NFL Roundtable: The Biggest Draft Bust Of Past Decade

As the season prepares to climax at Super Bowl 50, talk for most fans has shifted to the draft.  Among the favor topics of conversation is figuring out which players expected to come out of college could be the next great draft busts.  In the interests of fun debate, we conducted another NFL roundtable and asked the Mocks crew who their biggest bust is over the span of the past 10 years.

Rodney Stokes:

Trent Richardson, he was supposed to be a sure fire bet at the running back position and has been on 3 teams in 4 years. Currently unemployed and slim chance he’ll get another opportunity.

George Stockburger:

Marcus Smith for the Eagles. While many projected him to be a mid round prospect, GM Howie Roseman insisted that the Eagles take him over Jordan Matthews, whom Chip Kelly wanted. Smith has three career tackles and 1.5 sacks in his first two years and has been a healthy scratch for many games.

Matthew Holowiak:

Dion Jordan for the dolphins. They traded up to the 3rd pick to take him and he has been constantly injured and suspended through his career. To date he has 46 tackles and 3 sacks since being drafted in 2013.

Eric Robinson:

I have a tie between Jamarcus Russell and Vince Young. Two quarterbacks who came in with tremendous media attention and ability. However, the fact that neither one had an elite work ethic became more and more vivid as the seasons went on. Both had the opportunity with their respective niche (Russell’s big arm and tall stature, Young’s mobility, awareness, and frame) to change the position.

Brady Lunt:

Aaron Curry. Many described him as the safest prospect, and really the elite prospect, in the 2009 draft. His hype was overwhelming which led to his selection at #4 overall by the Seattle Seahawks. Needless to say, he played only three seasons in Seattle totaling 5.5 sacks before playing for the Oakland Raiders for 2011-12. He made little impact in Oakland and hasn’t been on an NFL team since.

Erik Lambert:

There may be no greater phony in NFL history than Vernon Gholston.  This was a guy who had 21.5 sacks and 30.5 tackles for a loss in college at Ohio State.  Then he proceeded to blow up the scouting combine, including a then-record 37 reps on the bench press.  Most considered him the next great pass rusher when the New York Jets took him 6th overall.

Problems arose from the start.  He failed to crack the defensive lineup as a rookie, and received little playing time when Rex Ryan took over a year later.  Gholston signed a five-year contract and ended up only playing three years in the league.

He did not record a single sack in that span.