Important points
Many NFL players who had a lot of promise quickly fell apart due to injuries, poor performance, or off-field issues. Ryan Leaf and Johnny Manziel are prime examples of top draft picks who didn’t live up to expectations. Talented prospects like JaMarcus Russell and Justin Blackmon couldn’t handle the demands of pro football and burned out quickly.
It’s always difficult to evaluate NFL talent before a player’s career is in full swing. We should never forget that Tom Brady went on as a sixth-round pick with no expectations and later became a legend. Many young talents fall into the draft or go undrafted altogether and still go on to have great careers.
Sometimes a top draft pick doesn’t necessarily become a star, but most people expect a top draft pick to become a multiple-time Pro Bowler, so they Turns into a solid NFL player.
Finally, there are those who come with great hype and expectations. Whether it’s because the media hypes them up or whether they come into the league after a Heisman Trophy season in college, many may not quite live up to that hype. In some cases, a player can have a decent, if not great, rookie season in the NFL and then fall apart.
10 Brian Bosworth – Signs the largest rookie contract in NFL history
“The Boz” was quickly hampered by injuries during his time with the Seattle Seahawks.
Bosworth was a two-time winner of the Dick Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker during his college career. The Seahawks selected Bosworth in the 1987 supplemental draft. Bosworth suffered a serious shoulder injury and was forced to retire after just two seasons.
Today’s fans don’t understand the hype surrounding “The Boz.” Despite his rough story at Oklahoma, Bosworth won the Dick Butkus Award twice and was known as a hard-hitting defender. He signed the largest rookie contract in NFL history at the time, and the Seahawks welcomed the media attention he brought.
But more than anything on the field, Bosworth became famous for his endorsement deals, media appearances, and trash talk. Coincidentally, a severe injury cut his career short after just two seasons, and Boz was unable to reach his full star potential, so he turned to acting instead.
9 Robert Griffin III – RG3 took the league by storm in his rookie season
A severe knee injury suffered late in his rookie season would plague him for the rest of his career.
© Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
There is a separate list of stars whose careers were ruined by injuries. RG III has to rank near the top of that list. Griffin entered the 2012 draft with high expectations as a Heisman Trophy winner, but Washington was lucky to acquire him. He proved his worth and had a great rookie season where many considered him an MVP candidate.
Then a bad leg injury happened and took away most of his burst. He continued to perform well in 2013, but his play went downhill after that, leading to his release and a decline in form. It’s a shame that a very promising career was cut short by a serious injury.
8 JaMarcus Russell – Possibly the biggest bust in NFL history
Russell’s off-field issues quickly became apparent with the Raiders.
JaMarcus Russell was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Russell sat out training camp and signed with Oakland for $32 million guaranteed. Poor work ethic and issues with coaches quickly derailed Russell’s NFL career.
Plenty of teams have given a first-round draft pick to a player who’s going to fail quickly, but few have been better than JaMarcus Russell. After winning the BCS title and the Manning Award at LSU, Russell was considered one of the top prospects in 2007, so it’s no wonder the Raiders moved to take him as the No. 1 pick.
After that, he persistently asked for a contract extension, but in 2009 his play was so poor that he ranked last among QBs in almost every category. Russell, who showed up to training camp overweight and with a bad attitude, became the NFL’s persona non grata in record time.
7 Trent Richardson – Collapsed after a promising rookie season
The Browns were able to trade away the former first-round running back from the Colts.
Trent Richardson, who won two BCS titles at Alabama, was considered the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson, and many teams were vying for him. The Browns traded for him and Richardson got off to a hot start. Yes, he was hampered by playing on a bad team, but he still put up decent numbers and promised further development.
The following season he was traded to the Colts and suddenly his numbers plummeted. He fumbled on his first playoff carry and missed the following year’s game against the Patriots, which earned him a suspension. He then played briefly with the Raiders and Ravens before heading to the CFL to play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
It’s incredible that Richardson is the one who suffered even more after playing for the Browns.
6 Bo Jackson – Hip injury cut Jackson’s career short
Jackson tried to juggle two professional sports.
Peter Brouillet – USA TODAY Sports Jackson refused to play for the Buccaneers after being scouted in violation of NCAA rules. Jackson instead began his baseball career, playing primarily for the Kansas City Royals. Jackson eventually made it to the NFL, playing four seasons with the Raiders.
In the late 1980s, it was impossible to go anywhere without seeing Bo Jackson’s face. He won the Heisman Trophy during his time at Auburn, but was not drafted by the Bucs. So Jackson went to MLB, playing for the Royals and Orioles while quickly becoming a popular star on TV and in magazine ads.
Incredibly, he still plays for the NFL’s Raiders and puts up decent numbers, but juggling two sports at the same time clearly hindered his abilities.
A freak injury cut short his career in 1991, and although he is hailed as a two-sport star, people know Bo better from his advertising than any of his on-field exploits.
5 Vince Young – VY showed professional promise before declining
Injuries and maturation issues derailed what looked like a promising young career
© Jody Gomez-Imagn Images
Vince Young led the Texas Longhorns to a national title and entered the 2006 NFL Draft with incredible hype. The Titans selected Young with the third overall pick at owner Bud Adams’ request, but the team wanted Matt Leinart. Although Young had a winning record as a starter, he struggled to stay healthy and clashed with coach Jeff Fisher in Nashville.
“Madden Curse” may not be as famous as some of his other songs, but it certainly seems like it was important to Vince Young. After leading Texas to a national championship in 2005, Young entered the draft with high expectations, and the Titans took him in large part because owner Bud Adams insisted he take the Texas Longhorn standout. drafted.
His first year was sensational, earning Rookie of the Year honors and appearing on the cover of Madden ’08. However, injuries the following year caused Young to begin to decline, and although his initial return was uneventful, he lost some of his explosiveness as a runner and never fully mastered throwing from the pocket.
Adding to the mix of injuries, Young was out of the NFL after just six years, a huge disappointment after a much-hyped arrival.
4 Justin Blackmon – Jaguars named the hottest WR of 2012
Off-field issues ended Blackmon’s NFL career after 20 games.
© Bob DeChiara Imagine Images
Justin Blackmon NFL stats
year
games played
catch
acceptance yard
touchdown
yards per catch
2013
16
64
865
5
13.5
2014
4
29
415
1
14.3
The Jaguars have had some terrible draft pick disappointments, but Justin Blackmon is in a different league. A two-time All-American at Oklahoma State, Blackmon won MVP of the 2012 Fiesta Bowl and was considered the best wide receiver in the 2012 draft class. The Jaguars took him at No. 5 and thought he would immediately ignite their offense.
Looking great at first, Blackmon finished his rookie season with 64 receptions and 865 yards receiving. But then legal troubles arose, and multiple arrests and suspensions marred his play.
He was fired the following year and never played professionally again, another sad case of a guy with great potential who never lived up to his potential.
© Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports Manziel fell in the 2014 draft due to personality concerns. Manziel played just two seasons in Cleveland, and no NFL team signed him again. Netflix’s ‘Untold’ documentary sheds light on Manziel’s mindset during his time as a soccer player.
Before the 2014 NFL Draft, Johnny Manziel was expected to be highly regarded. This player won the Heisman Trophy for his outstanding play in college and has won other awards, so he should have been in the top five. But then, while the Browns took him at No. 22, his demeanor, certain partying ways and bad attitude made headlines.
And Manziel set the NFL record for self-destruction speed by a rookie.
His first season was disrupted amid news that he was more focused on partying than practicing. He was videotaped partying during his bye week and was demoted after refusing to participate in a rehabilitation program. Less than two years later, the Browns canceled Manziel’s contract, and no NFL team was willing to take a chance on him.
2 Ryan Leaf – There were pre-draft discussions between Leaf and Peyton Manning.
The Leafs went to San Diego with the No. 2 overall pick, but they were unable to produce results with the Chargers.
© Peter Brouillet-USA TODAY Sports
Many scouts favored Ryan Leaf’s size and athleticism over Peyton Manning. Leaf was clearly immature and not ready for professional life. Leaf’s NFL career lasted just three seasons.
It still makes me laugh to remember back in 1998 that some people actually thought Ryan Leaf should have been No. 1 over Peyton Manning.
Newsday conducted a poll of 20 NFL GMs in the lead-up to the 1998 draft. 14 out of 20 GMs voted in favor of drafting Leaf, with then-Buffalo Bills GM John Butler on record as saying,
I would choose Ryan Leaf. I like his big, physical side. He has great mobility, and it’s hard to say anything about him, but there’s something about him that I like among quarterbacks. Both players are talented, but I’m going to give Leaf the upper hand.
Leaf, a Heisman finalist, had good skills and good play as a college star, so the Chargers thought he would be a great player. As soon as he missed the mandatory rookie symposium, the Leafs went downhill.
He was a disaster, finishing his first season with a QB rating of 39%, marked by declining health and deteriorating attitude. His entire NFL career lasted three seasons, and his post-playing days were a mess, with Leaf ranking high on the list of greatest busts of all time.
1 Tony Mandarich – “Incredible bulk” considered the best O-line prospect of all time
Manlarich’s draft class was full of Hall of Famers.
© Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports;
© RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports Mandarich was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated and was touted as a must-see player. The Packers fired Mandalaich after just three seasons. The Packers released Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, Deion Sanders, and others in favor of “Incredible Bulk.”
Tony Mandaric imprinted on himself the immortal spirit of football. He is arguably the greatest Sports Illustrated cover jinx winner of all time. After a sensational college career, Mandarich was featured on the cover of the magazine, calling him “Incredible Bulk” and calling him the best offensive line prospect of all time.
The Packers drafted him No. 2 behind Troy Aikman, and for the record, four of the top five picks that year are now in the Hall of Fame. Mandarich? After three lackluster years, the Packers fired him due to a poor career in which SI was responsible for a new cover of “The Incredible Bust.” Decades later, he remains one of the biggest failures in sports history.
