The NFL Draft’s 10 Biggest Busts of the Decade

Since joining the Jaguars, Williamson has 8 catches for 64 yards and 1 touchdown.

5. Matt Leinart – Selected 10th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 2006

Leinart was one of the most decorated players entering the 2006 draft. He was a Heisman Trophy winner, national champ, Walter Camp Award winner, and a two-time NCAA Quarterback of the Year.

Leinart was off to a decent start in his rookie campaign. He started 11 games and threw for 2,547 yards. Unfortunately, Leinart only added 11 touchdowns and he had 12 interceptions.

Since his first year, Leinart has only six starts. He has six interceptions and only three touchdowns in the last three years.

The coaching staff did everything in their power to give Leinart the starting job in 2008, but Leinart failed to show leadership and understanding of the offense. Kurt Warner is the current Cardinals starter.

Leinart appears to have a limited future in Arizona. He has never been able to look impressive and that is with two All-Pro wideouts, Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzerald, receiving the ball.

4. Peter Warrick – Selected 4th overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2000

Peter Warrick had an incredible amount of hype around him. The two-time All-American was supposed to be a franchise receiver in Cincinnati; he only played five seasons with the team.In those five seasons, Warrick never broke the 1,000 yard mark and never totaled more than 7 touchdowns.

In 2004, Warrick was limited due to injuries. He only started one game and played in four. It was that season that Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh took over as the number two wideout.

After his release in 2005, Warrick’s career has gone even more down hill. He played one year with the Seattle Seahawks and followed that up with stints in the Arena Football League, Canadian Football League, and Indoor Football League.

He was most recently a member of California Redwoods in the new United Football League (UFL).

3. Maurice Clarett – Selected in the 3rd round by the Denver Broncos in 2005

Clarett was not a 1st-round pick, but he was still a draft bust of epic proportions.

As a freshman, Clarett led the Ohio State Buckeyes to a 14-0 record and a National Championship title. During the season Clarett rushed for 1,237 yards and 18 touchdowns. It was all downhill from here.

Clarett, like USC wideout Mike Williams, applied for early entry into the NFL Draft. His appeal was denied and then Clarett was ineligible for the 2004 season.

He was drafted in the third-round by the Denver Broncos. Clarett had many issues with the coaching staff and he never played a down in the NFL.

A year later, in 2006, Clarett was arrested on armed robbery charges. A legal battle followed that lasted until Clarett was again arrested in August of the same year.

When all was said and done, Clarett was sentenced to 7 and a half years in prison, a sentence that he is currently serving.

2. JaMarcus Russell – Selected 1st overall by the Oakland Raiders in 2007

JaMarcus Russell was only drafted first-overall because he has a huge arm and he impressed scouts when he threw for 305 yards and 3 TDs in the Sugar Bowl during his junior year against a very weak Notre Dame defense.

Russell missed most of his rookie season because he was involved in a hold out. Russell has never recovered.

He has only 18 touchdowns compared to his 22 interceptions. Russell is one of the most inaccurate quarterbacks in the league and he has been benched this season in favor of Bruce Gradkowski.

Gradkowski was injured and Russell was still not called on. The team instead turned to Charlie Frye.

In a season where Russell was supposed to have a breakout year, he has a pathetic 3 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His time in Oakland is coming to an end much to the pleasure of Raider fans everywhere.

1. Charles Rogers – Selected 2nd overall by the Detroit Lions in 2003

Rogers drew comparisons to Randy Moss during his college career at Michigan State.

Rogers’ NFL career can be described in one word: mess. He played in only 6 games during his first two seasons. In both 2003 and 2004 he suffered a broken collarbone that sidelined him. He was set to return in 2005, but received a suspension for violating the NFL’s Substance Abuse Policy. Rogers was never able to recover.

The Lions released him following the season, and that was it. Rogers was out of the league after only three embarrassing seasons.
Since leaving the NFL, Rogers has been arrested three times. Rogers had all the potential to be a top NFL wideout, but he threw it all away with his marijuana and pain killer abuse.

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