Tennessee Titans, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The draft is critical in the process of building a contending NFL roster. Months, even years of preparation, go into evaluating individual prospects that may shape the future of a franchise. With this amount of pressure, it can be devastating for fans when their team misses on a high draft pick. These mistakes can set a franchise back for years. I’ve listed the ten biggest draft busts of the last five years.
10. Trevor Penning
Trevor Penning, a former Northern Iowa offensive tackle, has been borderline unplayable for the Saints. While he’s been passable as a run blocker, he’s struggled consistently to protect the passer. Small school products often rise towards the top of drafts late in the process. There are plenty of examples of small school players that have success in the NFL. Trevor Penning, at least so far, is not one of them.
9. Jalen Reagor
While Jalen Reagor has had a disappointing career, he’s far from being the worst player on this list. He finds himself on my rankings partially due to the receiver who was drafted immediately after him. Reminding any Eagles fan that they could have had Justin Jefferson is a sure way to ruin someone’s day. The Eagles shipped Reagor to Minnesota for a couple of late-round picks after just two seasons.
8. Caleb Farley
Here’s an example of how “prototypical” players can get overdrafted. Caleb Farley fit the mold of a big, long cornerback with the athleticism to stick with receivers. He was productive at Virginia Tech but did not consistently show the coverage skills necessary to succeed in the NFL. Tennessee drafted him based on upside in the first round of the 2021 draft. After two seasons, the Titans released Farley.
7. Lewis Cine
Lewis Cine, Minnesota’s 2022 first-round draft pick, has played a total of ten defensive snaps in the NFL. Injuries have destroyed his early NFL career, but the Vikings were quick to move on from the safety, cutting him from their roster in August of this year. Cine is currently with the Bills and is reportedly switching positions to become a linebacker. The most painful part of this draft mistake is that the Vikings were in a position to draft Kyle Hamilton before trading down and taking Cine.
6. Damon Arnette
Damon Arnette fell significantly on most draft boards right before the 2020 draft due to concerns regarding his stiffness in coverage. The Raiders had no such concerns, drafting Arnette 18th overall. Arnette was benched after his first season with Las Vegas before being cut the following season. He hasn’t played a snap in the NFL since 2021 and currently finds himself on the Chiefs’ practice squad.
5. Evan Neal
When the Giants selected former Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal with the 7th pick in the 2022 draft, they were expecting an anchor opposite Andrew Thomas. Neal has instead been a liability. In his first season in the league, Neal earned a pass blocking grade of just 42.3 from PFF. When a franchise has a pick this early, it’s imperative that they capitalize on it. New York missed on this one, and they’re still enduring the consequences.
4. Alex Leatherwood
The Raiders are the only franchise to have two players on this list. Alex Leatherwood, the 17th overall pick in the 2021 draft, is currently not on an active roster. The former Alabama offensive tackle was touted as an elite run blocker with minor footwork issues in pass blocking. Those issues turned out to be not so minor. After allowing eight sacks in his rookie year, Leatherwood was cut by the Raiders. He’s currently on the Chargers’ practice squad.
3. Zach Wilson
Zach Wilson is the most recent in a long line of Jets-drafted quarterbacks to be labeled as a bust. When a team has a track record like that, you start to think the problem lies with the organization rather than the players, but that’s not the point of this article. Wilson has thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in his career and has never finished a season with a quarterback rating above 80.
2. Trey Lance
Trey Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 draft, has four career starts to his name. To make matters worse, San Francisco traded up to take the North Dakota State product. Of course, this trade isn’t criticized as much as some others due to the success the 49ers have enjoyed without any contribution from Lance, but this remains one of the biggest reaches in recent memory.
1. Bryce Young
While Bryce Young isn’t the worst player on this list, the price that the Panthers paid to get him warrants this ranking. Carolina sent D.J. Moore, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks to Chicago to take their apparent franchise quarterback. After just 18 games, Young was benched in favor of 36-year-old Andy Dalton. Barring a miraculous career resurgence, this will go down as one of the worst trades in NFL history.
