement at this position or that position?" There are many factors to consider. Many players are placed on pedestals, they're given the "can't miss" label, "once in a generation". Unfortunately many teams pull the trigger on a top ranked prospect only to shoot themselves in the foot. These teams, and players, found out the hard way that collegiate success and raw talent don't automatically translate to NFL success. These are the ten biggest draft busts who never lived up to their full potential.

10. JOHNNY MANZIEL

22nd Overall Pick; 2014 NFL Draft

Aggies star quarterback Johnny Football was Billy the Kid at Texas A&M, but ran into the sheriff in the NFL. He was mediocre at best, and an utter crime against Walter Camp's beloved sport at his worst. Manziel was more interested in being Johnny Hollywood than Johnny Football.

Manziel was a privileged son of an oil family. He went from being paid $100 per homerun in little league at age 7 to being a high school football phenom. Snubbed by his favorite school, the University of Texas, he attended their rivals, TAMU. Manziel was catapulted into superstardom in just his 10th start as a redshirt freshman. Putting up 345 yards of offense and 2 passing touchdowns in a highlight filled upset over Alabama. The kid had arrived. He finished the 2012 season with 3,706 passing yards, 1,410 rushing (led the SEC), and 47 total touchdowns. Manziel became the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy. 

The football megastar was fully entrenched in the rockstar lifestyle. He was partying with Justin Bieber and cameoing with Drake. He was getting busted by the NCAA for selling autographs, and got suspended for half of a game against an opponent the Aggies were expected to curb stomp. He was still lighting up Alabama, he was 2-0 in bowl games. He was getting kicked out of the Manning Passing Academy. In danger of falling out of the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft, Manziel manipulated the Cleveland Browns franchise into drafting him. "I wish you guys would come get me" he texted to QB coach Dowell Loggains, "I want to wreck this league together." The team traded up to select him 22nd overall. 

As a rookie he struggled to wrestle playing time from journeyman Brian Hoyer. In a game against Buffalo a botched snap resulted in him attempting to throw the ball away, only to have it bounce off a defender as Manziel got run over. Instead of getting up, Manziel crossed his arms over his chest and laid there on the field while the play was ongoing. We literally witnessed his career lay down and die. Otto Graham was turning in his grave. In 2015 he got six starts but Josh McCown was outplaying him. His chaotic playstyle and lack of preparation was a recipe for disaster in the NFL. Manziel liked to party. He partied in the off-season, the bye week, and before games. He partied his way in and out  of rehab. He even partied before his court hearing for hitting his then girlfriend. He was immature, self-destructive, bipolar, he was addicted. Addicted to the lifestyle, addicted to the fame and celebrity, addicted to the vices that come with it. 

The holes players tend to fall into on the horizon of the promised land Manziel had been living in and turned into a mosh pit. Hall of Fame quarterback Ken "Snake" Stabler used to tell tales of legend about reading the playbook by the light of the jukebox. "How much sleep do you need to go play three hours?" Manziel found out the hard way that most people can't get away with this, and he was used to getting away with everything. He went 2-6 as a starter in the NFL, passing for 1,675 yards, 7 touchdowns and 7 interceptions, and fumbled 7 times. He only gained 259 yards and one lone touchdown on the ground.

9. ANDRE WARE

7th Overall Pick; 1990 NFL Draft

If you look at the all-time single season passing yards leaderboard in college football, you’ll see a lot of quarterbacks from; Texas Tech, Hawaii, BYU, and Houston. You’ll find obscure names such as B.J. Symons, Graham Harrell, Colt Brennan, Ty Detmer, David Klingler, and Andre Ware. Over the decades, these schools have employed some form of the Run & Shoot or Air Raid offense. These pass-happy offenses give QBs video-game-esque stats and light up scoreboards like pin-ball machines. What they don’t do is prepare you for NFL success.

Like Manziel, Ware was scorned by his school of choice, his beloved Texas Longhorns. But while Manziel was deemed too short to play quarterback, Ware was deemed…too dark of skin. Colored quarterbacks were still a rarity in Texas, so Ware went to the University of Houston. His head coach was Jack Pardee, who had worked under the offensive mastermind Don Coryell on the San Diego Chargers. In Ware’s final season at Houston, the Cougars went 9-2. They led the nation with a whopping 53.5 points per game, and Ware had passed for a then-record 4,699 yards and 46 touchdowns. Ware won the 1989 Heisman Trophy, the first black quarterback to do so, and entered the 1990 NFL Draft. 

In a draft that saw twenty quarterbacks selected, Ware would be the second. Taken seventh overall by the fledgling Detroit Lions, spearheaded by Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders. It seemed like a no-brainer; pair college football’s most exciting passer with pro football’s most exciting runner. Unfortunately Ware didn’t transition well to the pro level. Despite running the same offense under Wayne Fontes as he had under Pardee, Ware struggled to no end.

The Heisman winner played himself to the end of the bench. He was buried on the depth chart beneath Rodney Peete and Bob Gagliano (neither of which threw more touchdowns than interceptions in their careers).  Ware was even more lost in the shuffle when Erik “Brass Balls” Kramer returned to the NFL from the CFL. From 1990 to 1993 Ware started in only six games. 3-3 as a starter, 51.6% passing, 1,112 yards, 5 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. On October 21, 1989, Houston obliterated the SMU Mustangs 95-21. In that game Ware had 6 touchdown passes, one more than his entire NFL career.

8. JOSH ROSEN

10th Overall Pick; 2018 NFL Draft

Josh Rosen entered the league as smug as the Alaskan winter is long. Rosen was touted as the best quarterback in the nation coming out of St. John Bosco in Bellflower. A California golden boy through and through, Rosen chose to attend UCLA. Confidence is key for a quarterback, but what Rosen had was conceit.

Rosen was always a topic of conversation. He had a hot tub in his college dorm, but acknowledged taking pictures with a woman in the tub looked “jerkish”. He wore a hat that said, “F*** Trump”, but acknowledged that the F-word was uncalled for because he’s “a role model for kids”. When talking about how school and sports “don’t mix”, and how many collegiate athletes are only in school to reach professional sports, Rosen dropped this doozy; “raise the SAT requirement at Alabama and see what kind of team they have.” On the field Rosen had been named the starter as a freshman, passing for 3,669 yards. After sustaining injury as a sophomore, Rosen passed for 3,756 yards as a junior and declared for the 2018 NFL Draft.

Having played well in college, Rosen was overhyped. He had California charm and good size, standing at 6’4”. Rosen’s attitude was questionable. No question it was problematic, but was it too problematic? After Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Josh Allen had been taken off the board, the Arizona Cardinals drafted Rosen 10th overall. Rosen claimed, “there were nine mistakes ahead of me.” He also boasted that if Tom Brady won six championships then he wants to win seven…but Rosen couldn’t even win seven games. Rosen went 3-10 as a rookie with a triple bogey passer rating of 66.7, averaging 162.7 yards per game. 

A regime change in Arizona led to Rosen being traded to the Miami Dolphins for a 2nd rounder and a 5th rounder. The Dolphins got ripped off. Rosen started three games for the Dolphins, lost all of them, and only threw one touchdown vs 5 interceptions. He was waived by the team after the season. He would go on to be signed and cut by the 49ers and Buccaneers without ever getting onto the field. In 2021 the Atlanta Falcons signed Rosen. Getting some action during garbage time, Rosen went…wait for it…; 2 for 11, with 2 interceptions, and a passer rating of 0.0. Rosen thought he was the QB that walked on water, easily the best prospect in the ‘18 draft. Looking back now, in a vacuum he probably couldn't beat out Mason Rudolph, Mike White, or Logan Woodside for a roster spot. His career is still ongoing (i.e. teams are still using him as a camp arm) but as it stands now he’s 3-13, has passed for 2,864 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. His passer rating of 61.1 is far lower than Manziel (74.4) and Ware (63.5).

7. LAWRENCE PHILLIPS

6th Overall Pick; 1996 NFL Draft

Born May 12, 1975 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Lawrence Phillips' upbringing was not for the faint of heart. His father left him, and his mother's boyfriends abused him. He ran away from his home in California, but living conditions in the children's home wouldn't prove to be much better. Around age 12 he finally found a loving home. He also found a love for football. 

Phillips found his way to the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team in 1993. During the nineties Nebraska was a force to be reckoned with under coach Tom Osborne. Running the Wishbone offense with QB Tommie Frazier and Phillips at running back. In '94 Phillips rushed for 1,722 yards and 16 touchdowns for a 12-0 Cornhusker squad. After making gator skin boots out of Florida in the '95 Fiesta Bowl (I’m a Gator fan but there’s no sugar-coating a 62-24 loss), Nebraska was crowned back to back National Champions. Unfortunately Phillips had been arrested for assaulting his ex girlfriend and was kicked off the team. This assault would not be a one time thing. 

The St. Louis Rams had a falling out with star running back Jerome Bettis and traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers. They drafted Phillips sixth overall in the 1996 NFL Draft to replace their former bruising back. Phillips' stats in his first season with the Rams were similar to Bettis' final season on the team. In 1997 Dick Vermeil replaced Rich Brooks as Rams head coach. Smiley Dick Vermeil, who never said a bad word about anybody, who saw the best in everyone, would cut Phillips from the team. "When Dick Vermeil gives up on you, and you're a talented football player, you know it's time to find another occupation." -Jody McDonald, sports radio host.

Phillips had scored 8 touchdowns in twelve games with the Rams in '97, enticing Miami to sign him. Miami is not necessarily the best place for a player with money, fame, and character concerns. He would only play two games for the team. After playing a year in NFL Europe Phillips got in shape, and was given a new lease on life. He received a third chance at the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers in 1999. He was used sparingly and his lazy blocking resulted in Steve Young suffering a career ending injury. Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young. Strike three, he was done in the NFL. He finished his career with 1,453 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns, 3.4 yards per carry, 219 receiving yards and a touchdown on 34 catches. He would only play thirty-five career games. Lawrence Phillips died in prison in Delano, California on January 13, 2016.

6. AKILI SMITH

3rd Overall Pick; 1999 NFL Draft

Kabisa Akili Maradufu Smith was born in San Diego. His first name loosely translates to "complete mind"...ironically. Smith was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1993 MLB June Amateur Draft at the age of 17. Smith played three seasons with Pittsburgh and the Erie Sea Wolves. The two-sport athlete was keen to return home as he signed a letter of intent with San Diego State. Unfortunately low test scores forced him into the JUCO route.

After two years at Grossmont College, Smith transferred to Oregon. Smith passed for over 5,000 yards, and scored over 50 touchdowns in two seasons at Oregon. In 1998 Smith was named PAC-10 Offensive Player of the Year, and 2nd team All-American. The Cleveland Browns franchise, resurrected from the dead after being defunct since 1995, possessed the first pick in the '99 draft. Building a glorified expansion team from the ground up, the charity case franchise needed a quarterback. The top options in '99; Kentucky's Tim Couch, Syracuse's Donovan McNabb, and Oregon's Akili Smith. Smith possessed decent size, 6'3" 220+ lbs, and displayed his athleticism at the combine with a 4.66 forty-yard dash. But he was booted from Cleveland's big board for bad test scores.

There is an infamous clip of Warren Sapp joking about Akili Smith scoring a 9 on the Wonderlic. I'm pretty sure that's how many points you get for showing up and writing your name at the top. Like his blocked SDSU enrollment, low test scores hindered his draft stock. The New Orleans Saints (and by the Saints I mean Mike Ditka alone) were dead set on trading up to get Ricky Williams out of Texas. After Cleveland took Couch and Philadelphia took McNabb, Cincinnati declined a massive trade package from Ditka, opting to select Smith third overall. The 24-year old rookie split time with Jeff Blake for the first half of the season. Smith finished his rookie campaign with 2 passing touchdowns and 6 interceptions. Going 1-3 as a starter for a Bengals team that finished 4-12.

In 2000 Smith started eleven games, but came away with only two wins. His decision making was egregious, his athleticism didn't save him from being sacked often, and the Bengals likely wished they had taken Ditka's bargain. After four seasons in Cincy that were far below lackluster, Smith was cut from Green Bay and Tampa Bay, and forced to go north of the border. While Smith played out his football career in the CFL, his NFL résumé read as follows; 3-14 record,  46.6 completion percentage (seriously sub .500 for a quarterback in the 21st century is astronomically bad) 2,212 yards, 5 TDs 13 INT, a 52.8 passer rating, and 19 fumbles.

5. ART SCHLICHTER

4th Overall Pick; 1982 NFL Draft

On March 7, 2022 Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entire '22 season for placing a $1,500 bet on an NFL game. Ridley can hold Schlichter's figurative beer.

The Ohio native was a four year starter at Ohio State. As a freshman in 1978 under legendary coach Woody Hayes, Schichter threw 4 touchdown passes and 21 interceptions. From '79-'81 he threw 46 TDs and 25 INT, ranking in the Heisman voting three times without taking home the gold. Art Schlichter was a winner, he was the All-American, he was the straight arrow. That was the sales pitch. Baltimore was sold. The Baltimore Colts, moving on from seventies stalwart Bert Jones, drafted Schlichter fourth overall in 1982.

Unfortunately in the NFL Schlichter didn't win much on, or off the field. In 1981 a biography of Schlichter's life was published titled Straight Arrow…yeah that didn't age well. Schlichter had started gambling during his time at Ohio State. He was spotted multiple times at a horse racing track but this was easily swept under the rug during the pre-social media era. During the '82 player strike Schlichter became consumed with his gambling addiction. As a fourth overall pick he was beat out for the starting job by fourth round pick Mike Pagel. 

Schlichter never fully committed to competing for his spot, he was more focused on the $700,000 gambling debt he had compiled in 1982 (over two-million in today's dollars). He turned his bookies over to the FBI to get out of paying his debts, but was in turn suspended by the NFL. After getting reinstated he was busted again and in '87 received the first lifetime ban since 1946. Schlichter never stopped gambling, he has been in and out of prison ever since his playing days for illegal gambling and all types of fraud. He was most recently released in 2021 at the age of 61 after conning a woman out of a million dollars for a ticket scandal. In three active seasons in the NFL he started only six games, going 0-6. He completed 45% of his passes for 1,006 yards, 3 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. His career passer rating is 42.6.

4. BRIAN BOSWORTH

1st Overall Pick; 1987 NFL Supplemental Draft

Growing up, phrases like “I love you”,  and “I’m proud of you” were foreign to a young Brian Bosworth. The Boz, however, didn’t need such affirmations. A father’s love and approval is overrated when you can garner the hatred of half the football viewing nation. He wasn't a product of the NFL hype machine, he built it. The Okie homer played linebacker for the Oklahoma Sooners. In 1985 and 1986 Bosworth was a Consensus All-American and Dick Butkus Award winner, given to the nation's most outstanding linebacker. Bosworth didn't just win two Butkus awards, he was the very first player to win the award, and is the only player to win it more than once.

Bosworth graduated early and as a junior was eligible for the '87 NFL Draft, but he failed to declare for the draft in time. As a result he entered the '87 supplemental draft (a secondary draft for players that lose their college eligibility). There was another reason for Bosworth not sticking around for a farewell tour senior season…steroids. He tested positive for steroids and was banned from playing in the 1986 Orange Bowl. Thrown into a tailspin, Bosworth released his golden parachute to the NFL. 

Seattle bid a first round pick and won the Bosworth lottery. It was Bosworth that felt like the big winner as he signed the largest rookie contract ever at the time; 10 years for $11 million. Arriving to practice in a helicopter, The Boz touched down in Seattle. The Boz was Mr. Hyde to Bosworth's Dr. Jekyll. An alter ego that Bosworth likened to a superhero, or a comic book character. "When it became time to go play and be aggressive I could just say, 'oh now I've put on the mask and now I'm the Boz' like a superhero". Boz was a hulking near 250-pounder, with an iconic bleach blonde hairstyle ("it wasn't a mullet, it wasn't a flat top, it was the Boz"). He had a motor that never stopped running…or maybe that was his mouth. He was jacked, talented, boisterous, he was unbearable.

He sued the NFL for not letting him wear jersey number 44. He commandeered national headlines. He mouthed off about his opponents…a lot. When the Seahawks faced the Denver Broncos, Mile High Stadium was flooded with anti-Boz apparel, to which Bosworth just laughed, 'they're putting money in my pocket'. It was his own company that manufactured the shirts. He didn't just revel in the hate, he profited off of it. But any conversation about the Boz begins and ends with Bo Jackson. Boz had claimed he would shut down the Oakland Raiders running back. When Jackson and Bosworth met head to head at the one, Jackson plowed through the illusion of the superhero, trucking forward for the touchdown. Bosworth would only play twenty-four career games before shoulder injuries did to his career what Bo Jackson did to his reputation. At twenty-five years old, the steroid user had the shoulders of a 60-year old man. Bosworth was far more successful as an actor. He starred or appeared in many movies such as Stone Cold, One Tough Bastard, and The Longest Yard just to name a few.

3. CHARLES ROGERS

2nd Overall Pick; 2003 NFL Draft

Charles Rogers was born in Saginaw, Michigan and stayed close to home when it came time to pick a college. At Michigan State Rogers boasted gaudy numbers at wide receiver despite the likes of Jeff Smoker and Damon Dowdell throwing him the ball. With 1,470 yards as a sophomore and 1,351 as a junior, Rogers entered the 2003 draft as a coveted prospect.

The ‘03 draft class featured many generational pass-catchers, such as Miami’s Andre Johnson (11th in NFL career receiving yards), Florida State’s Anquan Boldin (14th), and Tennessee’s Jason Witten (20th). Detroit GM Matt Millen, known for making historically bad roster moves, selected the hometown Rogers second overall. In 2002 Bill Schroeder led the Lions in receiving yards with 595. Not a typo. In 2003 the Lions improved from 3-13 to 5-11, but it had little to do with Rogers’ 22 catches for 243 yards. This time the leading receiver was Az-Zahir Hakim, with 449 yards. The Lions receiver’s room looked like a JA meeting. Journeymen Anonymous.

Rogers had proven in college that he could be productive with below average quarterbacks. Which was good given this was the pre-Stafford Lions that featured Joey Harrington. Rogers only played in five games due to a broken collarbone. Barely a minute into the 2004 season he broke his collarbone again. He would miss the entire ‘04 campaign and develop a vicodin addiction. Rogers was also a marijuana smoker, and would get suspended by the league. 

Unfortunately there’s not much else to say. Year one, injured. Year two, injured. Year three, suspended. There wouldn’t be a year four as Rogers was waived by the team. Rogers was a gifted receiver, he stood 6’2” and in the forty-yard dash he clocked in at 4.40. He was targeted 84 times but only came away with 36 receptions for 440 yards (12.2 avg) and 4 touchdowns. He only played 15 games from 2003-2005. Rogers died of liver failure in Fort Myers, FL on November 11, 2019.

2. JaMARCUS RUSSELL

1st Overall Pick; 2007 NFL Draft

JaMarcus Russell was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1985. He played under Nick Saban and Les Miles at LSU. In 2006 he won the Manning Award after passing for over 3,000 yards, with twenty more touchdowns than interceptions. Heading into the 2007 draft it was common knowledge that Russell was the biggest, baddest, most talented QB prospect to date.  In 2006 the Oakland Raiders had gone 2-14. Their quarterbacks combined for only seven passing touchdowns, and over three times as many interceptions. It was obvious where Russell was going to land. It wasn’t a favorable destination for any quarterback, but there was one saving grace, the Raiders had Randy Moss.

After believing the greatest receiver since the turn of the century to be washed up, Oakland traded Moss to the New England Patriots for a fourth round draft pick. Yes this is also the year the Pats went 16-0 and Moss set an NFL record with 23 receiving touchdowns. Russell arrived on a team whose receiving room featured over twenty seasons of experience and no 1,000-yard seasons to show for it. He also arrived large and in charge…well, large…too large. Standing at 6’6” and tipping scales at north of 260 lbs. Russell had packed on weight due to his addiction to codeine, spurred on by a series of family tragedies. Russell would never get his weight under control.

Russell was viewed as lazy, partly because of the weight, partly because he didn’t put in the work. He never got along with management, and never carried himself in a professional manner. Russell was for the streets, simple as that. He signed one of the largest rookie contracts ever, 6 years for $61 million, $32 million guaranteed. He claimed he had nothing to do with the delay of the signing or the preposterous amount that was agreed upon. He didn’t start right away because he was behind in learning the playbook, and when he did get into a game he played himself back onto the bench. Coaches felt that he wasn’t watching film, so they gave him blank tapes to study, and when he was questioned about them he said ‘looks good’. The JaMarcus Russell blank tape story is notorious, but in 2022 Russell opened up on The Pivot Podcast. “They talk about a film thing once, like, bro I watch film. But I ain’t the type to go in there and watch five hours of film. I never been that type of player. I go out there and play football bro, make plays bro. I mean, I can’t help if your other quarterback might go in there and watch ten hours. But guess what, he might not be shit on the field.” Neither were you Russell. 

When asked directly about whether or not the blank tape story was true, Russell played the victim. “Guess what, that could be one up on me bro.” “At that point in time in my life, what was taking place, shit I might not watched it. But when he asked me a question about it, ‘hey yeah it was cool’. Whatever, let's get on with it. But why would you play a fucking game with my life, why would you fuck me over like that, bullshit me. You supposed to be teaching me so we can get better, man.” The irony of blaming the teacher when you aren’t studying is not lost on this “C” student. On the podcast Russell also claimed reports of him skipping a team meeting to go to Las Vegas weren’t true. But he did lie and say he had to take his mom to the airport, and he did go to Las Vegas. Russell would refuse to run disciplinary laps in practice when he got in trouble because “this ain’t no mother fucking college, ain’t no fucking punishment runnin’”. Russell never showed any interest in being a leader or improving as a player. He didn’t respect his coaches, and claimed they didn’t want him (which may very well have been true). He blamed everyone but himself, and never took any responsibility for his failures. JaMarcus Russell got benched for Charlie Frye, I didn’t even know that was possible.

Russell played in 31 games from 2007-2009, he started in 25. He scraped together a 7-18 record. 354 of 680 passing, just over fifty percent. 4,083 yards, 18 touchdowns, 23 interceptions and a passer rating of 65.2. As a number one pick Russell was an embarrassment of unfathomable proportions.

1. RYAN LEAF

2nd Overall Pick; 1998 NFL Draft

It really couldn’t be anybody else. JaMarcus Russell may have been drafted higher, but statistically nobody was worse than Ryan Leaf. It doesn't help that he will always be compared to one of the greatest players in NFL history. Ryan Leaf is the quintessential draft bust, by which all others will be measured. 

Leaf was born and raised in Great Falls, Montana. He was placed on a pedestal at an early age because of his athletic prowess. He detested losing, and felt that it made him less of a person when he lost. On the other hand winning made him better than everyone else, not a better athlete, but a better person. It was an ass-backwards mentality that his hometown unintentionally helped to cultivate. He could get away with acting out because he was good at sports, and was only vilified when he showboated, which he did often. To say Leaf was woefully immature would be an understatement, he was terminally immature. After leading Washington State to 10 wins for the first time since 1929, Leaf’s Cougars came up short in the 1997 Rose Bowl.

Entering the 1998 NFL Draft, the headlines read; Leaf or Manning? Tennessee’s Peyton Manning came from football royalty, he had been groomed to be a professional quarterback since he could walk. Leaf on the other hand, hailed from a state that had never produced a first round draft pick, resulting in a coddled upbringing. Manning was mature, hardworking, and a safe pick. Leaf was bigger, stronger, more athletic, and seemingly had more potential. The league was torn. Indianapolis held the first pick, and San Diego held the second. Allegedly Leaf didn’t want to go to Indy, San Diego was a sexier destination, so he blew off meetings with the Colts. “I wanted to go to San Diego,” said Leaf on Bust, The Ryan Leaf Story. “I wasn’t thinking about Marvin Harrison out there catching balls, and Marshall Faulk in the backfield. I was more thinking about, you know, money and pussy, what an asshole.” He says that he missed his meetings with the Colts because he was getting an MRI.

At 6’5” Leaf was always a big guy, but he packed on thirty pounds of partying over the summer. He weighed in at over 260 at the combine. When the two quarterbacks were asked what they would do after getting drafted, Manning said he would get straight to work…Leaf said he’d celebrate in Vegas. Manning would go number one, and got Harrison and Faulk at his disposal. Leaf went second overall to the Chargers, the team and city he wanted. Everyone was happy. Leaf struggled as a pro quarterback, even after getting his weight down to a healthier 245 lbs. Leaf won the first two games of his career by the skin of his teeth. Then the infamous Kansas City game happened. Leaf missed practices all week due to illness, and was ill prepared for the game that would be played in stormy conditions. Leaf completed one of fifteen passes, was intercepted twice, and fumbled the ball multiple times. He didn’t react well to the nationwide humiliation. There was the legendary (for all the wrong reasons) locker room incident when Leaf yelled at a reporter. He later read a written statement on camera, giving the most insincere apology of all time, and threw away the paper while still on camera. 

To list all of Leaf’s shortcomings and missteps would take far too long. He developed an opioid addiction after his playing days were over. He was in and out of jail, and suicidal for a time. He became a high school coach but stole painkillers from his players. These days Leaf has turned his life around. He is a respected analyst who takes full responsibility for how his career and life played out. From 1998 to 2001 Leaf played in 25 games for the Chargers and Cowboys. He started in 21, with a 4-17 record. He completed 48.4% of his passes for 3,666 yards, 14 touchdowns, 36 interceptions, and a passer rating of 50.

Next Five Out

11. Tony Mandarich

Drafted by the Green Bay Packers 2nd overall in 1989 out of Michigan State. The next three picks after Mandarich were; Barry Sanders (DET), Derrick Thomas (KC), and Deion Sanders (ATL). That doesn’t help his legacy. Hyped as the greatest offensive line prospect ever, Mandarich used steroids, had no technique, and was humiliated by veteran defensive linemen on a weekly basis. Mandarich is seen as one of the biggest disappointments ever…BUT. After a five-year long exile, Mandarich joined the Indianapolis Colts in ‘96, and retired after serving as Peyton Manning’s starting right guard in ‘98. His three years of production in Indy are more than any player in the top ten can claim.

12. Ki-Jana Carter

Drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals 1st overall in 1995 out of Penn State. This is an unfortunate story. As a running back at Penn State, Carter rushed for 1,539 yards and 23 touchdowns in 1994. He would only rush for 1,144 yards and 20 touchdowns in 59 career games with Cincy, New Orleans, and Washington. He was hampered by injuries throughout his career and never stood a chance of reaching his potential. His ranking is handicapped given the circumstances.

13. Paxton Lynch 

Drafted by the Denver Broncos 26th overall in 2016 out of Memphis. Lynch was a big strong quarterback, but had little else going for him. The 6’7-footer started only four games in two years. 1-3, 61.7% for 792 yards, 4 TDs and 4 INT, 76.7 rating. These days he can't make an NFL team, CFL team, USFL team, you name it. He was even benched in the XFL, holding the distinction as the only QB to be benched in all four leagues.

14. Heath Shuler

Honestly the art of judging quarterback prospects is such a hit-or-miss gambit that there are plenty of signal callers I could put here; Tim Couch, David Carr, Rick Mirer, David Klingler, Sam Darnold, Blaine Gabbert. Shuler was drafted by the Washington Redskins 3rd overall in 1994 out of Tennessee. 8-14 record, 49.2%, 15 TDs, 33 INT, and a 54.3 rating.

15. Trent Richardson

Drafted by the Cleveland Browns 3rd overall in 2016 out of Alabama. Nick Saban pupils at Bama pan out more often than not, but Richardson was a massive bust at running back. He’s on the outside looking in on this list because he had a very successful rookie season; 1,317 yards from scrimmage and 12 total touchdowns. Unfortunately he regressed every year as he had no vision or instinct as a runner whatsoever.