The WORST Bust In Every NFL Draft: 2000-2005
Every year the league’s worst franchises get the opportunity to bring in some much needed talent. While fans and NFL draft rooms are typically happy with their haul on draft day; injuries and unforeseen lackluster play will turn promise into regret quickly. A look at the gentlemen with the dubious distinction of being the worst of the worst of their draft class. Part one looks at the first five classes of the new millennium.
2000 NFL Draft
While Peter Warrick, Travis Taylor, and even former Heisman winner Ron Dayne are in consideration for the worst, I’m giving it to former Penn State star and 1st overall pick Courtney Brown. Brown, the 1999 Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year, finished his incredible collegiate career with 70 tackles for loss and 33 career sacks - both were records at the time. At his Pro Day, he ran a 4.52 40-yard dash, had a 37-inch vertical while logging 26 reps on the 225 lbs bench press. The newly rejoined Cleveland Browns envisioned Brown to be the face of their defense with Tim Couch - the first overall selection in the 1999 draft - leading the offense. He had a decent rookie season totaling 69 tackles and 4.5 sacks; however, injuries and inconsistent play would soon derail his career. He tallied his career-high in sacks in a season with 6 in 2003 but quickly regressed. Between 2002-2004 he only played in 26 games and totaled 8 sacks during that span. He would play one season with the Denver Broncos in 2005 before being out of the NFL for good.
2001 NFL Draft
While 3rd overall pick Gerald Warren was in consideration for this spot, the extremely disappointing Michigan wideout David Terrell “won” out. Terrell was a 2-year starter who made 21 starts and was the first Wolverine to have multiple 1,000-yard seasons - posting 1,038 in 1999 and 1,130 in 2000. That was good enough for the Chicago Bears to select him 8th overall in the 2001 draft. In his rookie season he would haul in 415 yards, the most he’d ever catch for in a single season. He lasted just three more seasons before being out of the NFL by 2005. He would only amass 1,602 career receiving yards and a paltry 9 touchdowns in five seasons.
2002 NFL Draft
If the expansion Houston Texans hadn’t been so terrible, allowing 1st overall pick David Carr to be sacked every other down, he would’ve been this selection. So in all fairness, the obvious choice was the next worse thing, Joey Harrington. Selected 3rd overall by the Detroit Lions, the Lions decided that the former Oregon star and 2001 PAC 10 Offensive Player of the Year would be the guy to get the keys to the franchise. The Lions were one of the worst teams in the NFL; plagued with inconsistent coaching and horrible talent on both sides of the ball to complement Harrington’s own lackluster play. Harrington never passed completed over 60% of his passes while playing for the Lions, only threw more touchdowns than interceptions once - 2004 - and was benched after 5 games in 2005 for veteran Jeff Garcia. With his confidence all but lost after that, Harrington was relegated to being a career backup after 2005. He would go on to retire after the 2008 season.
2003 NFL Draft
While defensive tackles Dewayne Robertson and Johnathan Sullivan,- who were picked at 4th and 6th respectively, didn’t live up to the hype - the first wide receiver taken in this draft takes the cake here. The Detroit Lions took a chance on former Michigan State star Charles Rogers. Rogers is not only the worst pick in the 2003 draft, he may be the worst wide receiver ever selected in an NFL Draft. The 2002 Blientikoff winner, Rogers caught 68 passes and had 13 touchdowns, which was impressive enough for the Detroit Lions to select him 2nd overall. Another mistake during the Matt Millen era, Rogers’ career was littered with injury and suspensions. Rogers would break his clavicle in back-to-back seasons in 2003 and 2004 before a substance abuse policy suspension cut his 2005 season short. He was released in 2006. He would work out for multiple NFL teams but when it was reported that he was running around a 4.8 in the 40-yard dash, he went unsigned. After 3 seasons, Rogers would finish his NFL career with 15 games played, 36 catches for 440 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Rogers would face many legal troubles after his football career ended before passing away in November 2019 from liver failure at 38 years old.
2004 NFL Draft
Robert Gallery, the 2nd overall pick, was originally going to be the pick here but he started over 100 games in the NFL. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for 5th overall pick and consensus 1st Team All-American out of Washington, Reggie Williams. In his rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he disappointed, only putting up 268 receiving yards and a single touchdown. In fact, he wouldn’t log over 600 receiving yards in a season until 2006. Around this time, Williams would be arrested multiple times for drug possession in his NFL career. In 2007, Williams would put up his best season as a pro, ending the year with 38 catches for 629 and 10 receiving touchdowns. This would be his lone double-digit touchdown catch season.. After 5 seasons in Jacksonville, Williams was released after the 2008 season. After briefly signing with the Seattle Seahawks in 2010, he would be out of the NFL soon thereafter.
2005 NFL Draft
The 4th pick, Cedric Benson, enjoyed a seven-year-long NFL career. The 5th pick, Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, was awarded the Rookie of the Year before injuries cut his promising career short. This would leave the biggest bust label to the 7th pick, Troy Williamson. The Minnesota Vikings, who selected the speedy South Carolina wideout, acquired the pick in the blockbuster trade that sent Randy Moss to the Oakland Raiders. Williamson wouldn’t live up to the massive pressure of filling Moss’s shoes. He would only play in Minnesota for three seasons and never had more than 455 receiving yards in a single campaign. One major problem with Williamson was the inconsistency to catch the football, being NOTORIOUS for dropping seemingly easy, routine passes. Williamson’s 11 drop season in 2006, paved the way for his 2007 trade to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 6th round pick. In his 2 seasons there, he would total 8 catches for 64 yards and a single touchdown, Williamson was out of the NFL after 2009.
LEONARD LEONAPRIL 15, 2021