The 81st annual draft will kick off on April 28th in the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. There will be 224 players selected, and each athlete will achieve their dream of playing in the NFL. Each NFL franchise has been working for months to decide to draft the players whom will build the infrastructure for their future. General Managers often rave about the potential of their next future superstars. However, only 50% of players seem to surpass the potential they receive in their scouting reports. With high expectations, there is a lot of pressure for these newly drafted players. In the 2016 NFL draft, the LA Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles gave up a lot of picks to move up to the first two picks in the draft. The Rams will receive the first pick overall in the April 28 draft, plus Tennessee’s fourth- and sixth-round picks. The Titans get the Rams’ top four picks this year (a first, two seconds, and a third), plus Los Angeles’s first- and third-round picks in 2017. The Eagles moved up to the number 2 pick by giving up the No. 8 pick in 2016, the No. 77 pick (third round) in 2016, the No. 100 pick (fourth round) in 2016, a 2017 first-rounder and a 2018 second-rounder. This team gave up many of their future picks and they cannot afford to pick a bust in this year's trade. With that being said here are the top 5 busts in NFL draft history.
Tim Couch
Couch set the trend of playing a dysfunctional quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. Couch was the first overall selection in the 1999 NFL Draft, and was the inaugural pick by the expansive Browns. Couch lasted five seasons in Cleveland before exiting the league.
Blair Thomas
Drafted in the first round (second overall) by the New York Jets in 1990, Blair Thomas seemed to have all the qualities of a standout player. In his impressive college career at Penn State, Thomas ran for 3,300 yards. However, Thomas was never able to live up to expectations in the pros. Thomas had a short 5 year career, where he rushed for 2000 yards.
Ryan Leaf
Ryan Leaf is one of the most notorious draft busts in the history of sports. His historic collapse was one of the first broken athletes to be strangled by the media. The debate between Ryan Leaf and Peyton Manning was an arduous one for people around the league. Ultimately, Manning went first to the Colts, while Leaf was drafted by the Chargers. That would change two franchises completely. Leaf could never handle the rigors of the NFL, often battling with the team and the media. During his three year career with the Chargers, Leaf completed just 48 percent of his passes, threw 13 touchdowns, and who could forget his 33 interceptions and 20 fumbles?! Leaf also gets bonus points for his media meltdowns. The margin between Leaf and Peyton Manning does not seem very close anymore.
Jamarcus Russell
Russell was the number one overall selection back in the 2007 draft. Russell was deemed to be player that had the capability to turn the Raiders franchise around. NFL scouts raved about Russell's physical tools. On his pro day, Russell threw the ball 70 yards from his knees - some scouts claimed that Russell possessed the strongest arm that the NFL has seen. However, Russell's lack of success proves that one needs to have more than physical talent to succeed in the NFL. Russell's career only lasted 31 games. In his three season Russell produced a record of 7-18 as a starter, 18 touchdown passes, and 38 turnovers, including 23 interceptions.
