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NFL DRAFT
NFL Draft

NFL draft's 100 biggest busts: Which picks, trades proved to be whiffs?

Nate Davis
USA TODAY

The 100th season of the NFL will celebrate accomplishments and milestones. But there also are flops and disappointments throughout the league's history. With that in mind we look back at the biggest misses during and surrounding the annual "Player Selection Meeting."

Though the draft has been in existence since the Eagles picked inaugural Heisman Trophy winner Jay Berwanger first overall in 1936, it was hardly a scientific (or particularly informed) process for decades. So this list's scope will encompass drafts dating only to 1967, the first common draft following the agreement between the NFL and the AFL to merge.

Some words about the methodology: This ranking and analysis are certainly interspersed with opinion. But I tried not to view these wayward picks in a vacuum — taking into account what teams sacrificed to choose a player, either in terms of trade currency or whom they opted not to select, when evaluating each bust. Some deals themselves are included since many prevented teams from enlisting superior options.

Ryan Leaf, center, celebrates being drafted No. 2 overall by the San Diego Chargers in 1998 along with team owner Alex Spanos, left, and NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

Naturally, extra weight was given to quarterback gaffes — this is a draft piece, after all.

Lastly, I tried to have some fun and used creativity in select spots to keep you (and me) engaged during this gargantuan undertaking, so try not to get too bent out of shape if that defensive tackle or tight end your team took in the top 10 before petering out didn't rate a mention.

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With those considerations in place, let's begin this exercise in revisionist history with our 100 biggest draft whiffs in NFL history:

1. QB Ryan Leaf, 2nd overall 1998, Chargers: It seems patently obvious two decades after the fact, but he was very much in the conversation to be this draft's No. 1 pick. Of course, the Colts wisely chose Peyton Manning. Meanwhile, the Bolts set themselves back years by taking Leaf (4-14 in 18 starts for the club with a 48.8 passer rating), whose gross immaturity and inability to solve pro defenses trumped his vast physical talent. What cements his infamy is the price San Diego paid to simply swap its initial No. 3 pick to get Arizona's spot at No. 2. The freight the Cardinals commanded, aside from the switch, was a second rounder, an additional first rounder in 1999 and two veteran players (Eric Metcalf and Patrick Sapp).

2. OT Tony Mandarich, 2nd overall 1989, Packers: The Sports Illustrated cover boy deemed "The Incredible Bulk" prior to the draft — he had uncommon athleticism and size for the position at the time — was labeled "The NFL's Incredible Bust" only three years later. Mandarich's steroid-fueled body and poor work ethic didn't hold up against NFL competition, and he later descended into drug and alcohol issues. Any value he later provided at guard might have helped the Colts but obviously didn't do the Pack any good. But this context truly frames his failure: Mandarich was the only player selected in the top five that year who didn't wind up in the Hall of Fame. Troy Aikman went No. 1, but Green Bay passed on Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas and Deion Sanders.

3. QB JaMarcus Russell, 1st overall 2007, Raiders: It turned out to be a miserable year for passers, the likes of Brady Quinn, Kevin Kolb and John Beck taken later. But Russell, who began his career with a lengthy holdout, never fulfilled the hype generated by his howitzer arm and legendary pro day. He lasted only three seasons, losing 18 of 25 starts and compiling an abysmal 65.2 passer rating, before laziness and weight gain washed him out of the league. Who could Oakland have taken instead? Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas, Adrian Peterson, Patrick Willis, Marshawn Lynch and Darrelle Revis all came off the board in the first half of Round 1.

4. QB Jeff George, 1st overall 1990, Colts: He looked like Uncle Rico, threw like him, too ... and basically played like the “Napoleon Dynamite” folk hero. George forced Indianapolis to surrender Pro Bowl OT Chris Hinton, future Pro Bowl WR Andre Rison and a first-round pick in 1991 to Atlanta — where George wound up himself in 1994 after wearing out his welcome with a bad attitude and 14-35 record for the Colts, who passed on three eventual Hall of Famers in the first round (more on them later). Never particularly popular in the locker room, George played for five different teams.

5. RB Lawrence Phillips, 6th overall 1996, Rams: Bad player. Bad dude. And St. Louis should have known better. The Rams parted with DT Sean Gilbert to acquire the Phillips pick ... and Eddie George was still available ... and they exported Jerome Bettis to Pittsburgh in a separate deal to clear the way for Phillips. Brutal.

6. Jets' decisions to trade down in 1997: Brace yourself, NYJ fans, this is merely the first of many mentions. After going 1-15 in 1996, Gang Green most definitely earned the No. 1 pick of the '97 draft — which they surely would have used for Peyton Manning — had he opted not to return to the University of Tennessee for his senior year. So in a bid to restock this roster, newly acquired coach Bill Parcells dealt down from No. 1 to No. 6, passing on the opportunity to snatch future Hall of Fame LT Orlando Pace. Then Parcells dropped from No. 6 to No. 8, passing on the opportunity to snatch future Hall of Fame LT Walter Jones. Ugh. LB James Farrior, who was much better in Pittsburgh later in his career than during his Gotham stint, "headlined" New York's forgettable haul, which could have also included Tony Gonzalez, who went 13th.

7. Colts' decision to draft John Elway No. 1 in 1983: His talent obviously justified the selection, but team brass should have taken Elway seriously when he threatened to play baseball rather than for Baltimore. In the end, he launched his Hall of Fame career in Denver while the Colts were left with Hinton, backup QB Mark Herrmann, a first-round pick in 1984 and, in a year's time, a one-way ticket to Indianapolis.

QB Robert Griffin III was offensive rookie of the year for the Redskins in 2012 before his career unraveled.

8. QB Robert Griffin III, 2nd overall 2012, Redskins: Washington shipped three first-round picks and one in the second to the Rams for the chance to take RG3. Initially, it seemed a reasonable gambit as Heisman Trophy winner Griffin won offensive rookie of the year honors while leading a charge to the NFC East title. The rest is unfortunate history. The Redskins are still picking up the pieces.

9. Rams' haul for Robert Griffin III: On the opposite end of the RG3 coin? St. Louis parlayed its bounty into Michael Brockers, Janoris Jenkins, Isaiah Pead, Rokevious Watkins, Alec Ogletree, Stedman Bailey, Zac Stacy and Greg Robinson. Some decent (and not-so-decent) players in there, but obviously not a group that came anywhere close to salvaging the NFL in The Gateway City, much less providing the bedrock for a perennial powerhouse.

10. OLB Aundray Bruce, 1st overall 1988, Falcons: Atlanta thought it was getting the next Lawrence Taylor. Nope. Bruce was no better than a sub package guy, including spot duty at tight end. There were five Hall of Famers picked elsewhere in Bruce's draft and a pretty good pass rusher (Neil Smith) directly after him.

11. RB Bo Jackson, 1st overall 1986, Buccaneers: Don't get it twisted — this isn't a dig at a guy who might truly be a "once in a lifetime" talent. Instead, interpret it as a dig at a long-feckless franchise that chose to squander its pick even though Bo had vowed never to play in Tampa, believing the team deliberately cost him his baseball eligibility at Auburn while trying to strong-arm him into a football-only career. The Bucs took Jackson anyway ... and he was soon stroking towering taters for the Kansas City Royals.

12. OT Robert Gallery, 2nd overall 2004, Raiders: Never approached his pre-draft hype and only became serviceable after moving to guard. Who could Oakland have had instead? Larry Fitzgerald, Philip Rivers, Sean Taylor and Ben Roethlisberger heard their names called shortly after Gallery's selection.

13. RB Blair Thomas, 2nd overall 1990, Jets: To think future Hall of Famers Cortez Kennedy and Junior Seau were sitting there. Or, if New York really had to have a runner, future NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith was around until No. 17.

14. Bills' decision to draft Tom Cousineau No. 1 in 1979: Buffalo owned the choice after dealing O.J. Simpson to the 49ers. But Cousineau took the Canadian Football League's money and bolted, never playing a down for the Bills. Hall of Famers Dan Hampton and Kellen Winslow went later in that first round.

15. Seahawks' decision to trade down in 1977: They were induced to deal out of No. 2 after Tony Dorsett threatened not to play in Seattle. So the Cowboys moved up for the future Hall of Fame back. The Seahawks instead reeled in Steve August, Tom Lynch, Terry Beeson and Glenn Carano. Who? Exactly. Guess who won the Super Bowl the following season?

16. QB Art Schlichter, 4th overall 1982, Colts: On the field, he was horrendous (42.6 passer rating). Off the field, he was worse, his gambling problems leading to his suspension for the 1983 season and, later, prison. Schlichter's issues also forced Baltimore into its ill-advised Elway pick the next year.

17. QB Jack Thompson, 3rd overall 1979, Bengals: The "Throwin' Samoan" never threw very effectively in six NFL seasons. Furthermore, Cincinnati was just fine under center with Ken Anderson, who would lead the Bengals to their first Super Bowl two years later. Also, Phil Simms was chosen four slots after Thompson ... or, if Cincy needed, like, a developmental quarterback, they could have had, uh, Joe Montana in Round 3 ...

18. DE Dion Jordan, 3rd overall 2013, Dolphins: The slender pass rusher has been repeatedly suspended and only rewarded Miami with three sacks in two seasons. The Dolphins paid a first- and second-round pick to Oakland to get the Oregon prospect.

19. WR Johnny "Lam" Jones, 2nd overall 1980, Jets: New York hoped his Olympic speed would translate into NFL stardom. Not so much. Jones never looked natural as a receiver, often leaving his feet while trying to catch the easiest passes. The next player taken was Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz, arguably the best left tackle of all time. The next receiver selected was Hall of Famer Art Monk.

20. DT Steve Niehaus, 2nd overall 1976, Seahawks: Seattle's maiden draft selection didn't turn out nearly as well as Tampa Bay's after the Bucs landed future Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon at No. 1. (The Seahawks recovered by acquiring Hall of Famer Steve Largent, who was taken by the Oilers in Round 4.)

21. Buccaneers' decision to trade down in 1978: Confident in RB Ricky Bell, the No. 1 pick in 1977, Tampa Bay sent the top pick of '78 to Houston for TE Jimmie Giles and four selections, including a first and second rounder. The Oilers? Hello, Earl Campbell.

22. P Russell Erxleben, 11th overall 1979, Saints: Groan. Known for his record 67-yard field goal in college with Texas, he proved neither the kicker nor punter New Orleans envisioned. Erxleben is the highest-drafted special teamer of the common draft era, going two spots ahead of Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow. He landed in prison later in life for securities fraud.

23. K Steve Little, 15th overall 1978, Cardinals: Taking a kicker in Round 1, especially in an era when the position was far less reliable, could be forgiven. But not if your guy misses 14 of 27 field goal attempts in three seasons ... and when you could've had Ozzie Newsome or Doug Williams instead. 

24. OLB Vernon Gholston, 6th overall 2008, Jets: He played 45 games for New York. He registered nary a sack.

25. QB Kelly Stouffer, 6th overall 1987, Cardinals: He held out his rookie season and got traded to Seattle. Lucky for the Cards, given Stouffer (7 TD passes, 19 interceptions in five seasons) would make future Seahawks franchise QB Rick Mirer look like an all-pro.

26. WR Troy Williamson, 7th overall 2005, Vikings: Minnesota basically traded Randy Moss to Oakland in order to get this guy ... who finished with 153 fewer TDs than Moss.

27. TE Kyle Brady, 9th overall 1995, Jets: New York could have had Warren Sapp ... or Ty Law ... or Derrick Brooks. But in typical J-E-T-S fashion, they screwed it up royally. (And the availability of Law and Brooks didn't deter the Jets from taking DE Hugh Douglas 16th overall, either.)

28. QB Sam Bradford, 1st overall 2010, Rams: He's never been a bad player, and many forget he was the offensive rookie of the year. But his injury history at Oklahoma was predictive. The six players selected after Bradford? Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy, Trent Williams, Eric Berry, Russell Okung and Joe Haden with Earl Thomas off the board at No. 14. Bradford later cost Minnesota a first and fourth rounder in 2016 to replace Teddy Bridgewater but didn't get the Vikings to the postseason and lost his job to Case Keenum the next year. Bradford has never appeared in a playoff game.

29. Browns' haul for Julio Jones: Cleveland dealt the sixth pick in 2011 to Atlanta — Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff was widely panned for paying so much to get Jones — and ultimately wound up with NT Phil Taylor, WR Greg Little, FB Owen Marecic and QB Brandon Weeden. Oof.

30. Browns' 2012 draft: As bad as Weeden (22nd overall) was, Trent Richardson, the No. 3 pick, was worse based on relative value. Cleveland sent Minnesota four picks to swap from fourth to third overall. Even when the Browns flipped Richardson to the Colts for a first-round pick in 2013, they eventually wound up with Johnny Manziel.

31. Browns' 2014 draft: Manziel (22nd overall) was atrocious. CB Justin Gilbert, the No. 8 pick, was a bigger blunder given his slot.

32. QB Brady Quinn, 22nd overall 2007, Browns: Not only did he add to Cleveland's litany of quarterback washouts, he cost the Browns a first- and second-round pick in order to trade up for him. (In case you hadn't noticed, it's a QB death knell to get drafted by Cleveland at No. 22.)

Akili Smith was just one of several draft disappointments for the Bengals.

33. QB Akili Smith, 3rd overall 1999, Bengals: Just abject in four seasons (3-14 record, 5 TD passes, 13 INTs). The next four players taken were Edgerrin James, Ricky Williams, Torry Holt and Champ Bailey. No. 12 selection Cade McNown, Chicago's QB failure that year, looked all-world relative to Smith.

34. WR Charles Rogers, 2nd overall 2003, Lions: Sadly, he couldn't evade drugs or injuries. Also, Andre Johnson went to Houston with the next pick. More on the Matt Millen debacle later ...

35. QB Heath Shuler, 3rd overall 1994, Redskins: He was a better congressman than quarterback — and wasn't even the best QB Washington picked in 1994, seventh rounder Gus Frerotte proving superior.

36. DE Andre Wadsworth, 3rd overall 1998, Cardinals: Often forgotten in the aftermath of the Manning-Leaf debate atop that draft. But some scouts considered Wadsworth a better prospect than both quarterbacks. Knee injuries sapped his vast potential after just three seasons. Charles Woodson was taken next.

37. QB Rick Mirer, 2nd overall 1993, Seahawks: That year's Drew Bledsoe consolation prize, Mirer was wretched in four years with Seattle (20-31 record, 65.2 passer rating). Oh, and Hall of Famers Willie Roaf and Jerome Bettis were available in the top 10.

38. Bears' 1997 trade for QB Rick Mirer: Forgot about this, didn't you? Seattle stole Chicago's first-round pick in exchange for Mirer, who was even worse in one season in the Windy City. Meanwhile, the Seahawks recovered to draft stud CB Shawn Springs.

39. DE Mike Mamula, 7th overall 1995, Eagles: It's bad enough that Philly got duped into taking the original scouting combine superstar. Adding to the ignominy, the Eagles traded the 12th pick to Tampa Bay (the Bucs used it on Warren Sapp) plus two second rounders to elevate for Mamula. 

40. Raiders' 2011 trade for QB Carson Palmer: Oakland gave up a first and second rounder to pry the former No. 1 pick out of Cincinnati and quasi-retirement. A three-time Pro Bowler, Palmer was 8-16 in 1½ seasons with the Silver & Black and was shipped to Arizona — where he reverted to star form — for the net gain of a Round 6 choice in 2013.

41. Colts' 1992 draft: Indianapolis owned the top two picks and selected DE Steve Emtman and LB Quentin Coryatt. Emtman was beset by injuries, and Coryatt was a pedestrian performer. This would rank higher, but the '92 draft was short on talent and hasn't produced one Hall of Famer — despite running 12 rounds — though Dallas' Darren Woodson might eventually reach Canton.

42. RB Ki-Jana Carter, 1st overall 1995, Bengals: In fairness, he ripped up his knee in his first preseason game and was never the same. Of note, it could have been much worse for Cincinnati. Expansion Carolina only charged the Bengals the fifth and 36th overall picks to move up for Carter, sweetheart terms by today's standards. Yet it worked out OK for the Panthers, who took QB Kerry Collins.

43. DT Dan "Big Daddy" Wilkinson, 1st overall 1994, Bengals: He was average at best for Cincinnati, which could have avoided the Carter mistake in 1995 by taking Marshall Faulk No. 1 in 1994.

44. Todd Blackledge, Tony Eason, Ken O'Brien: If you drafted a quarterback in the first round of the 1983 draft, you had a 50% shot at getting a Hall of Famer — John Elway, Jim Kelly or Dan Marino. Otherwise, you got one of these guys, all taken with Marino (27th overall) still available.

45. DT Gabe Rivera, 21st overall 1983, Steelers: For whatever reason, Pittsburgh bypassed hometown hero Marino, who would have made a mighty fine replacement with Terry Bradshaw heading into his final season. Driving drunk, Rivera was paralyzed in a car accident midway through his rookie season.

46. Bears' first-round running backs: Brad Muster (23rd overall pick, 1994), Rashaan Salaam (21st in 1995), Curtis Enis (5th in 1998) and Cedric Benson (4th in 2005) have all bombed in the post-Walter Payton years. (Neal Anderson, taken 27th in 1986, was pretty good, though.)

47. RB Leroy Keyes, 3rd overall 1969, Eagles: He didn't work out at tailback (369 career rushing yards) or as a converted safety for Philadelphia. Across the state, Pittsburgh grabbed "Mean Joe" Greene, perhaps the greatest defensive tackle in league history, with the next pick.

48. Cowboys' 2000 trade for WR Joey Galloway: In one of owner Jerry Jones' most notorious moves, Dallas sent two first rounders to Seattle for the speedy receiver. Galloway averaged fewer than 50 yards per game in four years in Big D, while the Seahawks snagged future MVP Shaun Alexander.

49. QB Steve Spurrier, 3rd overall 1967, 49ers: Way before he became the "head ball coach," Spurrier was a Heisman-winning passer and first quarterback taken in the common draft era. Unfortunately for him, Bob Griese was the next pick that year and the first of eight Hall of Famers. Spurrier became a Hall of Famer in his own right ... just not as an NFL quarterback.

50. QB J.P. Losman, 22nd overall 2004, Bills: He followed Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger as the fourth Round 1 passer in 2004. Oops. Oh yeah, Buffalo also gave up a first, second and fifth rounder to get Losman. 

Blaine Gabbert didn't pan out for the Jaguars, but neither did a couple of other first-round quarterbacks in the 2011 NFL draft.

51. QB Blaine Gabbert, 10th overall 2011, Jaguars: Aside from quarterbacks not named Cam Newton, this was an epic draft. Jacksonville didn't get a crack at Newton, Von Miller, A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson, Julio Jones or Tyron Smith but could've taken J.J. Watt, Robert Quinn, Mike Pouncey, Ryan Kerrigan, Cam Jordan or Mark Ingram (among others — even Andy Dalton) instead of Gabbert. The Jags also gave up a second rounder to move up six spots for Gabbert. Oy.

52. QB Jake Locker, 8th overall 2011, Titans: Aside from quarterbacks not named Cam Newton, this was an epic draft. Tennessee didn't get a crack at Newton, Von Miller, A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson or Julio Jones but could've taken Tyron Smith, J.J. Watt, Robert Quinn, Mike Pouncey, Ryan Kerrigan, Cam Jordan or Mark Ingram (among others — even Andy Dalton) instead of Locker.

53. QB Christian Ponder, 12th overall 2011, Vikings: Aside from quarterbacks not named Cam Newton, this was an epic draft. Minnesota didn't get a crack at Newton, Von Miller, A.J. Green, Patrick Peterson, Julio Jones, Tyron Smith or J.J. Watt but could've taken Robert Quinn, Mike Pouncey, Ryan Kerrigan, Cam Jordan or Mark Ingram (among others — even Andy Dalton) instead of Ponder.

54. CB Alphonso Smith, 37th overall 2009, Broncos: He didn't start for Denver as a rookie and was traded to Detroit for a pittance a year later. Oh yeah, Broncos rookie coach Josh McDaniels also traded a 2010 first rounder to Seattle to get Smith. The Seahawks used it for Earl Thomas.

55. WR Corey Coleman, 15th overall 2016, Browns: By this time, Cleveland was in the midst of the Sashi Brown analytics experiment. The selection of Coleman was part of Brown's constant maneuverings in a year when he traded the second overall selection to the Eagles, who took Carson Wentz. Coleman was a, ahem, linchpin of the teams that went 1-31 in 2016 and '17.

56. OT Jason Smith, 2nd overall 2009, Rams: Like RG3 and Coleman, another hugely disappointing Baylor product. Smith wasn't part of a great draft, but St. Louis obviously would have been better off with Clay Matthews, Alex Mack or Brian Orakpo.

57. QB Joey Harrington, 3rd overall 2002, Lions: He went 18-37 in 55 starts for Detroit. Even more on the Matt Millen debacle later ...

58. QB Tim Couch, 1st overall 1999, Browns: Cleveland picked first overall in consecutive years following the franchise's 1999 reboot. Couch was the club's first selection after its three-season absence, but injuries frequently rendered him absent in his abbreviated five-year career. The next pick, Donovan McNabb, probably would have panned out much better and even could have brought his orange helmet from Syracuse. But give Couch credit for his role in the team's long-ago 2002 playoff drive.

59. DE Courtney Brown, 1st overall 2000, Browns: He arrived on Couch's heels. Injuries, and ineffectiveness limited Brown to 17 sacks in five years with Cleveland.

60. Packers' 2001 pre-draft trade: That March, Green Bay shipped backup QB Matt Hasselbeck to Seattle for a third rounder and a first-round swap, which allowed the Pack to move from 17th to 10th. The Seahawks netted a Pro Bowl passer and Hall of Fame-caliber guard (Steve Hutchinson). The Packers got DE Jamal Reynolds (3 sacks in 3 seasons) at No. 10 and LB Torrance Marshall, who started twice in four years.

61. QB David Carr, 1st overall 2002, Texans: He was an abysmal 22-53 in five years for the expansion franchise. In fairness to Carr, Houston's first-ever selection, the Texans failed to put a credible supporting cast around him, which explains why he was sacked a league-record 76 times as a rookie. Julius Peppers or moving down to accrue picks while snagging Dwight Freeney or Ed Reed would have been smarter options, given the pressure immediately placed on Carr on the field and off.

62. QB Rich Campbell, 6th overall 1981, Packers: Think Green Bay would have preferred Ronnie Lott, Mike Singletary, Howie Long or Rickey Jackson in hindsight?

63. QB Andre Ware, 7th overall 1990, Lions: Welp. Apparently mastering the run and shoot in college won't necessarily make you a great pro. Fellow Houston Cougars product David Klingler made this a cautionary trend two years later as the draft's sixth overall selection (to Cincinnati, naturally).

64. QB Tim Tebow, 25th overall 2010, Broncos: He was magical in 2011, but the pixie dust quickly faded. No one but then-Denver coach Josh McDaniels seemed to think the Florida star was worth a Round 1 selection, yet he surrendered second-, third- and fourth-round picks to move into the back of the first round for the Heisman winner, who took his final regular-season snap with the Jets in 2012.

65. RB Ricky Williams, 5th overall 1999, Saints: Mike Ditka infamously dealt his entire '99 draft — plus a first (2nd overall) and third-rounder in 2000 — to Washington in order to get the Texas star. Williams averaged better than 1,000 rushing yards in three seasons with New Orleans, but the developmentally gutted Saints went 20-28 during that stretch. They recouped two first-rounders in 2002 by shipping him to Miami.

66. Redskins' side of the Ricky Williams trade: After snagging all of those assets from Ditka, Washington then traded a good chunk away to get Champ Bailey before winding up with LaVar Arrington in 2000. Good players, sure — Bailey was later dispatched to Denver for Clinton Portis — but the 'Skins have two playoff wins (both in the wild-card round) since pulling the trigger on this 1999 mega-move.

67. Jets' 2000 draft: A series of trades, including packing Keyshawn Johnson off to Tampa Bay, gave New York FOUR first-round picks. With the exception of Anthony Becht, the team got productive players in Chad Pennington, Shaun Ellis and John Abraham. But they failed to form a foundation that would challenge the rising dynasty in New England, which got some guy named Brady that year in Round 6.

68. QB Alex Smith, 1st overall 2005, 49ers: He's a three-time Pro Bowler, though never in San Francisco, and among the finest people in the league. (It must also be noted that Smith guided the 49ers to the 2011 NFC title game and contributed heavily to the 2012 Super Bowl run before being injured). However, Niners fans will forever wonder what might have happened had their team taken Aaron Rodgers instead.

69. Seahawks' 2013 trade for WR Percy Harvin: Yes, the volatile weapon was part of Seattle's Super Bowl champions, but he played only six games for the team before being cast off. Meanwhile, the Vikings drafted Xavier Rhodes and Jerick McKinnon with picks acquired from the Seahawks.

70. WR Justin Blackmon, 5th overall 2012, Jaguars: Sadly, his inability to remain sober ruined his career.

71. CB Bruce Pickens, 3rd overall 1991, Falcons: Even though he'd be the guy to pick on in order to avoid throwing near Deion Sanders, Pickens managed just two INTs in his career. At least Atlanta was able to obtain a mulligan first rounder in 1992 — if you consider trading Pickens' draftmate, Brett Favre, a reasonable move ... which then-coach Jerry Glanville did.

72. QB Matt Leinart, 10th overall 2006, Cardinals: Aging Kurt Warner only needed a year to displace him. Even once Warner retired after the 2009 season, Arizona was heading in a new direction that didn't include Leinart.

73. DE Everette Brown, 43rd overall 2009, Panthers: He gave Carolina six sacks in two seasons. He also came at the cost of a 2010 first rounder.

74. QB Dan McGwire, 16th overall 1991, Seahawks: Mark's younger brother wasn't very good. Seattle should have taken Favre.

75. QB Todd Marinovich, 24th overall 1991, Raiders: "Robo QB" wasn't very good, either. The Silver & Black also should have taken Favre.

76. WR Mike Williams, 10th overall 2005, Lions: The third Round 1 wideout Detroit took over three consecutive drafts, he caught 37 balls in two years in Motown before being shipped out. See why Millen went 31-84 in seven-plus seasons running the franchise? (FWIW, the other receiver was 2004 first-rounder Roy Williams, who was largely disappointing but managed one Pro Bowl before later costing Dallas a first-round pick in a disastrous 2008 trade-deadline move.)

77. LB Aaron Maybin, 11th overall 2009, Bills: A poor draft overall. But he didn't notch a single sack in two years with Buffalo. Brian Orakpo went to Washington two spots later.

78. QB Gary Beban, 30th overall 1968, Rams: Another Heisman winner who didn't pan out. Los Angeles traded him to Washington, where Beban threw one career pass (incomplete). Hall of Famer Ken Stabler was selected later in Round 2.

79. Patriots second rounders under Bill Belichick: New England gets deserved credit for its ability to manipulate the board and constantly accrue draft capital. But Belichick and Company have a pretty ugly track record in Round 2: Ron Brace, Darius Butler, Jermaine Cunningham, Aaron Dobson, Marquise Hill, Ras-I Dowling, Chad Jackson, Bethel Johnson, Jordan Richards and Terrence Wheatley among the notable misfires.

80. OT Jeff Otah, 19th overall 2008, Panthers: Carolina sent the Eagles a first-, second- and fourth-round pick to garner an oft-injured lineman who lasted 29 games.

81. DE John Matuszak, 1st overall 1973, Oilers: Quite the character, he was arguably a better actor than football player but did have solid seasons once moving on to the Raiders. But "Tooz" never made a Pro Bowl, and Houston certainly would have been better with John Hannah, Dan Fouts or several others that year.

82. QB Vinny Testaverde, 1st overall 1987, Buccaneers: Much better with his future teams than in Tampa, which probably says a good deal about the Bucs. Testaverde was 24-48 as a starter for them and averaged nearly 19 interceptions a season.

83. K Sebastian Janikowski, 17th overall 2000, Raiders: You can't shade his longevity or powerful leg. But then-Oakland owner Al Davis was likely the only executive who would make this kind of move, a preview to the Silver & Black's long, dark decline in the 21st century. The two players picked after Sea Bass were a solid quarterback (Chad Pennington) and a future MVP (Shaun Alexander).

84. QB Jim Druckenmiller, 26th overall 1997, 49ers: San Francisco would have been wise to take Jake Plummer as Steve Young's potential heir apparent instead.

85. The Longs in 2008: Jake Long (1st overall to Miami) and Chris Long (2nd overall to St. Louis) — unrelated by the way — were fine players. But rather than take QB Matt Ryan, the Dolphins settled on Chad Henne late in Round 2 before acquiring Pennington. Meanwhile, the Rams continued to ride deteriorating Marc Bulger into the ground.

86. Big Bosas: Nick Bosa will join older brother Joey as a first-round pick in a few weeks. Expect both to have better careers than the earlier generation of Bosas. Their father, John, was the 16th overall pick by Miami in 1987 and had seven sacks in three seasons. Their uncle, Eric Kumerow, was coincidentally picked 16th by the Dolphins a year later and managed only five sacks in three years.

87. Talent evaluators not affiliated with Pittsburgh in 1974: That draft produced five Hall of Famers, including Raiders TE Dave Casper. The Steelers selected the other four (WR Lynn Swann, 1st round; LB Jack Lambert, 2nd round; WR John Stallworth, 4th round; and C Mike Webster, 5th round). Especially negligent were those running the Oilers, who initially owned the top pick. They traded it and No. 53 overall to Dallas — the Cowboys took DE Ed "Too Tall" Jones and QB Danny White, respectively — in exchange for Tody Smith and Billy Parks. And now you know why all of Texas' Lombardi Trophies reside in Dallas, not Houston.

88. QB Pat White, 44th overall 2009, Dolphins: He was supposed to take the Wildcat to the next level. He never completed an NFL pass.

89. QB Christian Hackenberg, 51st overall 2016, Jets: New York has butchered plenty of picks through the years, but most quarterback busts at least earn one regular-season snap before being Jet-tisoned.

90. K Roberto Aguayo, 59th overall 2016, Buccaneers: Tampa Bay traded back into the second round ... for a kicker ... who would last only one season and probably didn't deserve to stay that long.

91. WR John Ross, 9th overall 2017, Bengals: It's still early. But the star of that year's combine thanks to his 4.22 speed, Ross has just 21 catches in two seasons and already has Cincinnati brass attempting to debunk trade rumors.

92. WR Kevin Dyson, 16th overall 1998, Titans: He was a serviceable player for five years in Nashville. But you gotta think Randy Moss, plucked five spots later, would have gotten that extra yard to tie Super Bowl XXXIV on the final play of regulation against the Greatest Show on Turf Rams.

93. QB Kyle Boller, 19th overall 2003, Ravens: He came at the cost of a first and second rounder yet only went 20-22 — even backed by a star-studded defense — during five seasons in Baltimore.

94. QB Jimmy Clausen, 48th overall 2010, Panthers: Once considered a surefire first rounder, he legitimized his free fall. Carolina saw enough in Clausen's 13 rookie appearances to take Cam Newton the following year.

95. TE David LaFleur, 22nd overall 1997, Cowboys: Jason Witten healed this mishap, when Dallas offloaded the No. 25, a third- and a fifth-round selection for a guy who failed to top 200 receiving yards in three of his four seasons. 

96. QB Jim Plunkett, 1st overall 1971, Patriots: Yes, he won two Super Bowls ... many years later while with the Raiders. But how would history have been different had New England opted for Archie Manning or Dan Pastorini, quarterbacks taken second and third overall, respectively, before proceeding with their own checkered careers? Hall of Famers John Riggins, Jack Youngblood, Jack Ham or Dan Dierdorf obviously would have worked out better than the 1970 Heisman winner as Plunkett was a fiasco in Foxborough, losing 38 of 61 starts and pushing Steve Grogan to the forefront for a decade-plus.

97. Redskins' 2010 trade for QB Donovan McNabb: Eagles coach Andy Reid definitely knew the value of getting rid of a player a year too early rather than a year too late ... and Washington probably should have been wary of accepting a quarterback from a divisional foe. But, in fairness, Philadelphia didn't leverage the move all that well, winding up with Nate Allen in Round 2.

98. G Danny Watkins, 23rd overall 2011, Eagles: Another Baylor botch. And the pathway for aging Canadian firefighters to the NFL closed.

99. Previous owners of the 42nd pick in 2010: The Bears sent it to the Buccaneers for Gaines Adams. The Bucs traded it to the Raiders, who then dealt it to the Patriots. Tampa Bay wound up with Arrelious Benn, while Oakland got Lamarr Houston. New England merely landed Rob Gronkowski at No. 42.

100. RB George Rogers, 1st overall 1981, Saints: A really good player, he led the league in rushing his rookie season. Only problem? New Orleans chose him instead of Lawrence Taylor. Ummm ...

Bonus 101. RB Maurice Clarett, 101st overall 2005, Broncos: He only cost Denver a compensatory third rounder, but pretty much everyone knew it was a wasted pick the moment the Broncos gambled on the controversial (and out-of-shape) former Ohio State star. Clarett never played an NFL down, even preseason.

Bonus 102. Nate Davises: I worry about my namesake buddy Nate Davis, a delightful O-lineman from Charlotte likely to be a Day 2 pick this year. Alas, Nathan Davis, a second-round defensive end for the Falcons in 1997, never notched an NFL sack. Nate Davis — remember him from Ball State? — was a fifth rounder of the 49ers in 2009 but never played in the regular season. What's in a name? Geez ...

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Follow Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis

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