#2 BUST-O-METER: Bruce Campbell

BUST-O-METER

The NFL Draft is suppose to be a time where teams fill their rosters with young promising players that will ensure success in the future, unfortunately this isn’t always the case. Year in and Year out players are selected and fail to live up to their potential and are labeled BUSTS. These Busts could potentially have a crippling affect on a franchises future. Some of the more famous draft Busts are Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith, Lawrence Phillips, and Ki-Jana Carter. How a bust is determined is too undefined to get into details about.

A prime example is the 6 straight losing seasons following the Bengals failure to develop Akili Smith into a capable NFL starter. Compare that to the 6 straight winning seasons produced by the Chargers after drafting Phillip Rivers in 2004. Of course these players are not solely responsible for their team’s success or failures but they did have a major impact.

After looking over the players projected to go in the first round I was amazed how many gave me an uneasy feeling. This week we are going to count down the top 10 players with the most bust potential. I encourage that all the readers get involved and suggest potential busts of the week. Leave comments to help me feel better about a player or continue to add on the pile.

Player:

Bruce Campbell- OT- Maryland

BUST-O-METER:

9 out of 10

Thoughts:

Bruce Campbell might be the top bust candidate in this year’s draft.  Campbell had an outstanding combine where he displayed his superior athleticism and potential.  Campbell ran the 40 in 4.75 seconds and did 34 reps on the bench press.  Team executives were no doubt impressed with his abilities and these numbers have lead to Campbell’s rise on draft boards.  Some coaches and GM’s believe strongly in the saying that you “can’t coach someone to be fast and athletic”.  These beliefs lead to teams reaching for players that may not have performed at a high level on the field.  Campbell is the perfect example of this situation.  He has all the ability to succeed but sometimes people cannot learn certain skills.

Campbell’s bust potential is also impacted by the demand for left tackles in the NFL.  Organizations are going to have stars in their eyes when they look at Campbell.  He plays a demanded position and on paper exhibits the abilities to be dominate but reviews of his on the field play have been mixed.  Campbell’s bust potential will decrease if he falls to the second or third round because at that position in the draft he represents great upside and value.