When a highly-touted NFL player fails to live up to expectations, it’s easy to blame the guy entirely for being a bust instead of realizing that his coaches and teammates often let him down.
There is no shortage of recent NFL first-round picks who have failed to hit their ceilings up to this point. And looking back, we can only help but wonder how much different things could have been if they landed in better situations.
So, with that, let’s dive into ten recent NFL draft busts who would have been great on another team.
Who are the recent NFL draft busts that could have played better for a different team?
Zach Wilson: New Orleans Saints
Since hindsight allows us to play the “what if” game, we’ll envision the idea of Wilson going first overall to New Orleans, even though they were way out of range with the No. 28 pick to select the BYU product.
Wilson, of course, went second overall to the New York Jets after the Jacksonville Jaguars used the top selection on Trevor Lawrence. Fast forward three years later, and Wilson isn’t even on the Jets roster anymore.
The BYU product never found his game in Gotham, even with the Jets spending a ton of resources to improve the offense around him. He went 12-21-0 as their starting QB with a 57.0 completion percentage, 23 touchdowns, 25 interceptions, and 17 fumbles.
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The Jets traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos in the 2023 offseason, giving the former BYU star one last chance to prove himself under the guidance of legendary head coach Sean Payton.
But what if Wilson got the chance to prove himself to Payton some years earlier? What if he landed with the Saints in the 2021 NFL Draft?
New Orleans needed a new QB after losing franchise icon Drew Brees to retirement. They gave Jameis Winston a look, and he was performing well before unfortunately suffering a season-ending ACL tear in Week 8.
So, what if Wilson started his career in New Orleans? He’d have an all-time great offensive coach, star running back Alvin Kamara, a top-tier offensive line — something he never had with the Jets — and an elite defense to take some pressure off of him.
Even if Wilson wasn’t ready to start in 2021, he could have sat behind Winston and Taysom Hill before taking over in 2022. By that time, New Orleans would have had top-tier wideout Chris Olave and a returning Michael Thomas to help him out.
Mac Jones: Las Vegas Raiders
The New England Patriots thought they had found Tom Brady’s successor when they used the No. 15 pick of 2021 on quarterback Mac Jones.
The Alabama product looked like that guy in his rookie year, earning a Pro Bowl nod after leading the Patriots to 10 wins and a playoff berth. But once Bill Belichick stupidly made Matt Patricia and Joe Judge his co-offensive play-callers in 2022, everything went downhill for Jones.
Hard to blame Jones because only Belichick would hire two failed NFL coaches to replace Josh McDaniels. And remind us who Jones had to throw to in the passing game once Jakobi Meyers left?
Anyway, Jones lasted just three years in Foxborough. We maintain that it was Belichick and the non-Patriot Way that ruined Jones more than anything. Surely, he would be an established quality starter on a team that would have actually put him in a position to succeed.
Las Vegas was committed to Derek Carr at the time of the 2021 NFL Draft. But in a do-over, we would have loved to see the Raiders take a chance on Jones. And not just because McDaniels was coming in as their new head coach in 2022.
Mostly the weaponry. Jones would have had Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow, Josh Jacobs, and Darren Waller as his weapons. Plus, Vegas signed Meyers in 2023 free agency anyway — so Jones would have been reunited with his best weapon in New England.
With all that star power around him — free of Patricia and Judge — Jones could have avoided the NFL bust label in Sin City.
Isaiah Simmons: Cleveland Browns
Simmons was an intriguing prospect heading into the 2020 NFL Draft. The jack-of-all-trades defensive star played linebacker, defensive end, cornerback, AND safety during his tenure at Clemson.
Arizona used the No. 8 pick on Simmons, believing the freak of nature would transform their defense into one of football’s best.
Simmons never came close to reaching his potential in The Desert, and he was traded to the New York Giants in the 2023 offseason. But so far, the change of scenery has done nothing to help Simmons prove himself as anything other than a barely-average starting linebacker.
Looking back, it feels like Simmons would have flourished a lot more with the Cleveland Browns. That team has built a feisty front seven led by superstar Myles Garrett, featuring supporting stars Greg Newsome, Za’Darius Smith, Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah, and Denzel Ward.
With all that star power around him, Simmons could have lined up anywhere on Kevin Stefanski’s defense. He could have been an elite lockdown defensive back and/or a potent pass-rushing sidekick to Garrett.
Javon Kinlaw: Philadelphia Eagles
After trading DeForest Buckner to the Indianapolis Colts, the 49ers used the No. 14 pick on South Carolina star Javon Kinlaw — believing he’d replace the talents of the veteran Pro Bowler.
Kinlaw, however, never came close to reaching expectations in San Francisco and ended as an NFL bust. Injuries limited him to 41 games in four years on the West Coast, and Kinlaw was only a designated starter for 28 of them.
Kinlaw tallied only five sacks and seven tackles for a loss with the 49ers. On top of that, he never graded higher than 54.1 at Pro Football Focus in a single season.
San Francisco finally gave up and let Kinlaw walk to free agency, and he signed with the New York Jets in 2024.
Kinlaw sure could have been a beast on that Philadelphia Eagles’ front seven, though. They draft and develop defensive linemen better than anyone else, and Kinlaw could have found a nice home with veterans Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, and Javon Hargrave leading the way in the trenches.
Plus, Philly would have eventually paired Kinlaw with either Jordan Davis or Jalen Carter.
Evan Neal: Seattle Seahawks
To be totally blunt, the No. 7 pick of 2022 has been a disaster with the New York Giants up to this point.
Per Pro Football Focus, the Alabama product has already allowed nine sacks and committed 12 penalties through two seasons. Oh, and his PFF grade in 2022 and 2023 were 44.1 and 39.8, respectively.
However, in Neal’s defense, the only half-decent offensive lineman in the Meadowlands is Andrew Thomas. If only Neal had a better-supporting cast to help him — especially an organization that knows how to develop decent blockers.
Neal could have been a star by now with the Seattle Seahawks. His main strength in college was his run-blocking anyway, so Neal would have been perfect in Seattle’s rush-heavy offense with Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet.
Having Abe Lucas and the since-departed Damien Lewis as his sidekicks would have worked nicely for Neal, who’s essentially stuck in no man’s land as the Giants’ other bookend opposite Thomas.
Also Read: Re-Drafting All 32 NFL Teams’ Biggest Draft Bust Of All-Time
Jeff Okudah: San Francisco 49ers
After trading Pro Bowl corner Darius Slay to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Detroit Lions thought they had the ideal replacement in Jeff Okudah. The Ohio State corner was taken third overall, right behind Joe Burrow and Chase Young.
Okudah lasted only three years in Motor City. Injuries limited him to 25 total game appearances, but he was also a giant liability, with Pro Football Reference having Okudah down for 1,384 yards and four TDs allowed in coverage.
A one-year stop in Atlanta did nothing to help Okudah reach his potential in 2023, and he wound up signing a one-year deal with the Houston Texans in 2024 free agency.
It wasn’t fair for Okudah to have all that responsibility on a horrible Detroit team that Matt Patricia destroyed. Clearly, he needed to land with a team that had a good amount of star power — and that bring us to the 49ers.
Okudah would have lined up with future Hall of Famer Richard Sherman in the secondary, along with fellow superstars Nick Bosa, Fred Warner, and Arik Armstead. For Okudah, there would have been no issue in learning from Sherman before emerging as a starter.
The 49ers develop quality cornerbacks and safeties like clockwork. Surely, Okudah would have hit his ceiling on Kyle Shanahan’s star-studded group.
Rashod Bateman: Green Bay Packers
Wide receiver was a pressing need for the Baltimore Ravens heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, so it just felt perfect when they used the No. 27 selection on the Minnesota product.
Remember, Mark Andrews had yet to develop into a Pro Bowl tight end, and Zay Flowers wouldn’t arrive for another two years. So the 6-foot-1, 197-pound Bateman was well-positioned to emerge as Lamar Jackson’s No. 1 target in the passing game.
Fast-forward three years, however, and Bateman has been a total NFL bust for John Harbaugh and company up to this point.
Injuries have limited Bateman to 34 total games over three seasons. He has just 93 receptions for 1,167 yards and four touchdowns while watching Andrews and Flowers emerge as Jackson’s top two pass-catchers.
Looking back, the big-bodied wideout was never gonna be a good fit in the Ravens’ rush-first offense. Bateman needed to land on a team with a top-tier quarterback, and that’s where the Green Bay Packers come into focus.
The Pack lacked a capable No. 2 receiver to help Aaron Rodgers and Davante Dams during No. 12’s final years in Titletown. We maintain that if Green Bay had found a WR2, they would have won another Super Bowl before Rodgers’ exit.
The four-time league MVP could have maximized the potential of Bateman since he didn’t have many other weapons after Adams. Bateman’s contested catch skills and production in the red zone would have made him a star in Matt LaFleur’s offense.
Even with Rodgers departing in 2023, the Packers would have had a potential No. 1 receiver for Jordan Love here in Bateman. At the very least, the Minnesota kid would have been much better in Green Bay compared to what we’ve seen in Baltimore.
Kenny Pickett: Indianapolis Colts
Now that we know Matt Ryan became an NFL bust in Indianapolis…Pickett to Indy makes so much sense in a hypothetical do-over.
The No. 20 overall pick of 2022 was the only QB taken in the first round in his class. The Pittsburgh product had two mediocre seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before he was traded to Philly to back up Jalen Hurts in 2024.
Maybe Pickett would have hit his full potential in Indianapolis, a team with two superstar weapons in Michael Pittman Jr. and Jonathan Taylor — plus a rock-solid o-line led by Quenton Nelson and Ryan Kelly.
Indy has since added Josh Downs and Adonai Mitchell as well. And have we mentioned that Pickett wouldn’t have had Matt Canada as his OC for two years? That alone might’ve helped Pickett shine anywhere outside of Pittsburgh.
But man, he would have been an awesome fit in Indy after being thrown into the fire — and then out of the room — by the Steelers.
Treylon Burks: Buffalo Bills
After trading superstar wideout AJ Brown to the Eagles at the 2022 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans used the No. 18 pick on Arkansas wideout Treylon Burks.
However, injuries and lackluster quarterback play by Tennessee QBs — namely Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis – have prevented Burks from shining in Music City. Through two seasons, Burks only has 49 receptions for 665 yards and one touchdown in 22 games.
Of course, Burks can’t take all the blame when the Titans have failed to a) find him a solid quarterback up to this point and b) failed to properly utilize him in their offense.
With a great combination of size and speed, Burks could have been an all-star by now in the Buffalo Bills offense. Now that we know Stefon Diggs was never gonna stay in Buffalo long-term, we can envision a scenario where Burks would’ve established himself as Josh Allen’s new go-to weapon by now.
At the very least, Burks would have been the ideal No. 2 receiver for Diggs before the latter’s trade to the Houston Texans in 2024. Burks’ speed and big-play abilities would have gone hand-in-hand with Allen’s rocket arm and art to extend plays.
Trey Lance: Denver Broncos
Imagine the domino effect if the Broncos got their hands on Trey Lance before the San Francisco 49ers wasted the No. 3 pick of 2021 on him.
Denver wouldn’t have wasted the 2021 season with a Teddy Bridgewater-Drew Lock tandem. They wouldn’t have made the blockbuster trade for Russell Wilson in 2022. And if Lance came as advertised, a first-round pick wouldn’t have been used on Bo Nix in 2024.
Lance lost his starting job in San Fran after suffering a season-ending ankle fracture in Week 2 of the 2022 season. That year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy, emerged as the new starting QB on the West Coast — making Lance expendable.
So, while Lance is stuck as Dak Prescott’s backup in Dallas, we can only wonder, “What if” he went to the Broncos, who used their 2021 first-round pick on All-Pro corner Patrick Surtain II?
Think about the situation Lance would have entered. He’d be the undisputed QB1 in Mile High City, with three stud receivers in Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and Tim Patrick – along with fellow 2021 draftee Javonte Williams.
The dual-threat QB could have flourished in Denver’s offense with a solid
defense to complement him.
Seeing how disappointing his career has been up to this point, we’re left wondering “what could have been” if he landed with the Broncos instead of the 49ers.
Also Read: 10 Recent NFL Draft Busts Who Have One Last Chance This Upcoming 2024 Season
