Top 10 Worst NFL Draft Picks of the Last 10 Years

Tennessee Titans
It’s extra disappointing when a player fails due to off-the-field reasons, rather than a talent issue. The Titans took the offensive tackle at pick 29, and he was immediately a problem for them. Wilson was on and off the Reserve/COVID list for months, and in September of 2020 he was arrested for DUI. In December, the Titans suspended him for a rules violation, and the following January he was arrested again for leading cops on a high-speed chase. He played exactly four snaps in his rookie season. In March, the team traded him to the Dolphins. He was cut just three days later after skipping workouts. He then spent a few months on the Giants’ practice squad before his NFL career ended.

New England Patriots
If a wide receiver can’t succeed with Tom Brady as his quarterback, he was probably never meant to be a professional football player. The Patriots took Harry with the final pick of the first round, but due to injuries, he only played seven games his rookie season. After Brady departed for the Bucs in 2020, Harry recorded his most successful season with just 309 receiving yards. The rest of his short career was plagued by injuries, and he bounced from the Bears to the Vikings to the Seahawks’ practice squad. The Hawks released him in December 2024, which appeared to spell the end of his time as a pro.

New York Jets
In fairness to Wilson, nothing ever works out for the Jets. After being selected second overall, the BYU quarterback got off to a promising start. In his first regular season game, he threw for 258 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from there. The following week against the Patriots, Wilson threw interceptions on his first two passing attempts, plus two more later in the game. He struggled through two more seasons with the Jets, suffering from injuries and getting benched for performance issues. He then spent a year with the Broncos as the third-string quarterback before getting picked up by the Dolphins. It remains to be seen whether Wilson has the chops to succeed in the NFL.

Denver Broncos
You never want to be the guy to try to fill Peyton Manning’s shoes. Following their Super Bowl win and Manning’s retirement, the Broncos selected Lynch 26th overall in 2016. During his rookie season, he subbed in for starter Trevor Siemian a handful of times and, overall, looked pretty good. He missed most of the following season with injuries, and in 2018 was demoted to third string before being cut in September. Lynch then spent time with the Seahawks and Steelers before trying his luck in the Canadian Football League, the USFL, and the XFL. You at least have to admire his persistence.

Philadelphia Eagles
In 2020, Philly was in desperate need of wide receivers. The best pass catcher on the roster was 33-year-old DeSean Jackson, whose long career was nearing its end. The team took Reagor 21st overall, and despite missing two months with an injury, he had a decent rookie season. However, the bottom fell out in 2021. Reagor seemed to get the yips, dropping passes left and right and finishing the regular season with only two touchdowns. The last straw came during the playoffs, when Reagor muffed two punts in the Wild Card Round and the Eagles got blown out by the Bucs, 31 to 15. Since then, he’s been handed off from one team to another and seems destined to be another forgotten draft bust.

Cincinnati Bengals
After being selected 9th overall, this wide receiver’s rookie season could not have gone worse. Ross missed the season opener with a knee injury, and in week two he logged just 12 rushing yards and a fumble. That was the only time he’d touch the ball all season. He was active for only two more games, and was either injured or a healthy scratch for the other 12. His third season in the league was by far his best, when he managed over 500 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He was then shunted from the Giants to the Chiefs to the Eagles. All told, he played just 38 games in six seasons and walked away with fewer than a thousand receiving yards for his career.

San Francisco 49ers
This quarterback from NDSU has actually put up decent numbers – when he gets on the field. Sadly, his career has been marred by one injury after another. The Niners drafted Lance third overall, and when he took over for an injured Jimmy G. in week four, he racked up 157 passing yards, 41 rushing yards, and two touchdowns. But he only played one more game before going out with a knee sprain. He earned the starting job in 2022 but missed most of the season with an ankle injury, and in 2023 he was bumped down to third string. He then bounced to the Cowboys and the Chargers. Altogether, he played in only 12 games in his first four years in the league.

Arizona Cardinals
After an impressive college career with UCLA, Rosen was one of the most exciting prospects in the 2018 draft. The Cards selected him 10th, and he won the starting job by week four. That might have been more of a curse than a blessing, since the rest of the team’s offense was a mess. Rosen was sacked 45 times, threw 14 interceptions and just 11 touchdowns, and finished the season with the worst passer rating in the league. He was then moved to the Dolphins, becoming the only first-round QB to play just one season with the team that drafted him before being traded. Over the next few years, Rosen spent time with the Bucs, 49ers, Falcons, Browns, and Vikings before calling it quits.

Carolina Panthers
He might not be the worst player on our list, but when you draft a guy first overall, you expect to get a lot more out of him. Young’s rookie season was extremely mediocre. He threw 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and the Panthers finished 2 and 15. Things got even worse at the start of 2024, when the Cats were blown out in back to back games. By week three, Young was benched for 37-year-old Andy Dalton. He returned to the starting lineup in week eight after Dalton sprained his thumb and finished the season with decent stats, including 15 passing touchdowns and six interceptions. It’s possible that Young still has a future in the NFL.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

He Spent Time With Eight Different Teams But Never Made a Real Impact

This Fourth Overall Pick Was a Huge Reach and Hasn’t Had More Than Five Sacks in a Season

It’s Been One Injury After Another for This Corner, Who Was Picked Third Overall

Wide Receivers Only Have One Job, and Johnston Just Isn’t Very Good at It

Chicago Bears
It’s not just that Trubisky is a below average QB. It’s that the Bears traded up to take him second overall – ahead of Patrick Mahomes. Offense has never been the Bears’ strong suit, but Trubisky’s middling stats were still a letdown. His best season came in 2018, when he took the team to the Wild Card Round. However, by the start of the 2020 season, he was in competition with Nick Foles for the starting job. He won the role, but the team declined to pick up his fifth-year option. Since then, he’s bounced from the Bills to the Steelers and back. We can’t help but wonder how former Bears GM Ryan Pace feels when he thinks about what could have been.