The 2026 NFL Draft is less than two months away, and teams and fanbases alike are gearing up to crown the future of their franchises. However, as anyone who follows the NFL is all too familiar with, plenty of the players selected won't ever reach the lofty standards placed on them.
Some will help guide teams to a championship, but others will fall flat and be labeled as draft busts. Taking a look back at the last 6 drafts, here are the Top 10 biggest draft busts of the 2020s so far.
Honorable Mention: Anthony Richardson, QB – No. 4 overall (1st round) 2023 NFL Draft (Indianapolis Colts)
Richardson could see himself fly up this list if his career trajectory doesn't change, but, as of now, hope remains that he can become the player that scouts believed he could be. His freakishly athletic profile and unfathomably high upside got him tabbed as the Colts' next franchise QB despite iffy college performances. He was decent in short spurts during his rookie year, but his sophomore campaign was filled with turnover issues and poor decisions. Indianapolis is expected to trade the 23-year-old this offseason, and he still has the capability to become a starting QB in the NFL, but he may find himself out of a job if his next stint goes awry.
No. 10: Isaiah Wilson, OT – No. 29 overall (1st round) 2020 NFL Draft (Tennessee Titans)
The book on Wilson closed about as fast as it opened. Drafted for his incredible 6'7", 340-pound frame and intriguing physical tools, everything went wrong, and fast. He played just four total snaps in his rookie season, going viral on social media for getting blown up on his one special teams snap. The Titans sent the former 1st-round pick to Miami for a 7th-round pick swap after just one year, and he was waived after just three days because of immediate attendance issues and commitment concerns. A brief practice squad stint with the New York Giants followed, and since then, he hasn't been given another chance.
No. 9: Jedrick Wills Jr., OT – No. 10 overall (1st round) 2020 NFL Draft (Cleveland Browns)
Wills Jr. was seen as the future of the Browns' offensive line, and he never would've been seen as a candidate for this list after his rookie season. After that, it was a rapid decline for the Alabama product. He committed 10 penalties in 2022, and he saw his play decrease in 2023 and 2024 before failing to find a job for the 2025 season. He sat out the entire year, and it's still up in the air whether he finds another role with a team. Wills Jr. finds himself on the list because of just how high his expectations were, and how rough his fall from grace was.
No. 8: Mekhi Becton, OT – No. 11 overall (1st round) 2020 NFL Draft (New York Jets)
Becton's blend of size and athleticism was the stuff of legends, standing at 6'7" and over 350 pounds with the ability to jump out of a fully-filled pool. He put together a decent rookie campaign, but he missed nearly two straight years with injuries, and he wasn't nearly the same player when he returned, even getting tagged for a whopping 18 penalties in 2023. A bounce-back year with Philadelphia revitalized his career, but it's difficult to overlook just how disappointing he was for the Jets when discussing the top draft busts of this decade.
No. 7: Treylon Burks, WR – No. 18 overall (1st round) 2020 NFL Draft (Tennessee Titans)
The AJ Brown to Philadelphia trade will be talked about for years to come, and Burks is arguably the main reason why. He was Brown's perceived successor, and those plans went south in a hurry. He amassed under 700 yards and just a single touchdown across three seasons for the Titans, with injuries also playing a part in his development stalling. His Tennessee tenure came to a premature end with a fractured collarbone during training camp before the 2025 season, with his most recent action coming in limited snaps for the Washington Commanders at the tail end of the year.
No. 6: CJ Henderson, CB – No. 9 overall (1st round) 2020 NFL Draft (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Henderson was seen as a future Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback with all the intangibles you could hope for out of a top prospect. He was taken in the Top 10 and viewed as a long-term answer for Jacksonville on defense, but has played for five teams in six seasons since entering the league. His rookie season was far from ideal, and the Jaguars' front office quickly pulled the trigger with a trade to Carolina in September of 2021. He's consistently fallen short of expectations and, despite still receiving chances in the league, has yet to produce one full season as an average-or-better cornerback.
No. 5: Isaiah Simmons, LB – No. 8 overall (1st round) 2020 NFL Draft (Arizona Cardinals)
Simmons was seen as a unicorn prospect in the 2020 draft class; a player with the size of a traditional linebacker and the speed and athleticism of a defensive back. He was everything scouts look for in the modern NFL, but he simply didn't pan out. He was viewed as someone who could play anywhere, but ended up positionless for all the wrong reasons. The Clemson graduate never found his footing, leading to his 5th-year option being declined. He's spent time with the Giants, Packers, and Panthers, having to fight for a spot on any roster just 6 years after being viewed as a franchise-changing player.
No. 4: Evan Neal, OT – No. 7 overall (1st round) 2022 NFL Draft (New York Giants)
The second of two Top-10 selections for the Giants in 2022, Neal got off to a poor start in the NFL and was never able to make the necessary adjustments. He quickly found himself out of favor with the fanbase due to his play and some ill-advised comments following on-field struggles. Posting high penalty counts and far below average Pro Football Focus grades (41.8 in 2022, 39.8 in 2023), New York was forced to move him to guard in an attempt to revive his career. He didn't see the field at all in 2025 and is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason with weak leaguewide interest expected.
No. 3: Jeff Okudah, OT – No. 3 overall (1st round) 2020 NFL Draft (Detroit Lions)
Coming out of Ohio State, Okudah was viewed as a "can't-miss" cornerback prospect, and, well, he was a miss. The signs started to show in his rookie year, allowing almost 600 yards in under 500 snaps, registering a flat-out awful 30.9 PFF coverage grade.
A myriad of injuries and poor play plagued his tenure in the Motor City, and he struggled to catch on in the NFL. He lasted just three seasons in Detroit, getting traded to Atlanta in 2023 for a 5th-round pick. His singular year with the Falcons was his last year as a full-time player, again playing poorly and signing with the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings in 2024 and 2025, respectively, seeing time as a backup before suffering two more season-ending injuries.
No. 2: Zach Wilson, QB – No. 2 overall (1st round) 2021 NFL Draft (New York Jets)
The Jets have a reputation as quarterback purgatory, and Wilson is the latest of their highly drafted misses. His potential dazzled on tape, and while the risks were there, the New York brass was confident enough in their ability to develop him that they took him with the 2nd overall pick.
Wilson would occasionally show flashes, but he posted negative TD/INT ratios in each of his first two seasons and finished with an 8/7 split in his third. He just never found a way to properly transition to the NFL, and the franchise finally gave up on him, sending him to Denver one week after the 2024 league year commenced. After one year with the Broncos, he signed a 1-year, $6 million contract with the Miami Dolphins for 2025, and is once again slated to hit the free agent market as a buy-low backup option.
No. 1: Trey Lance, QB – No. 3 overall (1st round) 2021 NFL Draft (San Francisco 49ers)
The magnum opus of 2020s draft busts to this point, the FCS megaprospect from North Dakota State, had attributes that you simply can't teach. With Miami in the No. 3 slot and no current need for a quarterback, the 49ers moved up from the 12th pick to scoop up Lance, sending a haul made up of three 1st-round picks and 3rd-round pick to take him.
Lance was serviceable across three games with extended playing time, but his quest for the starting role was cut short in 2022 due to a Week 2 ankle injury that ended his season. Then came Brock Purdy. Lance never threw another snap for San Francisco, ending his Bay Area tenure with less than 800 yards and 6 total touchdowns. He's gotten backup roles with the Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Chargers, and his NFL failures make him one of the biggest and most monumental draft busts of the 21st century.