NFL

Overhyped: First-Round NFL Draft Picks Who Seriously Flopped

Darren - March 2, 2023

NFL

Overhyped: First-Round NFL Draft Picks Who Seriously Flopped

Darren - March 2, 2023

Blake Bortles

It’s incredible the number of times that front offices tried and failed to find a franchise quarterback. The Jaguars decided that the UCF star Bortles was the man to lead their franchise forward in 2014. To put this in perspective they decided against the future three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.

They also skipped his fellow Super Bowl winning-teammate Odell Beckham Jr. Nor did they pick Khalil Mack or C.J. Mosley. This was one of the most-stacked classes in recent years but the Jaguars missed the boat. Bortles showed flashes of potential but in the end was another Jacksonville draft pick failure (via The Athletic).

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Tony Mandarich

NFL scouts thought that Mandarich was the best offensive tackle prospect ever. He had an outstanding career with Michigan State but they didn’t know he was abusing steroids. Mandarich also infamously had an addiction to painkillers and this severely damaged his career. The Packers made him the second overall pick in 1989 ahead of Deion Sanders and Derrick Thomas.

This proved to be a shocking mistake because Mandarich didn’t deliver. He spent four seasons with the franchise before they lost patience and cut him. It was a major disappointment because he arrived with so much hype. There’s no guarantee that any draft picks will succeed but Mandarich crushed the fans (via BVM Sports).

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David Carr

Carr’s place on this list is a little unfair because the former Fresno State star had great work ethic and skills. But the Texans didn’t protect him in his rookie year and he took a ridiculous 76 sacks. The quarterback’s career never recovered from this beating and he threw 65 interceptions across five seasons (via Toro Times).

The shell-shocked QB never reached his full potential in the NFL. Many draft picks arrive with a lot of potential but find themselves in bad situations. Unfortunately, this was the case for Carr because the early battering shook him. Now he goes down as one of the worst busts in Houston history.

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JaMarcus Russell

Nobody expects first overall draft picks to crash out of the NFL after three seasons. But that’s exactly what happened in Russell’s case. First, he held the Raiders to ransom and demanded a rookie record contract. The NFL changed the rules after this because it was so insane. Meanwhile, he never came close to earning a dime of his six-year, $68 million deal (via USA Today).

The former LSU star arrived with massive fanfare but he had zero work ethic. He showed incredible unprofessionalism over his short Raiders career as he ballooned in size. In the end, he finished bottom of all of the quarterback stat charts after a garbage fire of a season. Russell was one of two QB first-round draft picks in 2007 alongside Brady Quinn.

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Johnny Manziel

Manziel is one of the most notorious failed NFL quarterbacks ever. The Cleveland Browns thought that he was the answer to their long-term QB problem. In the end, he left them with more questions than ever. Manziel had a great college career with Texas A&M. Some scouts feared that the Aggies star was too small for the league while others questioned his attitude and commitment.

But the Heisman winner arrived with a lot of hype. In the end, he partied more than he played and betrayed the trust of the franchise. His story is one of the most disappointing ever because everybody believed he was brilliant. Substance abuse and a terrible attitude brought his NFL career to an end after only two seasons (via Sportskeeda).

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Zach Wilson

The Jets have made some terrible draft selections over the years, and indeed many have already appeared on this list. After they moved on from Sam Darnold they chose Wilson as his replacement. 2021 was one of the most-stacked quarterback classes of the decade. The Jaguars took Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick. But this still left the likes of Justin Fields, Mac Jones, and Trey Lance on the board.

In the end, the Jets decided to take former BYU star Wilson. Gang Green had some bad draft picks but he was one of the worst. Firstly, he made garbage decisions and threw interceptions like frisbees. Furthermore, his attitude was terrible and he failed to show any maturity. Finally, in 2023, the Jets decided it was time to get an experienced player (via The Mirror).

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