The first round of the NFL Draft is a truly special night. For teams, it’s an opportunity to find the next cornerstones of their teams. For players, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime. The problem is that things do not always go to plan.
There are many reasons why a player may not pan out in the league. It could be a problem in the evaluation, either on or off the field. It could be that he player had to endure multiple coaching staffs in a short amount of time. A lot of times, the player couldn’t stay healthy. Sometimes it has nothing to do with it, and the player just had trouble adjusting to life in the NFL. For one reason or another, the fact is that every team has made (at least) one bad pick in the last ten years.
It was difficult to pick just one player for a few teams, as their recent struggles often coincide with poor drafts. I would also like to thank Garrett for the help with this list.
Arizona Cardinals – QB Josh Rosen (10th pick, 2018)
Rosen said that 9 mistakes were made ahead of him. Well, one of these “mistakes” won MVP last season. Rosen was set up to fail with the Cardinals, but he didn’t help himself. Rosen completed just 55.2% of his passes for 2278 yards, 11 TDs, and 14 INTs in his first and only season in Arizona. He was traded to the Dolphins after the Cardinals selected Kyler Murray first overall in 2019, started just 3 games in Miami, and was out of the league after 2021.
Atlanta Falcons – EDGE Takk McKinley (26th pick, 2017)
Takk McKinley is also arguably the worst trade the Falcons have made in the last ten years. After one of the most heartbreaking losses in sports, losing a Super Bowl they were up by 25, the Falcons sought pass-rushing help in the Draft. They traded up from 31st to 26th, moving ahead of teams who also needed another edge rusher. They then drafted McKinley – four picks later, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected T.J. Watt. McKinley started strong, with 13.0 sacks in his first two seasons, but managed just 4.5 and was waived during the 2020 season.
Baltimore Ravens – TE Hayden Hurst (25th pick, 2018)
The Ravens made one of the best picks ever in the 2018 Draft when they picked Lamar Jackson at #32. 7 picks earlier, they selected Hurst, who was with the team for just two seasons, with just over 500 yards and 3 TDs. He wasn’t a terrible player, but using a first-round pick on a player who started just four games and was traded after two seasons wasn’t Ozzie Newsome’s best pick.
Buffalo Bills – CB Kaiir Elam (23rd pick, 2022)
After an okay rookie season, Elam played in just 2 games in his second season with the Bills. In these two games, he gave up 10 catches, almost 10.0 yards per catch, and an average depth of target of 13.9 yards. Even in a very small sample size, this isn’t good. He played in more games (13) last season, but was a starter in just four of them. The Bills decided to cut their losses and traded him to the Cowboys for a couple of Day 3 picks.
Carolina Panthers – DT Vernon Butler (30th pick, 2016)
Another NFC South team that lost the Super Bowl and made a bad pick, Butler was not the force the Panthers hoped he’d be. Before a career year (and his only good season) in 2019, he had managed just 2.0 sacks and 3 tackles for loss in 3 seasons. He also had 0 starts in these three years. A very good 2019, with 12 pressures, 6.0 sacks, 32 tackles, and 7 for loss, was his only contribution to the team that drafted him 30th overall.
Chicago Bears – QB Mitchell Trubisky (2nd pick, 2017)
Everyone, at some point in time, had the same thought: “What if the Bears had drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017?”. If you’re a Bears fan, this either made you angry or very sad. If you’re a fan of one of the other NFC North teams, you probably laughed at the Bears, but the thought of Mahomes in the division scared you. We’ll never know if Mahomes would be Mahomes if he went to Chicago. What we do know is that Trubisky was yet another QB who failed in Chicago.
Cincinnati Bengals – WR John Ross (9th pick, 2017)
Back-to-back teams that passed on Mahomes, the Bengals took Ross just one pick earlier. At the time, the fastest time at the 40-yard dash, Ross’s speed was on display only in that week in Indianapolis. On the field, he started just 20 games in four years and managed only 51 catches for 733 yards and 10 TDs. The Bengals won’t be too sad about him because they got Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase a few years later, but it’s still tough.
Cleveland Browns – WR Corey Coleman (15th pick, 2016)
The Browns have been one of, if not the worst, teams since returning to the league. Originally picking at 2nd overall, the Browns traded down twice, passed on players like Carson Wentz, Joey Bosa, Jalen Ramsey, Ronnie Stanley, and Laremy Tunsil. Coleman was in Cleveland for just two seasons, had just over 700 yards, and was traded for a 7th-round selection in 2018 to the Bills, who cut him a few weeks after that.
Dallas Cowboys – EDGE Taco Charlton (28th pick, 2017)
Taco Chalton’s situation is similar to Takk McKinley’s, minus the trade-up. This is a pick that owner/GM Jerry Jones still thinks about. Selected just two picks before T.J. Watt, Charlton was in Dallas for just two seasons and had only 4.0 sacks. In Watt’s worst season, he still managed 5.5. The Cowboys are one of the best teams when it comes to the draft, but selecting Charlton ahead of Watt may be the biggest blunder they have made under Jones.
Denver Broncos – QB Paxton Lynch (26th pick, 2016)
The worst thing that can happen to a franchise is to be hostage to a need. After winning the Super Bowl, Payton Manning retired from the league. With a vaunted defense that was the reason for the Broncos’ third championship, GM John Elway knew they couldn’t be without a quarterback. He zeroed in on Paxton Lynch, a big QB with a big arm. The problem is that he lacked everything else and barely played for the Broncos, appearing in just 5 games and leaving the league altogether after two years.
Detroit Lions – CB Jeff Okudah (3rd pick, 2020)
Okudah was one of the best cornerback prospects when he came out off Ohio State. Injuries derailed his Lions’ career, as he missed 7 games due to injuries in his rookie season, and 16 in 2021 after an Achilles tear. When he was on the field, though, he wasn’t the player the Lions hoped he’d be, giving up big plays and missing tackles. It’d be fun to see Okudah going against Justin Jefferson two times a year, but after bouncing around a few, Okudah is a backup CB for the Vikings.
Green Bay Packers – CB Eric Stokes (29th pick, 2021)
Probably drafted because of what Justin Jefferson did as a rookie, Stokes battled with injuries a lot. He played in almost every game as a rookie and gave up a rating of just 71.3, which is very good. His 2022 season was not that good, going from a 49.5% to an 80% completion percentage allowed, and the rating went up to a whopping 123.5.
In November 2022, his injuries started, with a knee and foot injury keeping him out of the final 8 games of the season. He returned to action in the middle of the 2023 campaign, but recurring hamstring injuries limited him to 110 defensive snaps.
Houston Texans – OG Kenyon Green (15th pick, 2022)
Kenyon Green was not a very good player in Houston. He was the first player drafted by the Texans with the picks they got in the Deshaun Watson trade. In his first season, he gave up a 13% pressure rate, the worst among left guards that season. In his two years starting (missed the 2023 season with a shoulder injury), he gave up 9 sacks, 75 pressures, and 16 hits.
Indianapolis Colts – QB Anthony Richardson (4th pick, 2023)
Anthony Richardson had a very low floor coming to the league, as he didn’t have much experience throwing the ball in Florida. However, his size, athleticism, and arm strength made him a very, very high-ceiling type of player. In the league, though, we’ve seen too much of his floor and not so much of his ceiling.
He also missed a lot of games due to injuries, playing in only 4 games as a rookie after an AC joint injury. In 2024, he was one of the worst QBs in the league, getting benched for Joe Flacco after tapping his helmet because he was too tired. Another AC joint injury could be the final nail in the coffin, as he has no timetable to return.
Jacksonville Jaguars – EDGE K’Lavon Chaisson (20th pick, 2020)
K’Lavon Chaisson was supposed to help the Jaguars’ defense return to their 2017 Sacksonville status. The problem is that he barely cracked the starting lineup. He started in 11 games in his first two seasons, and they were his only games as a starter for the Jaguars. If you add the snaps he played in 2022 and 2023 (292), it’s just a little more than his 2021 number (384) and a lot less than his rookie season (568). He was rarely a factor when he played, getting just 5.0 sacks and 34 pressures in 4 seasons.
Kansas City Chiefs – EDGE Felix Anudike-Uzomah (31st pick, 2023)
For all of the success the Chiefs have had, drafting EDGE rushers may be Brett Veach’s kryptonite. He has drafted 4 pass rushers in the first two rounds since becoming the GM in 2017. The only one who wasn’t/isn’t bad is George Karlaftis. In two years in the league, Anudike-Uzomah has just 3.0 sacks, 19 pressures, and never played more than 31% of the snaps. There’s still time for him to improve, but the clock is running out.
Las Vegas Raiders – OT Alex Leatherwood (17th pick, 2021)
Hindsight is always 20/20, but the Raiders love reaching in the Draft. It was hard to choose between Leatherwood and Clelin Ferrell, but selecting the only bad offensive linemen in the 2021 first round, and doing it 6 picks ahead of Vikings’ Christian Darrisaw, one of the league’s best, gave Leatherwood the nod. He switched inside as a rookie, gave up 8 sacks and an insane 65 pressures, was cut after just one season, and out of the league in 2023.
Los Angeles Chargers – OG Zion Johnson (17th pick, 2022)
If you just look at his PFF grades, Johnson doesn’t look so bad. But his sacks, pressures, and hits allowed have always been at the bottom of the league. Since entering the league, Johnson has allowed 14 sacks, 27 QB hits, and 106 pressures. He has been a trade/cut target since the team declined his fifth-year option early this year.
Los Angeles Rams – N/A
It’s hard to say which has been their worst first-round pick in the last 10 years when the Rams have had just TWO in this period. Since drafting Jared Goff in 2016, the Rams selected in the first round of the Draft again in 2024, picking Jared Verse. Verse was the Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2024, so it should’ve been Goff by default. But Goff wasn’t a bad player, and his trade to the Lions gave the Rams Matthew Stafford and a Super Bowl ring. Instead of putting Goff purely by lack of options, I choose to tip my hat to Les Snead.
Miami Dolphins – EDGE Charles Harris (22nd pick, 2017)
Another team that selected an EDGE rusher before T.J. Watt in the 2017 Draft, Harris was also a non-factor for the team that drafted him. He had a good season with the Lions in 2021, but managed just 3.5 sacks in Miami in three years and 10 tackles for loss. He never played more than 50% of the snaps and was traded for a 2021 seventh-round pick in May 2020.
Minnesota Vikings – DB Lewis Cine (32nd pick, 2022)
The Vikings could’ve had Kyle Hamilton. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, instead, traded back to the last pick of the first round and selected Lewis Cine. Cine wasn’t a bad prospect at all, and his skill set suited what then-coordinator Ed Donatell wanted. But a gruesome leg fracture in Week 4 of his rookie season changed his career. He never played a single snap on defense for the Vikings and was never able to be the player he was in Georgia.
New England Patriots – WR N’Keal Harry (32nd pick, 2019)
Bill Belichick made a few early picks that didn’t pan out at the end of his Hall of Fame career. One of them was Harry. His best season with the Patriots came in 2020, with 33 receptions, 309 yards, and 2 TDs. In the other two years he was in New England, he didn’t even get 200 yards. He tried a switch to tight end later, but to no avail.
New Orleans Saints – EDGE Payton Turner (28th pick, 2021)
The Saints tried hard to find someone to pair with Cam Jordan, selecting both Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner in the first round – neither panned out. Turner gets the nod here because, even though Davenport had injury troubles, he had some good seasons. Turner also dealt with a whole lot of injuries, playing in just 15 games in his first three seasons. He played in 16 last season, but was never a starter in New Orleans and managed just 5.0 sacks across four seasons.
New York Giants – CB DeAndre Baker (30th pick, 2019)
The Giants had three first-round picks in 2019. They surprised everyone by selecting Daniel Jones at 6th (was also strongly considered here). Their second pick, Dexter Lawrence, is one of the best defenders in the league. Their worst of the bunch was Baker, who was cut after just one season. He wasn’t terrible (but was bad) on the field, but legal issues off the field made the Giants cut him after just one season.
New York Jets – QB Zach Wilson (2nd pick, 2021)
The 2021 Draft process was arguably the hardest ever for teams. The pandemic shortened the season, scouts weren’t allowed to be too close for their evaluations, and some players sat out due to COVID-19. This isn’t to say the Jets selecting Wilson 2nd overall wasn’t a bad decision – it absolutely was -but rather to give a background. Wilson played for three years, never reached 2500 passing yards, and in his only season with more TDs than INT, he had 8 and 7, respectively.
Philadelphia Eagles – WR Jalen Reagor (21st pick, 2020)
It’s hard to name a team as good as the Eagles in the last 15 years. In his second stint as the Eagles’ GM, Howie Roseman nailed almost every decision he made, but his worst one was super bad. Not only was Reagor a bust, spending just two years in Philadelphia and not reaching 400 yards in any, but they selected him just one pick ahead of Justin Jefferson. Throughout his career, Reagor has 1037 yards and 4 TDs. In Jefferson’s worst statistical season, when he missed 7 games with an injury, he had 1074 yards and 5 TDs.
Pittsburgh Steelers – QB Kenny Pickett (20th pick, 2022)
Since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, the Steelers have been trying to find their next franchise QB. They thought they had it in Pickett. Well, they were wrong. In the two years he spent in Pittsburgh, Pickett was not close to being a franchise QB. With two very underwhelming seasons, the Steelers traded him to the Eagles for a third-round pick.
San Francisco 49ers – QB Trey Lance (3rd pick, 2021)
Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch should’ve been fired. They gave up more first-round picks to get Trey Lance than the number of games he started for the 49ers. He was viewed as a high-floor prospect, and even though the price to get him was steep, the 49ers looked like the perfect landing spot for someone like Lance. A backup to Jimmy Garoppolo in 2021, he was supposed to be the starter in 2022, but an ankle injury sidelined him for the entire season. Luckily for Shanahan and Lynch, Brock Purdy stepped up and helped lead the team to the NFC championship game. This wasn’t good for Lance, who was traded to the Cowboys in 2023 and is now a backup only.
Seattle Seahawks – EDGE L.J. Collier (29th pick, 2019)
Collier had just one season as a starter in Seattle. It was also the only season he played more than 220 snaps, and the only one in which he recorded a sack. His 2020 season looked like it would put him on the right track, with 3.0 sacks and 17 pressures to go with 22 tackles, but ultimately, he wasn’t productive as a Seahawk.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – CB Vernon Hargreaves III (11th pick, 2016)
Like a lot of players on this list, Hargreaves dealt with multiple injuries early in his career. After starting every game in his rookie season, a hamstring strain in 2017 and a shoulder sprain in 2018 forced him to miss 22 games in these two years. He wasn’t the same player in 2019, when the Bucs decided to cut their losses and waived him in the middle of the season.
Tennessee Titans – OT Isaiah Wilson (29th overall, 2020)
Isaiah Wilson may have the most money earned by snaps in NFL history. He played just four snaps for the Titans and pocketed almost $ 6.5 M. He is arguably the most controversial player on the list, with a lot of off-the-field problems in a short amount of time. In his only season in Tennessee, he had a trespassing warning from the police, crashed his car into a wall, had a DUI charge, was suspended for violating team rules, was placed twice on the COVID-19 list, and once on the reserve/non-football illness list.
Before being traded to the Dolphins for a seventh-round pick, he went on social media to say he was “done with football as a Titan.” Safe to say the Titans regret picking him over players like Tee Higgins, Xavier McKinney, and Jonathan Taylor, who went early in the second round.
Washington Commanders – CB Emmanuel Forbes (16th pick, 2023)
Forbes’ career is still in the beginning, so there’s time for him to turn it around – but it won’t be in Washington. He had a rough rookie season, but not an atrocious one. He had trouble tackling, something that was also a problem in college, but is somewhat normal when you’re a smaller player. If he were good in coverage, the trade-off would be acceptable, but he wasn’t. To make matters worse, the Patriots selected Christian Gonzalez with the next pick.
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