Each and every year, there are NFL teams that have high hopes for their draft picks only to see those players flame out in one fashion or another. Unfortunately, there are no do-overs or mulligans when it comes to the NFL Draft. Here, we lay out the worst draft pick for each NFL team since 2000.
Rosen replaced Matt Leinart as the worst quarterback by the Cardinals this century. Selected 10th overall in 2018 out of UCLA, Rosen looked like a deer in the headlights during his rookie season, going 3-10 as the starter. The Cardinals didn't even give him a second chance, trading Rosen to Miami the following offseason and drafting Kyler Murray first overall in 2019. Rosen started only three games with the Dolphins in 2019 and was similarly ineffective.
The 24th overall pick out of Ole Miss, Jerry suffered a knee injury early in his rookie season that limited him to only two games that year. He played only four more seasons in the NFL, retiring with 5.5 sacks.
Clayton peaked with 67 receptions for 939 yards during his second season before seeing a steep decline. He finished his seven-year career with 3,448 receiving yards, not exactly great value as the 22nd overall pick in 2005.
Desperate for a quarterback, the Bills' selection of Manuel 16th overall out of Florida State was considered an overdraft at the time. It's been a disaster since then, with Manuel starting only 17 games over four seasons and posting a 77.5 passer rating. Tyrod Taylor beat out Manuel for the starting job in Year 3.
While a second-round pick, Clausen's career was terribly disappointing. He started 10 games in his rookie season, going 1-9 and helping the Panthers get the No. 1 overall pick in 2011 to draft Cam Newton. Clausen did not earn a roster spot in 2016 and finished 1-13 as a starter with an embarrassing 61.9 passer rating.
Drafted eighth overall in 2001, Terrell lasted only five seasons. He started just 29 games during that time and retired with only 1,602 receiving yards.
Even after Rudi Johnson's emergence, the Bengals selected Perry in the first round in 2004. He could never unseat Johnson, starting only nine games during his four seasons on the field. He retired with only 177 rush attempts and 3.4 yards per carry.
One of the least productive first overall picks ever, Brown had only 19 sacks over his six-year career. The Browns have had plenty of other duds over the last 17 years, too, including William Green (2002), Brady Quinn (2007), Trent Richardson (2012), Brandon Weeden (2012), Johnny Manziel (2014), and Corey Coleman (2016).
A backup running back at Arkansas, the speedy Jones was a playmaker but played only six NFL seasons and started 25 games after being drafted 22nd overall in 2008. He peaked in his second season with 5.9 yards per carry.
The Broncos traded up in 2010 to acquire one of the best college quarterbacks of all time 25th overall. Tebow did help the Broncos to the playoffs in 2011 despite completing a pitiful 46.5 percent of his passes. He lasted three seasons, but delusional fans of bad NFL teams still call for their teams to sign him each offseason. However, Tebow hasn't been able to catch on anywhere else besides one forgettable season with the Jets, and now he's attempting a professional baseball career.
Matt Millen's pitiful string of first-round picks started in 2002 with Harrington third overall. The Oregon alumnus set the organization back several years, going 18-37 as a starter over four seasons with a 68.1 passer rating. He played two more seasons before his career ended. Of course, Millen comically took wide receivers in the first round in the following three years, all of which (Charles Rogers, Roy Williams, Mike Williams) turned out to be disappointments.
Selected 16th overall in 2007, Harrell barely played in three seasons due to injuries. His career ended after three seasons and only 14 games.
The Texans' first draft pick ever was certainly their worst. Carr was a massive bust after going first overall in 2002. He started 75 games over five seasons in Houston, going 22-53 with a 75.5 passer rating before spending six more seasons as an NFL backup.
Werner was drafted 24th overall in 2013 to address Indy's pass rush, but he did nothing of the sort. He had only three sacks in 15 starts during 2014 and didn't find another start before getting waived following the 2015 season.
Gabbert had a strong arm but simply didn't have the skills to play quarterback for a bad team like the Jaguars. Drafted 10th overall in 2011, Gabbert was awful during his 27 starts over three seasons in Jacksonville. He went 5-22 as a starter with a 71.9 passer rating. He's hung around the league as a backup since then.
Drafted 26th overall in 2011, Baldwin was injured in his first training camp when veteran running back Thomas Jones decided that he needed an attitude adjustment. Baldwin never got the message, playing sparingly for the Chiefs over two seasons before getting traded to San Francisco for fellow first-round bust A.J. Jenkins. Baldwin was cut after three seasons with only 607 receiving yards.
Selected second overall in 2009, Smith was a complete bust for the Rams. He played only 29 games over four seasons and played more than eight games only once for the Rams over his three seasons with the team.
Jordan deserves credit for making something of his career, but the early returns with Miami were atrocious. Drafted third overall in 2013, Jordan started only one game in his first two seasons and was suspended for all of 2015 after violating the league's substance abuse policy. He has been able to play 24 games over the last three seasons with Seattle and Oakland.
The surprising 12th overall pick in 2011, Ponder's Vikings went 10-6 in 2012 despite him. He was never more than a game manager in four seasons, starting 36 games with a 14-21-1 record.
Even during New England's dynasty, not every draft pick has been great. Easley was cut less than two years after he was drafted 29th in 2014 due to injuries and off-field concerns. He played only 22 games in two seasons before latching on with the Rams in 2016.
Selected sixth overall in 2003, Sullivan started only 16 games over three seasons with the Saints. He had just 1.5 sacks.
Drafted at the end of the first round in 2012, Wilson showed some flashes in two seasons before suffering a career-ending neck injury. He had only 504 rushing yards in two seasons.
Milliner was drafted ninth overall and was benched in only his second season. He played only eight games in 2014 and 2015 due to injuries.
Of the many terrible picks the Raiders have made over the last 20 years, there's no debating that this one is the worst. Russell's stock skyrocketed after a bowl game performance, and Al Davis couldn't overlook his incredible arm with the first overall pick. He lasted only three seasons in the NFL and had conditioning issues. Russell went 7-18 as a starter and had a 52.1 percent completion rate and 65.2 passer rating for his career.
The Eagles were desperate to find a No. 1 receiving option for Donovan McNabb, but Mitchell wasn't the answer. The 25th overall pick played only four seasons, with 17 starts. He never had more than 498 receiving yards in a season.
The Steelers have consistently hit on their first-round picks, and the Hood pick 32nd overall in 2009 was hardly disastrous. Hood has simply been the least successful of the team's first-rounders over the last 20 years, starting 46 games over five seasons in Pittsburgh with 12.5 sacks. He did play 10 seasons in the NFL.
The Chargers never really got anything out of Davis after taking him 30th overall in 2007. He started only two games over four seasons and had just 51 receptions for 558 yards for his career.
The 49ers traded their 2012 first-round pick after only one season in which he saw three games of action. He played sparingly in two seasons with the Chiefs following the trade, finishing with only 17 receptions for 223 yards.
McDowell's story is one of the saddest in recent NFL memory. The 35th overall pick in 2017, McDowell was involved in a serious ATV accident prior to his first training camp. He failed to appear in a game due to the injury and was arrested twice within the next year. Seattle waived McDowell, and he was arrested twice more in 2019.
The Bucs hoped and wished Freeman would be their long-term quarterback, sticking with him over four seasons after he went 17th overall in 2009. He was 24-35 with a 78.8 passer rating over those four years and tried to survive as a backup, but he was out of the league in 2016.
Locker lasted four seasons in Tennessee after going eighth overall in 2011 and faced injury issues for much of his time. He went 9-14 as a starter and retired following his fourth season.
Griffin looked like a franchise quarterback after his rookie season, making the Pro Bowl and leading Washington to the playoffs with an amazing 102.4 passer rating. However, he hasn't been the same following a knee injury suffered in the playoffs that year, which has limited his mobility. He started 20 more games for Washington, going 5-15, and the Redskins cut Griffin after the 2015 season. Even more damaging for Washington was the massive trade to acquire him, sending the Rams three first-round picks and one second-rounder.
Seth Trachtman is a fantasy sports expert and diehard Kansas City Chiefs fan. He doesn't often Tweet, but when he does, you can find him on Twitter @sethroto.
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