The 3 Biggest Busts in the History of the NFL Draft

So much was expected out of Leaf, Russell, and Manziel when they were first-round selections in the NFL Draft.

JaMarcus Russell

After a standout career at LSU, Russell was the No. 1 overall selection of the Oakland Raiders in the 2007 Draft. His career with the Raiders began inauspiciously, with a contract dispute that resulted in Russell skipping training camp and not signing with the team until after the regular season was underway. After persistent poor performance, the Raiders waived Russell in the 2010 offseason. NFL.com’s Steve Wyche described Russell as the biggest draft bust in NFL history.

Johnny Manziel

Manziel won the 2012 Heisman Trophy. The Cleveland Browns selected him with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He was also a talented baseball player and was drafted as a shortstop by the San Diego Padres. Two years after drafting Manziel, the Browns waived him.

Ryan Leaf

Ryan Leaf, who is now 47 years old, was a first-team All-American at Washington State in 1997, and the San Diego Chargers selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1998 Draft, behind Peyton Manning. Leaf played in a total of 21 games for the Chargers throughout three seasons. He threw almost three times more interceptions than touchdowns. The Chargers waived him in 2001. At the time of his release, he was widely regarded as “the biggest bust in the history of professional sports.”

“Honorable” Mention: Other Draft Busts Who Rival the 3 Biggest Busts

Leaf, Russell, and Manziel are not alone. “Honorable” mention goes to Tony Mandarich and Trey Lance.

Tony Mandarich

Tony Mandarich, who is now 57 years old, was the No. 2 overall pick of the Green Bay Packers in the 1989 Draft after being named a two-time All-American at Michigan State. After three seasons plagued by contract disputes, lackluster performance, and attitude issues, the Packers released Mandarich. It was a spectacular fall for a player who had been hyped by the media and appeared twice on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Trey Lance

The San Francisco 49ers expended considerable draft capital to trade up to select Trey Lance with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 Draft, even though Lance played only 17 games at the collegiate level at an FCS school. Lance played in only eight games for the 49ers throughout two seasons. After the 2022 season, the 49ers traded Lance to the Dallas Cowboys. He is currently listed as the Cowboys third-string QB.

Good luck to the teams in avoiding busts in the 2024 NFL Draft!