Worst 1 picks since 1970

[SFloridaCowboy]

Number 1 picks:

I exclude players who showed promise, then had wipeout injuries, like Robert Shaw, C, 1979 and Bill Cannon, LB 1984; 1986 Mike Sherrard.

Tody Smith DE, 1971; drafted as he was the younger brother of Bubba Smith. He was a stiff. Boys conned a #1 pick out of Houston; that pick became Too Tall Jones

Bill Thomas, RB 1972; injury prone in college and pros, he was a wasted #1 pick

Larry Bethea, DE, 1978; was a nothing.

Howard Richards, 1981; was a consensus first rounder; he sat on bench and never left it;

Rod Hill, CB, 1982; horrific pick, could not play in the NFL;

Kevin Brooks, DE, 1985; defensive MVP Big 10, a colossal bust when Boys were old and tired

Danny Noonan, DT, 1987; was supposed to replace Randy White; he was great college player, but was average at best in NFL; looked puffy from steroids; he and Brooks sealed Landry and Brandt’s fates; they drove team into the basement with the worsts drafts from 76-87.

Shante Carver, DE 1994; set Arizona State record for sacks, was to replace Charles Haley, but was a bust. However started at RDE in 1996 Super Bowl victory when Haley was injured.

David Lafleur, TE, 1997; team gave up a third to move up to select a lumbering giant, who was timed by a sundial; plus he was injury prone; huge flop, very painful

Ebenezer Ekuban, DE 1999; for a first rounder he was very disappointing; he was at best average NFL quality

Bobby Carpenter, LB 2006. A finesse LB, son of former player under Parcells, could not take on opponents at point of attack; Parcell’s worst pick.

Mike Jenkins, CB 2008, could not improve and was constantly burned

Mo Claiborne, CB, 2012, a weak thin and frail CB, he kept getting injured

Taco Charlton, DE, 2017, a super harmful bust, as TJ Watt was on board

 

[kskboys]

I'm trying to refute someone on your last, and as of yet have not been able to!!!

 

[Risen Star]

Jenkins should not be on this list.

 

[kskboys]

Jenkins should not be on this list.

I think he should.

 

[KingintheNorth]

Not seeing any Jimmy picks on that list.....

Hmmmm?

 

[Cowboyny]

Not seeing any Jimmy picks on that list.....

Hmmmm?

I'll give you one Alexander Wright. Forgot, he was on top of rd 2. He did want Francis the LB Cincy took over Emmitt Smith

 

[fivetwos]

Bethea wasnt so bad.

That was a tough front four to crack.

 

[KingintheNorth]

He did want Francis the LB Cincy took over Emmitt Smith

That's not exactly true.

He wanted a a RB but knew he couldn't trade up high enough to get Blair Thomas. Jimmy really liked Emmitt but the scouts had Emmitt as 5th best RB that year. They collectively decided Francis should be the pick but Jimmy wanted a RB bad. Francis went 12th and then Jimmy overrode everyone (not really, was always his call) and traded up to 17 to get Emmitt. Supposedly, the scouts were higher on Rodney Hampton, Darrell Thompson, and a few others over Emmitt.

 

[Cowboyny]

That's not exactly true.

He wanted a a RB but knew he couldn't trade up high enough to get Blair Thomas. Jimmy really liked Emmitt but the scouts had Emmitt as 5th best RB that year. They collectively decided Francis should be the pick but Jimmy wanted a RB bad. Francis went 12th and then Jimmy overrode everyone (not really, was always his call) and traded up to 17 to get Emmitt. Supposedly, the scouts were higher on Rodney Hampton, Darrell Thompson, and a few others over Emmitt.

Did not know the whole story behind the pick, but did remember Francis was a target by the team. If that is correct, great call.

 

[Jake]

Howard Richards, 1981; was a consensus first rounder; he sat on bench and never left it;

Rod Hill, CB, 1982; horrific pick, could not play in the NFL;

Kevin Brooks, DE, 1985; defensive MVP Big 10, a colossal bust when Boys were old and tired

Danny Noonan, DT, 1987; was supposed to replace Randy White; he was great college player, but was average at best in NFL; looked puffy from steroids; he and Brooks sealed Landry and Brandt’s fates; they drove team into the basement with the worsts drafts from 76-87.

Adding to the 1980s busts:

Billy Cannon, Jr., LB, 1984 - He had an existing congenital spinal condition and 8 games into his rookie season (as a back up) he fell unconscious and suffered temporary paralysis after making a tackle. He never played again.

 

[rags747]

Howard Richards blew out a knee I thought.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Number 1 picks:

I exclude players who showed promise, then had wipeout injuries, like Robert Shaw, C, 1979 and Bill Cannon, LB 1984; 1986 Mike Sherrard.

Tody Smith DE, 1971; drafted as he was the younger brother of Bubba Smith. He was a stiff. Boys conned a #1 pick out of Houston; that pick became Too Tall Jones

Bill Thomas, RB 1972; injury prone in college and pros, he was a wasted #1 pick

Larry Bethea, DE, 1978; was a nothing.

Howard Richards, 1981; was a consensus first rounder; he sat on bench and never left it;

Rod Hill, CB, 1982; horrific pick, could not play in the NFL;

Kevin Brooks, DE, 1985; defensive MVP Big 10, a colossal bust when Boys were old and tired

Danny Noonan, DT, 1987; was supposed to replace Randy White; he was great college player, but was average at best in NFL; looked puffy from steroids; he and Brooks sealed Landry and Brandt’s fates; they drove team into the basement with the worsts drafts from 76-87.

Shante Carver, DE 1994; set Arizona State record for sacks, was to replace Charles Haley, but was a bust. However started at RDE in 1996 Super Bowl victory when Haley was injured.

David Lafleur, TE, 1997; team gave up a third to move up to select a lumbering giant, who was timed by a sundial; plus he was injury prone; huge flop, very painful

Ebenezer Ekuban, DE 1999; for a first rounder he was very disappointing; he was at best average NFL quality

Bobby Carpenter, LB 2006. A finesse LB, son of former player under Parcells, could not take on opponents at point of attack; Parcell’s worst pick.

Mike Jenkins, CB 2008, could not improve and was constantly burned

Mo Claiborne, CB, 2012, a weak thin and frail CB, he kept getting injured

Taco Charlton, DE, 2017, a super harmful bust, as TJ Watt was on board

Felix Jones should be on there too

 

[darthseinfeld]

Jenkins should not be on this list.

I think he should.

I think its debatable but I would include. He had that one great year in 2009, but after that was injured too much and average when he was healthy. Id want more from a 1st rounder in a year that produced alot of excellent CB's

 

[CalPolyTechnique]

I think Claiborne was a huuuuuge swing and a miss for this franchise. Especially, when we know whom we would have drafted (Bobby Wagner and Michael Brockers per Jerry) had we not traded up for him.

*We were also spared by dumb luck of not being able to pull off a trade to draft Paxton Lynch.

 

[SFloridaCowboy]

Adding to the 1980s busts:

Billy Cannon, Jr., LB, 1984 - He had an existing congenital spinal condition and 8 games into his rookie season (as a back up) he fell unconscious and suffered temporary paralysis after making a tackle. He never played again.

I qualified the list: "I exclude players who showed promise, then had wipeout injuries, like Robert Shaw, C, 1979 and Bill Cannon, LB 1984;"
Billy Cannon would have been a star. He was a former safety converted to LB; he was a playmaker, great size and speed and his father was a Heisman winner. His rookie/career ending injury hurt the most and contributed to the Brandt/Landry demise.