A bad draft pick doesn’t just hurt for a season—it can derail a team’s plans for years. Miss on a top pick, and suddenly you’re burning through head coaches, whiffing on free agents, and watching rivals pass you by while you hit reset over and over again.
Some of these picks were hyped at the time, while others raised eyebrows from day one. However, they all ultimately caused significant harm to their teams’ timelines, reputations, or both. Here are 15 NFL draft picks that truly set a franchise back.
15. Kevin White – Chicago Bears
The Bears thought they were getting a future star wideout, but injuries kept White off the field. They spent years trying to find a true WR1 after that gamble.
14. Jake Locker – Tennessee Titans
Locker was supposed to bring stability to Tennessee, but his inconsistent play and early retirement left them back at square one. The Titans wandered through mediocrity for years afterward.
13. Vernon Gholston – New York Jets
Gholston looked like a pass-rushing monster coming out of college, but never recorded a single sack in the NFL. The Jets wasted a premium pick and never got the defensive impact they desperately needed.
12. Matt Leinart – Arizona Cardinals
Leinart came in with Heisman hype and Hollywood swagger, but his NFL career fizzled fast. Arizona had to scrap its plans and start over with a veteran soon after.
11. Dion Jordan – Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins traded up to take Jordan third overall, but he barely made a dent. With suspensions and underwhelming production, it was a massive swing and a miss.
10. Charles Rogers – Detroit Lions
The hometown hero story never panned out, as injuries and off-field issues prematurely ended his career. Detroit spent years trying to recover from that WR miss before finally striking gold with Calvin Johnson.
9. Trent Richardson – Cleveland Browns
Richardson was supposed to be a can’t-miss back, but he missed just about everything. The Browns gave up a high pick and eventually traded him for peanuts.
8. Justin Blackmon – Jacksonville Jaguars
Blackmon had all the talent in the world, but off-the-field problems derailed his career. Jacksonville spent years trying to fill the void at wide receiver.
7. Tim Couch – Cleveland Browns
As the first pick of the Browns’ rebirth, Couch carried heavy expectations. He never fully felt comfortable behind a shaky offensive line, and the team cycled through quarterbacks after him.
6. Cedric Benson – Chicago Bears
Benson never found his footing in Chicago, and the pick caused significant friction with the existing backfield. It took years for the Bears to recover their running game identity.
5. Andre Ware – Detroit Lions
Ware’s college success didn’t translate to the pros at all. The Lions missed out hard, wasting years waiting for potential that never materialized.
4. Joey Harrington – Detroit Lions
Detroit bet big on Harrington as their franchise quarterback, and he just never delivered. The Lions stayed stuck in rebuild mode long after he was gone.
3. Josh Rosen – Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals thought they had their guy in Rosen, but bailed after just one season. It cost them picks, time, and momentum before landing Kyler Murray.
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2. JaMarcus Russell – Oakland Raiders
Russell was the classic case of having all the talent but no drive. He set the Raiders back years and became the poster child for scouting mistakes.
Read More: 19 NFL First-Round Draft Busts That Nobody Saw Coming
1. Ryan Leaf – San Diego Chargers
Leaf had the arm but none of the leadership, and the meltdown was swift and brutal. The Chargers had to completely reset their franchise trajectory after one of the most significant disappointments in NFL history.
