A look back at 10 of the worst NFL Draft picks of all time—including, Cleveland’s Johnny Manziel and Tim Couch.
Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers have hit rock bottom.
The team benched the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick just two games into his second season. New head coach Dave Canales will now turn to veteran backup Andy Dalton to turn things around after the 0-2 Panthers were outscored 73-13 to open the year.
Young -- and his situation in Carolina -- is a cautionary tale. Even the most promising college players don't always pan out in the NFL. It’s costly for coaches and front office members to realize their instincts failed, but it’s even more devastating for the athletes who have pro potential but fall short of expectations.
In light of Bryce Young's benching, let's examine some of the biggest draft busts in NFL history.
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Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers (2023, No. 1 overall pick)
Young broke precedent by winning the Heisman Trophy as a quarterback of his size at Alabama. The NFL proved to be a different beast, though, as he went just 2-14 as a rookie starter in 2023. His sophomore campaign got off to an even more disastrous start, as he threw zero touchdowns and three interceptions across two blowout losses before getting benched by Dalton.
There is plenty of blame to go around in Carolina, but Young has simply not shown the athletic flashes that made propelled him to the top of the draft.
While Carolina may be cutting its Young era short, it will feel the impact of the pick for years to come. Not only did the team ship out their top weapon in D.J. Moore, trade the pick that turned into Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter and pass on C.J. Stroud -- they had to send out the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the Chicago Bears. Chicago used that pick on Caleb Williams, and the team will still inherit Carolina's 2025 second-rounder, which could very well be in the top 35 overall if Carolina's struggles continue.
Not all hope is lost for Bryce Young. As Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold are currently proving, former top picks can still find their footing with the right team.
Zach Wilson, QB, New York Jets (2021, No. 2 overall pick)
Despite some spectacular throws in college and the pre-draft process, Zach Wilson's talent hasn't translated to the NFL.
The New York Jets relegated Zach Wilson to the bench in 2023 by bringing in Aaron Rodgers, but Rodgers' torn Achilles minutes into his team debut catapulted Wilson right back into a starting role.
While Wilson and Young had similar on-field impacts, the Jets' selection is not nearly as bad as the Panthers'. For one, the Jets did not give up assets to acquire Wilson, as they took him with their own No. 2 overall pick instead of trading up. This set the Jets up with more assets to bring in Rodgers as Wilson's replacement and trade Wilson to the Denver Broncos for a late-round pick ahead of the 2024 draft.
Additionally, the Jets weren't the only ones to fall victim to the 2021 QB class ...
Trey Lance, QB, San Francisco 49ers (2021, No. 3 overall pick)
The San Francisco 49ers took a home run swing by taking the inexperienced Trey Lance with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Not only did the 49ers make the selection a year after he played just one game amid the COVID-19 pandemic. They dealt three first-round picks to do so, moving from No. 12 in the 2021 draft to No. 3.
Lance mostly got to sit behind Jimmy Garoppolo his first two years, making four starts in that time. However, following injuries to Garoppolo and Lance during Lance's second season, the 49ers turned to "Mr. Irrelevant" Brock Purdy and haven't looked back. Now with the Dallas Cowboys, Lance is still awaiting a chance to break out in the NFL.
JaMarcus Russell, QB, Oakland Raiders (2007, No. 1 overall pick)
Now we're getting to some undisputed NFL draft disasters.
JaMarcus Russell’s collegiate career at LSU was undeniable. He entered as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, making his way to the Oakland Raiders – but only for a limited time.
His downfall started before he ever took the field, as he missed training camp as a rookie due to contract issues. The QB signed a six-year deal, but between questionable fitness, interceptions and a notorious blank DVD story, Russell lasted just three years in the NFL and went down as perhaps the biggest draft bust in NFL history.
Ryan Leaf, QB, Los Angeles Chargers (1998, No. 2 overall pick)
When Ryan Leaf began his career, he was the potential top pick before going second overall in the draft. He never found a spark with the San Diego Chargers, though, tossing two touchdowns to 15 interceptions his rookie season.
The Chargers moved on from Leaf after the 2000 season and he played three games with the Cowboys in 2001 before calling it a career. Leaf's final NFL statline featured 14 passing touchdowns, 36 interceptions and a 4-17 record as a starter.
Making matters worse? The Chargers selected Leaf right after the Indianapolis Colts took Peyton Manning with the first overall pick in the 1998 draft.
Trent Richardson, RB, Cleveland Browns (2012, No. 3 overall pick)
Trent Richardson’s NFL career only lasted three years, and yet two teams spent first-round picks on him.
The running back started as the third overall draft pick in 2012 and was considered one of the best running back prospects since Adrian Peterson. Richardson scored 12 touchdowns in his rookie year, and the Colts shipped a first-rounder to Cleveland just two games into his second season.
Things dropped off quickly from there, as Richardson was out of the league following the 2014 season and he turned to the CFL.
Tony Mandarich, OT, Green Bay Packers (1989, No. 2 overall pick)
Expectations were high with Mandarich, nicknamed the "Incredible Bulk," coming out of Michigan State as an All-American.
Nonetheless, once the offensive lineman’s career began with the Packers, things shifted. He was out of the league just two years later in 1991. Questions arose around steroids as being the catalyst for Mandarich’s downfall, and he later admitted to using PEDs.
Tim Couch, QB, Cleveland Browns (1999, No. 1 overall pick)
Tim Couch is perhaps the face of the Browns' laundry list of quarterbacks over the last quarter century.
The Kentucky alum played for the Browns for five seasons and finished his career in the NFL with 64 touchdowns, 67 interceptions and a 22-37 record. He was taken one pick before Donovan McNabb, but the Browns weren't the only team to swing and miss at quarterback at the top of the 1999 draft ...
Akili Smith, QB, Cincinnati Bengals (1999, No. 3 overall pick)
Coming out of Oregon as the Pac-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Year, Akili Smith appeared poised for NFL success. However, he never found his footing in the professional ranks after being drafted third overall by the Cincinnati Bengals.
Smith finished his four-year career with a 3-14 record, five passing touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Charles Rogers, WR, Detroit Lions (2003, No. 2 overall pick)
This Michigan State star was awarded the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2002, All-Big Ten in 2001 and 2002, as well as USA Today’s High School All-America Award in 1999.
Charles Rogers entered the draft as one of the most highly anticipated wide receivers, however, his career was over in a flash. He scored three touchdowns in his first five NFL games, but a clavicle injury cut his rookie season short. He suffered another season-ending broken clavicle three plays into the 2004 season and was suspended for the first four games in 2005, which turned out to be his final season, after violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.
Brian Bosworth, LB, Seattle Seahawks (1987, Supplemental draft)
Brian Bosworth came out of high school in very high demand by the pros and became the first and only two-time Butkus Award winner at the collegiate level.
The linebacker was kicked out of Oklahoma for steroid use but was then selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1987 Supplemental Draft for a 10-year, $11 million contract. By 1989, Bosworth was forced to retire after experiencing a shoulder injury in the 1988 season.
Isaiah Wilson, OT, Tennessee Titans (2020, No. 29 overall pick)
Though Wilson was not drafted as high in the draft as the other players here, he still suffers as one of the biggest NFL draft busts of all time.
Coming out of Georgia as a second-team All-SEC player in 2019, Wilson never got going in the NFL. Wilson started his rookie training camp on the COVID-19 reserve list and struggled with conditioning before getting a DUI arrest two days before the Tennessee Titans' season opener. He was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 2021 and waived just three days into his contract after showing up late to practice.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article was published in April 2022.
