Quarterback is far and away the most important position in sports. Not only are they responsible for the football on every play, but in the modern NFL, they essentially serve as coaches on the field, reading opposing defenses and checking in and out plays based on what they see. Needless to say, nailing the selection when a team invests in a quarterback high in the NFL draft is critical.
Unfortunately, not all first-rounders are created equal, and we have seen quite a few busts over the last 25 years. Let’s take a look at the worst QB selection that every NFL team has made since 2000.
Which quarterback selections were the worst ones in the NFL draft since 2000?
Arizona Cardinals: Matt Leinart
During his time at the University of Southern California, Matt Leinart was regarded as one of the top signal callers in the country. The Cardinals felt confident taking the left-hander 10th overall in the ’06 draft. Unfortunately, the Heisman Trophy winner’s professional career never lived up to the expectations, as he finished with just 4065 yards and 15 touchdowns to 21 interceptions across seven seasons.
Atlanta Falcons: Desmond Ridder
Desmond Ridder was a third-round pick, which is right on the fringe of bust territory, but considering the length of tenure and successes of Matt Ryan and to a lesser degree, Mike Vick, Ridder will have to fall on the sword. Ridder showed minor flashes, but he could never perform with any sort of consistency.
Baltimore Ravens: Kyle Boller
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The Ravens had high hopes for Kyle Boller when they took him 19th overall in the 2003 NFL draft, but the UC Berkley alum only had one season in his entire career in which he started the full 16-game season.
Buffalo Bills: J.P. Losman
Before Josh Allen arrived in Western New York, the Bills had a reputation for futility at the quarterback position—and J.P. Losman was a big part of that narrative. The 22nd overall pick in the ’04 draft showed flashes of talent but never became a legitimate starting option at the NFL level.
Carolina Panthers: Jimmy Clausen
Much to the chagrin of Mel Kiper and Panthers fans alike, former Notre Dame star Jimmy Clausen was one of the biggest disappointments that the NFL has seen. He was a second-round pick, but considering how high profile he was coming out of the NFL draft, his five-touchdown, 1965-yard career was a huge disappointment.
Also Read: 10 College Running Backs to Keep an Eye on in the 2024 NFL Draft
Chicago Bears: Mitch Trubisky
Though he did lead the Bears to the playoffs and backed his way into a Pro Bowl selection, there is no denying that Mitch Trubisky was the biggest bust that the Bears have had at the quarterback position. The UNC product never came close to delivering the level of ROI Chicago hoped for when they reached for him with the second pick overall in the 2017 draft.
Cincinnati Bengals: Ryan Finley
The Bengals have done pretty well in recent years taking quarterbacks, so we have to throw some relatively undeserved shade at their 2019 fourth-round pick, Ryan Finley. He was largely taken as a developmental option, but he wasn’t great in his opportunities on the gridiron in Cinci – he struggled in his handful of starts before being relegated and dealt to Houston.
Cleveland Browns: Johnny Manziel
Well… We all know how the Johnny Football story played out in Cleveland. The former Texas A&M standout’s hard-living ways never translated to the NFL level and he flamed out after just two professional seasons.
Dallas Cowboys: Stephen McGee
Dallas hasn’t taken any quarterbacks in the first two rounds of the NFL draft since 2000, but they did Stephen McGee in the fourth round in 2009 after a strong collegiate career at Texas A&M. His Dallas tenure was limited to relief roles he flamed out of Dallas having thrown for less than 500 passing yards as a Cowboy.
Denver Broncos: Paxton Lynch
For an organization with a couple of all-time greats under center, the Denver Broncos have struggled to find them in the draft this millennium. Paxton Lynch, however, was the worst of the bunch. The former first-round pick never seemed to get a grasp of the team’s playbook and was bounced out of the Mile High City before ever even securing the regular starting job.
Detroit Lions: Joey Harrington
Joey Harrington was as electric as it got at the University of Oregon, but that never really translated to his time in Detroit, though it is worth noting that in many ways, he was a victim of circumstances because the Lions took him at a time that their organization known for its lack of stability.
Green Bay Packers: Jordan Love
Green Bay has been a spoiled franchise when it comes to taking quarterbacks in the draft – and it looks like Jordan Love now has all the makings of a solid NFL starter at a minimum… but we have to include him on this due to the riff that his selection put between Green Bay and its future Hall of Fame quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
Houston Texans: David Carr
Considering he was slotted in as the starter for an expansion franchise, take David Carr’s failures in the NFL with a grain of salt. That said, he was the first overall pick in the draft in ’02, and he was never able to establish himself as a viable starter in the NFL, which, fair or unfair, made him a bona fide bust.
Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck
Hard to call former first-overall pick Andrew Luck a bust, considering how fantastic he was when healthy… but considering his shocking early retirement and the turmoil that left the franchise in conjunction with the lack of quarterbacks taken high in the NFL draft, he’s going get a controversial (and largely undeserved) bust designation on this list.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Blake Bortles
The Jags may have been within striking distance of a Super Bowl appearance with Blake Bortles under center, but the former 3rd overall pick was largely a beneficiary of a great defense that year.
Popular as he may have been, Bortles never met the expectations of a quarterback taken top three.
Kansas City Chiefs: Brodie Croyle
Brodie Croyle was a third-round pick in the ’06 draft but was unable to win a single game as a starter in the NFL. He brutally failed the eye test, as he never looked suited to lead an offense at the professional level.
Las Vegas Raiders: JaMarcus Russell
Few quarterbacks have crashed and burned the way that the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, JaMarcus Russell did. It went from bad to worse fast for the former LSU star.
Los Angeles Chargers: Drew Brees
Drew Brees may be a future Hall of Famer, but for the purposes of the Chargers, the former 32nd overall pick in the ’01 draft was a bust. His sustained success didn’t come until later in his career when he linked up with Sean Payton in New Orleans.
Los Angeles Rams: Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford was a good pro… it is hard to deny that. But he was never able to stay healthy for any serious amount of time and he certainly didn’t live up to the billing of a first overall pick.
Also Read: 5 Most Obvious Potential Draft Busts From the 2024 NFL Draft and 5 Potential Steals
Miami Dolphins: Pat White
It is hard to blame Pat White for his failures as a Dolphin considering the team took him in the second round and then proceeded to only really use the dual-threat quarterback in Wildcat formations. That said, he played just one year in the league and has to be considered a bust.
Minnesota Vikings: Christian Ponder
Former 12th overall draft pick Christian Ponder was about as bad as it gets in the NFL for a first-round quarterback. He started just 36 games in his career before getting bounced out of the league for poor performance.
New England Patriots: Mac Jones
After a promising rookie year in which he earned Pro Bowl honors, the Mac Jones saga in New England went sour fast. So much so that he ultimately ended up costing the greatest Head Coach that the game had ever seen his job, which is saying something!
New Orleans Saints: Garrett Grayson
While Garrett Grayson was just a third-round pick, the former Colorado State standout never managed to even touch the field in a regular-season NFL game making him the biggest bust that the Saints have had at the quarterback position since 2000.
New York Giants: Daniel Jones
While he did have success in his first year paired up with Brian Daboll, it is looking like the former 6th overall pick out of Duke will go down as a proper bust for the Giants the way things are trending.
New York Jets: Zach Wilson
He showed flashes of athleticism and arm talent in New York, but that was as good as it got for the Jets 2nd overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft. Now that his three-year tenure with the Jets is officially over it is safe to say that he will go down as one of the biggest busts in team history.
Philadelphia Eagles: Kevin Kolb
Though his struggles were in part due to injury, Kevin Kolb never lived up to the billing of a second-round pick. The Eagles had high hopes that he could become the starter in Philly, but frequent injuries and inconsistent play made his time in the City of Brotherly Love largely forgettable.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Kenny Pickett
The Steelers raised a lot of eyebrows when they took the former Pitt star, Kenny Pickett, 20th overall in the 2022 Draft—and their doubters have since been vindicated as he struggled to achieve any level of consistency as a Steeler. Pickett has since moved across the state to the Eagles where his career hangs in limbo as he’ll have to earn an opportunity to back up Jalen Hurts.
San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith
Alex Smith did eventually turn into a serviceable pro, but he really struggled in his early days as a 49er, and his real success never manifested until he left the Bay Area, even with the wins he captured on the strength of the Jim Harbaugh Niners, his record as the San Francisco starter was under .500, obviously not what they were expecting when they took him first overall out of Utah.
Seattle Seahawks: David Greene
The Seahawks took Greene in the third round of the 2005 NFL draft, which isn’t typical bust territory, but when you compare his Seahawks career to Russell Wilson’s, the only quarterback they’ve taken higher than him since 2000, it is clear who is getting the bust designation.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Freeman
When Tampa took Josh Freeman 17th overall, they thought they had a legitimate starting option in the Kansas State product, but the athletic signal-caller had just one winning season in Tampa before they shipped him out of town, shortly after which his NFL came to an unceremonious end.
Tennessee Titans: Vince Young
It is hard to believe after his promising Rookie of the Year winning first season, but Vince Young was a bust for the Titans. He was never able to mesh with his Head Coach at the time, Jeff Fisher, and he fell out of favor with the Titans and, soon after, the rest of the league.
Washington Commanders: Jason Campbell
Jason Campbell managed to string together a 10-year-long NFL career, but as far as the Washington franchise is concerned, the former 25th overall pick was a failure. Campbell struggled to stay healthy and never even managed to put together a winning season in the Nation’s capital.
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