Going back to 2019, there is no shortage of former highly-touted draft prospects who have yet to pan out since making it to the NFL.
It’s officially now-or-never for these 10 recent NFL draft busts, who have one last chance to show the world what they can do here in 2024.
Will 2024 be the last chance for these once highly-touted NFL draft picks?
Daniel Jones
Nobody understood why the New York Giants drafted Jones with the sixth overall pick back in 2019. Five years later, it still doesn’t make sense.
After three awful seasons to begin his career, Jones seemingly finally made progress in 2022 when he excelled in a game manager role to help the G-Men make a surprise return to the postseason.
The Giants handed DJ a four-year contract extension worth $160 million last year, believing they indeed had their franchise QB. Unfortunately, 2022 was merely a mirage for the Duke product.
Jones lost five of six starts in 2023 and had two touchdowns against six interceptions before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. And it didn’t help Jones ‘case in that backup QBs Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito operated the offense more efficiently following his injury.
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So, this is it for Jones. It’s now or never.
The Giants can get out of his contract next year with minimal financial ramifications. And with Carson Beck, Shedeur Sanders, and Quinn Ewers headlining next year’s NFL quarterback draft class, the Giants could be in a position to draft a new franchise-changing signal-caller.
If Jones returns to his 2022 form and shows that he can be the long-term answer for Big Blue, they won’t need to worry about a quarterback next year.
Otherwise, he’ll be out of New York and will likely have to settle on a career as a backup quarterback. Danny Dimes, it’s up to you which one it’ll be.
Noah Fant
The Seattle Seahawks may have just handed Fant a two-year contract extension worth $21 million, but he is by no means guaranteed to stay in Emerald City beyond this year.
Seattle could actually save $9 million against the cap if they release Fant next year, so you can consider 2024 a make-or-break year for the ex-Iowa star.
Fant was regarded as a can’t-miss tight end prospect when the Denver Broncos selected him 20th overall back in 2019. Yet he’s been limited to 50 receptions or less in three of his five NFL seasons, and he has yet to hit the 700-yard mark in a single campaign.
Fant was a throw-in as part of the 2022 Russell Wilson blockbuster trade. But in two seasons as a Seahawk, he has only 82 catches for 900 yards and four touchdowns.
If Fant wants to show he can be a star in this league, it has to come this year. Even as the No. 1 tight end on the Broncos and Seahawks’ depth charts, he has mostly put up numbers of a second-string tight end. That’s not acceptable for a former first-round pick who was supposed to be a Pro Bowl talent by now.
Last chance for Fant to show he can be a star in this league. If he’s not up for the challenge, he might not be in the NFL much longer.
Isaiah Simmons
The 6-foot-4, 238-pound Simmons was supposed to be a complete game-changer by now. Remember, this was a rock star at Clemson who played cornerback, safety, linebacker, AND defensive end.
The Arizona Cardinals used the No. 8 pick of 2020 on Simmons, believing he would immediately transform this defense. Yet here we are four years later. He’s already on his second team, in a contract year, and yet to assert himself as a reliable starter.
Simmons’ highest single-season Pro Football Focus grade to date is 68.9, which he garnered with the New York Giants in 2023. Then again, Simmons played only 33 percent of the Giants’ defensive snaps…
Prior to getting traded to the Giants in 2023, Simmons had just 7.5 sacks, four interceptions, and 16 pass defenses in three years with Arizona. Per Pro Football Reference, Simmons has allowed an opposing passer rating of 90.9 or higher in three of his four NFL seasons.
Simmons has proven to be a merely average starter or decent second-stringer up to this point of his career. If he can’t unlock his potential in year five, it’ll be time to give up on the idea of the Clemson product finding his game at the NFL level.
Caleb Farley
Farley and Patrick Surtain II were regarded as the two best cornerback prospects in the 2021 NFL Draft.
A back injury caused Farley to fall all the way down to the Tennessee Titans in the No. 22 spot, as several teams became worried about his medical history. Sadly, those concerns have proven to be valid.
Farley played three games in his rookie year before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. He was limited to nine games in 2022 and missed the entire 2023 season recovering from a back injury.
The Titans declined the fifth-year option on Farley’s contract, a clear indicator that this is his last chance to stay healthy and produce. Tennessee already looks like they’re prepared for life without Farley anyway, as they traded for Kansas City Chiefs superstar L’Jarius Sneed before signing a four-year extension worth $76.4 million.
If Farley can’t stay healthy and remind the Titans why they used a first-round pick on him, his tenure in Music City will be over. And who knows? He might be out of football altogether.
Chase Claypool
Chase Claypool’s fall from budding star in Steel City to complete irrelevance is one of the greatest enigmas in recent NFL memory.
Claypool was drafted 49th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020, and it didn’t take him long to make an impact in the NFL. In his rookie year, he caught 62 passes for 873 yards and nine touchdowns, helping Pittsburgh win a surprise AFC North division crown.
Claypool was productive again in 2021, compiling 59 receptions for 860 yards and two touchdowns. But he quickly fell out of favor and was traded to the Chicago Bears ahead of the 2022 trade deadline, catching only four passes with his new team.
After another slow start in 2023, he was traded to the Miami Dolphins. Claypool had just four catches for 26 yards, leaving Miami with an easy decision to let him leave in the offseason.
The Buffalo Bills decided to take a chance on Claypool, adding the Canadian kid to their rebuilt wide receiving corps after bidding farewell to Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis.
Rookie Keon Coleman is currently slotted in as the Bills’ No. 1 receiver, but it’s fair game after that. And that means the opportunity is there for Claypool to step up and emerge as a weapon for Josh Allen.
This is a great spot for Claypool to revive his career. Playing with an elite QB that must build chemistry with a bunch of new faces.
Claypool couldn’t get going in Miami’s high-powered offense. If he can’t regain his star-like form in Buffalo, he might have a one-way ticket out of the NFL altogether. He’s fighting for a starting job AND potentially his career in 2024. No pressure, kiddo!
Also Read: 10 NFL Draft Busts We All Wanted To Be Great
C.J. Henderson
It’s not a good look on Henderson in that he’s already on his third NFL team since being drafted ninth overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020.
Henderson appeared in just ten games over two seasons with Jacksonville before he was dealt to the Carolina Panthers ahead of the 2021 NFL trade deadline. Henderson was no better during his three seasons there.
In fact, the advanced stats suggest he might literally be football’s worst starting corner since he entered the league. Per Pro Football Reference, Henderson has allowed a completion percentage over 64 percent and a passer rating of 103.5 or higher in each of his four seasons when targeted.
DeMeco Ryans and the powerhouse Houston Texans decided to give Henderson one last shot, signing him to a one-year deal in a depth move.
So here’s Henderson’s final shot. If he can’t flourish behind one of the game’s great defensive-minded coaches — with superstar corner Derek Stingley Jr. and the dynamic safety tandem of Jimmie Ward and Jalen Pitre, then we don’t know what to tell Henderson.
He flopped with two teams, albeit a pair of teams that didn’t have much talent to help him on defense. He finally has a lot of star power to work with in Houston, so it’s Henderson’s final opportunity to show that he can become a quality starter in the pros.
Zaven Collins
Isaiah Simmons isn’t the only recent Cardinals first-round pick at linebacker who is running out of time.
Arizona drafted Collins with the No. 16 selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. Fast-forward three years, and we’re still waiting for his breakout year…if it’s to ever come.
After playing 98 percent of snaps in games he was available for in 2022, Collins’ lack of improvement forced the Cardinals to drop that percentage of snaps played down to 58 percent for 2023.
Since joining the league, he has only 5.5 sacks and one forced fumble. Collins has been lit up in coverage like a Christmas tree, too. So it’s no wonder that Arizona declined the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.
Collins showed a slight improvement in year one under rookie head coach Jonathan Gannon — but not THAT much. This is a make-or-break year for the Tulsa product, who’s on an officially short leash entering year four.
Kadarius Toney
If we were Kansas City Chiefs GM Brett Veach for a day, Kadarius Toney wouldn’t be on the roster anymore. Clearly, however, Andy Reid remains confident that there’s still a way to unlock his full potential.
After appearing in just 12 games with the Giants, he was sent to the Chiefs ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. Though Toney made a couple of big plays in Kansas City’s Super Bowl 57 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, the fact remains that the former 2021 first-round pick has been a complete non-factor for the bulk of his career.
Through three seasons, Toney has 82 receptions for 760 yards and three touchdowns. Not only is he struggling to get open, but drops and boneheaded plays – ahem, that offensive offside penalty — have made Toney the common scapegoat in KC.
If Toney can’t get it going in his SECOND FULL YEAR with the league’s best QB in Patrick Mahomes, who’s gonna give him the chance to be a starter in 2025? Rashee Rice’s likely suspension means there will be an opportunity for Toney to see more snaps — but he’s gotta actually get open and find a rhythm with Mahomes.
His NFL future completely depends on a major jump in production this year.
Jeff Okudah
Okudah is in practically the same spot as CJ Henderson. They were both top-10 picks in 2020, with Okudah going third overall to the Detroit Lions.
And like Henderson, Okudah is already on his third NFL team heading into year five.
AND LIKE Henderson, Okudah was given another chance by the Texans after landing a one-year deal in free agency.
The career paths for both men up to this point is remarkably similar. Okudah has also been a big-time liability in coverage, allowing over 500 yards in coverage over three of his first four seasons as well as a passer rating of 87.6 or higher every year.
Okudah and Henderson were supposed to be great shutdown corners in this league. After four lackluster seasons, they each get another shot to prove their respective values on a star-studded Texans team.
Treylon Burks
The Tennessee Titans stunned everybody by trading superstar wideout AJ Brown to the Eagles on day one of the 2022 NFL Draft. GM Jon Robinson thought he could find a replacement in round one, using the No. 18 pick on Arkansas wideout Treylon Burks.
Two seasons in, however, and here is Burks already fighting for his future in Music City.
Injuries limited him to 11 games in both the 2022 and ‘23 seasons. Over those 22 contests, Burks compiled only 49 receptions for 665 yards and one touchdown. That just isn’t going to cut it for a recent first-round pick.
Tennessee already seems ready to move on from Burks if needed, having already signed ex-Jaguars star Calvin Ridley to a monster four-year deal worth $92 million. With Ridley and Pro Bowler DeAndre Hopkins headlining the receiving corps, it’s going to be hard for Burks to post Pro Bowl-like numbers this year.
He doesn’t have to be a superstar in 2024, but Burks must at least stay healthy and take considerable strides. If not, his tenure in Tennessee will be over. And yes, don’t be surprised if he’s out of the NFL altogether.
Also Read: All 32 NFL Teams’ Best And Worst Quarterback Draft Picks in Their History
