Ranking the Worst No. 1 Overall NFL Picks Since 2000 | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

No matter whether it’s a bad team aiming to rebuild or a franchise that made a blockbuster trade, the excitement of holding the No. 1 overall draft pick is seen in the visions of a more promising future.

Unfortunately, however, the draft pick doesn’t always work out as planned—or, frankly, come anywhere close.

JaMarcus Russell has largely become the focus of this conversation after his unsuccessful NFL tenure. However, this is not meant as a moment to pile on Russell, Courtney Brown or David Carr for a disappointing career.

Rather, this is a reminder that—as struggling teams look ahead to the next draft—a No. 1 pick does not guarantee excellence.

The order is subjective, but key factors are career performance and impact on team success. Potential alternatives, such as a player who was picked No. 2 overall, may be mentioned but are not considered.

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When you recognize both Baker Mayfield and Jameis Winston have enjoyed modest levels of NFL success, this conversation demands nuance. It’s more a nod to other No. 1 draft selections that Mayfield and Winston are perched on the edge of this ranking.

Comparing the quarterbacks is also difficult because they’ve had such similar careers, too.

The conclusion almost feels subjective, but the last couple of years haven’t treated Mayfield well. It’s more likely he drops from a starting job quicker than Winston, who surged in 2021 before a knee injury abruptly ended a promising season with the New Orleans Saints.

Mayfield was a similarly mistake-prone QB for the Cleveland Browns from 2018 to ’21 and struggled badly on the Carolina Panthers in 2022.

The season-ending stretch for the Los Angeles Rams may be his final audition to hold a starting job after only five NFL seasons.

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There is a reasonable debate between Mayfield, Winston and Sam Bradford. The decisive fact, for now, is Mayfield and Winston are active players who could improve their perception.

Bradford, on the other hand, ended an unremarkable career in 2018. He typically put up decent stats—even setting an NFL record with a 71.3 completion percentage in 2016—but the numbers often felt hollow.

Injuries derailed his tenure with the St. Louis Rams, who picked the Oklahoma product in the 2010 draft. Bradford won Rookie of the Year that season and guided the Rams to a 7-9 mark, but they never posted a winning record with him. Neither did the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015 or Minnesota Vikings in 2016 when Bradford started 14-plus games.

Bradford is remembered as a risk-averse quarterback who never truly elevated an offense or a franchise.

But, hey, at least he earned $130 million.

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Circumstances didn’t much help David Carr, who spent five seasons on the Houston Texans behind bad offensive lines.

Nevertheless, the half-decade of 2002 to ’06 defined his career.

Carr was the most sacked quarterback in three of his five years, and he threw 59 touchdowns compared to 65 interceptions. Houston never managed a winning record with Carr, and the offense held bottom-five rankings in basically each season but 2004.

After making four starts with Carolina in 2007, Carr remained in the NFL as a full-time backup through 2012.

George Gojkovich

During the 2000 draft, the Cleveland Browns had a chance to take one of two standout defenders from Penn State. They chose Courtney Brown over LaVar Arrington, who became a two-time All-Pro selection before a motorcycle accident ended his career in 2007.

Brown surged into the NFL with a strong debut, recording 69 tackles with 16 for loss as a rookie.

Injuries then overshadowed the rest of his career.

Ankle and knee issues limited him to five games in 2001. Knee and biceps concerns cost Brown eight appearances between 2002 and 2003, and a foot injury sidelined him for 14 games in 2004—his last season in Cleveland.

Brown joined the Denver Broncos in 2005 and registered 24 tackles in 13 starts, yet he lost two games for an elbow injury. He missed all of 2006 after undergoing knee surgery and failed a physical in the subsequent offseason, ending a career full of health setbacks.

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JaMarcus Russell entered the league in 2007 as a strong-armed quarterback from LSU who could return the Oakland Raiders—AFC champions a half-decade earlier—to the pinnacle of the NFL.

That, however, did not happen.

First, a contract holdout lingered into his rookie season and effectively shelved Russell until 2008. Following that inefficient year, Russell ended up benched in 2009. Oakland started 2-7 as he totaled two touchdowns and committed 14 turnovers. Russell wouldn’t play another NFL game after the 2009 season.

While on The Pivot Podcast in 2022, Russell responded to a question of whether he’s the biggest bust in NFL history.

“When you look at it that way, I say I must have been the best to be the biggest, right? I’ll say my s–t didn’t turn out how I would have wanted it to, or not how they expected it to. But if you’re going to call me a bust like they say, put ‘the biggest’ on that motherf–ker, man.”