The NFL Draft is one of the most exciting weekends on the NFL calendar. It signals hope for every fanbase, even the worst ones. All it takes is one right pick to completely change the trajectory of your franchise, but it also takes one bad pick to tank everything you've been building.
Holding the first overall pick in the draft doesn't guarantee you a star player. There have been plenty of misses at first overall, so today, I'll be highlighting the 10 worst first overall picks since 2000.
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Who They Could've Taken:DE Aidan Hutchinson , S Kyle Hamilton, CB Sauce Gardner , CB Derek Stingley
The No. 10 spot was really hard to narrow down. There are plenty of first overall picks who have been solid, but not great, and that's exactly what Travon Walkerhas been. He has two seasons with 10+ sacks, but in 2025, he only notched 3.5 sacks in 14 games. He's a great athlete, but that hasn't always translate to success on the field. I wouldn't say this was a horrible pick, but it's certainly not up there with the best first overall picks this century.
Who They Could've Taken:OT Lane Johnson , WR DeAndre Hopkins , TE Travis Kelce
Offensive tackles aren't often taken first overall, but when they are, they comes with sky high expectations. Eric Fishernever quite met those expectations, but he was a solid starter for the Kansas City Chiefs for the better part of a decade. He was a two-time Pro Bowler and only gave up 5+ sacks in three of his eight seasons with the Chiefs. The one thing that makes this pick look bad is the fact that Lane Johnson, a future Hall of Fame tackle, was taken just a few picks later.
Who They Could've Taken:DE Nick Bosa , DT Quinnen Williams , DE Maxx Crosby
Kyler Murray'scareer started off pretty promising. He totaled well over 4,000 yards in each of his first three seasons while hitting the 30 touchdown mark twice in his second and third year. But then things started to go downhill.
In the four seasons since 2022, Murray has missed at least six games in three of them, and when he's been on the field, the production just hasn't been there. Despite that, the Arizona Cardinals signed him to a huge extension, which they now have to get off their books this offseason. Things looked good early on, but they've quickly faded, and all they have to show for his tenure is a 34-11 playoff loss in 2021.
TAMPA, FL – JANUARY 03: Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young 9 runs ahead before a game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers, January 3, 2025 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida Photo by Ricky Bowden/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA JAN 03 Panthers at Buccaneers EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon55301032026005
Who They Could've Taken:DE Will Anderson , WR Puka Nacua , RB Bijan Robinson
The jury is still out on Bryce Young,especially after a career year in 2025, but I'm not convinced he's the Panthers' franchise guy. I think the fact that a 3,000-yard, 23-touchdown season is considered a career year for the guy tells you all you need to know. He led Carolina to the playoffs this year, but their schedule is about to be very tough next year, and I don't see them having the same success. He's likely not going to get a long-term deal with Carolina, so I think he'll go down as a bit of a bust.
Who They Could've Taken:DT Aaron Donald , WR Mike Evans , DE Khalil Mack, WR Davante Adams
Jadeveon Clowneyhas managed to revive his career in recent years, but for the first seven years of his career, he was a bust. He was supposed to be one of the next great pass rushers, but after five years in Houston where he totaled 29 sacks, the Texans let him walk in free agency.
As time has gone on, he's gotten better, recording 23.5 sacks in the last three seasons, all of which came with different teams, but when you think about the hype he had coming out of South Carolina, it's hard to say he was a great pick.
Who They Could've Taken:WR Stefon Diggs , DE Danielle Hunter, DT Leonard Williams
Everybody loves Jameis Winston, but let's be honest, he was not a great first overall pick. He played five years for Tampa Bay and he put up some big numbers, including a 5,000-yard, 30-touchdown season in 2019, but he was a turnover machine. In his five years with the Buccaneers, Winston threw 88 interceptions, including 30 in 2019. To make matters worse, the Buccaneers went from 7-9 in 2019 to Super Bowl Champions in 2020 after they got rid of him.
Winston has carved out a nice career as a backup, but nobody will remember him as being an elite player.
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Who They Could've Taken:DT Ndamukong Suh , OT Trent Williams , TE Rob Gronkowski
The St. Louis Rams drafted Sam Bradfordfirst overall with hopes he'd become their franchise quarterback, but he never found the same success he had in college. He played four seasons with the Rams where he threw for 11,065 yards, 59 touchdowns and 38 interceptions. He actually had a solid season in his fourth year with the team with 1,687 yards, 14 TDs and four INTs, but he tore his ACL and never played another snap for St. Louis.
Bradford would earn a starting job with Philadelphia and Minnesota in 2015 and 2016 respectively, but he didn't last in either spot. Pretty big swing and miss on a prospect who was labeled as a "can't-miss" guy.
Who They Could've Taken:LB Brian Urlacher, RB Shaun Alexander, QB Tom Brady
Courtney Brownhad such high expectations coming out of college. The Cleveland Browns drafted him first overall with the hope that he could transform their defense, but that never came to fruition. Brown played five seasons with the Browns and never topped six sacks in a single year. He battled through lower body injuries his entire career, and after six seasons, he hung up his cleats. Over six years in the league, Brown recorded just 19 sacks.
Who They Could've Taken:DE Julius Peppers , S Ed Reed, LB James Harrison
The Houston Texans were committed to making the David Carrexperiment work after they drafted him first overall in 2002. They gave him five seasons as the starter, but he never panned out, throwing fewer than 17 touchdown passes every single season and ending his tenure with the Texans with a 59 to 65 TD to INT ratio.
After his time in Houston came to a close, he bounced around as a backup, but never regained full-time starter status. Houston gave him opportunity after opportunity to cement himself as their long-term starter, but Carr could never find the same success he had in college.
Chargers vs. Raiders Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell prepares to throw against the San Diego Chargers in the fourth quarter. The Chargers defeated the Raiders, 30-17, at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, California, Sunday, December 30, 2007. Jose Carlos Fajardo/Contra Costa Times/MCT OAKLAND CA USA EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: x x2007xCONTRAxCOSTAxTIMESx 1052870 JosexCarlosxFajardox krtphotoslive283173
Who They Could've Taken:WR Calvin Johnson , OT Joe Thomas, LB Patrick Willis , CB Derrell Revis
JaMarcus Russellis widely viewed as the biggest draft bust of all time. He was a great athlete with a cannon for an arm, but he never put in the work. Over three years with the Raiders , Russell threw for 4,083 yards, 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. What makes his situation worse than most is that the Raiders gave him a six-year, $61 million with $32 million guaranteed, making him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. This was before each draft slot had an assigned value, so the Raiders overpaid big time.
Russell had all the tools to be a great NFL quarterback, but he didn't care to put in the time off the field to be great, and the Raiders paid the price.
