The Best and Worst of Each Draft
-
I title this the Best and Worst of each draft for going back to when the common draft started in 1967 I am going to list the very best players that came out of that draft. I will give like the top 5 or 6.....of ALL rounds, then I will give the three players from just the first round that amounted to the biggest busts of that draft....or at least the overall least productive career. I will break posts down into decades in order to not jam it all in at once. Why take note of the busts? Simply as a warning that anyone these teams drafted coulda, woulda, shoulda either made it big....or been a big nothing:
1960s/70s
1967 Best: Alan Page, Gene Upshaw, Bob Griese, Lem Barney, Willie Lanier, Rayfield Wright, Floyd Little
Worst: Jim Detwiler, Harry Jones, Ray McDonald
1968 Best: Ron Yary, Art Shell, Curly Culp, Larry Csonka, Claude Humphrey, Elvin Bethea, Ken Stabler
Worst: Eldridge Dickey, Mike Hull, Jim Smith
1969 Best: OJ Simpson, Joe Greene, Ted Hendrix, Charlie Joiner, Roger Wehrli
Worst: Jim Seymour, Rich Moore, Greg Cook
1970 Best: Terry Bradshaw, Mel Blount, Lemar Parish (7th round) Doug Wilkerson, Jake Scott (7th)
Worst: Larry Stergent, Sid Smith, John Small
1971 Best: Jack Ham, Jack Youngblood, John Riggins, Dan Dierdorff, Ken Anderson
Worst: Leo Hayden, Leon Burns, Joe Moore
1972 Best: Franco Harris, Lydell Mitchell, Cliff Branch (9th rd.) Lawrence McCutcheon, Brian Sipe (13th)
Worst: Bill Thomas, Michael Taylor, Terry Beasly
1973 Best: Dan Fouts, John Hannah, Joe Dellamelleure, Ron Jaworski, Tom Jackson
Worst: Johnny Rodgers, George Amundson, Barry Smith
1974 Best: Mike Webster, Jack Lambert, John Stallworth, Lynn Swann, Randy Gradishar, Ed Too Tall Jones
Worst: Charley Young, J.V. Cain, Bo Mathews
1975 Best: Walter Payton, Randy White, Fred Dean, Steve Grogan, Louis Wright
Worst: Larry Burton, Kurt Schumacher, Tom Ruud
1976 Best: Mike Haynes, Steve Largent, Harry Carson, Jackie Slater, Lee Roy Selmon
Worst: Ken Novak, Rod Walters, Lawrence Gaines
1977 Best: Tony Dorsett, Stan Morgan, Bob Baumhower, Steve DeBerg(10th rd.), Rod Martin
Worst: Mike Cobb, Steve Pisarkewiscz, Randy Burke
1978 Best: James Lofton, Earl Campbell, Ozzie Newsome, Mike Kenn, Clay Matthews
Worst: Steve Little, Ken McAfee, Larry Bethea
1979 Best: Joe Montana, Dan Hampton, Kellen Winslow, Phil Simms, Max Montoya
Worst: Robert Shaw, Russell Erxleben, Willis Adams
(Browns players on either listed noted in Brown)
Hall of Famers in Italics
-
Here is the list of the Best and Worst of each draft from the 1980s:
1980 Best: Anthony Munoz, Art Monk, Dwight Stephenson, Steve McMichael, Jacob Green
Worst: Vagas Ferguson, Junior Miller, Derrick Hatchett
1981 Best: Lawrence Taylor, Mike Singletary, Ronnie Lott, Ricky Jackson, Howie Long, Russ Grimm
Worst: Rich Campbell, David Overstreet, Booker Moore, David Verser
1982 Best: Marcus Allen, Mike Munchak, Andre Tippet, Mark Duper, Luis Sharpe
Worst: Perry Tuttle, Art Schlichter, Rod Hill
1983 Best: Dan Marino, John Elway, Jim Kelly, Eric Dickerson, Bruce Matthew, Darrell Green, Richard Dent
Worst: Gabe Rivera, Tony Hunter, Todd Blackledge
1984 Best: Boomer Esiason, Wilbur Marshall, Ernest Byner (10th rd.), Irving Fryar, Guy McIntyre
Worst: Clyde Duncan, Billy Cannon, Ron Faurot
1985 Best: Jerry Rice, Bruce Smith, Chris Doleman, Andre Reed, Randall Cunningham
Worst: Kevin Allen, Darryl Sims, Alvin Toles
1986: Charles Haley, Pat Swilling, Leslie O'Neal, Clyde Simmons, Jim Everett
Worst: Bob Buczowski, Brian Jozwiak, Reggie DuPard
1987: Rod Woodson, Rich Gannon, Vinny Testaverde, Hardy Nickerson, Greg Lloyd
Worst: Reggie Rogers, Kelly Stouffer, Shawn Knight
1988: Randall McDaniel, Thurman Thomas, Michael Irvin, Tim Brown, Dermonti Dawson
Worst: Ted Gregory, Clifford Charlton, Eric Kumerow
1989: Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders, Derrick Thomas, Troy Aikman, Steve Wisniewski
Worst: Bill Hawkins, Tom Ricketts, Hart Lee Dykes
(hard to imagine that there were 3 worse players the year Mike Junkin was picked...but apparently so)
-
Here are the Best and Worst picks for each draft in the 1990s:
1990 Best: Emmit Smith, Cortez Kennedy, Junior Seau, Shannon Sharpe, Richmond Webb
Worst: Andre Ware, Percy Snow, Darrel Thompson
1991 Best: Brett Favre, Aeneas Williams, Ricky Waters, Ted Washington, Mo Lewis
Worst: Huey Richardson, Dan McGwire, Todd Marinovich
1992 Best: Jimmy Smith, Troy Vincent, Levon Kirkland, Chester McGlockton, Darren Woodson
Worst: Tony Smith, Derek Brown, Vaughn Dunbar
1993 Best: Michael Strahan, Will Shields, Willie Roaf, Jerome Bettis, Drew Bledsoe
Worst: Leonard Renfro, Todd Kelly, Patrick Bates
1994 Best: Marshall Faulk, Larry Allen, Kevin Mawae, Tom Nalen, Isaac Bruce
Worst: Trev Alberts, Heath Shuler, Bernard Williams
1995 Best: Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Curtis Martin, Steve McNair, Kevin Conte
Worst: Trezelle Jenkins, Craig Powell, Billy Milner
1996: Best: Ray Lewis, Jonathan Ogden, Zach Thomas, Terrelle Owens, Marvin Harrison
Worst: Andre Johnson, Jamain Stephens, John Michels
1997: Best: Walter Jones, Ronde Barber, Jason Taylor, Orlando Pace, Tiki Barber
Worst: Jim Druckenmiller, Yatil Green, Jon Harris
1998: Best: Peyton Manning, Randy Moss, Alan Faneca, Charles Woodson, Fred Taylor
Worst: Marcus Nash, Ryan Leaf, John Avery
1999 Best: Edgerrin James, Champ Bailey, Donovan McNabb, Tory Holt, Joey Porter
Worst: Dmitrious Underwood, Reggie McGrew, Akili Smith
-
Here is the list for the 2000s:
2000 Best: Tom Brady (6th rd), Brian Urlacher, John Abraham, Brad Meester, Chad Clifton
Worst: R. Jay Soward, Erik Flowers, Rahard Anderson
2001 Best: Drew Brees, LaDanian Tomlinson, Reggie Wayne, Justin Smith, Steve Smith
Worst: Jamal Reynolds, Willie Middlebrook, Jamar Fletcher
2002 Best: Julius Peppers, Ed Reed, Dwight Freeney, Clinto Portis, Brian Westbrook
Worst: Wendell Bryant, Mike Rumph, Patrick Ramsay
2003 Best: Lance Briggs, Kevin Williams, Troy Polamalu, Terrell Suggs, Andre Johnson
Worst: Jerome McDougle, Charles Rogers, Andre Woolfork
2004 Best: Phillip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Jared Allen, Vince Wilfork
Worst: Rashaun Woods, Chris Perry, Marcus Tubbs
2005 Best: Aaron Rodgers, Logan Mankins, Demarcus Ware, Roddy White, Frank Gore
Worst: David Pollack, Erasmus James, Troy Williamson
2006 Best: Jahri Evans, Haloti Ngata, Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Maurice Jones-Drew
Worst: John McCargo, Bobby Carpenter, Tye Hill
2007 Best: Patrick Willis, Darelle Revis, Adrian Peterson, Joe Thomas, Calvin Johnson
Worst: Brady Quinn, Justin Harrell, Jamarcus Russell
2008 Best: Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco, Matt Forte, Josh Sitton, Chris Johnson
Worst: Vernon Gholston, Kentwan, Balmer, Jeff Otah
2009 Best: Clay Mathews III, LeSean McCoy, Matt Stafford, Louis Vasquez, Sebastian Vollmer
Worst: Aaron Maybin, Larry English, Jason Smith
-
Finally, while it is perhaps certainly too early to judge the more recent years, here is how the 2010s are going so far:
2010 Best: Ndomakong Suh, Earl Thomas, Maurkice Pouncey, NaVarro Bowman, Dez Bryant
Worst: Brandon Graham, Tim Tebow, Patrick Robertson
2011 Best: JJ Watt, Cam Newton, Richard Sherman (5th rd.), Patrick Peterson, Andy Dalton
Worst: Derek Sherrod, Jonathan Baldwin, Blaine Gabbert
2012 Best: Russell Wilson, Andrew Luck, Luke Kuechley, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill
Worst: AJ Jenkins, David Wilson, Melvin Ingram
2013 Best: Eddy Lacy, Leveon Bell, Kyle Long, Travis Frederick, David Bakhtari,
Worst: Jonathan Cooper, Dion Jordan, Tyler Eifert
2014 Best: Zack Martin, CJ Mosley, Odell Beckham, Aaron Donald, Jeremy Hill
Worst: Marcus Smith, Jimmie Ward, Darqueze Dennard, Dee Ford, Johnny Manziel, Jadaveon Clowney
-
Some things to think about from these above lists. The dearth of Browns. Since 1967 it can fairly be said that the Browns have drafted one of the best 5 players in a draft only three times: Newsome, Mathews, Thomas.
That is 47 drafts friends....and one of the 5 best only 3 times!! And two of those in one year.
And I guess with the bad comes the good.......the Browns have really only drafted one of the worst 3 first round busts on a few occasions:
Willis Adams, Clifford Charlton, Craig Powell, Brady Quinn (can't count Johnny yet) Of course the Browns have had other renowned busts as well....but none apparently as bad as these.
Which means from one point of view: Other teams do pretty fucked up when it comes to drafting as well.
We may have our Mike Junkins, Craig Powell, Clifford Charltons etc etc.
But other teams have their Mike Rumphs, Yatil Greens, Reggie Rogers, Hart Lee Dykes, ...Ryan Leaf's/Jamarcus Russells etc.
So the Browns have not cornered the market on making bad draft picks.....it just seems that way.
-
Manziel after two games... haha
Right, that is why I prefaced the results of the 2010s as being too early. My source still has RGIII as one of the 5 most productive players of that draft....but unless he turns it around he could be considered a major bust.
In fact, one person on the radio I heard said that if RGIII doesn't win the job and becomes relegated to role player, that HE could be the biggest bust in draft history..... and NOT Jamarcus Russell or Ryan Leaf. Why? Because those guys just cost the team that drafted him one high first round draft choice. RGIII would have cost the Redskins 3 high first round picks.
-
Weeden has to be on the worst list for 2012, especially if you consider where he was picked
-
Weeden has to be on the worst list for 2012, especially if you consider where he was picked
Weeden has to be on the worst list for 2012, especially if you consider where he was picked
Weeden started most of a full season plus for the Browns. Some of these other guys were so bad that they didn't see the light of day.
In fact other big name busts so far from that 2012 first round that have done less than Weeden include the likes of Nick Perry, Justin Blackmon, Morris Claiborne, Dre Kirkpatrick, Shea McClellin. Of that group, only Perry was drafted below Weeden. Plus Mark Barron has done just about as bad.
Is Justin Gilbert 2 years hence going to be included with those DBs?
And FYI....as bad as Trent Richardson is....he actually ranks in the top half production wise of all first round draft pics, per PFR career production average.
-
Weeden has to be on the worst list for 2012, especially if you consider where he was picked
Weeden started most of a full season plus for the Browns. Some of these other guys were so bad that they didn't see the light of day.
In fact other big name busts so far from that 2012 first round that have done less than Weeden include the likes of Nick Perry, Justin Blackmon, Morris Claiborne, Dre Kirkpatrick, Shea McClellin. Of that group, only Perry was drafted below Weeden. Plus Mark Barron has done just about as bad.
Is Justin Gilbert 2 years hence going to be included with those DBs?
And FYI....as bad as Trent Richardson is....he actually ranks in the top half production wise of all first round draft pics, per PFR career production average.
Weeden started most of a full season plus for the Browns. Some of these other guys were so bad that they didn't see the light of day.
I sure wish he hadn't.
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (either via email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks and upvote posts to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
Register Login