NFL Draft: Every team’s biggest first round bust of last ten years

12 of 33

DETROIT – OCTOBER 16: Jahvid Best #44 of the Detroit Lions watches the action from the bench during the NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at Ford Field on October 16, 2011 in Detroit, Michigan. The 49ers defeated the Lions 25-19. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /

2010, 30th overall. . Jahvid Best. . team. 50.

Detroit has not had the greatest of luck as a franchise, especially in the last 20 years. They haven’t won a playoff game since 1991, and failing to consistently draft well is a big reason for that drought.

Matthew Stafford, Ndamukong Suj, and Ziggy Ansah are the only Pro Bowlers to come out of the last 10 years worth of first round picks. Some of those classes included two picks in the top 32, one of which was the 2010 NFL Draft.

Detroit was two seasons removed from their historic 0-16 season where they got the opportunity to draft Matthew Staford number one overall. They took a tiny step foward by winning two games in 2009, and they owned the second-overall pick.

NEW YORK – APRIL 22: Jahvid Best from the California Golden Bears holds up a Detroit Lions jersey after the Lions selected Best number 30 overall during the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall on April 22, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /

After St. Louis took Sam Bradford, the Lions were looking at either Suh or Gerald McCoy to add a punishing interior defensive lineman to Jim Schwartz’s front. Detroit had allowed 232 more points than they scored in 2009, only a hair better than the year before.

Once they took Suh out of Nebraska, Detroit made a move from pick 34 to 30, jumping the Colts, Saints, and Rams for running back Jahvid Best. The Cal running back missed a couple games his junior year and didn’t match the 1600 yard season he had the year before, but he had 16 total touchdowns before declaring and was the next big weapon in Detroit for Stafford.

A turf foe injury cost Best some carries in 2010, but he still rushed for 555 yards and had over 1,000 all-purpose yards as a rookie, promising considering he started only nine games.

His sophomore season was marred by a preseason concussion, and after six starts Best was placed on injured reserve with only 390 rushing yards, and never played another down in the NFL.

While Best never returned to the football field because of concussions, he did run in the 100 meters during the Summer Olympics in Brazil.

Home/NFL Draft