There’s a long list of football players who looked like sure things to succeed in the NFL but ended up as draft busts. They dominated the collegiate level with relative ease, and we had every reason to believe they’d enjoy Hall of Fame-like careers.
But for a variety of reasons, some NCAA stars just couldn’t find that same level of success in the NFL. Here are 10 all-time NFL draft busts who we really WANTED to be great.
Who were the draft busts that we desperately wanted to succeed in their NFL career?
10. Courtney Brown
The Cleveland Browns wasted the first overall pick in the 1999 draft on quarterback Tim Couch, but they didn’t have to wait long for a chance at redemption. They also landed the No. 1 selection in the 2000 draft, and the front office decided to address the other side of the ball this time around.
The Browns drafted Penn State defensive end Courtney Brown with the No. 1 pick. It seemed like a safe pick at the time, too.
Brown was coming off one of the greatest single seasons in NCAA history. The Consensus All-American was named the 1999 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Browns fans went through so much torture after losing their team to Baltimore. Their first season back in the league, in 1999, was a disaster. But Brown had the chance to change everything about this franchise.
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Sadly, Brown wasn’t able to stay healthy, as an array of injuries — namely a plethora of knee problems — prevented him from staying on the field
Brown played just 47 games over five years with the Browns, finishing with 17 sacks. He played one more season for the Denver Broncos in 2005, posting two sacks in 14 games. Brown’s football career was over soon after.
And so, Brown joined the long list of all-time draft busts by the Browns instead of becoming the franchise-saving player. What a shame.
9. Marcus Mariota
Mariota was one of the most electrifying quarterbacks to grace the field during his time with the Oregon Ducks. With elite athleticism and video game-like speed, Mariota gave college defensive coordinators every reason to throw in the towel. They knew there was no chance of stopping him.
Mariota cleaned up at the 2014 awards ceremony, winning the Heisman Trophy along with the Maxwell, Davey O’Brien, Walter Camp, Manning, and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards. He led the Ducks to the national championship game, where they fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Tennessee Titans drafted Mariota with the No. 2 selection in the 2015 NFL draft, and it simply didn’t feel like there was much risk in this pick, let alone him becoming a bust. He had all the makings to be the next big thing in the NFL, but like so many talented young quarterbacks, Mariota was with the wrong team at the wrong time.
Mariota just couldn’t get his game going under Ken Whisenhunt or Mike Mularkey. The Titans also failed to supply Mariota with a proper supporting cast outside of star running back Derrick Henry. New head coach Mike Vrabel — who arrived in 2018 — didn’t exactly build his offense around Mariota, either.
Mariota was pulled after a brutal performance against the Denver Broncos in Week 6 of the 2019 season. Ryan Tannehill took over as the starter, and you know the rest.
Mariota’s tenure in Tennessee was lackluster at best: a 29-and-32 record, 13,207 passing yards, 76 touchdowns, and 44 interceptions.
Simply not the star the Titans or we the fans, had hoped for.
8. Reggie Bush
Okay, so Bush wasn’t a big-time NFL draft bust by any means. But many of us who watched him in college simply expected Reggie to be a perennial Pro Bowler; and a potential Hall of Fame talent.
Bush DID win the 2005 Heisman Trophy—before he vacated it for receiving improper benefits. That historic season is no longer in the record books, but it doesn’t change the fact that he is one of the greatest running backs the NCAA has ever witnessed.
Bush rushed for 1,740 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2005, and the New Orleans Saints couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to take him with the No. 2 pick in 2006.
Even though he was on the Saints’ Super Bowl 44 championship team, Bush never really blossomed into a star.
He totaled only 2,090 rushing yards and 17 rushing TDs in five years with New Orleans. Bush did record 1,000-yard campaigns for the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions in 2011 and 2013, respectively, but he never really reached his sky-high potential.
Zero Pro Bowl selections. Only two 1,000-yard seasons, none of which came with the team that drafted him. Bush was supposed to be the next great running back, but he turned out to be an only slightly above-average player. It’s not what you want in a Heisman Trophy winner and a number 2 overall selection.
7. Steve Emtman
Before the Peyton Manning era began in 1998, the Colts were a trainwreck following their relocation from Baltimore to Indianapolis. This NFL team wasted so many draft picks, but nobody was a bigger bust than Steve Emtman.
The Washington defensive end was taken first overall by the Colts in 1992. He was coming off a historic ‘91 season. Emtman was a Heisman finalist who won the Outland Trophy along with the Bill Willis and Lombardi awards.
This was somebody who should have been a franchise-changer; The next great pass rusher in football.
Well, Emtman’s body simply betrayed him and prevented him from becoming that guy. He suffered a season-ending left knee injury in his rookie year and a season-ending right knee injury in his sophomore season.
Emtman also suffered a herniated disc in his neck that further ruined his chances of a comeback. He played just 18 games over a three-year span for the Colts because of all the injuries. Then he played two seasons with Miami and one with Washington before retiring after the 1997 season.
6. Vince Young
The Texas Longhorns legend was the hero in the 2005 National Championship Game against USC; one of the most iconic games in the history of college football.
Young, the 2005 Heisman Trophy runner-up, had all the tools to be a future Hall of Fame talent in the NFL. But like so many talented dual-threat quarterbacks, his style of play just didn’t work in the pros.
Drafted third overall by the Titans in 2006, Young showed signs of future stardom by earning Pro Bowl and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Then he led the Titans to the playoffs in his sophomore year, but they were eliminated by the San Diego Chargers in the wild-card round.
Young suffered a knee injury in the 2008 opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Veteran journeyman Kerry Collins took over and held the starting job the rest of the year after guiding Tennessee to an AFC-best 13 wins.
Young replaced a struggling Collins in the 2009 season, earning Comeback Player of the Year honors after winning 8 of 10 starts. But he regressed mightily in 2010, and the Titans wound up alternating between him and Collins.
Young was released after the 2010 season. He played one more season as Michael Vick’s backup in Philadelphia — making three starts.
He would never play in the NFL again after the 2011 season.
5. Ron Dayne
Here’s a fun fact: Ron Dayne is the all-time NCAA rushing leader and by a fairly wide margin! He finished with 7,125 yards over his four seasons at Wisconsin, which spanned from 1996 to ‘99.
So you can see why the average football fan wanted this guy to succeed. I mean, he displayed all the makings to be the next Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Eric Dickerson, Barry Sanders…you name it!
Unfortunately, Dayne, the 1999 Heisman Trophy winner, landed with the wrong team at the 2000 draft. He was selected 11th overall by the New York Giants, who already had a star running back in Tiki Barber.
Head coach Jim Fassel mainly used Barber, and rightfully so. But it prevented Dayne from reaching his full potential in the NFL. Dayne had a respectable 770 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in his rookie year, helping the Giants reach Super Bowl 35 — where they fell to the Baltimore Ravens.
But Fassel continued to stick with Barber, and Dayne never really got the chance to grow into a star, which slowly solidified his status as an NFL draft bust. A one-year stop in Denver didn’t amount to much. He played the 2006 and 2007 seasons with the Houston Texans, but by then the writing was on the wall.
He finished with 3,722 career rushing yards and 28 touchdowns. It’s certainly disappointing for a guy who led the NCAA in all-time rushing yards. If only Dayne had been drafted to an NFL team that built the offense around him, he wouldn’t have ended up a bust…
4. Bo Jackson
Because of his success in both the NFL and MLB, Jackson is a living sports icon. He spent eight years in the majors, batting 250 for his career, along with 141 home runs, 415 RBIs, and 82 stolen bases. He also earned an All-Star selection in 1989!
Jackson was mainly known for his talents as a football player, however. The former Auburn star won the Heisman Trophy in 1985, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took him first overall in the 1986 draft. But Jackson refused to play for the Bucs, instead choosing to play for the MLB’s Kansas City Royals.
After Tamps forfeited his rights in 1987, Jackson wound up getting drafted in round seven by the Los Angeles Raiders, despite his insistence that he was sticking with baseball. Owner Al Davis allowed Jackson to play both football and baseball, so the latter agreed to sign a contract and hit the gridiron.
Jackson played with the Raiders from 1987 to 1990, earning Pro Bowl honors in his final season. Unfortunately, Bo suffered a dislocated hip during the team’s Divisional Round playoff win over the Cincinnati Bengals. That ultimately ended his football career, and Jackson wouldn’t return to the Majors until 1993. He played two more seasons before calling it quits on his legendary athletic career.
But what a career it was. It’s just a shame that a gruesome hip injury cut it all short.
3. Brian Bosworth
Bosworth’s slick ‘80s mullet made him a media darling right off the bat. The Oklahoma linebacker was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks with a supplemental draft pick in 1987.
Bosworth was a Heisman Trophy finalist in 1986, and he won back-to-back Butkus Awards in 1985 and ‘86. The Seahawks then gave him a 10-year, $11 million contract, the richest rookie deal ever at the time. They obviously expected him to produce like a superstar right away.
But Bosworth unfortunately lasted just three seasons in the NFL, solidifying his case as a draft bust. He was forced to undergo career-ending shoulder surgery. The team doctor stated that Bosworth, then 25 years of age, had the shoulders of a 60-year-old.
Could you imagine? The shoulders of a 60-year-old? At only 25 years of age? Yeesh!
2. Tim Tebow
Tebow was one of the biggest media darlings EVER during his college career. Fair or not, the media’s love and admiration of Tebow built some fairly high expectations for his NFL career.
I mean, this dude won the 2007 Heisman Trophy and led the Florida Gators to the 2006 and 2008 National Championships. So, the hype was justified.
Tebow was drafted 25th overall by the Denver Broncos in the 2010 draft. After seeing limited playing time in his rookie year, Tebow finally took over as the starter in 2011 following Kyle Orton’s struggles in the early going.
And as just about everybody remembers, Tebow-mania EXPLODED. He won 7 of 11 starts with Denver — five of which were capped by game-winning drives! And this included three victories in overtime!
Tebow’s heroics led Denver to an 8-and-8 record, which was good enough to win a horrendous AFC West division. His magic continued in the playoffs, as he threw a walk-off touchdown to Demaryius Thomas in the first play of overtime in the AFC Wild Card Round against the Pittsburgh Steelers. But the magic ran out during a blowout loss to the New England Patriots a week later.
Sadly, Tebow-Mania wasn’t meant to last. The Broncos won the Peyton Manning free agent sweepstakes, and John Elway traded Tebow to the New York Jets. He was used primarily as a runner on gimmick plays, but Tebow saw very limited playing time.
He signed with the Patriots and Eagles in the 2013 and 2015 offseasons, respectively, but was released before the regular season began on both occasions. Tebow left the game of football and later joined the New York Mets organization, becoming a minor league ball player.
After all that magic in college and in 2011, we all wanted to see more Tebow Time. But nobody would give him the opportunity—fair or not.
1. Robert Griffin III
The thing is, RG3 was GREAT for a year. It’s just too bad the greatness didn’t last longer.
You can blame the dysfunctional Washington Football Team and their ignorance. They showed zero concern for Griffin’s knee problems that derailed his career. Thanks to Dan Snyder and company, we have to watch Griffin on the bench rather than on the field as a starter.
Not much more can be said about the NFL draft bust. Griffin led Washington to an NFC East division title and won 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. If Washington hadn’t had him play while injured, and if they had actually given him suitable coaching staff and supporting cast, he could have been a perennial Pro Bowler.
And through all the dysfunction, Griffin remained classy and humble. But it’s hard not to be angry with Washington after all of this. We were all hoping for a lot more from RG3, but they did everything in their power to prevent that from happening.
