From high expectations to disappointing realities... Join us as we count down our picks for the biggest draft busts in recent NFL history! These highly-touted prospects were selected early but failed to live up to the hype, whether due to injuries, poor performance, or off-field issues. Which player do you think was the most disappointing investment for their team?
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00:00Does anyone have a single concern about Bryce Young being elite?"
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:06And today, we're counting down our picks for the NFL players who were drafted early
00:11but turned into total busts.
00:13That will bring a torrent of lose.
00:18Number 10. Isaiah Wilson, Tennessee Titans
00:22It's extra disappointing when a player fails due to off-the-field reasons rather than a talent
00:29issue. The Titans took the offensive tackle at pick 29, and he was immediately a problem for them.
00:34I think this is an interesting pick, but it's the right pick for the Tennessee Titans. They know
00:39exactly what they want to do in terms of what style of football they want to play. This is a
00:43massive right tackle. Wilson was on and off the reserve COVID list for months, and in September
00:49of 2020, he was arrested for DUI. In December, the Titans suspended him for a rules violation,
00:56and the following January, he was arrested again for leading cops on a high-speed chase.
01:02He played just one game for the Titans during a disastrous rookie season that included a DUI
01:08charge and a one-game suspension. He was arrested again in January, released by Tennessee.
01:13He played exactly four snaps in his rookie season. In March, the team traded him to the Dolphins.
01:20He was cut just three days later after skipping workouts.
01:24He then spent a few months on the Giants' practice squad before his NFL career ended.
01:29The Giants, a team in need of offensive line depth,
01:33while Wilson is a first-round talent at 6'6", 350 pounds, and still just 22 years old.
01:41Number 9. Nakheel Harry, New England Patriots
01:45If a wide receiver can't succeed with Tom Brady as his quarterback,
01:49he was probably never meant to be a professional football player. The Patriots took Harry with the
01:54final pick of the first round — but due to injuries, he only played seven games his rookie
02:00season. After Brady departed for the Bucs in 2020, Harry recorded his most successful season with just
02:07309 receiving yards. The rest of his short career was plagued by injuries, and he bounced from the
02:21Bears to the Vikings to the Seahawks' practice squad. The Hawks released him in December 2024,
02:28which appeared to spell the end of his time as a pro.
02:32I just gotta kinda get the plays down, get the offense down,
02:35do myself more chances to get in there.
02:37Number 8. Zach Wilson, New York Jets
02:41In fairness to Wilson, nothing ever works out for the Jets. After being selected second overall,
02:47the BYU quarterback got off to a promising start in his first regular season game. He threw for 258 yards,
02:54two touchdowns, and one interception. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there.
03:04The following week against the Patriots, Wilson threw interceptions on his first two passing attempts,
03:09plus two more later in the game. He struggled through two more seasons with the Jets,
03:14suffering from injuries and getting benched for performance issues.
03:18He has time here to throw, and then he throws this one into the ground. You can see how nobody's
03:26more frustrated with what's going on than Zach Wilson. He then spent a year with the Broncos as
03:32the third-string quarterback before getting picked up by the Dolphins. It remains to be seen whether
03:37Wilson has the chops to succeed in the NFL. I think it's going to be a great fit, you know,
03:42just with what I'm looking for, the type of offense, the amount of information I'll be able to learn
03:47from these guys. I think it couldn't have been a better match. Number seven, Paxton Lynch, Denver
03:54Broncos. You never want to be the guy to try to fill Peyton Manning's shoes. Following their Super
04:00Bowl win and Manning's retirement, the Broncos selected Lynch 26th overall in 2016. The Denver Broncos
04:07select Paxton Lynch quarterback Memphis. During his rookie season, he subbed in for starter Trevor
04:14Simeon a handful of times and, overall, looked pretty good. He missed most of the following
04:20season with injuries, and in 2018 was demoted to third-string before being cut in September.
04:28Lynch then spent time with the Seahawks and Steelers before trying his luck in the Canadian
04:32Football League, the USFL, and the XFL. You at least have to admire his persistence.
04:38You know, I'm not quitting. I never quit. My mom never quit. My dad never quit. My brother
04:42never quit. I'm never going to quit. Number six, Jalen Rager, Philadelphia Eagles.
04:48In 2020, Philly was in desperate need of wide receivers. We know they needed wide receiver help.
04:54They had a bundle of wide receivers to choose from in this deep draft,
04:58and they're going with a man that Brady Quinn knows very well, Jalen Rager out of TCU.
05:03The best pass catcher on the roster was 33-year-old Deshaun Jackson,
05:08whose long career was nearing its end. The team took Rager 21st overall, and despite missing two
05:15months with an injury, he had a decent rookie season. However, the bottom fell out in 2021.
05:22Rager seemed to get the yips, dropping passes left and right and finishing the regular season
05:27with only two touchdowns.
05:29Uh-oh, watch out! Down to 40! Trying to wiggle past the putter, stiff arms, and he's in! What a runback!
05:39The last draw came during the playoffs, when Rager muffed two punts in the wildcard round,
05:44and the Eagles got blown out by the Bucs 31-15.
05:48Short punt. Bangs up high and it's muffed! Rager could not haul it in!
05:55Since then, he's been handed off from one team to another and seems destined to be another
06:00forgotten draft bust.
06:02Number 5
06:03John Ross
06:05Cincinnati Bengals
06:07After being selected ninth overall, this wide receiver's rookie season could not have gone worse.
06:12Ross missed the season opener with a knee injury, and in week two,
06:16he logged just 12 rushing yards and a fumble.
06:19Flip to the speedy John Ross. This is the guy with the great speed, but he can't hang on to the ball!
06:25That was the only time he'd touched the ball all season. He was active for only two more games,
06:31and was either injured or a healthy scratch for the other 12.
06:35His third season in the league was by far his best, when he managed over 500 receiving yards
06:41and three touchdowns.
06:43He's got it! Makes the catch! Looking for a roll!
06:47Ross sneaks in! First play touchdown for the Bengals!
06:52He was then shunted from the Giants, to the Chiefs, to the Eagles.
06:56All told, he played just 38 games in six seasons,
07:00and walked away with fewer than a thousand receiving yards for his career.
07:05First thing on the scouting report that you read about John Ross? Fast! Super duper fast! Look how he just blows by!
07:13Number four, Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers.
07:18This quarterback from NDSU has actually put up decent numbers when he gets on the field.
07:23They design quarterback runs for him, but when they call quick game like they do here,
07:29there's nothing wrong with him using his leg. Sadly, his career has been marred by one injury
07:34after another. The Niners drafted Lance third overall, and when he took over for an injured
07:40Jimmy G in week four, he racked up 157 passing yards, 41 rushing yards, and two touchdowns. But he only
07:48played one more game before going out with a knee sprain. He earned the starting job in 2022,
08:04but missed most of the season with an ankle injury. And in 2023, he was bumped down to third string.
08:10He then bounced to the Cowboys and the Chargers.
08:13Vogue fam, what's going on? It's Trey Lance here, just signed. Super excited to get out here and get
08:18started.
08:19Altogether, he played in only 12 games in his first four years in the league.
08:24Number three, Josh Rosen, Arizona Cardinals.
08:28After an impressive college career with UCLA, Rosen was one of the most exciting prospects in the 2018
08:35draft.
08:36The Arizona Cardinals select Josh Rosen, quarterback, UCLA.
08:41The Card selected him 10th, and he won the starting job by week four.
08:46That might have been more of a curse than a blessing, since the rest of the team's offense
08:51was a mess. Rosen was sacked 45 times, through 14 interceptions and just 11 touchdowns,
08:58and finished the season with the worst passer rating in the league.
09:02Rosen from the gun on second and seventh.
09:05End zone has his man! It's Fitzgerald for the Arizona touchdown! Beautifully thrown by the rookie!
09:14He was then moved to the Dolphins, becoming the only first-round QB to play just one season with
09:20a team that drafted him before being traded. Over the next few years, Rosen spent time with the Bucks,
09:2649ers, Falcons, Browns, and Vikings before calling it quits.
09:30At the end of the day, I just want to come in and play football.
09:33Number 2. Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers
09:37He might not be the worst player on our list, but when you draft a guy first overall,
09:42you expect to get a lot more out of him.
09:45The pick is in, and it is Bryce Young.
09:47There we go.
09:48Congratulations to Bryce Young.
09:50Young's rookie season was extremely mediocre. He threw 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions,
09:56and the Panthers finished 2-15. Things got even worse at the start of 2024,
10:02when the Cats were blown out in back-to-back games.
10:05Back-foot throw is incomplete.
10:09By week three, Young was benched for 37-year-old Andy Dalton. He returned to the starting lineup in
10:15week eight after Dalton sprained his thumb and finished the season with decent stats, including 15
10:20touchdowns and six interceptions. It's possible that Young still has a future in the NFL.
10:27We're gonna have time to build, to grow, and to accomplish the goals that we set for ourselves.
10:32Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:36Brashad Perryman, Baltimore Ravens
10:39He spent time with eight different teams, but never made a real impact.
10:43Look at this run right here. Perryman, he'll take it all the way. That is what Baltimore does.
10:50Cleland Ferrell, Oakland Raiders
10:53This fourth overall pick was a huge reach and hasn't had more than five sacks in a season.
10:59Just as Darnold takes his hand off the ball, there is Ferrell, and he gets it out.
11:04Jeff Okuda, Detroit Lions
11:06It's been one injury after another for this corner, who was picked third overall.
11:11Okuda with the pick, and little one picks big one, and takes it for a touchdown!
11:17Quentin Johnston, Los Angeles Chargers
11:21Wide receivers only have one job, and Johnston just isn't very good at it.
11:27Herbert, and a drop by Johnston
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11:46Number 1. Mitch Trubisky, Chicago Bears
11:50It's not just that Trubisky is a below-average QB, it's that the Bears traded up to take him second
11:57overall, ahead of Patrick Mahomes.
11:59The Chicago Bears select Mitchell Trubisky, quarterback, North Carolina.
12:06Offense has never been the Bears' strong suit, but Trubisky's middling stats were still let down.
12:12His best season came in 2018, when he took the team to the wild-card round.
12:16Trubisky, and that is caught and then dropped inside the 10-yard line.
12:23However, by the start of the 2020 season, he was in competition with Nick Foles for the starting job.
12:29He won the role, but the team declined to pick up his fifth-year option.
12:33Since then, he's bounced from the Bills to the Steelers… and back.
12:38We can't help but wonder how former GM Ryan Pace feels when he thinks about what could've been.
12:43The priority is get a win, get a win, go out, execute the game plan, and get a win.
12:46Which of these draft busts do you think was most disappointing?
12:49Let us know in the comments below.
12:51Harry going up and making a good catch, that's a great catch!