The worst of the NFL Draft

Published 10:07 pm Tuesday, April 23, 2013

With the NFL Draft coming up Thursday (7 p.m.. ESPN, NFL Network), every team in the NFL feels like they’ll be getting better soon. However, as certain as Mel Kiper Draft Expert’s hairstyle, some team will walk away from the first round with high expectations, and wind up with hard feelings and angry fans. For some teams, the draft has become a symphony of futility and the higher the pick, the worse the crash. Over the last decade, there’s been at least one bust at every draft position. The top 10 are extremely high risk picks, if you miss on one of those you’ll be right back next year. Here’s the worst picks by draft position for the last decade.

Pick No. 10

2005 — Detroit

WR Mike Williams

Ah, Detroit and its wacky first-round wide receivers. One for four isn’t bad if you’re a shortstop, or Ben Stiller’s movie career. Otherwise, it’s not a very good average, and that’s how they were on wide receivers in the 2000s. Mike Williams was a stretch here, since he sat out an entire year after trying to sneak into the NFL when Maurice Clarett tried to open the door for underclassmen. No dice, and by the time Williams hit the league, he was already done. Two years, two touchdowns, then a trade for a fourth-round pick to Oakland, where he didn’t last the year. He then got on with Tennessee, but showed up weighing 270 pounds to the signing and didn’t catch a pass from them.

Could Have Had: Roddy White, Vincent Jackson (second)

Dishonorable Mentions: Arizona QB Matt Leinart (benched for a 37-year-old … twice), Green Bay DE Jamal Reynolds (out of the league in three years).

Pick No. 9

2007 — Miami

WR Ted Ginn Jr.

Three years, five receiving touchdowns for Ginn as a Dolphin, then dumped to San Francisco for a fifth-round pick. He might have a highlight or two, but no one drafts at the ninth spot looking for a kick returner, unless they’re looking forward to an even higher pick next year.

Could Have Had: Dwayne Bowe, Steve Smith (second), Steve Breaston (second)

Dishonorable Mention: Jacksonville WR Reggie Williams (2004).

Pick No. 8

2005 — Atlanta

DE Jamaal Anderson

Not to be confused with Falcons running back Jamal (one “a”) Anderson, Double-A Jamaal was taken with the eighth pick in 2007 as a pass-rushing defensive end, but was invisible and wound up being moved to defensive line. After four years with Atlanta he had a grand total of 4.5 sacks and 96 tackles. In two years since then with Indianapolis and Cincinnati, he’s only made three starts.

Could Have Had: Lamarr Woodley (second)

Dishonorable Mentions: Atlanta CB DeAngelo Hall (2004), if only for the mouth.

Pick No. 7

2005 — Minnesota

WR Troy Williamson

The seventh spot is not a good place for wide receivers, as you’ll see below. The Vikings drafted Williamson in hopes his speed could give them the deep threat they lost when they traded Randy Moss to Oakland. Williamson had no trouble getting open, but held on to the ball like it had been freshly buttered. After three years with a total of three touchdowns and a half-dozen heartbreaking drops, the Vikings shipped him off to Jacksonville for a sixth-round pick, where he vanished completely.

Could Have Had: Roddy White, Vincent Jackson (second), Lance Moore (undrafted). Or, you could even have had the Lions WR pick, Mike Williams.

Dishonorable Mentions: Raiders WR Darius Heyward-Bey (2009), if only for the big “Lost-style reveal” at the draft that left even Mel Kiper, Draft Expert, speechless. Contrary to public opinion, WR Roy Williams wasn’t a bust for Detroit, who drafted him in 2004. He was a Pro Bowler for Detroit; he was actually a bust for Dallas after the trade.

Pick No. 6

2005 — Tennessee

CB Adam “Pacman” Jones

Has there been a pick in the last decade so flamboyantly bad as Pacman Jones? Jones was an uncanny combination of overrated talent and strip-club danger that made for four years worth of headlines, and more Professional Wrestling Championships than Pro Bowl appearances. Tennessee dumped him to Dallas for two picks, who dropped him after another incident with his own bodyguard, and Pacman wound up blowing a chance to play in the Canadian Football League when he forgot what the league was called. Pacman was epic bad news, although technically he’s still in the league with the Bengals.

Could Have Had: Antrel Rolle, Darrent Williams (second)

Dishonorable Mentions: New Orleans DT Johnathan Sullivan (2003), Jets LB Vernon Gholston

Pick No. 5

2009 — New York Jets

QB Mark Sanchez

What a difference a couple of years makes. Sanchez led the Jets to the AFC Championship game twice, and is still less popular in NYC than Big Gulp sodas. Last season Sanchez was benched and the fact that he’s still even on the roster tells you a lot more about the Jets than it does about Sanchez. Four years in the league he’s a pariah with a QB rating that makes you think about putting on a jacket.

Could Have Had: Josh Freeman, Curtis Painter (seventh)

Dishonorable Mentions: Not really any, the fifth pick has been at least solid over the last 10 years.

Pick No. 4

2009 — Seattle

LB Aaron Curry

The Seahawks grabbed Curry with the fourth pick in 2009, but three years and 130 tackles later they dumped him to Oakland for a seventh-round pick, which is like trading your three-year-old Porsche in for a new haywagon. Less than two years later he was out of the league, completely, with injuries.

Could Have Had: Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews

Dishonorable Mentions: Jets DT Dewayne Robertson (2003), Chicago RB Cedric Benson (2005)

Pick No. 3

2006 — Tennessee

QB Vince Young

Young was a Pro Bowler once, even if no one remembers it. Actually twice, but between the two Pro Bowls he lost his job to Kerry Collins, and wound up playing in the game as the fourth alternate quarterback, so that isn’t exactly the highest of honors. The next year Young got injured, clashed with everybody, and wound up cut. Getting 47 starts out of the third pick in the draft isn’t anyone’s idea of a bargain. He’s out of the league and according to the courts, out of money.

Could Have Had: Jay Cutler

Dishonorable Mentions: Bills DE Marcell Dareus (2010)

Pick No. 2

2003 — Detroit

WR Charles Rogers

Detroit is to wide receivers what Mark Walhberg is to starring in movies. My theory is if Wahlberg’s name is above the title for a starring role, avoid the movie (Max Payne, The Happening). If he’s just in it (The Departed, Three Kings) it’s probably a pretty good experience. Detroit drafted wide receivers in the first round four times in the 2000’s and none of them flamed out, pun intended, so spectacularly as Charles Rogers. After breaking his collarbone in both of his first two seasons, he spent part of his third being suspended by the league for substance abuse violations. The Lions then sued him for part of his signing bonus back, and as usually happens when you sue one of your players, it all went downhill from there.

Could Have Had: Andre Johnson (drafted with the next pick), Anquan Boldin (second),

Dishonorable Mentions: Oakland OT Robert Gallery (2004)

And With The Number One Pick…

Pick No. 1

2007 — Oakland

QB JaMarcus Russell

Worst pick of all time. Ryan Leaf is everyone’s favorite bust, but at least he got another chance with another team. No team in the league would have taken Russell with the first pick except for Oakland, and luckily for fans of mishaps, that’s exactly what happened. Russell was horrendous, overweight, and wound up getting benched twice in a single week, once for a guy fresh out of the UFL. He was cut, showed up for a tryout with the Redskins looking like a human cheeseburger, and was out of the league forever, a human cautionary tale against the evils of carbs and cough syrup.

Could Have Had: Kevin Kolb (second), Matt Moore (undrafted)

Dishonorable mentions: San Francisco QB Alex Smith (2005)

Contact Reid Kerr at sports@tylerpaper.com