The NFL draft is one of the most celebrated days in a sports fan’s year. Why is there so much excitement about an event with no actual athletic competition? It marks new beginnings, a level of optimism for even the most dreadful teams from the year before. The draft is a chance for each and every team to reverse it’s fortunes, for better and for worse. It is every team’s greatest asset towards building a championship level team, and ironically, it is also one of sport’s biggest crapshoots. For every Peyton Manning that has lived up to every shred of hype and elevated his team, there has been a Ryan Leaf that cripples another for years to come. For every Akili Smith, a quarterback with seemingly limitless potential, who frustrated a fan base by never putting it all together, there is a Tom Brady, who battled to start for his COLLEGE team, and was passed up 198 times in the 2000 draft before being taken by the Patriots in the 6^th round, you may have heard a bit about how that one turned out.

So with the 2010 draft on the horizon, it’s time to take a look back to show that no matter what the experts, the executives, and the fans think they know going into the big day… they don’t.

10 Biggest Busts of the 00’s

10. David Carr (1^st overall, 2002)

Carr came into the league as the first pick ever for the expansion Houston Texans. Unlike even the most heralded rookie quarterbacks, he entered his first season as the unquestioned starter, without any legitimate competition behind him, with the team citing his leadership on the field, and rare maturity off of it (married with a child during college). Such situations come with inherent growing pains, but few imagined that they would come with such literal force and frequency. After a shocking win 19-10 victory in the franchise’s inaugural game against the Dallas Cowboys, Carr’s Texans would go on to lose their next 5 games and finished with a 4-12 record, which was not unexpected considering the state of the young franchise. What was unexpected though was the record 76 sacks that Carr was on the receiving end of, behind an inexperienced offensive line. The punishment slowly but surely got to him as his numbers and effectiveness declined each season until he was released after the 2006 season. He has been a backup since, and it appears he will never even come close to reaching the potential of a number one overall pick.

9. Adam “Pacman” Jones (6^th overall, 2005)

Jones is by no means a conventional draft bust. His first two seasons, he showed all the promise that prompted such a high draft pick for the Tennessee Titans. He was emerging as a top corner and was already one of, if not the best return man in the game. Unfortunately, it was not his on-field performance that undermined the career of Pacman.

Jones was suspended for the entire ’07-’08 season, and suspended for the entire season for a variety of legal issues, including alleged involvement in a shooting that left a man paralyzed. He was never the same, after being released the following season by the Titans, he caught on with the Cowboys, but was ineffective. He was out of football this past season, and it remains a question as to whether he has a future in the NFL.

8. Vernon Gholston (6^th Overall, 2008)

He could be ranked higher or lower depending on his next few years, but despite only two years in the league, he has been among the most disappointing high picks in recent memory, and the definition of a workout warrior. A physical freak, who was expected to become an elite pass rusher quickly, displaying rare speed and explosiveness during his workouts, Gholston has yet to record a single sack, and has totaled 30 tackles in two completely irrelevant seasons for the New York Jets. His talent simply doesn’t show up in game situations This coming year could be his last chance to prove himself.

7. Jerome McDougle (15^th Overall, 2003)

While many players on this list were drafted higher overall, McDougle has a near unparalleled level of ineffectiveness. The Eagles hoped McDougle would develop into an elite pass rusher. Four seasons, and three sacks that idea was out the window and McDougle was out of the league.

6. Troy Williamson (7^th Overall, 2005)

The speedy receiver was drafted by the Vikings in the top ten and was expected to solve the team’s pass catching woes. He was traded two seasons later for a 6^th round pick, doesn’t really add up right? Neither does a receiver who can’t catch, which is precisely what Williamson was and is. Williamson however, does not hold the distinction of being the biggest receiver bust in his own draft class, that goes to…

5. Mike Williams (10^th Overall, 2005)

Many questioned the decision to take Williamson ahead of the much more productive Williams in 2005. It didn’t really end up mattering either way. Williams, a huge target with terrific hands seemed to have all the potential in the world to become a dominant force. His fall to ten overall tempted the Detroit Lions to jump on him, and they lived to regret it. He repeatedly showed up out of shape and it became evident that he did not have the speed to separate from professional defensive backs and more importantly passion to succeed in the NFL. He was out of the league in 3 years.

4. JaMarcus Russell (1^st Overall, 2007)

… Speaking of undedicated, Russell is a few years away from topping this list. The Oakland Raiders took him at the top of the draft after he showed off unparalleled arm strength. Scouts raved about his workouts, but it has yet to translate on the field. Russell had one of the most inaccurate seasons in NFL history last season and was benched in favor of journeyman Bruce Gradkowski. He has reportedly ballooned as high as 300 pounds and has shown little improvement since his entrance into the league. Like Gholston, this season could be the tipping point for Russell.

3. Jamal Reynolds (10^th Overall, 2001)

It’s hard to be less relevant than Reynolds was for the duration of his career, he managed three sacks over three injury plagued years for the Green Bay Packers. His career was so unremarkable that I couldn’t find a single picture of him actually playing to add.

2. Johnathan Sullivan (6^th Overall, 2003)

Sullivan was expected to be a versitle, potentially dominant defensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints. It never happened, as he only mustered 1.5 sacks in three seasons. It is particularly painful considering that two pro bowl defensive linemen, Terrell Suggs and Kevin Williams, were drafted only a few picks behind him.

1. Charles Rogers (2^nd Overall, 2003)

Rogers had it all. Coming out of Michigan State he held the record for consecutive games with touchdown catches in college history and at 6 foot 3, 220 pounds, while also running a forty yard dash in the 4.3’s, it appeared he had the size and skills to become one of the greats, not to mention that he would go on to be drafted by his hometown Detroit Lions, making for a nice story. Injuries and personal problems would undermine that quest before it seemingly got started, and his work ethic never seemed to match his considerable talent.. His rookie season ended after 5 games due to a broken collarbone, the same injury that would derail his second season after just three plays. The following season, Rogers was suspended for four games after his third failure of the NFL’s substance abuse policy, and was released the following season. Upon his release, new head coach Rod Marinelli said that he didn’t think Rogers’ work ethic was a match for his football team. He has tried out for several teams in recent years, but his skills have eroded and those teams have surmised that the risk is simply not worth the reward.