There’s no changing the past in the football world. But when it comes to NFL draft history, it’s always fun to play the “what if” and imaginary “do-over” game.
But WHAT IF every NFL team got the chance to re-do their biggest draft mistake? Football history would be a lot different, that’s for sure.
With that, let’s play the re-draft game with every NFL club’s biggest draft bust ever.
Which player would have been a better pick for your favorite NFL team in this re-draft list?
Arizona Cardinals: Randy Moss
Andre Wadsworth, the No. 3 pick in 1998, failed to live up to expectations in The Desert. If only Arizona had taken Randy Moss with that selection instead.
The second-best receiver of all time somehow fell to the Minnesota Vikings in the 21st spot. One can only imagine how scary that offense would have been in the 2000s with Moss AND Larry Fitzgerald…
Atlanta Falcons: Michael Irvin
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Atlanta spent the first pick of the ‘88 draft on linebacker Aundray Bruce. He was a serviceable starter but never a star.
Hindsight is 20-20, but Atlanta would’ve been better off selecting future Dallas Cowboys icon Michael Irvin. The Miami product went 11th overall to Dallas, and we know how that turned out!
Baltimore Ravens: John Abraham
The Ravens have honestly done a wonderful job in avoiding franchise-crippling draft picks. That said, the Travis Taylor selection – No. 10 overall in 2000 – left a lot to be desired.
The 2000 NFL draft wasn’t GREAT by any means, but it featured plenty of “very good” players. Well, the Ravens could have used pass-rushing stalwart John Abraham.
A five-time Pro Bowler, Abraham racked up 133.5 career sacks.
Buffalo Bills: Dan Hampton
The Bills spent the top pick in the ‘79 draft on Tom Cousineau. Who knows, he could have been great. But Cousineau decided to start his career in the CFL and never wound up playing for Buffalo.
Three picks later, the Chicago Bears took Arkansas defensive lineman Dan Hampton. He could have been the game-wrecking force the Bills thought they’d get in Cousineau. Hampton was instrumental in the Bears’ Super Bowl 25 championship season and proudly owns a gold jacket.
Carolina Panthers: Jason Taylor
Carruth could have been a star, but he got involved in a horrific off-the-field crime. In 2001, he was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder.
Carruth had someone murder his then-pregnant girlfriend Cherica Adams, who died from her wounds. Thankfully, doctors were able to deliver the baby.
The Panthers also passed –TWICE – on a future Hall of Famer in Jason Taylor, who went 73rd overall to the Miami Dolphins. The young Carolina franchise missed out big time on the chance to land a true cornerstone.
Chicago Bears: Patrick Mahomes
The Bears should have taken Mahomes second overall in the 2017 NFL Draft instead of major bust Mitch Trubisky. We’ll leave it at that.
Cincinnati Bengals: Warren Sapp (Over Ki-Jana Carter)
Cincinnati traded up via Carolina to snag the Penn State RB first overall, but injuries unfortunately quickly derailed Carter’s career.
The Bengals could have found a future franchise star in Warren Sapp, who went 12th overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Cleveland Browns: Donovan McNabb
McNabb was one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks of the 2000s, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to five NFC Championship Game appearances and a Super Bowl 39 berth. Surely, he would have been an upgrade over Tim Couch – whom the Browns took first overall in 1999.
Dallas Cowboys: Curley Culp
Culp went 31st overall to the Denver Broncos in the ‘68 NFL draft. The 1975 Defensive Player of the Year earned six Pro Bowl nods and a spot in Canton.
He certainly would have done a ton of great things in Dallas. It’s too bad they passed on him and used the No. 20 pick on the receiver who was rarely used, Dennis Homan.
Denver Broncos: Dak Prescott
Two months after winning Super Bowl 50, the Broncos traded up to select big Memphis QB Paxton Lynch 26th overall in 2016. Peyton Manning had retired, and Denver desperately needed a new QB; it’s just too bad they took the wrong one.
Lynch started just four games and was cut after two seasons. The Cowboys used the No. 135 overall selection in round four on Dak Prescott, who has been a top-10 NFL in the game since stepping onto the field.
Detroit Lions: Troy Polamalu
Polamalu was the second-best safety of his era behind only Ed Reed. He could have single-handedly changed the dynamic of Detroit’s defense for a decade-plus.
The Lions spent the No. 2 pick of the 2003 draft on Charles Rogers, hoping he’d become a super weapon for Joey Harrington. Injuries unfortunately cut Rogers’ career short, and he was out of the league after three years.
Polamalu went 16th overall to the Steelers and played an instrumental role in helping them win two Super Bowls.
Green Bay Packers: Deion Sanders
Four of the top five picks in the 1989 NFL draft became Hall of Famers: Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, and Deion Sanders. The only top-five pick who wasn’t? Tony Mandarich, who went second overall to the Packers.
Mandarich never came close to reaching expectations. Too bad, because the Packers really could have used the talents of “Prime Time.” If Sanders was on that star-studded Packers group of the ‘90s, they could have totally won more than one Super Bowl.
Houston Texans: Julius Peppers
The Texans took Fresno State QB David Carr with the first selection in franchise history back in 2002. The next pick was Julius Peppers, who pieced together a Hall of Fame career in Carolina.
Four years later, Houston used the top selection on Mario Williams. Imagine now if they had both Peppers AND Williams patrolling the defensive line together. Wowza!
Jacksonville Jaguars: J.J. Watt
The Jaguars made a big mistake by trading up for, ahem, future career journeyman backup QB Blaine Gabbert at No. 10 overall in 2011. They passed on several future superstars, but none bigger than J.J. Watt.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year, of course, was taken with the pick after Gabbert. To the AFC South rival Texans, no less!
Indianapolis Colts: Darren Woodson
The former standout safety wasn’t the biggest DRAFT MISS in Colts history, not even close. But Steve Emtman – the first overall pick in the 1992 draft – was easily the biggest NFL draft bust in Colts history.
In a do-over, let’s give the Colts Darren Woodson. He went 37th overall to the Cowboys and played a massive role in their three Super Bowl championship seasons in the ‘90s. The five-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team all-pro could have been a major difference-maker there in Indianapolis.
Kansas City Chiefs: Dan Marino
The Chiefs passed on two future Hall of Fame QBS in this dream class of signal-callers.
Todd Blackledge went seventh overall to KC. Jim Kelly went 14th to the Buffalo Bills. Dan Marino went 27th to the Dolphins.
Marino, arguably the greatest pocket passer ever, led the league in passing yards five times and earned NINE Pro Bowl nods. KC wouldn’t find a true superstar QB until they landed Patrick Mahomes in 2017 – 34 years after passing on Marino in favor of Blackledge.
Las Vegas Raiders: Calvin Johnson
The Raiders made a ton of painful draft mistakes in the 2000s, but none hurt them more than the JaMarcus Russell pick. He went first overall in the dream 2007 class…but was out of the league after three seasons.
The second pick in the draft? Future Hall of Fame wideout Calvin Johnson. Oakland lacked a bonafide STUD wideout until they took Amari Cooper in the 2015 NFL draft. So yeah, they totally could’ve used Megatron.
Los Angeles Chargers: Charles Woodson
Every Chargers fan knows the whole Ryan Leaf bust thing. We don’t need to ramble on about it, but we can tell you about the guy they SHOULD have taken with the No. 2 pick in 1998.
Two picks after Leaf, the Raiders took Charles Woodson fourth overall. One of the greatest defensive backs ever, Woodson could have taken the Junior Seau and Rodney Harrison-led defense to another level.
And the Chargers wouldn’t have had to deal with him in the division all those years…
Los Angeles Rams: Ray Lewis
Trading away star running back Jerome Bettis so the Rams could take the troubled Lawrence Phillips sixth overall in 1996 was a big mistake. They could have avoided the mistake if the Ram a) kept Bettis or b) drafted Lewis.
Phillips didn’t even last two seasons before the Rams cut him. Lewis went 26th overall to the Ravens and powered the franchise to a pair of Lombardi Trophies. If the Rams had him during the “Greatest Show on Turf” era, maybe the Rams themselves would have won more than one Super Bowl?
Miami Dolphins: Travis Kelce
Miami traded up to take Dion Jordan third overall in 2013. Jordan was a giant bust, playing just two seasons in South Beach before getting released.
So in this imaginary scenario, we’ll give Miami All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce with the No. 3 pick. Kelce, of course, wasn’t taken until the third round at No. 63 overall.
The Chiefs’ star is only the best tight end in the game right now, and he would have been a wonderful franchise cornerstone to build around.
Minnesota Vikings: Aaron Rodgers
This one’s easy! The Vikings didn’t get much out of Troy Williamson – the No. 7 pick in the 2005 NFL draft. So instead, we hand Minny arguably the most talented quarterback of all time here.
For starters, Minny would be a Super Bowl contender for the next decade-plus with Rodgers. And secondly, the arch-rival Packers wouldn’t have completely dominated this rivalry if Minnesota had taken Rodgers. It’d be the other way around.
New England Patriots: Ed Reed
We all know how much Bill Belichick LOVED and RESPECTED Ed Reed. With six Super Bowl rings as the Patriots’ head coach, Belichick doesn’t regret anything…we think?
Or maybe he does? I mean, Ed Reed was there for the taking when the Pats picked at No. 21 overall in 2002. But they took the tight end and future bust, Daniel Graham, out of Colorado. Three picks later, the lucky Ravens snagged Reed, who was a thorn in Tom Brady’s side for many years.
New Orleans Saints: Joe Montana
The Saints used the No. 11 pick in the 1979 draft on kicker slash punter Russell Erxleben. Using such an early pick on a special teams player is never really a good idea, for starters.
But oh, to think how much history could have changed if the Saints drafted Joe Montana – who somehow slipped to the San Francisco 49ers at No. 80 overall? Would the 49ers dynasty have even existed? Or would “Joe Cool” have led NOLA to multiple championship parades on Bourbon Street?
We’ll never know…
New York Giants: Marvin Harrison
Statistically speaking, Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison are the greatest pass-catching duo of all time. The G-Men could have thwarted that if they had taken Harrison in the 1996 draft…
Instead of taking Harrison, who went to Indy at NO. 19 overall, they used the No. 5 pick on defensive end Cedric Jones. He logged just 15 sacks in five seasons with the Giants, whereas Harrison became one of the all-time great wideouts.
Let’s just imagine if the Giants had Harrison, Amani Toomer AND Tiki Barber in the same offense together all those years!
New York Jets: Josh Allen
It’s a shame the Jets took the wrong QB with the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL draft, which they had to trade up for via Indianapolis.
The Jets drafted Sam Darnold but did him no favors by supplying him with Adam Gase and a lack of talent.
Four picks later, the AFC East rival Bills took Josh Allen seventh overall. And he’s only a top-five QB in the game. Darnold only lasted three seasons in Gotham. Yikes!
Philadelphia Eagles: Derrick Brooks
Mike Mamula’s showing at the 1995 draft combine may be the best ever, so it was hard to fault the Eagles for using the No. 7 pick on him.
But Mamula failed to grow into a star, unlike Derrick Brooks. The future Hall of Fame linebacker went 28th overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and wreaked havoc on a gamely basis for 14 seasons.
Brooks could have been the main star on the ultra-talented Eagles’ team in the Andy Reid-Donovan McNabb era. Too bad they passed on him.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Brett Favre
Huey Richardson – the No. 15 pick in 1991 – lasted just one season for the Steelers. What if the Steelers had drafted future MVP, Super Bowl champion and Hall of Famer Brett Favre instead?
Solid-but-not-great QB play prevented an elite Steelers team under Bill Cowher from winning Super Bowls in the ‘90s and early 2000s. Taking Favre could have netted multiple championships in Steel City.
San Francisco 49ers: Ozzie Newsome
Newsome is one of the greatest tight ends of all time, and the 49ers could have used him, all right! Too bad they passed on him and instead used the No. 7 pick in the 1978 NFL Draft on Notre Dame product Ken McAfee.
McAfee lasted just two NFL seasons before going on to enjoy a successful career in dentistry. Newsome, a proud member of Canton, would have been quite the weapon for Joe Montana during the 49ers’ heydays in the 80s!
Seattle Seahawks: Clay Matthews III
Seattle needed help in the front seven. Clay Mathews III, a future game-wrecker in Green Bay, could have been that guy for them. But the Seahawks used the No. 4 pick on all-time draft bust Aaron Curry, and it was the Cheeseheads who struck gold with Matthews at No. 26 overall.
Imagine if the six-time Pro Bowler was with Seattle in the Legion of Boom era? That’s all we can say.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Charles Haley
The Bucs used the top pick in the 1986 draft on Jackson. However, he refused to play for them and instead pursued a professional baseball career. He would, of course, join the Raiders in 1987.
Tampa needed to hit on this pick, so let’s give them linebacker/defensive end Charles Haley – a five-time Super Bowl champion and the lone Hall of Famer to come out of this class.
Tennessee Titans: Brandon Marshall
Vince Young is undoubtedly the biggest bust in Titans’ history. So let’s correct that mistake by giving them Brandon Marshall at No. 3 overall in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Marshall actually didn’t go until round four at 119th overall. He was one of the best receivers of his era, hauling in 970 career receptions for 12,351 yards and 83 TDs. He never had elite quarterbacks feeding him the ball, so we’re sure he would have been a special weapon in Music City.
Washington Commanders: Russell Wilson
Wilson – the so-called undersized QB who went 75th overall in 2012 – turned out to be the best signal-caller of this deep class. Not Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III – whom Washington took at No. 2 overall.
Injuries unfortunately derailed RG3’s career. Wilson’s high football IQ and deep arm would have made him a better long-term option in Washington.
