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The worst NFL draft pick of all time by every team

By Erik Lambert

OAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 03: JaMarcus Russell #2 of the Oakland Raiders in action against the Baltimore Ravens during an NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on January 3, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 03: JaMarcus Russell #2 of the Oakland Raiders in action against the Baltimore Ravens during an NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on January 3, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) /
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4 Dec 1988: Defensive lineman Shawn Knight of the Denver Broncos works against the Los Angeles Raiders during a game at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The Raiders won the game, 21-20. Mandatory Credit: Mike Powell /Allsport
4 Dec 1988: Defensive lineman Shawn Knight of the Denver Broncos works against the Los Angeles Raiders during a game at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The Raiders won the game, 21-20. Mandatory Credit: Mike Powell /Allsport /

22. New Orleans Saints

22. player. 15. . DE. BYU. Shawn Knight

Everybody thought the New Orleans Saints were getting a straight-laced Mormon kid from BYU when they drafted Shawn Knight 11th overall in 1987. He looked like somebody destined for greatness after posting 16 sacks in his final season. On top of that, he was 6’6 and 290 lbs. The guy looked made for the NFL. However, two big red flags were his undoing. One was the fact he had a badly damaged ankle he’d injured twice in college that never healed properly.

The other was the fact he held out in a contract dispute that cost him most of training camp. This did not endear him to anybody in the organization. Knight ended up playing just one season for the Saints and failed to register a tackle, let alone a sack. He was traded the next year and played for two other teams, the injuries piling up as he went. Knight never amounted to anything in the NFL, proving again the cautionary tale of one-year wonders.

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