Michael T. Mondak speaks: 40 til 40 day 24

This is day 24 in the 40 til 40 series of blog entries about anything and everything relevant to the number 40 leading to July 10 and my 40th birthday.

The last entry talked about the 40 best celebrity autographs I have ever received.  This entry talks about the 40 biggest National Football League draft busts of all time.

You know, the draft is the best way to build a championship caliber team.  But even with the selections that help win championships, there are still selections that fail to meet expectations and get labeled as draft busts.  These are the 40 selections that NFL franchises wished they had a mulligan.

40. J.V. Cain:  The 1974 draft class was considered to be the best of all time. The St. Louis Cardinals used their first round pick on tight end J.V. Cain.  Although it appeared to be a good one, Cain’s career was cut short due to injury.  The Cardinals could have selected wide receiver Lynn Swann, who went to the Pittsburgh Steelers, linebacker Jack Lambert, who also went to the Steelers, wide receiver John Stallworth, or center Mike Webster, who both also went to the Steelers.  But there was a better tight end available, Dave Casper, who went to the Oakland Raiders in the second round.  All five are in the Hall of Fame, in addition to Randy Gradishar, who went to the Denver Broncos, and Donnie Shell, who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Steelers.

39. Cedric Jones: The New York Giants needed an edge rusher in 1996 and came away with Cedric Jones.  But what the Giants failed to recognize was that he was blind in one eye and could not play on the left edge.  The Giants could have selected Marvin Harrison, who went to the Indianapolis Colts, or Ray Lewis, who went to the Baltimore Ravens.  Other Hall of Famers that the Giants passed on were Brian Dawkins, Terrell Owens and Zach Thomas.  Jones was out of the NFL by 2001.

38. D.J. Dozier: In 1987, the Minnesota Vikings originally coveted cornerback Rod Woodson, but the Pittsburgh Steelers beat them to the punch and selected the future Hall of Famer.  So the Vikings refocused on getting a running back.  But their selection of D.J. Dozier turned out to be the wrong one, as Dozier was a disappointment in the Twin Cities and left the NFL in 1990 to pursue baseball.  The Vikings could have selected Jim Harbaugh, who went to the Chicago Bears and was named to the Pro Bowl in 1995.  

37. Tye Hill:  The St. Louis Rams used their first round selection in 2006 on Clemson cornerback Tye Hill, but it was the wrong one, as Hill spent four injury prone seasons bouncing from team to team.  The Rams could have selected future Hall of Famer Tamba Hali, who went to the Kansas City Chiefs with the twentieth selection out of Penn State.  The former refugee from Liberia spent his entire NFL career with the Kansas City Chiefs and was named to six Pro Bowls.  The Rams could have also selected wide receiver Santonio Holmes, who went to the Pittsburgh Steelers and was named Super Bowl XLIII MVP where his Tampa Toe-chdown won the Super Bowl over the Arizona Cardinals.  But there was a much better cornerback they could have also had, and the Rams passed on him.  His name was Devin Hester, who went in the second round to the Chicago Bears and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

36. Andre Ware: In 1989, Houston Cougars quarterback Andre Ware won the Heisman Trophy.  That convinced the Detroit Lions to use their first round pick in the 1990 draft on him because like Houston, the Lions also used the run and shoot offense.  The problem was that they selected the wrong player as Ware was lost in the same system he used successfully in college.  The Lions could have selected Emmitt Smith, who went to the Dallas Cowboys and is in the Hall of Fame.  But they could have also had LeRoy Butler, who went to the rival Green Bay Packers, or Shannon Sharpe, who went to the Denver Broncos.  They could have selected John Randle, who went undrafted and signed with the Minnesota Vikings.  But if they were desperate for a quarterback, they could have drafted Neil O’Donnell, who went in the third round to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Ware was out of the NFL by 1995 and bolted for the CFL where he led the Toronto Argonauts to the 1997 Grey Cup.

35. David Klingler: The Cincinnati Bengals needed to rebuild their team after injuries and retirements began to take a toll on their on-field performance.  Unlike their first round pick of Alfred Williams in 1991, who was named to the Pro Bowl in 1996, their first round pick in 1992, quarterback David Klingler from Houston, was the wrong pick in what is regarded as one of the worst drafts in league history.  This pick set off a pattern of draft busts for the Bengals that would last for the remainder of the 1990s and into the 21st century.  The Bengals could have selected Leon Searcy, who was the first player drafted by then-new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher.  Searcy was named to the 1999 Pro Bowl.  The Bengals also missed out on Pro Bowlers Levon Kirkland and Joel Steed, both of whom were also Pro Bowlers with the Steelers.  But there was a better quarterback than David Klingler, and the New York Jets got him in the sixth round.  His name was Jeff Blake, who was named to the 1995 Pro Bowl.  Klingler was out of the NFL by 1999.

34. Todd Blackledge:  The 1983 draft was known as the quarterback class.  When the Kansas City Chiefs used their first round draft pick, they went with Todd Blackledge, who led Penn State to its first consensus national championship.  Blackledge was mainly a backup quarterback and never got many opportunities as a starter.  The Chiefs could have picked Jim Kelly who went to the Buffalo Bills, or Ken O’Brien, who went to the New York Jets, or Dan Marino, who went to the Miami Dolphins.  The Chiefs would not draft a quarterback in the first round until 2017 when they drafted Patrick Mahomes.

33. Gabriel Rivera:  The Pittsburgh Steelers needed to beef up a pass rush in 1983, and selected the former Texas Tech defensive tackle nicknamed “Señor Sack”.  But his career ended before it started after he was paralyzed in a car accident on the Parkway East.  Like the Chiefs, the Steelers could have had quarterbacks Ken O’Brien or Dan Marino, the latter of whom played high school and college football in the city of Pittsburgh.

32. Dunta Robinson:  The Houston Texans selected this former South Carolina cornerback tenth overall in 2004.  Calling him a disappointment is too mild.  The Texans could have picked quarterback and future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger, who went on the next pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers, or even Hall of Fame defensive end Jared Hall, who went to the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round.  But if the Texans were serious about picking a cornerback, they could have picked Pro Bowler Nathan Vasher, who went in the fourth round to the Chicago Bears.

31. Mike Mamula: The Philadelphia Eagles were impressed by the Boston College edge rusher who scored a near perfect 49 on his Wonderlic test and used their 1995 first round pick on Mike Mamula, hoping he would fill the void left two years earlier by Reggie White.  It was not to be as injuries forced him to retire by 2001.  The Eagles could have selected a Hall of Famer named Warren Sapp, who went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or Curtis Martin, who went in the third round to the New England Patriots, or Terrell Davis, who was a sixth round pick of the Denver Broncos and was named Super Bowl XXXII MVP.  The Eagles could have also selected from a list of Pro Bowlers including Hugh Douglas, Bobby Taylor, Kordell Stewart, David Sloan, Antonio Freeman, Stephen Boyd, Travis Jervey, and Adam Timmerman.

30. Chuck Long: The Detroit Lions were in the market for a quarterback in 1986, and they selected Chuck Long from then-reigning Big Ten champion Iowa.  It was a bad choice as Long could not duplicate the success he had at Iowa.  The Lions could have selected Charles Haley, who went in the fourth round to the San Francisco 49ers on his way to the Hall of Fame.  But if the Lions really needed a quarterback, Mark Rypien was available until the Washington Redskins took him in the sixth round.  Rypien led the Redskins to victories in Super Bowls XXII and XXVI and was named to two Pro Bowls.

29. Curtis Enis:  After Curtis Enis’ career at Penn State ended after his dismissal by head coach Joe Paterno for a violation of team rules, the Chicago Bears used their first round draft pick in 1998 on Enis.  Enis’ career was cut short due to injuries and poor production.  The Bears could have selected Randy Moss, who went to the Minnesota Vikings, and Alan Faneca, who went to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Both are in the Hall of Fame alongside Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson.  The Raiders could have also had Pro Bowlers including Fred Taylor, Takeo Spikes, Sam Covert, Ahman Green, Brian Griese, Hines Ward, Matt Hasselbeck, Jeff Saturday and Mike Vanderjagt.  Ward, a third round selection of the Steelers, was the MVP of Super Bowl XL, while Saturday, who went undrafted, was a key contributor to the Indianapolis Colts’ Super Bowl XLI victory with Manning.

28. Quentin Coryatt: The Indianapolis Colts had the first two overall draft choices in 1992, and they used them on edge rusher Steve Emtman and Quentin Coryatt.  Neither made a major impact.  The Colts could have selected Leon Searcy, who was the first player drafted by then-new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher.  Searcy was named to the 1999 Pro Bowl.  The Colts also missed out on Pro Bowlers Levon Kirkland and Joel Steed, both of whom were also Pro Bowlers with the Steelers.  Jeff Blake was a sixth round pick of the New York Jets who was also a Pro Bowler. 

27. Cade McNown: The Chicago Bears used their 1999 first round selection on former UCLA quarterback Cade McNown, who was the team’s highest-drafted quarterback since Jim McMahon in 1982.  McNown was out of the NFL by 2003.  The Bears could have selected from a list of Pro Bowlers such as Al Wilson, Mike Rucker, Joey Porter, Martin Gramatica, Aaron Smith, Josh Bidwell and Donald Driver.  Porter and Smith were key contributors to the Steelers winning Super Bowls XL and XLIII.  The Bears did however make up for this mistake by selecting Pro Bowler Jerry Azumah in the fifth round and Jim Finn as Mr. Irrelevant.  Finn teamed up with Eli Manning on the New York Giants to deny the New England Patriots a perfect 2007 season in Super Bowl XLII.

26. Joey Harrington: The Detroit Lions, who were suffering from the Curse of Bobby Layne since 1959, needed a savior at quarterback, and with the third overall selection in 2002, took Joey Harrington, a legacy player out of Oregon whose father also played for Oregon.  Harrington went from savior to bust and was gone from the NFL in 2008. The Lions could have selected Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney, who went to the Indianapolis Colts, or Ed Reed, who went to the Baltimore Ravens.  But the Lions passed on a better quarterback than Harrington named David Garrard, who went to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round.  Garrard was a Pro Bowler in 2009.  In addition to Garrard, the Lions passed on a massive list of Pro Bowlers that included James Harrison, Billy Cundiff, Brett Kiesel, Aaron Kampman, Chris Hope, Clinton Portis, LeCharles Bentley, Jeremy Shockey and Albert Haynesworth.  Harrison, Kiesel and Hope were all key contributors to the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowls XL and XLIII.  The most ironic part is that the same season that Harrington’s career ended, the Lions went an ignominious 0-16. 

25. Aundray Bruce: Going into the 1988 draft, Aundray Bruce was heralded as “the next Lawrence Taylor”.  That convinced the Atlanta Falcons to take him number one overall.  Although he carved out an 11 season career with the Falcons and the Raiders, Bruce never lived up to the pre-draft hype.  The Falcons could have selected Hall of Famers Tim Brown, Sterling Sharpe, Michael Irvin, Randall McDaniel, Eric Allen, Thurman Thomas, and Dermontti Dawson.  If the Falcons were insistent on getting a linebacker, they could have selected Pro Bowlers Ken Harvey, Chris Spielman, Ken Norton, or Bill Romanowski.

24. Brady Quinn: The Cleveland Browns had two first round draft picks in 2007, and after selecting future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas with the third overall pick, they used the second of their first round picks on former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn.  It was a head-scratching choice that continued a pattern of quarterback busts in Cleveland that began in 1999 with Tim Couch.  Quinn was out of the NFL by 2014.  Quinn was a product of a very weak quarterback draft class.  The Browns could have selected from a list of Pro Bowlers that included Paul Posluszny, LaMarr Woodley, and Jacoby Jones.

23. Andre Wadsworth: The Arizona Cardinals used the third overall pick in 1998 on the former Florida State edge rusher, and though it looked to be a good one after his rookie season, Wadsworth became injury prone and was out of the NFL by 2007.  The Cardinals could have selected Charles Woodson, who went to the Oakland Raiders, Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings, and Alan Faneca went to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  All three are in the Hall of Fame alongside Peyton Manning.  The Cardinals could have also had Pro Bowlers including Fred Taylor, Takeo Spikes, Sam Covert, Ahman Green, Brian Griese, Hines Ward, Matt Hasselbeck, Jeff Saturday and Mike Vanderjagt.  Ward, a third round selection of the Steelers, was the MVP of Super Bowl XL, while Saturday, who went undrafted, was a key contributor to the Indianapolis Colts’ Super Bowl XLI victory with Manning.

22. Marcus Spears:  The Dallas Cowboys went shopping for an edge rusher in 2005 and selected Marcus Spears, the LSU All-American.  Ouch.  The injury-prone Spears only played one season out of nine where he started all 16 regular season games, in 2007.  The Cowboys could have had Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XLV MVP Aaron Rodgers, who went to the Green Bay Packers.  But if the Cowboys insisted on drafting an edge rusher, they could have had Pro Bowler Justin Tuck, who went in the third round to the New York Jets.

21. Tim Biakabatuka: The Carolina Panthers went into the 1996 draft with significant needs on offense, especially at running back.  They selected former Michigan running back Tim Biakabatuka, who was the first native of the former Zaire to be drafted and play in the NFL.  Yet he was a disappointment in Charlotte in his six seasons.  The Panthers could have selected Marvin Harrison, who went to the Indianapolis Colts, or Ray Lewis, who went to the Baltimore Ravens.  Other Hall of Famers that the Panthers passed on were Brian Dawkins, Terrell Owens and Zach Thomas.  But if the Panthers needed a running back desperately, they could have selected Eddie George, who went to the Houston Oilers, or Detron Smith who went to the Denver Broncos, or Stephen Davis who went to the Washington Redskins.

20. Ki-Jana Carter: In 1995, the Bengals were among the worst NFL franchises thanks to a string of major draft busts, labeling them the Bungles all thanks to Myron Cope.  One of those busts was Ki-Jana Carter, the Penn State running back who led the Nittany Lions to a perfect season in 1994 capped with a Rose Bowl win over Oregon.  The Bungles used the number one selection on Carter, who was labeled a bust due to a series of injuries that derailed his career.  The Bengals could have selected offensive tackle Tony Boselli, who was the number two overall selection by the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars.  Boselli is in the Hall of Fame.  They could have also taken Carter’s college teammate Kerry Collins, who went fifth overall to the expansion Carolina Panthers.  Collins enjoyed a 16 year NFL career that led to him being selected to two Pro Bowls.  The Bengals could have also selected another Hall of Famer named Warren Sapp, who went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or Curtis Martin, who went to the New England Patriots in the third round.  But there was a better running back than Carter, and the Denver Broncos got him.  His name was Terrell Davis, and he led the Broncos to victories in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII, with Davis being named MVP of Super Bowl XXXII.

19. Mike Williams: The Buffalo Bills used the fourth overall pick in 2002 on a big offensive tackle from Texas named Mike Williams, but his poor on-field performance labeled him a bust.  The Bills could have selected Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney, who went to the Indianapolis Colts, or Ed Reed, who went to the Baltimore Ravens, or selected from a massive list of Pro Bowlers that included James Harrison, Billy Cundiff, Brett Kiesel, Aaron Kampman, Chris Hope, Clinton Portis, LeCharles Bentley, Jeremy Shockey and Albert Haynesworth.  Harrison, Kiesel and Hope were all key contributors to the Pittsburgh Steelers winning Super Bowls XL and XLIII.

18. Phil Olsen:  The Boston Patriots held the fourth overall pick in the 1970 draft, the first of the modern era following the AFL-NFL merger, and they drafted defensive tackle Phil Olsen, the younger brother of Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen.  It was the wrong choice, as Olsen spent seven injury-riddled seasons in the NFL, yet never played a down in Boston.  The Patriots could have selected cornerback Mel Blount, who went in the third round to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had already drafted quarterback Terry Bradshaw number one overall.  Both Blount and Bradshaw would wind up in the Hall of Fame.  They could have also had Hall of Famers Jim Langer and Cliff Harris, both of whom went undrafted.  But if the Patriots really needed a defensive tackle, they could have selected Pro Bowler Mike Reid out of Penn State, who went on to win a Grammy Award for Best Country Song for “Stranger in My House” performed by Ronnie Milsap and later had a number one hit song called “Walk on Faith”.

17. Tim Couch:  In 1999, the Cleveland Browns were reactivated following a three year absence in the wake of the infamous relocation controversy where the original Browns franchise relocated to Baltimore in 1996 to become the Ravens.  Their first overall draft pick in 1999 turned out to be the wrong one, Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch.  It was a pick that would set the tone for a pattern of quarterback draft busts in Cleveland.  The Browns could have selected Pro Bowler Donovan McNabb, who went number two overall to the Philadelphia Eagles, or Daunte Culpepper who went to the Minnesota Vikings.  The Browns also could have had either running back Edgerrin James, who went fourth overall to the Indianapolis Colts, or cornerback Champ Bailey, who went seventh overall to the Washington Redskins.  But they could have selected fullback Jim Finn, who was drafted by the Chicago Bears as that year’s Mr. Irrelevant.

16. Kenneth Sims: The New England Patriots had the number one overall pick in 1982 and came away with edge rusher Kenneth Sims.  But it was the wrong choice as the former Texas Longhorn had problems with injuries and drugs, leading to his release in 1990.  Now this would have been higher on the list if the Patriots had not used their second round pick on linebacker Andre Tippett, who unlike Sims, wound up in the Hall of Fame.  Tippett turned out to be a better player than Sims.

15. Trev Alberts:  The Indianapolis Colts had two first round picks in 1994, and used the number two overall selection on a future Hall of Fame running back in Marshall Faulk.  ESPN analyst Mel Kiper suggested in the Indianapolis Star that the Colts needed a quarterback, but the Colts instead used their extra first round pick (fifth overall) on linebacker Trev Alberts, which led to a verbal altercation where Colts general manager took a shot at Kiper’s credentials.  If the Colts had listened to Kiper, they would have selected Trent Dilfer, who went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the next selection, or Hall of Famer Bryant Young, who went seventh overall to the San Francisco 49ers, or even Isaac Bruce, Kevin Mawae, Larry Allen or Kurt Warner.  Warner went from undrafted free agent to Super Bowl XXXIV MVP.

14. Todd Marinovich: The Los Angeles Raiders went into the 1991 draft needing a quarterback, and they came away with a quarterback from Southern Cal with major character issues named Todd Marinovich.  Although he showed some flashes of brilliance with the Raiders, Marinovich was out of the NFL by 1993.  There was a better quarterback available and the Raiders passed on him.  His name was Brett Favre, who went in the second round to the Atlanta Falcons, who then traded him to the Green Bay Packers in 1992.  Favre wound up in the Hall of Fame having won Super Bowl XXXI and being named to 11 Pro Bowls.  The Raiders could have also selected Aeneas Williams, who went to the Phoenix Cardinals in the third round and is also in the Hall of Fame.

13. Rick Mirer: The Seattle Seahawks needed a franchise quarterback in 1993, and initially were coveting Drew Bledsoe, but the New England Patriots took the Washington State quarterback number one overall.  The Seahawks then used the number two overall selection on Notre Dame quarterback Rick Mirer, claiming he was “the next Joe Montana”.  Although Mirer spent 11 seasons in the NFL bouncing from team to team, Mirer never lived up to the hype put on him.  Bledsoe wound up being named to four Pro Bowls and was Tom Brady’s backup when the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI.  The Seahawks could have selected Hall of Famers Willie Roaf, Jerome Bettis, Michael Strahan, Will Shields and John Lynch, who went to the New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers respectively.  There was a better quarterback than Mirer and the Green Bay Packers got Mark Brunell in the fifth round.  Brunell’s career began as a backup to Brett Favre, but he flourished with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he was named to three Pro Bowls.  In addition, Elvis Grbac and Trent Green were also Pro Bowlers after being drafted in the eighth round by the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers respectively.

12. Brian Bosworth: After being dismissed by Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer due to conduct detrimental to the Sooners football program, Brian Bosworth declared for the NFL draft in 1987, where nobody drafted him.  The Seattle Seahawks never considered his character and used a first round choice in the 1987 supplemental draft, thus voluntarily forfeiting their 1988 first round draft selection.  Bosworth played two injury prone seasons with the Seahawks before leaving the NFL in 1989 to become a feature film star.  Sadly, there was a better player available that the Seahawks could have selected in the supplemental draft.  Cris Carter was snapped up by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the supplemental draft and is in the Hall of Fame.

11. Johnny Manziel: The Cleveland Browns had the luxury of two selections in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft, but neither one made any impact.  Justin Gilbert was a bad choice that was gone in 2016 after being traded to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.  But the pick that took the cake in terms of bust label was the quarterback dubbed “Johnny Football”, Johnny Manziel, who wanted to “wreck the league” in Cleveland according to a text message.  Johnny Football was out of the NFL after the 2015 season and was labeled Johnny Bust.  The Browns could have selected Pro Bowl quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who went to the Minnesota Vikings at the end of the first round.

10. Akili Smith: The Cincinnati Bengals had the number three overall pick, and they went in the market for a quarterback.  In true Bungles fashion (thanks, Myron Cope), they selected the wrong one, Akili Smith.  Players on other NFL franchises joked that Smith scored a 9 on his Wonderlic test (he actually scored a 26).  But Smith was never a smart quarterback, and was out of the NFL by 2004.  He then tried to revive his career in NFL Europe and the Canadian Football League, but was unsuccessful.  The Bengals could have selected Edgerrin James, who went to the Indianapolis Colts on the next pick and carved out a Hall of Fame career at running back.  They could have also selected Champ Bailey who went to the Washington Redskins and into the Hall of Fame.

9. Blair Thomas: In 1990, the New York Jets needed a running back, but they selected the wrong one as they used the number two overall pick on Penn State running back Blair Thomas, who spent five injury prone seasons in the NFL.  The Jets could have selected a better running back in Emmitt Smith, who went to the Dallas Cowboys and into the Hall of Fame.  The Jets could have selected Hall of Famers Cortez Kennedy, Junior Seau, LeRoy Butler, Shannon Sharpe and John Randle, who went to the Seattle Seahawks, San Diego Chargers, Green Bay Packers, Denver Broncos and the Minnesota Vikings (the latter as an undrafted free agent).  Other than Emmitt Smith, there were other better running backs that the Jets passed on: Rodney Hampton, Harold Green, Leroy Hoard, Chris Warren, Barry Foster, Brian Mitchell, Johnny Johnson, Johnny Bailey, and Terry Allen.  This group of running backs were named to a combined 21 Pro Bowls.

8. Art Schlichter:  In 1982, the Baltimore Colts needed a franchise quarterback.  They used the fourth overall selection on Ohio State quarterback Art Schlichter, known as the “Straight Arrow”.  But the Colts got a compulsive gambler who turned out to be a bust and ultimately was the catalyst for the Colts moving to Indianapolis by the start of the 1984 season.  The Colts could have selected Jim McMahon, who went to the Chicago Bears on the next pick.  McMahon led the Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX.  They could have also selected Hall of Famers Mike Munchak, Marcus Allen, Andre Tippett and Morten Anderson, who went to the Houston Oilers, Los Angeles Raiders, New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints respectively.

7. Courtney Brown:  The Cleveland Browns used the number one pick in 2000 on Courtney Brown, the edge rusher from Penn State.  Big mistake.  The former Nittany Lion was injury prone over six seasons.  They could have had Brown’s teammate LaVar Arrington who went on the second pick to the Washington Redskins, or taken Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher, who went to the Chicago Bears.  But if they were desperate for an edge rusher, Shaun Ellis would have been the better option as he was a Pro Bowler with the New York Jets.

6. Heath Shuler:  In 1994, major changes in the NFL caused the Washington Redskins to make massive changes to comply with the salary cap rule.  They used the third overall pick on former Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler.  But Shuler held out until he signed his rookie contract due to the contract’s language.  Once he signed, he became fodder for the Redskins fans, who booed him and cheered fellow rookie Gus Frerotte, who was a seventh round pick that same year.  If it wasn’t his poor play that labeled him a bust, it was a foot injury that labeled Shuler a bust.  Shuler ultimately parlayed his bust label into his political career, where he represented much of western North Carolina in the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013.  Like the Colts, the Redskins could have selected Trent Dilfer who went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or Hall of Famer Bryant Young, who went seventh overall to the San Francisco 49ers, or even Isaac Bruce, Kevin Mawae, Larry Allen, or Kurt Warner, who was an undrafted free agent turned Hall of Famer.

5. Charles Rogers:  The Detroit Lions had the number two overall pick in 2003 and needed a wide receiver.  They selected Charles Rogers who had starred at nearby Michigan State.  It was the wrong choice.  Injuries and off-field issues limited Rogers to three seasons.  What hurt was that there was a better wide receiver named Andre Johnson, and the Lions passed on him.  Johnson went to the Houston Texans third overall and wound up in the Hall of Fame.  The Lions also could have picked Hall of Fame strong safety Troy Polamalu, who went to the Steelers after they traded up with the Kansas City Chiefs.  Tight end Antonio Gates went to the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State and became one of the best undrafted free agents of all time.  Gates will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year.

4. Lawrence Phillips:  The St. Louis Rams needed a running back because Jerome Bettis was thought to be expendable, leading to Bettis getting traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  They selected former Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips, but they picked the wrong one as Phillips’ career was marred by his lengthy rap sheet of off-field criminal activity.  Like the Panthers, the Rams could have selected Marvin Harrison, who went to the Indianapolis Colts, or Ray Lewis, who went to the Baltimore Ravens.  Other Hall of Famers that the Rams passed on were Brian Dawkins, Terrell Owens and Zach Thomas.  But if the Rams insisted they needed a running back, they could have selected Eddie George, who went to the Houston Oilers, or Detron Smith who went to the Denver Broncos, or Stephen Davis who went to the Washington Redskins.

3. Tony Mandarich:  In 1989, Sports Illustrated dubbed Tony Mandarich “The Incredible Bulk”, hailing him the best offensive line prospect ever coming out of Michigan State.  That convinced the Green Bay Packers to use the number two overall pick on Mandarich, but The Incredible Bulk failed to live up to expectations, and was labeled The NFL’s Incredible Bust.  The Packers could have selected Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas or Deion Sanders, who went on the next three draft picks to Detroit, Kansas City and Atlanta.  All three are in the Hall of Fame, along with that year’s number one overall pick Troy Aikman, who went to Dallas.  They could have also had Hall of Famer Steve Atwater, who went to the Broncos.

2. Jamarcus Russell:  In 2007, the Oakland Raiders needed a franchise player, and they picked the wrong one, as Jamarcius Russell was gone three years later.  Who could the Raiders have gotten instead of Russell?  There was wide receiver Calvin “Megatron” Johnson, who went number two to the Detroit Lions, offensive tackle Joe Thomas, who went third to the Cleveland Browns, linebacker Patrick Willis who went to the San Francisco 49ers, and cornerback Darrelle Revis who went to the New York Jets.  All four are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  They could have also selected from a list of Pro Bowlers that included Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch, Lawrence Timmons, Joe Staley, Paul Posluszny, LaMarr Woodley, and Jacoby Jones.

1. Ryan Leaf:  The San Diego Chargers needed a franchise player, preferably a quarterback, in the 1998 NFL draft.  They originally wanted Peyton Manning, but the Indianapolis Colts beat them to the punch and took the future Hall of Famer.  The Chargers then used the number two overall selection on Ryan Leaf.  Incorrect.  While Manning became the franchise quarterback that Indianapolis needed, Leaf had immaturity issues off the field and was awful on the field.  The shame of this selection (and the fact that it’s number one) was that there were better players available, and the Chargers passed on all of them.  Charles Woodson went to the Oakland Raiders, Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings, and Alan Faneca went to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  All three are in the Hall of Fame alongside Manning.  The Raiders could have also had Pro Bowlers including Fred Taylor, Takeo Spikes, Sam Covert, Ahman Green, Brian Griese, Hines Ward, Matt Hasselbeck, Jeff Saturday and Mike Vanderjagt.  Ward, a third round selection of the Steelers, was the MVP of Super Bowl XL, while Saturday, who went undrafted, was a key contributor to the Indianapolis Colts’ Super Bowl XLI victory with Manning.  Leaf was out of the NFL by 2001, and the Chargers wound up drafting LaDainian Tomlinson fifth overall in 2001, who became the franchise player that Leaf wasn’t.  The Chargers would not draft a quarterback in the first round until 2004 when they chose Eli Manning number one overall, but Manning was traded to the New York Giants for Philip Rivers, who became the franchise quarterback in San Diego that Leaf wasn’t.