NFL Players That Ended Up Being Major Busts

NFL draft picks come with great potential for a losing football team to turn its luck around by selecting a possible future face of the franchise. Unfortunately, plenty of players that are stars in college end up becoming disappointments once they go pro due to poor performance or off-the-field behavior. 

We know that fans will still begrudgingly complain about that horrible pick their team wasted in the first round five years ago, squandering it on a quarterback who would be out of the league in three years. You can take solace in the fact that all teams make selections that they wish they could take back. Take a look at some of the recent NFL players that never lived up to their draft-pick status…

Henry Ruggs III – WR

Henry Ruggs III was the 12th overall pick in 2020, and seemed to have all the potential in the world. He had moments that he flashed real promise in his rookie season, that had fans hoping that he would be the next breakout wide receiver in his second year in the league. 

Unfortunately, in 2021, Ruggs ended up driving 156 mph while heavily intoxicated and crashed his car into another vehicle, killing the other driver. Ruggs was found to have a blood alcohol level of twice the legal limit in Nevada. Even if the Las Vegas Raider doesn’t serve jail time, his playing days in the NFL are almost certainly over.

Mitch Trubisky – QB

The Chicago Bears have a long history of trying to search for the right man to fit the role of quarterback, something that they seem to struggle with perennially. To make matters worth, the rival Green Bay Packers have seen years of continued success with quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center.

In 2017, Chicago traded up for the 2nd overall pick to draft Mitch Trubisky. He made the Pro Bowl in his sophomore season but didn’t do too well in 2019 and 2020. In 2021, he served as the backup to Josh Allen in Buffalo, and was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2022 offseason after Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement. Bears’ fans can tell you well that 8 picks after Chicago selected Trubisky in 2017, Kansas City drafted Patrick Mahomes. 

Saquon Barkley – RB

Saquon Barkley was the 2nd overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft and looked ready to be the next great running back in the game. His rookie year certainly backed that up, seeing Barkley rack up an impressive rushing yards 1,300 yards and collect 11 touchdowns.

But in the latter part of his second season, he injured himself, and then would tear his ACL at the beginning of the 2020 season, missing nearly the whole season. Though still young, Barkley has to prove that he can stay on the field and if he’s still as explosive as he had been in his rookie campaign. 

Josh Doctson – WR

The 22nd overall pick by the Washington Football Team back in 2016, Josh Doctson had all the talent to succeed. Unfortunately, he seemed like he was snake-bitten right from the jump with, missing nearly all of his rookie year with an Achilles injury.

He showed promise in 2017 and 2018, but never resembled the first-round pick Washington drafted. It didn’t get any better for him since the 2019 campaign. That season, he was cut by Washington and has only managed to play one NFL game since his release.

Odell Beckham, Jr. – WR

Odell Beckham Jr., or OBJ, was the 12th overall pick in 2014 by the New York Giants. He became a household name overnight with a one-handed grab on Sunday Night Football known as the “catch heard ‘round the world.” While he made the highlight reel often, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the receiver.

Certainly one of the star wide receivers in the league over his first few seasons, his off-the-field attitude and behavior has become a question mark. Browns’ fans were excited when he signed with Cleveland in 2019, but he was released in 2021 shortly after his father posted on social media about his son not getting passes. He signed with the Los Angeles Rams in the middle of the 2021 season, and helped lead them to a Super Bowl, though he would tear his ACL in the big game, making his future uncertain.

Corey Coleman – WR

The Cleveland Browns seem to be one of those teams that just haven’t had a ton of luck with their first-round picks. Corey Coleman was the 15th overall pick in 2016, after putting up big numbers at Baylor and standing out as one of the best college receivers in the country. 

After a pair of very injury-laden and below-average seasons in Cleveland, he was then traded to Buffalo. The Bills ended up cutting him after just a few weeks, and he has found himself bouncing around the league ever since, not catching a pass since 2018.

Deshone Kizer – QB

Most of the Browns’ previous drafting struggles come from the same position that a lot of teams have challenges with: quarterback. But when they took Kizer 52nd overall in 2017, like so many signal-callers before him, it was thought they may have found their man. 

Kizer completed a meager 53.6% of his passes, throwing a whopping 22 interceptions during his time in Cleveland. He was traded the next year and has been on three teams in three seasons. He may have hope as a backup but will likely never be a starting quarterback in the NFL again. 

Sam Darnold – QB

Sam Darnold was the 3rd overall pick in 2018 and Jets’ fans hoped he would be the future quarterback for the franchise that has gone so long without real success. Unfortunately, Darnold was never given a full chance to flourish, being beaten up behind bad Jets’ teams for 3 seasons.

He was traded prior to the 2021 season to the Panthers in hopes that they could bring his talent out. While his first few games in Carolina started out promising, he was less than impressive after that, throwing plenty of interceptions. He injured his shoulder blade in 2021, which had the Panthers resign former phenom Cam Newton. It remains to be seen what will happen with Darnold going forward in 2022. 

Leonard Fournette – RB

It is hard to place someone who recently won a Super Bowl on a list of players that haven’t lived up to their potential. But considering he was the 4th overall pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2017 NFL Draft, Leonard Fournette did not match up to that expectation.

Fournette had a solid rookie campaign, ended up missing time in year two, and looked like he might the verge of something big with 1,152 rushing yards in 2019. Since signing with Tampa Bay, he’s bounced back a bit, scoring as many touchdowns in 2021 as he did in his rookie year. 

J.J. Arcega-Whiteside – WR

One of the few non-first round picks (57th overall in 2019) on this list is J.J.Arcega-Whiteside. He was pegged as a potential superstar for the Philadelphia Eagles, but hasn’t looked that way. But a disappointing rookie year that saw him catch just 10 passes quickly erased those hopes.

Arcega-Whiteside made a grand total of four catches in 2020, and racked up only two catches in nearly a full season in 2021. It would not be surprising if he ends up somewhere other than Philly starting in 2022, if another team will take a chance on him. 

Paxton Lynch – QB

Paxton Lynch may be perhaps one of the greatest disappointments of the 2016 NFL Draft. When the Denver Broncos selected him with the 26th overall pick, Lynch was anointed the heir-apparent to the recently-retired and no-doubt Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. 

It never came close to being that way, unfortunately. Lynch managed to start just four games over his two seasons in Denver before being released. He hasn’t played for another team since 2017, adding to the list of quarterbacks that have not panned out on John Elway’s watch. Most recently, Lynch is the third-stringer for the CFL team, the Saskatchewan Roughriders. 

Drew Lock – QB

Shortly after the debacle that was the Paxton Lynch experiment in Denver, there was hope that Drew Lock, who was the 42nd overall pick in 2019, could become the longterm future signal-caller for the Broncos. But like Lynch, it seems that it wasn’t meant to be. 

Lock certainly showed potential in some games in his first season in 2019, before being given over the reins for 13 games in 2020. He threw 16 touchdowns but had 15 interceptions to go along with it. In 2021, he was relegated to be Teddy Bridgewater’s backup. In the 2022 offseason, he was traded to the Seattle Seahawks for superstar QB Russell Wilson. 

Jalen Reagor – WR

The Eagles took Jalen Reagor as the 21st overall pick in 2020 in the hopes of rebounding from a previous wide-receiver disappointment they had in J.J. Arcega-Whiteside. They may have unfortunately fallen headlong into another poor situation with Reagor, however. 

There were flashes of potential in his 396-yard rookie campaign, but in his second season, Reagor may have proven to be a utility receiver at best. Another first round pick, Alabama’s DeVonta Smith, who Philadelphia nabbed in 2021, has quickly taken the reigns as the top receiver in town, further mitigating Reagor’s presence.

Rashaad Penny – RB

Taken with the 27th overall pick in 2018, Rashaad Penny was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks, with Pro Bowler and fellow running back Nick Chubb coming after him that year. Penny has shown flashes of potential with Seattle, but not a lot beyond that. 

Since a somewhat promising rookie campaign, Penny has mostly been a backup. He managed just 370 yards in his second year and has struggles with injuries and an inability to beat out his competition since. In 2021, he has seen a little more success with the starter Chris Carson sidelined for a good portion of the season.

Daniel Jones – QB

Daniel Jones has had some big shoes to fill as the successor to Eli Manning, who won two Super Bowl titles with the New York Giants. Jones’ first career start was pretty memorable as he led the Giants to a thrilling victory against Tampa Bay after being down 18 points.

Unfortunately, since his solid rookie season, Jones hasn’t seen a ton of success. Having yet to play an entire season without being injured, his 37 wins, and 45 touchdowns through three seasons may mean that the Giants may be ready to move on soon from him.

John Ross – WR

The Bengals have had their share of offensive draft busts in the past – Akili Smith and Kijana Carter, to name a few – but Ross was supposed to be their franchise receiver. Taken with the 9th overall pick in 2017, he went just one slot before Patrick Mahomes went to the Chiefs.

Ross has been mostly injured during his time in the league. There was hope that his 500-yard-season in 2019 might be a positive sign, but yet another injury derailed him in 2020. His 2021 campaign with the Giants had him hoping to find some of the magic that made him a top-10 pick, but it has been an unimpressive season as well.

Josh Rosen – QB

The 2018 quarterback class was loaded with talent and the Arizona Cardinals managed to miss out on some real potential. They grabbed Josh Rosen 10th overall, after other quarterbacks were taken that year, such as Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Josh Allen.

Rosen filled in rather poorly and gave way to Arizona getting the 1st overall pick in 2019. The Cardinals selected Kyler Murray as their new quarterback and don’t regret it for a second. Rosen ended up going to Miami and managed just 6 games before getting cut prior to 2020. It is uncertain if he will ever play another snap in the NFL.

Dwayne Haskins – QB

There were some who felt that the Washington Football Team landed the best quarterback in the 2019 NFL Draft. When Haskins slid to the 15th overall pick, people were conjecturing that Washington got a steal. But Haskins’ time with the team was over rather quickly. 

Haskins just never seemed to click with the offense, showing poor play in each of his 13 starts. He finished with 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, and was finally cut after being seen patronizing a club while the NFL had tight restrictions for players during the 2020 season. He signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a backup before the 2021 season. Sadly, he was killed in April of 2022 after being struck by a truck. He was 24 years old. 

Sony Michel – RB

The New England Patriots seem to have a thing for small, dual-threat backs, so taking Sony Michel 31st overall in 2018 was no surprise. While scoring at least six touchdowns in his first two seasons, Michel has not quite managed to live up to his potential since then. 

Michel managed to approach the 1,000-yard mark for rushing during each of his first two seasons, but only played just nine games in 2020. In 2021, he was relegated to be the backup running back on Los Angeles, with another subpar year in the books for him. 

Tua Tagovailoa – QB

The 5th overall pick in the 2020 draft is starting to hear his doubters. Tua had 9 starts in the 2020 season, looking fairly average along the way, but still displaying plenty of potential that had scouts salivating over the talent of the former college stud.

While the latter part of the 2021 season saw the Dolphins compete in a way that Miami fans haven’t seen in a while, the former Alabama star’s injury history in such a short stint has made some concerned. It may be too early on the quarterback to decide his fate.

N’Keal Harry – WR

Many thought that N’Keal Harry, who was picked 32nd overall in 2019, could become the next big weapon for New England, especially with Julian Edelman retiring after the 2020 season. In his three seasons in New England, he has yet to play a full season. 

He had already been given the “bust” label by Patriots writers even before the 2021 season started. His 2021 campaign has been pretty abysmal, averaging about 1 catch per game, with less than 200 yards overall. It’s unlikely that he will be a Patriot in 2022. 

Deandre Baker – CB

Deandre Baker, who was selected as the 30th overall pick in 2019, has certainly been one of the bigger blemishes on the New York Giants’ draft record. They ended up trading away multiple future draft picks to move up and take the cornerback in 2019.

He played in all 16 games as a rookie, but that was the best of it. He got cut prior to 2020 thanks to armed robbery charges, which were later dropped. Given the fast cut and the picks it cost to get him, it is a move the Giants would sooner forget about. Baker has been with the Kansas City Chiefs since 2020, but has yet to play a full season since his rookie year. 

Isaiah Wilson – OT

First round picks, no matter how late into that round, always come with certain promise and potential. As the 29th overall pick in 2020, Isaiah Wilson was supposed to add to the rough-and-tumble run game that the Tennesse Titans pride themselves on.

But Wilson managed to appear in just a single game in his rookie year and it only got worse from there. Wilson picked up a DUI and publicly broke the 2020 restrictions the NFL had in place. He is currently on the Giants practice squad hoping to get a second chance at making his football career happen.

C.J. Henderson – CB

Jacksonville hasn’t had a lot of luck as a franchise overall, and they’ve also had bad luck with draft picks. Taken 9th overall in 2020, C.J. Henderson was supposed to become the lockdown corner the Jaguars sorely needed. But like most other Jags draft picks, it wasn’t meant to be.

Henderson played just half the games in his rookie season. If that weren’t bad enough, the Jaguars gave up on him shortly into his second year, sending him and a 5th-round pick to Carolina in 2022 for Dan Arnold and a 3rd-round pick in the  2022 draft.

Charles Harris – LB

Charles Harris was selected in the first round, with the 22nd overall pick in 2017. He was thought to become a future great, underrated linebacker. It turns out that he may have slid down a little bit in that draft because he may not be as good as once believed.

He is one of the few players to not have injuries to blame. Harris has mostly been a backup and saw his tenure in Miami come to a merciful end by being traded to Atlanta. He remains there but the hopes that he will live up to his status as a first-rounder are probably over.

Reuben Foster – LB

With as much defensive talent as San Francisco has had in the history of their franchise, it’s always surprising to see when anybody from the 49ers ends up on a list like this. But here we are talking about Reuben Foster, the 31st overall pick from the 2017 draft. 

The Alabama product looked like the next great Niners’ linebacker. That is until he racked up multiple arrests, domestic violence charges, and even a two-game suspension in 2018. After being released just two seasons into his career, he signed with Washington but never saw the field for them.

Eli Apple – CB

Taken 10th overall in 2016 by the New York Giants, it looked like Eli Apple would be a great cornerback and help to their defense, which has needed help. Unfortunately, that just never came to be. Injuries and disappointing play led to just two and a half seasons in New York.

Since then, Apple has bounced around the league a bunch, landing on his 4th team in just six years. He hopes to stick with the Cincinatti Bengals, who he joined before the 2021 season, though it’s unlikely that he will be anything particularly special as a cornerback. 

Mike Hughes – CB

The Minnesota Vikings selected Mike Hughes 30th overall in 2018 hoping that he could really shore up their previously-strong secondary. Instead, he has been found himself limited from playing by injuries despite being one of two corners taken in the first round that year. 

In his first three seasons, Hughes made a grand total of seven starts and has seen less than 25% of the defensive snaps in that time. His 2021 campaign with the Chiefs has certainly felt more promising, as he had 4 forced fumbles and an interception that season. It’s not his talent that’s in question, it’s his health. 

Solomon Thomas – DE

The San Francisco 49ers have had a lot of defensive weapons in recent memory. Taken 3rd overall in 2017, it was thought that Solomon Thomas would join the ranks of some of their previous-elite defensive players. Unfortunately, Thomas was the pick that never was.

He battled injury in his third and fourth seasons, leaving San Francisco with just six total sacks over the course of four seasons. In the 2021 season, he joined the Las Vegas Raiders, and had the best season of his career yet, accumulating 3.5 sacks, and a dozen QB hits.  

Taco Charlton – DE

Taken 28th overall in 2017 by the Cowboys, Taco Charlton is one of the many players on this list no longer with the team that drafted him. He didn’t make it to a third season in Dallas, being released just two weeks into 2019 after being outperformed.

He showed flashes of prowess with the Dolphins, his next team, before being released again. He was in Kansas City in 2020, and found himself most recently a part of the Steelers’ defense. Though he will likely be in more of a backup role going forward. 

Robert Nkemdiche – DE

Taken 29th overall in 2016 by the Arizona Cardinals, Robert Nkemdiche was used to being the big man on campus. The former #1 overall college recruit naturally had tons of potential. But he really struggled to make an impact once he made it pro.

Over his five seasons in Arizona, he started just six games, and managed to notch just 4.5 sacks in his time there. He played for Miami in 2019, missed the 2020 season, and landed in Seattle before the 2021 season, with the hopes to revive his career.

Isaiah Wynn – OT

Drafted in the first round, 23rd overall by the New England Patriots in 2018, Isaiah Wynn was supposed to be the guy to lead New England’s offensive line for possibly the next decade. But durability has been a huge issue for Wynn since being drafted into the league.

He missed almost all of his rookie year thanks to a torn Achilles. Since then, he has found himself on the injured reserve list in his second season as well, only playing ten games. It’s not clear if his body will be able to hold up to the rigors of the NFL.

Taven Bryan – DT

There a lot more players that could be included in a list of Jacksonville Jaguars busts. While many of them are offensive players, there is also Taven Bryan. The 29th overall pick in 2018 did manage to stay healthy since joining the league, but that has not meant success.

His four seasons in Jacksonville have been immensely underwhelming. He has registered just 5.5 sacks in his career so far, starting in only a quarter of the games he’s played. He will likely never be the force he was envisioned to be, though the hope is that he could become a serviceable rotation player.

Clelin Ferrell – DE

The Las Vegas Raiders have had their share of picks that didn’t pan out like some franchises on here. But with the 4th overall pick in 2019, the Raiders were more certain that they had found their next great pass-rusher in defensive end Clelin Ferrell.

While Ferrell has been an active part of the roster, starting in 26 games over his first three seasons, he hasn’t performed like a top-5 pick. His 8 career sacks are massively disappointing. That is not even mentioning the fact that 4th-round-pick Maxx Crosby has outperformed him since the two joined the team.

Rashan Gary – DE

It may be too soon to close the book on Rashan Gary, who was drafted 12th overall by Green Bay in 2019. The defensive end has always had the look of a special player. Unfortunately, in his first couple seasons he just hasn’t seemed like an integral part of the team’s defensive schemes since being drafted.

Gary did seem to have his best season in 2021. He notched 9.5 in 2021, including a couple of forced fumbles. While it looks like there is still potential for him to be a good defensive player, he may not be the integral player that the team thought they were getting with a top-15 pick.

Jeff Okudah – CB

Sometimes there are those players that are drafted who simply have a hard time just staying on the field. Jeff Okudah, was the 3rd overall pick in 2020 for the Detroit Lions, and he seems to be one of those players, having not played much in his career so far because of injury. 

Okudah appeared in just 9 games during his rookie year of 2020 before going down with injury. In 2021, he played in only 1 game. The Lions don’t have a lot to look forward to, so with another prime draft spot in 2022 after another abysmal season, they will likely keep trying to rebuild something.

Austin Jackson – OT

As the 18th overall pick by Miami in the 2020 NFL Draft, Austin Jackson isn’t quite “done,” but the future looks less promising than it once did. His first season resulted in a foot injury that landed him on the injured reserve for a healthy portion of his rookie year.

But since he’s come back in 2021, it hasn’t been too much better for Jackson. He grades out as below-average on the Dolphins, who have one of the worst offensive lines in the football. The clock may be running out on Austin Jackson’s time with Miami.

Vernon Hargreaves – CB

The 11th overall pick in 2016 for the Buccaneers, Vernon Hargreaves has certainly flashed potential since coming into the league. Still, as Tampa Bay’s defense became more and more revered, Hargreaves continued to find himself sliding down the totem pole.

This was even more the case after only playing half a season in 2017. In 2019, he was traded to the floundering Houston Texans, and then ended up being traded to the Cincinatti Bengals in 2021, where he has been serviceable, though not particularly great. 

Haason Reddick – LB

The clock is definitely ticking when it comes to the 13th overall pick from the Arizona Cardinals in 2017. Hasson Reddick, who was a former standout during his college days at Temple University, became an afterthought by his third season, starting just 5 games in 2019.

Things may be turning around for him. His 2020 season looked like a serious improvement, with 11 starts and 12.5 sacks that season. He was then shipped off to Carolina before 2021, where he had another very strong season with over 11 sacks and a couple of forced fumbles under his belt. 

Marcus Davenport – DE

Marcus Davenport was the 14th overall pick in 2018, though he may be on his last legs with the Saints. He had recorded 10.5 sacks over his first two seasons total. In 2020, Davenport really failed to develop in year three, starting one game, though he did registering 1.5 sacks in that game. 

2021 may have been a bit of a turn-around year for the defensive end, having notched 9 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, including a fumble recovery. So perhaps he is turning the corner. He’ll have to keep this momentum up in the coming years or  Davenport may be looking for a new team soon.