Not only in football, but in every professional sport that involves some sort of amateur or collegiate draft, it's a hit-or-miss kind of deal. So called "can't miss" prospects always have a 50/50 chance at being a bust. Taking a look at names such as Ryan Leaf, Tim Couch, Akili Smith, Courtney Brown, Steve Emtman, Ki-Jana Carter, Tony Mandarich, Curtis Enis, JaMarcus Russell, Art Schlichter.
All of the above names were highly sought after, top five picks. All were considered busts by the end of their respective careers.
The 10 names I listed above are just a small sampling of busts over the last 30 years. If you dig a little deeper, you may be able to pull out closer to a 100 names of first round busts over the last three decades. Half of the names listed are quarterbacks, too. Usually it's the quarterback position that gets the most attention on draft day, which is understandable considering it's the most important position on the field in today's day and age.
In this year's draft there were two quarterbacks selected in the top two picks and both have been titled as "can't miss" by scouts all over the nation. The problem with this title, is that it usually leads to too much pressure being put on those shoulders.
We will not be able to properly examine this year's draft class until about five to 10 years down the road when we can get a better feel for their accomplishments and overall talent on the football field.
Just over 10 years ago, in the 2002 draft, a quarterback was selected No. 1 overall by an expansion franchise–the Houston Texans. He's been labeled a bust much like highly-regarded quarterbacks ahead of him.
I have taken a closer look at the draft that unfolded a decade ago and have broken it down for you, my readers. Before I examine each of the 32 selections, I have gathered some background information and numbers for the first round:
*Only 15 of the 32 players had a roster spot on a team in 2011; of those 15, only nine have a roster spot on a team for this upcoming season (four are free agents and two have retired).
*Just three top 10 picks currently hold a starting spot with their respective team (No. 2 pick Julius Peppers in Chicago, No. 5 pick Quentin Jammer in San Diego and No. 7 pick Bryant McKinnie in Baltimore).
*Six top 10 picks are out of the league, and have been since at least the 2010 regular season.
*No. 1 overall pick David Carr, quarterback from Fresno State, held a starting job for just five seasons, while in Houston.
*Twelve picks were out of the league by the end of the 2009 season, or earlier.
*Just eight players were selected to at least one Pro Bowl during their careers (Peppers, McKinnie, Roy Williams, John Henderson, Dwight Freeney, Jeremy Shockey, Albert Haynesworth, Ed Reed); the eight combined for 36 Pro Bowl selections, averaging out to 4.5 per player, or an average 1.12 per player drafted in the entire round.
*Selections 16-32 produced eight Pro Bowls, all of which came from free safety Reed (selected by Baltimore at No. 24 overall).
*Only six players have stuck with the same team throughout their careers (Quentin Jammer '02-present, Freeney '02-present, Wendall Bryant '02-'04, William Green '02-'04, Bryan Thomas '02-present, Reed '02-present).
*Interesting FACT: There was more talent found in the second round of the draft than the first.
After reading through all of that, doesn't it make you very curious as to who, exactly, was selected with each pick and how many head-scratching picks were made? Well, of course they weren't exactly head-scratching at the time, but 10 years later some of these General Managers seem a little crazy.
Here it is, each pick in the first round:
1. Houston Texans––David Carr, Fresno State QB
Carr's Bulldogs in his college days were a top 10 team, making him a huge favorite to carve up opposing defenses once he hit the professional level. Well, given he was a young kid taking over a team just getting things started in the NFL, he struggled early and often.
In his five seasons at the helm for the Texans, Carr posted a horrific 22-53 record, throwing for 65 interceptions and tossing just 59 touchdowns. Past his Houston career, Carr didn't see much of the field. He's still around, but he hasn't started a game since the '07 campaign, his first year away from Houston.
Carr has bounced from Carolina, to New York (Giants), to San Francisco and now he is back with the Giants as one of Eli's backups.
2. Carolina Panthers––Julius Peppers, North Carolina DE
By far the most talented player out of the top 10, and arguably the entire first round. The Tar Heels defensive end ran a tremendous 40-yard dash in the combine (4.7 sec) considering his size and is one of the most polished pass rushers this league has seen recently.
The two sport standout in college–also played basketball–won rookie of the year, gone to seven Pro Bowls, was named to five All Pro teams and even been to the Super Bowl.
Now with the Chicago Bears, and at age 32, Peppers still appears to have plenty left in the tank and I expect him to add on to his 100 career sacks over the last 10 seasons.
3. Detroit Lions––Joey Harrington, Oregon QB
The second quarterback taken in the top three, Harrington was an almost immediate bust for Detroit. But then again, can you really blame him? He took over a disaster of a team in the Lions, and didn't have much to work with.
At 2-14 the previous season, Harrington led the Lions to just one more victory (3-13) in his rookie season and overall posted an 18-37 record in four seasons as the starter. He spent two more sub-par seasons in the league with Atlanta and Miami before he was done for good.
Carr was considered a bust, but I think Harrington took that term to a whole new level with his six year career. It was an unfortunate turn of events, as Harrington had a lot of potential coming out of college.
4. Buffalo Bills––Mike Williams, Texas OT
The top-ranked offensive lineman out of Texas, Williams, 6'6''/370 pounds, was poised for a largely successful NFL career at the right tackle position. He was later moved to left tackle but was a huge disappointment.
Williams spent four seasons with the Bills, starting 47 games from 2002-05 before losing his starting spot and attempting yet another move to guard, and spot starting on the defensive line in certain goal line situations.
After his release following the '05 season, Williams was out of the league for a few seasons before attempting to make a comeback. He signed with the Redskins on April 24, 2009 but at that time he weighed over 400 pounds and failed to have a successful comeback, starting just eight games and having blood clots near his heart. After missing the entire 2010 season because of this, the Redskins released him last July and he's been out of the league since.
The top-ranked offensive lineman out of Texas, Williams, 6'6''/370 pounds, was poised for a largely successful NFL career at the right tackle position. He was later moved to left tackle but was a huge disappointment.
Williams spent four seasons with the Bills, starting 47 games from 2002-05 before losing his starting spot and attempting yet another move to guard, and spot starting on the defensive line in certain goal line situations.
After his release following the '05 season, Williams was out of the league for a few seasons before attempting to make a comeback. He signed with the Redskins on April 24, 2009 but at that time he weighed over 400 pounds and failed to have a successful comeback, starting just eight games and having blood clots near his heart. After missing the entire 2010 season because of this, the Redskins released him last July and he's been out of the league since.
5. San Diego Chargers––Quentin Jammer, Texas CB
Jammer was never a phenomenal talent, to say the least. But there is one thing you could say about him and his playing days in San Diego: reliable. At age 33, Jammer is still going strong with the team that drafted him.
In his rookie season he recorded 58 solo tackles in four starts, but since then he's started all 16 games for the Bolts in seven of his 10 professional seasons. Over that span, he's racked up 654 total tackles, 18 interceptions and six forced fumbles. He's never made a Pro Bowl and his numbers have never been spectacular, but he's been the anchor of San Diego's secondary ever since he was selected No. 5 overall.
6. Kansas City Chiefs––Ryan Sims, North Carolina DT
Jammer was never a phenomenal talent, to say the least. But there is one thing you could say about him and his playing days in San Diego: reliable. At age 33, Jammer is still going strong with the team that drafted him.
In his rookie season he recorded 58 solo tackles in four starts, but since then he's started all 16 games for the Bolts in seven of his 10 professional seasons. Over that span, he's racked up 654 total tackles, 18 interceptions and six forced fumbles. He's never made a Pro Bowl and his numbers have never been spectacular, but he's been the anchor of San Diego's secondary ever since he was selected No. 5 overall.
When on the field Sims was rather productive for Kansas City, racking up 54 total tackles, five sacks, one INT and one pass defensed in 29 starts from 2003-04 at the defensive tackle position. The only problem with this is that other than those two seasons he rarely saw the field.
Herman Edwards took over the head coaching position in 2006, and that season Sims didn't start a single game, making just seven total tackles. Over the offseason he was traded to Tampa, where he recorded 69 total tackles, 3.5 sacks and a fumble recovery in 19 starts over four seasons.
For the No. 6 overall selection, Sims was the definition of an underachiever. Last offseason the Seahawks signed him on July 31, but released him not even a month later. Sims is still a free agent.
7. Minnesota Vikings––Bryant McKinnie, Miami (Fl) OT
McKinnie started 131 games and was selected to a Pro Bowl (though he ended up not playing in the game) throughout his nine seasons in Minnesota at left tackle. He earned the reputation as a workhorse while protecting the blindside in Minnesota, and gained the attention of the Baltimore Ravens, who signed him last offseason.
Since his second season in the league, McKinnie has missed just four games as he started all 16 for the Ravens in his first season with the team in 2011.
McKinnie started 131 games and was selected to a Pro Bowl (though he ended up not playing in the game) throughout his nine seasons in Minnesota at left tackle. He earned the reputation as a workhorse while protecting the blindside in Minnesota, and gained the attention of the Baltimore Ravens, who signed him last offseason.
Since his second season in the league, McKinnie has missed just four games as he started all 16 for the Ravens in his first season with the team in 2011.
8. Dallas Cowboys––Roy Williams, Oklahoma S
Williams is now out of the league, but while with the Cowboys from 2002-08 Williams made it to five Pro Bowls. Starting out at free safety for the first three seasons, Williams made the transition to strong safety in 2005 and established himself as a heavy-hitting defender.
Though he may have gotten some negative attention for his tendency of making horse collar tackles, Williams was still known as a hard-hitter and was well-respected around the league.
In the off-season prior to 2009 Williams was signed by the Bengals, where he spent his final two seasons and recorded 85 total tackles, one sack and one interception in just 15 starts. Williams is now retired and working as a sideline reporter for Oklahoma games, in addition to making a couple appearances on the show Storage Wars: Texas.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars––John Henderson, Tennessee DT
The recently retired two-time Pro Bowl d-tackle spent eight productive seasons with the Jaguars before playing his two final seasons with the Oakland Raiders. He was never flashy–you can't really expect that type of play from a defensive tackle anyways–but he always got the job done.
Henderson had the ability to plug the middle of the line with his 6'7"/335 pound frame in addition to rushing the passer. In his rookie season alone Henderson sacked opposing quarterbacks 6.5 times in just 13 starts. He finished his 10-year career with 29.0 sacks and 493 total tackles from the defensive line. His numbers declined over his final two seasons, however, starting just five games with the Raiders.
10. Cincinnati Bengals––Levi Jones, Arizona State OT
The third offensive tackle selected in the top 10 that season, Jones started 89 games at left tackle for the Bengals from 2002-08 before finishing up his disappointing career with a season in Washington (started eight games in 2009).
Jones was released by the Bengals following Cincy's selection of Andre Smith with the sixth overall pick in the 2009 draft. He's been a free agent ever since his lone season with the Skins.
He may be best-known for his scuffle with then-Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joey Porter at a Las Vegas casino in March of 2007. He was later reported that Porter and some of his friends had attacked Jones, but that doesn't take away from the amount of negative attention that both Jones and Porter received (as well as a $1,000 fine that Jones was ordered to pay after pleading not guilty).
11. Indianapolis Colts––Dwight Freeney, Syracuse DE
Aside from Peppers at No. 2, Freeney is by far the biggest bargain of the top 15 selections. Freeney made an immediate impact with the Colts, collecting 13 sacks in his rookie season and recording double digit sack totals in seven of his 10 seasons.
The seven-time Pro Bowler has one of the toughest spin moves to defend in the league and is a very strong pass rusher coming off the edge in Indy. Despite battling injuries during his career, Freeney has accumulated 102.5 sacks in 129 starts, and his 43 forced fumbles is just four shy of tying Jason Taylor's all-time record.
His quick success earned him the opportunity to become one of the highest-paid defenders in the league, signing a six-year, $72 million ($30 million guaranteed) contract on July 13, 2007. His Colts are currently in rebuild mode, but I don't expect Freeney to slow up any time soon.
12. Arizona Cardinals––Wendell Bryant, Wisconsin DT
Possibly the biggest snub of the entire round, there's really not much to say about Bryant. He played just three extremely unproductive seasons in Arizona (40 total tackles, 1.5 sacks in nine starts) before being suspended for the entire 2005 season as a result of a third strike for abusing the NFL's substance abuse policy.
He never returned to the league following the suspension, though he was seen playing in the UFL from 2009-10 with the Las Vegas Locomotives and Omaha Nighthawks.
13. New Orleans Saints––Donte Stallworth, Tennessee WR
Stallworth is still around, in fact he will be back with the New England Patriots this season to play his second stint with the team. Stallworth's first four seasons were played with the Saints before jumping from team to team over the next six seasons. He went from New Orleans, to Philadelphia (2006), to New England (2007), to Cleveland (2008), to Baltimore (2010), to Washington (2011) and then back to New England this season.
He's never broken 1,000 yards receiving or 10 TD catches in a single-season, and he's never made it to a Pro Bowl. But he did make a solid third or fourth option while in NO, PHI and NE.
The troubled wideout missed the entire 2009 season because of a suspension handed out by Commissioner Roger Goodell. Stallworth was found guilty on manslaughter chargers after he struck and killed a man while driving under the influence. The only jail time he served was 30 days in County jail in addition to other punishment.
14. New York Giants––Jeremy Shockey, Miami (Fl) TE
A four-time Pro Bowl, Shockey, too, has joined the free agent pool. Though his best days are behind him, Shockey is still a game-changing talent coming off the line at the tight end position. His six seasons with the Giants were successful as he caught 27 TDs and over 4,000 yards through the air with a Super Bowl victory coming in 2007, his final year with the team.
He's never played a complete season, but following his three-season stint with the New Orleans Saints, the Carolina Panthers signed him to a one-year deal last off-season. In his 15 games, Shockey caught 37 passes for 455 yards and four TDs from rookie signal caller Cam Newton.
I doubt he'd sign prior to the season starts, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him sign mid-season. He's still got something left in the tank.
15. Tennessee Titans––Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee DT
If Tennessee had known back in 2002 that Haynesworth would turn in to a lazy, underachieving, locker room cancer later on down the road, I can assure you that they'd pass him up despite his two Pro Bowl seasons.
Early in his professional career, Haynesworth appeared to be a workhorse who could finish his career with a Hall of Fame-worthy performance. He had the talent to do so, at least. But then his true colors were exposed. Following his back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons in 2007 and 2008 in which Haynesworth combined for 91 total tackles 14.5 sacks, the Washington Redskins dropped a $100 million contract in front of him. Biggest mistake in, possibly, the franchise's history.
Haynesworth and the Skins had a couple of disagreements and Haynesworth gained weight and refused to show up to practice a couple of times. The disagreements and petty feuds led to Haynesworth sticking around for just two seasons (54 tackles, 6.5 sacks). He spent 2011 with New England and Tampa Bay, starting just six games and making 26 tackles.
Haynesworth is without a 2012 team so far this offseason. No surprise.
16. Cleveland Browns––William Green, Boston College RB
Green showed potential in his rookie season, rushing for 887 yards and six touchdowns for the 9-7 Browns. In Cleveland's 36-33 Wild Card loss to Pittsburgh that season, Green was completely shut down, rushing for 30 yards on 25 carries and a TD (1.2 YPC). It was his only career postseason game.
Three seasons later and his career appeared over. He missed a majority of the 2005 campaign due to injuries as he was placed on the season-ending IR after just 78 yards on 20 carries in eight games. He made a failed comeback attempt in the 2008 offseason, but the 2005 season proved to be his final one in the National Football League.
17. Oakland Raiders––Phillip Buchanon, Miami (Fl) CB
Buchanon proved to be a dual threat throughout his 10+ year career, working as both a cornerback and a punt returner.
Currently a free agent, Buchanon proved himself a great runner, earning All-America honors as a return specialist while playing his college days in Miami. Throughout his professional career with five different teams, Buchanon accumulated five interception touchdowns and three punt return touchdowns.
His most recent stint was with Washington from 2010-11, where he started just five games.
18. Atlanta Falcons––T.J. Duckett, Michigan State RB
Duckett was not brought in by Atlanta to be the No. 1 back, he was brought in to accompany the then-27 year old Warrick Dunn, who had rushed for 1,000 yards in two of his five prior seasons. With Dunn rushing for just 447 yards in 2001, Atlanta was looking to have a RB-by-committee approach in 2002 with Duckett.
And that's exactly what they got with the selection. Dunn ran for 927 yards and seven TDs while Duckett added 507 yards and four TDs in his rookie campaign. Atlanta 9-6-1 on their way to a playoff berth. He managed just 50 yards on 19 carries with a TD in two postseason games that season, however.
Duckett's career plateaued the following season, 2003, when Duckett had career-highs in yards (779) and touchdowns (11). From 2006-08, Duckett played for three different teams (Washington, Detroit, Seattle) before his career ended at the age 27. He is still currently a free agent, but lets face it, he's not going to be getting any calls at his age of 31.
19. Denver Broncos––Ashley Lelie, Hawaii WR
Throughout his seven-year career Lelie was always seen as a deep threat, leading the league in yards per reception in back-to-back seasons in '04 and '05 (20.1, 18.3). He was never seen as the type of No. 1 target as the Broncos were hoping when they drafted him with the 19th pick. Lelie set career-highs in his only full season (2004) with 54 receptions, 1,084 yards and seven TDs.
Much like Duckett, Lelie's final three seasons were spent with three different teams and is officially retired from the game.
20. Green Bay Packers––Javon Walker, Florida State WR
Walker was a one-time Pro Bowler (2004 season: 89 Rec., 1,382 yards, 12 TDs) and showed flashes of brilliance, but never quite lived up to expectations. He spent his first four seasons with the Packers before virtually becoming Lelie's replacement in Denver, where Walker played for two seasons in 2006 and 2007.
Still listed as a free agent, Walker has been out of the league since he ended his two-year stint with Oakland in 2009.
21. New England Patriots––Daniel Graham, Colorado TE
Graham, winner of the John Mackey award while playing college ball in Colorado, was never much of a threat in the passing game during his pro career. In one of his best seasons, 2004, he caught a career-high seven touchdowns from Tom Brady on their way to a 14-2 record and a Super Bowl championship.
He of course won two Super Bowl rings and was named to the Patriots' All-2000s team, but aside from that he produced 10 average-at best seasons while in the league. He is currently listed as a free agent after spending the last five seasons with Denver and Tennessee (four in DEN, one in TEN).
22. New York Jets––Bryan Thomas, UAB DE
He has relatively quiet throughout his 10-years and counting with the Jets, but Thomas has been nothing but productive at the defensive end position. Probably not the type of production I'd like to see from a first round pick, but Thomas has racked up 417 total tackles, 31 sacks and six forced fumbles in his 94 starts.
Drafted as a defensive end, Thomas made the permanent switch to outside linebacker prior to the 2007 season and is battling to keep his starting position after he suffered a season-ending torn achilles tendon last October.
23. Oakland Raiders––Napoleon Harris, Northwestern LB
In college at Northwestern Harris started out at outside linebacker before making the switch to defensive end for his senior year. During his pro days he played middle linebacker for Oakland, Minnesota and Kansas City.
Harris was always a tackling machine and, in his short-lived seven year career he posted 483 total tackles and just 8.5 sacks and four interceptions. He was a workhorse, but wasn't able to keep up his sideline-to-sideline mentality for very long and has been a free agent since Oakland cut him just five days after bringing him back in August of 2009. He was apparently out of shape, according to the team.
24. Baltimore Ravens––Ed Reed, Miami (Fl) FS
In terms of his success at the pro level, Reed should have been a top 3 pick right alongside Peppers and Freeney in the 2002 draft. Reed's borderline Hall of Fame career includes over 500 tackles, 57 interceptions (six returned for TDs), six sacks and 11 forced fumbles in 143 starts for Baltimore.
The only thing missing from the eight-time Pro Bowler's resume is a championship ring. At age 33, a neck injured has slowed Reed down as of late, and may even lead to his early retirement from the game. But for now, I'll leave you with this: Reed was the best player taken in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. All there is to it...Peppers and Freeney are a close second and third.
25. New Orleans Saints––Charles Grant, Georgia DE
Though he was never handed any awards or voted to any Pro Bowls during his eight years in the NFL with New Orleans, Grant did win a Super Bowl with the Saints and was a vital part of that defense for a couple seasons.
In his first three years as New Orleans' defensive end, Grant piled up 27.5 sacks in his 38 starts. His team, however, was a subpar 25-23 over that span. He never really started to see real success until towards the end of his tenure when they finished first in the NFC South in 2006 and then managed to capture a Vince Lombardi in 2009.
He was on the Omaha Nighthawks' (of the UFL) very briefly in 2010 before signing a contract with the Dolphins. Just over a month later he was cut by Miami, and he ended up spending a couple of weeks with Chicago in October before he was cut once again. He is still listed under free agents as it appears his career may be over.
26. Philadelphia Eagles––Lito Sheppard, Florida CB
Sheppard didn't start any games and made just 10 tackles in his rookie season in Philly, but his stretch from 2004-07 was rock solid. Sheppard was selected to two Pro Bowls and one All Pro team during his career, both of which came during the aforementioned stretch of play.
At times he was great, intercepting five passes in '04 with two of them going for touchdowns, and then six more in 2006, including one that was returned a league-high 102 yards for a touchdown. But inconsistent play and the emergence of fellow cornerbacks Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown eventually led to Sheppard's departure from Philadelphia following the 2008 season.
Sheppard has spent the last three seasons jumping from team-to-team. First it was a trade to the New York Jets, Minnesota then signed him to a two-year deal for the 2010 season. Oakland signed him for 2011 and, after playing in nine games for Oakland his contract expired. He is a free agent and may not even find a team for 2012.
27. San Francisco 49ers––Mike Rumph, Miami (Fl) DB
Rumph played both corner and free safety during his short-lived career, but wasn't productive at either position. In four years with San Fran, Rumph started 19 games and put up a very thin stat line of 120 tackles, three INTs and two sacks.
San Francisco traded Rumph to the Redskins on August 14, 2006 for wideout Taylor Jacobs. Seven games and 11 tackles later, Rumph was without a team once again as Washington waived him that December. St. Louis signed him in March 2007, but released him in August. Rumph announced his official retirement the following offseason, in July of 2008.
28. Seattle Seahawks––Jerramy Stevens, Washington TE
Stevens' best season, which comes as no surprise, happened to be the same year that Seattle made a run at a Super Bowl championship. In 2005, Stevens caught 45 passes for 554 yards and five touchdowns––all career highs. Stevens' numbers were never spectacular as he was seen as an underachiever.
He may be best known for something that doesn't have to do with his on-field performance: trash talking at the Super Bowl. Him and Steeler linebacker Joey Porter got into a war of words at the Super Bowl's media day, exchanging words back and forth via the press. It wasn't his best idea, as Stevens caught 3 passes for 25 yards and Seattle's lone TD in the game, but dropped three passes in his team's 21-10 defeat.
Stevens is now a free agent after spending the 2007-10 seasons underperforming for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not the best decision for Seattle to select Stevens at No. 28, I'd say.
29. Chicago Bears––Marc Colombo, Boston College OT
The last of the still-actives (until his recent retirement) in the first round of the '02 draft, Colombo's Chicago career got off to a rough start. His first two seasons he started just seven games and was then waived by the Bears at the very beginning of the 2005 season after playing in their season opener.
It wasn't until the 2006 season when Colombo finally saw an entire season's worth of playing time, starting all 16 games for Dallas in three consecutive seasons. Colombo was signed by Miami on August 1, 2011 and he quickly became the 'Phins' starting right tackle. Following the season, however, Colombo rejoined the Cowboys so that he could officially retire as a Cowboy on April 20, 2012.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers––Kendall Simmons, Auburn G
Right away Simmons served as Pittsburgh's starting right guard for the next five seasons before suffering a season-ending achilles tendon against the Baltimore Ravens during the 2008 season. After starting just four games, Simmons missed the rest of the season due to the injury and was later released by the Steelers despite the four-year extension he signed at the beginning of the '07 season.
Simmons was never the same following the injury, as he was signed to a three-year contract by New England on September 6, 2009. Two months later he was released, and again signed by the Buffalo Bills on November 24. Not even a month later he was placed back on the injured reserve due to a shoulder injury and saw his release following the season.
Simmons has yet to sign with another team and likely wont be able to make a comeback to the NFL.
31. St. Louis Rams––Robert W. Thomas, UCLA LB
While linebacking at UCLA, Thomas' list of accomplishments seemed never-ending. First-team All Pac-10, First Team All American, Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, Butkus Award finalist, Butkus Award semifinalist, Lombardi Award semifinalist, Second-team All Pac-10, etc.
He just barely slid in to the first round, and big things were expected from him in STL. Instead, Thomas spent just three seasons with St. Louis following the signing of his five-year, $5.75 million contract. Thomas' 163 tackles and two sacks were the best of his seven year career as his underachieving continued in his four seasons with Green Bay and Oakland. He's been out of the league since being signed and released by Washington following the last game of the 2009 season.
32. Washington Redskins––Patrick Ramsey, Tulane QB
Ramsey was the third and final quarterback selected in the first round, and he was the third and final quarterback bust selected in the third round. Unlike Carr and Harrington, Ramsey actually finished his career with more touchdowns than interceptions (35 TD, 30 INT), but his career record stood at 10-14 in four seasons with the Skins.
The rest of his career was served as a backup quarterback for numerous teams. From 2006-08 he played with the Jets and Broncos, and in 2010 he appeared on four different teams rosters (Saints, Jags, Dolphins, Vikings) but never once step foot on the football field during the regular season.
Ramsey rounds out a very disappointing draft class.
_ _ _ _ _
After taking a closer look at this 2002 draft class, it's been clear that there are truly only about 10 players who were truly worth selecting in the first round.
To further prove my point about the weakness of the round, lets take a look at all of the players taken in the later rounds whose careers panned out better than some of the guys listed above:
Clinton Portis--Broncos rd 2, pick 51
Antwaan Randel El--Steelers rd 2, pick 62
Deion Branch--Patriots rd 2, pick 65
Brian Westbrook--Eagles rd 3, pick 91
Chris Hope--Steelers rd 3, pick 94
David Garrard--Jaguars rd 4, pick 108
Larry Foote--Steelers rd 4, pick 128
Scott Fujita--Chiefs rd 5, pick 143
Aaron Kampman--Packers rd 5, pick 156
Justin Hartwig--Titans rd 6, pick 187
Chester Taylor--Ravens rd 6, pick 207
Raheem Brock--Eagles rd 7, pick 238
Brett Keisel--Steelers rd 7, pick 242
*There were 15 players in the first round who held a roster spot in 2011; there were 15 players taken in rounds 5-7 who had a roster spot in 2011 as well.
The moral of the story? It's a tough job being a General Manager of a professional football team. Just ask Matt Millen.
There is no such thing as a "can't miss" prospect. Keep that in mind while watching Luck and RGIII this season.
Note: I do not own any of the above images. No copyright infringement intended.
Williams is now out of the league, but while with the Cowboys from 2002-08 Williams made it to five Pro Bowls. Starting out at free safety for the first three seasons, Williams made the transition to strong safety in 2005 and established himself as a heavy-hitting defender.
Though he may have gotten some negative attention for his tendency of making horse collar tackles, Williams was still known as a hard-hitter and was well-respected around the league.
In the off-season prior to 2009 Williams was signed by the Bengals, where he spent his final two seasons and recorded 85 total tackles, one sack and one interception in just 15 starts. Williams is now retired and working as a sideline reporter for Oklahoma games, in addition to making a couple appearances on the show Storage Wars: Texas.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars––John Henderson, Tennessee DT
The recently retired two-time Pro Bowl d-tackle spent eight productive seasons with the Jaguars before playing his two final seasons with the Oakland Raiders. He was never flashy–you can't really expect that type of play from a defensive tackle anyways–but he always got the job done.
Henderson had the ability to plug the middle of the line with his 6'7"/335 pound frame in addition to rushing the passer. In his rookie season alone Henderson sacked opposing quarterbacks 6.5 times in just 13 starts. He finished his 10-year career with 29.0 sacks and 493 total tackles from the defensive line. His numbers declined over his final two seasons, however, starting just five games with the Raiders.
10. Cincinnati Bengals––Levi Jones, Arizona State OT
The third offensive tackle selected in the top 10 that season, Jones started 89 games at left tackle for the Bengals from 2002-08 before finishing up his disappointing career with a season in Washington (started eight games in 2009).
Jones was released by the Bengals following Cincy's selection of Andre Smith with the sixth overall pick in the 2009 draft. He's been a free agent ever since his lone season with the Skins.
He may be best-known for his scuffle with then-Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Joey Porter at a Las Vegas casino in March of 2007. He was later reported that Porter and some of his friends had attacked Jones, but that doesn't take away from the amount of negative attention that both Jones and Porter received (as well as a $1,000 fine that Jones was ordered to pay after pleading not guilty).
Aside from Peppers at No. 2, Freeney is by far the biggest bargain of the top 15 selections. Freeney made an immediate impact with the Colts, collecting 13 sacks in his rookie season and recording double digit sack totals in seven of his 10 seasons.
The seven-time Pro Bowler has one of the toughest spin moves to defend in the league and is a very strong pass rusher coming off the edge in Indy. Despite battling injuries during his career, Freeney has accumulated 102.5 sacks in 129 starts, and his 43 forced fumbles is just four shy of tying Jason Taylor's all-time record.
His quick success earned him the opportunity to become one of the highest-paid defenders in the league, signing a six-year, $72 million ($30 million guaranteed) contract on July 13, 2007. His Colts are currently in rebuild mode, but I don't expect Freeney to slow up any time soon.
12. Arizona Cardinals––Wendell Bryant, Wisconsin DT
Possibly the biggest snub of the entire round, there's really not much to say about Bryant. He played just three extremely unproductive seasons in Arizona (40 total tackles, 1.5 sacks in nine starts) before being suspended for the entire 2005 season as a result of a third strike for abusing the NFL's substance abuse policy.
He never returned to the league following the suspension, though he was seen playing in the UFL from 2009-10 with the Las Vegas Locomotives and Omaha Nighthawks.
13. New Orleans Saints––Donte Stallworth, Tennessee WR
Stallworth is still around, in fact he will be back with the New England Patriots this season to play his second stint with the team. Stallworth's first four seasons were played with the Saints before jumping from team to team over the next six seasons. He went from New Orleans, to Philadelphia (2006), to New England (2007), to Cleveland (2008), to Baltimore (2010), to Washington (2011) and then back to New England this season.
He's never broken 1,000 yards receiving or 10 TD catches in a single-season, and he's never made it to a Pro Bowl. But he did make a solid third or fourth option while in NO, PHI and NE.
The troubled wideout missed the entire 2009 season because of a suspension handed out by Commissioner Roger Goodell. Stallworth was found guilty on manslaughter chargers after he struck and killed a man while driving under the influence. The only jail time he served was 30 days in County jail in addition to other punishment.
14. New York Giants––Jeremy Shockey, Miami (Fl) TE
A four-time Pro Bowl, Shockey, too, has joined the free agent pool. Though his best days are behind him, Shockey is still a game-changing talent coming off the line at the tight end position. His six seasons with the Giants were successful as he caught 27 TDs and over 4,000 yards through the air with a Super Bowl victory coming in 2007, his final year with the team.
He's never played a complete season, but following his three-season stint with the New Orleans Saints, the Carolina Panthers signed him to a one-year deal last off-season. In his 15 games, Shockey caught 37 passes for 455 yards and four TDs from rookie signal caller Cam Newton.
I doubt he'd sign prior to the season starts, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him sign mid-season. He's still got something left in the tank.
If Tennessee had known back in 2002 that Haynesworth would turn in to a lazy, underachieving, locker room cancer later on down the road, I can assure you that they'd pass him up despite his two Pro Bowl seasons.
Early in his professional career, Haynesworth appeared to be a workhorse who could finish his career with a Hall of Fame-worthy performance. He had the talent to do so, at least. But then his true colors were exposed. Following his back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons in 2007 and 2008 in which Haynesworth combined for 91 total tackles 14.5 sacks, the Washington Redskins dropped a $100 million contract in front of him. Biggest mistake in, possibly, the franchise's history.
Haynesworth and the Skins had a couple of disagreements and Haynesworth gained weight and refused to show up to practice a couple of times. The disagreements and petty feuds led to Haynesworth sticking around for just two seasons (54 tackles, 6.5 sacks). He spent 2011 with New England and Tampa Bay, starting just six games and making 26 tackles.
Haynesworth is without a 2012 team so far this offseason. No surprise.
16. Cleveland Browns––William Green, Boston College RB
Green showed potential in his rookie season, rushing for 887 yards and six touchdowns for the 9-7 Browns. In Cleveland's 36-33 Wild Card loss to Pittsburgh that season, Green was completely shut down, rushing for 30 yards on 25 carries and a TD (1.2 YPC). It was his only career postseason game.
Three seasons later and his career appeared over. He missed a majority of the 2005 campaign due to injuries as he was placed on the season-ending IR after just 78 yards on 20 carries in eight games. He made a failed comeback attempt in the 2008 offseason, but the 2005 season proved to be his final one in the National Football League.
17. Oakland Raiders––Phillip Buchanon, Miami (Fl) CB
Buchanon proved to be a dual threat throughout his 10+ year career, working as both a cornerback and a punt returner.
Currently a free agent, Buchanon proved himself a great runner, earning All-America honors as a return specialist while playing his college days in Miami. Throughout his professional career with five different teams, Buchanon accumulated five interception touchdowns and three punt return touchdowns.
His most recent stint was with Washington from 2010-11, where he started just five games.
Duckett was not brought in by Atlanta to be the No. 1 back, he was brought in to accompany the then-27 year old Warrick Dunn, who had rushed for 1,000 yards in two of his five prior seasons. With Dunn rushing for just 447 yards in 2001, Atlanta was looking to have a RB-by-committee approach in 2002 with Duckett.
And that's exactly what they got with the selection. Dunn ran for 927 yards and seven TDs while Duckett added 507 yards and four TDs in his rookie campaign. Atlanta 9-6-1 on their way to a playoff berth. He managed just 50 yards on 19 carries with a TD in two postseason games that season, however.
Duckett's career plateaued the following season, 2003, when Duckett had career-highs in yards (779) and touchdowns (11). From 2006-08, Duckett played for three different teams (Washington, Detroit, Seattle) before his career ended at the age 27. He is still currently a free agent, but lets face it, he's not going to be getting any calls at his age of 31.
19. Denver Broncos––Ashley Lelie, Hawaii WR
Throughout his seven-year career Lelie was always seen as a deep threat, leading the league in yards per reception in back-to-back seasons in '04 and '05 (20.1, 18.3). He was never seen as the type of No. 1 target as the Broncos were hoping when they drafted him with the 19th pick. Lelie set career-highs in his only full season (2004) with 54 receptions, 1,084 yards and seven TDs.
Much like Duckett, Lelie's final three seasons were spent with three different teams and is officially retired from the game.
20. Green Bay Packers––Javon Walker, Florida State WR
Walker was a one-time Pro Bowler (2004 season: 89 Rec., 1,382 yards, 12 TDs) and showed flashes of brilliance, but never quite lived up to expectations. He spent his first four seasons with the Packers before virtually becoming Lelie's replacement in Denver, where Walker played for two seasons in 2006 and 2007.
Still listed as a free agent, Walker has been out of the league since he ended his two-year stint with Oakland in 2009.
21. New England Patriots––Daniel Graham, Colorado TE
Graham, winner of the John Mackey award while playing college ball in Colorado, was never much of a threat in the passing game during his pro career. In one of his best seasons, 2004, he caught a career-high seven touchdowns from Tom Brady on their way to a 14-2 record and a Super Bowl championship.
He of course won two Super Bowl rings and was named to the Patriots' All-2000s team, but aside from that he produced 10 average-at best seasons while in the league. He is currently listed as a free agent after spending the last five seasons with Denver and Tennessee (four in DEN, one in TEN).
He has relatively quiet throughout his 10-years and counting with the Jets, but Thomas has been nothing but productive at the defensive end position. Probably not the type of production I'd like to see from a first round pick, but Thomas has racked up 417 total tackles, 31 sacks and six forced fumbles in his 94 starts.
Drafted as a defensive end, Thomas made the permanent switch to outside linebacker prior to the 2007 season and is battling to keep his starting position after he suffered a season-ending torn achilles tendon last October.
23. Oakland Raiders––Napoleon Harris, Northwestern LB
In college at Northwestern Harris started out at outside linebacker before making the switch to defensive end for his senior year. During his pro days he played middle linebacker for Oakland, Minnesota and Kansas City.
Harris was always a tackling machine and, in his short-lived seven year career he posted 483 total tackles and just 8.5 sacks and four interceptions. He was a workhorse, but wasn't able to keep up his sideline-to-sideline mentality for very long and has been a free agent since Oakland cut him just five days after bringing him back in August of 2009. He was apparently out of shape, according to the team.
24. Baltimore Ravens––Ed Reed, Miami (Fl) FS
In terms of his success at the pro level, Reed should have been a top 3 pick right alongside Peppers and Freeney in the 2002 draft. Reed's borderline Hall of Fame career includes over 500 tackles, 57 interceptions (six returned for TDs), six sacks and 11 forced fumbles in 143 starts for Baltimore.
The only thing missing from the eight-time Pro Bowler's resume is a championship ring. At age 33, a neck injured has slowed Reed down as of late, and may even lead to his early retirement from the game. But for now, I'll leave you with this: Reed was the best player taken in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. All there is to it...Peppers and Freeney are a close second and third.
Though he was never handed any awards or voted to any Pro Bowls during his eight years in the NFL with New Orleans, Grant did win a Super Bowl with the Saints and was a vital part of that defense for a couple seasons.
In his first three years as New Orleans' defensive end, Grant piled up 27.5 sacks in his 38 starts. His team, however, was a subpar 25-23 over that span. He never really started to see real success until towards the end of his tenure when they finished first in the NFC South in 2006 and then managed to capture a Vince Lombardi in 2009.
He was on the Omaha Nighthawks' (of the UFL) very briefly in 2010 before signing a contract with the Dolphins. Just over a month later he was cut by Miami, and he ended up spending a couple of weeks with Chicago in October before he was cut once again. He is still listed under free agents as it appears his career may be over.
26. Philadelphia Eagles––Lito Sheppard, Florida CB
Sheppard didn't start any games and made just 10 tackles in his rookie season in Philly, but his stretch from 2004-07 was rock solid. Sheppard was selected to two Pro Bowls and one All Pro team during his career, both of which came during the aforementioned stretch of play.
At times he was great, intercepting five passes in '04 with two of them going for touchdowns, and then six more in 2006, including one that was returned a league-high 102 yards for a touchdown. But inconsistent play and the emergence of fellow cornerbacks Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown eventually led to Sheppard's departure from Philadelphia following the 2008 season.
Sheppard has spent the last three seasons jumping from team-to-team. First it was a trade to the New York Jets, Minnesota then signed him to a two-year deal for the 2010 season. Oakland signed him for 2011 and, after playing in nine games for Oakland his contract expired. He is a free agent and may not even find a team for 2012.
27. San Francisco 49ers––Mike Rumph, Miami (Fl) DB
Rumph played both corner and free safety during his short-lived career, but wasn't productive at either position. In four years with San Fran, Rumph started 19 games and put up a very thin stat line of 120 tackles, three INTs and two sacks.
San Francisco traded Rumph to the Redskins on August 14, 2006 for wideout Taylor Jacobs. Seven games and 11 tackles later, Rumph was without a team once again as Washington waived him that December. St. Louis signed him in March 2007, but released him in August. Rumph announced his official retirement the following offseason, in July of 2008.
28. Seattle Seahawks––Jerramy Stevens, Washington TE
Stevens' best season, which comes as no surprise, happened to be the same year that Seattle made a run at a Super Bowl championship. In 2005, Stevens caught 45 passes for 554 yards and five touchdowns––all career highs. Stevens' numbers were never spectacular as he was seen as an underachiever.
He may be best known for something that doesn't have to do with his on-field performance: trash talking at the Super Bowl. Him and Steeler linebacker Joey Porter got into a war of words at the Super Bowl's media day, exchanging words back and forth via the press. It wasn't his best idea, as Stevens caught 3 passes for 25 yards and Seattle's lone TD in the game, but dropped three passes in his team's 21-10 defeat.
Stevens is now a free agent after spending the 2007-10 seasons underperforming for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Not the best decision for Seattle to select Stevens at No. 28, I'd say.
The last of the still-actives (until his recent retirement) in the first round of the '02 draft, Colombo's Chicago career got off to a rough start. His first two seasons he started just seven games and was then waived by the Bears at the very beginning of the 2005 season after playing in their season opener.
It wasn't until the 2006 season when Colombo finally saw an entire season's worth of playing time, starting all 16 games for Dallas in three consecutive seasons. Colombo was signed by Miami on August 1, 2011 and he quickly became the 'Phins' starting right tackle. Following the season, however, Colombo rejoined the Cowboys so that he could officially retire as a Cowboy on April 20, 2012.
30. Pittsburgh Steelers––Kendall Simmons, Auburn G
Right away Simmons served as Pittsburgh's starting right guard for the next five seasons before suffering a season-ending achilles tendon against the Baltimore Ravens during the 2008 season. After starting just four games, Simmons missed the rest of the season due to the injury and was later released by the Steelers despite the four-year extension he signed at the beginning of the '07 season.
Simmons was never the same following the injury, as he was signed to a three-year contract by New England on September 6, 2009. Two months later he was released, and again signed by the Buffalo Bills on November 24. Not even a month later he was placed back on the injured reserve due to a shoulder injury and saw his release following the season.
Simmons has yet to sign with another team and likely wont be able to make a comeback to the NFL.
31. St. Louis Rams––Robert W. Thomas, UCLA LB
While linebacking at UCLA, Thomas' list of accomplishments seemed never-ending. First-team All Pac-10, First Team All American, Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, Butkus Award finalist, Butkus Award semifinalist, Lombardi Award semifinalist, Second-team All Pac-10, etc.
He just barely slid in to the first round, and big things were expected from him in STL. Instead, Thomas spent just three seasons with St. Louis following the signing of his five-year, $5.75 million contract. Thomas' 163 tackles and two sacks were the best of his seven year career as his underachieving continued in his four seasons with Green Bay and Oakland. He's been out of the league since being signed and released by Washington following the last game of the 2009 season.
32. Washington Redskins––Patrick Ramsey, Tulane QB
Ramsey was the third and final quarterback selected in the first round, and he was the third and final quarterback bust selected in the third round. Unlike Carr and Harrington, Ramsey actually finished his career with more touchdowns than interceptions (35 TD, 30 INT), but his career record stood at 10-14 in four seasons with the Skins.
The rest of his career was served as a backup quarterback for numerous teams. From 2006-08 he played with the Jets and Broncos, and in 2010 he appeared on four different teams rosters (Saints, Jags, Dolphins, Vikings) but never once step foot on the football field during the regular season.
Ramsey rounds out a very disappointing draft class.
_ _ _ _ _
After taking a closer look at this 2002 draft class, it's been clear that there are truly only about 10 players who were truly worth selecting in the first round.
To further prove my point about the weakness of the round, lets take a look at all of the players taken in the later rounds whose careers panned out better than some of the guys listed above:
Clinton Portis--Broncos rd 2, pick 51
Antwaan Randel El--Steelers rd 2, pick 62
Deion Branch--Patriots rd 2, pick 65
Brian Westbrook--Eagles rd 3, pick 91
Chris Hope--Steelers rd 3, pick 94
David Garrard--Jaguars rd 4, pick 108
Larry Foote--Steelers rd 4, pick 128
Scott Fujita--Chiefs rd 5, pick 143
Aaron Kampman--Packers rd 5, pick 156
Justin Hartwig--Titans rd 6, pick 187
Chester Taylor--Ravens rd 6, pick 207
Raheem Brock--Eagles rd 7, pick 238
Brett Keisel--Steelers rd 7, pick 242
*There were 15 players in the first round who held a roster spot in 2011; there were 15 players taken in rounds 5-7 who had a roster spot in 2011 as well.
The moral of the story? It's a tough job being a General Manager of a professional football team. Just ask Matt Millen.
There is no such thing as a "can't miss" prospect. Keep that in mind while watching Luck and RGIII this season.
Note: I do not own any of the above images. No copyright infringement intended.
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