Worst draft classes for a team

[CSKreager]

We all know about perhaps the best draft class ever- 1974 Steelers getting Swann/Stallworth/Lambert/Webster.

But what were opposites? Teams that basically had a draft class that was anything but the stuff of greatness.

[Brian wolf]

Though he contributed to championship teams and made the HOF, Bobby Beathard had some horrible drafts for the Chargers, before he left in 2000. Gil Brandt made the HOF for Dallas but had bad drafts during the 80s. If these guys can make it, why not Jack Vainisi or Don Klosterman?

[7DnBrnc53]

Since 2017, the Denver Broncos have been held hostage by an out of control John Elway and his crappy FO and scouting department (that even the Walmart-Penner group won't get rid of):

2017: Garret Bolles was a poor pick in Round 1 (over Ramczyk, no less). In Round 2, they take DeMarcus Walker, a 4-3 DE (when they ran a 3-4) that they foolishly tried to move to 3-4 OLB. Then, Elway's obsession with speed backfired when he drafted Carlos Henderson and Isaiah McKenzie (who he continuously put out there to return punts that year against NE despite fumbling), and he topped it off by drafting an injured Jake Butt over George Kittle (also, the Broncos brought in two young QB's: Chad Kelly and Kyle Sloter. Sloter looked good in pre-season, but Elway got rid of him for Brock Osweiler).

2018: Elway was afraid of taking Josh Allen, so they took Bradley Chubb, a player that they didn't spend much time looking at. Courtland Sutton (their second-rounder) was a good pick, but third-rounder Royce Freeman wasn't, and neither was Issac Yiadom, their second third-rounder (a tall, slow CB). Also, Josey Jewell (fourth round) is a slow ILB who can't cover.

2019: TE Noah Fant wasn't bad. Also, at the end of the first year, G Dalton Risner and QB Drew Lock (second round) seemed like good picks. However, after the season, OC Rich Scangarello (who ran a WCO system that Risner and Lock fit in) went against the almighty Elway somehow, and he was fired (and it was blamed on Vic Fangio).

2020: Elway's first two picks (Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler) were terrible picks (more WR's that can't catch). Also, in Round 3, they drafted another tall, slow CB in Michael Omejudia, a terrible C in Lloyd Cushenberry, and DT McTelvin Agim, who is no longer with the team. Also, the TE they took in Round 4 (Albert Okwuegbunam) didn't seem to get much of a chance with the Broncos.

2021: Another overrated, fairly slow CB in Patrick Surtain II (over Micah Parsons or Rashawn Slater) in Round 1. The rest of the draft was solid that year, though (RB Javonte Williams, LB Baron Browning, OLB, Jonathan Cooper, OL Quinn Meinerz), but they play Baron Browning at 3-4 OLB (he should be playing ILB in that system).

2022: The first one that was affected by the ill-advised Russell Wilson trade. Nik Bonitto, their first pick (late second) is an undersized 4-3 edge rusher that doesn't fit the scheme. Greg Dulcich, their next pick, has shown potential but is hurt. CB Damarri Mathis showed promise his first year, but struggled last year. DL Eyioma Uwazurike didn't do much his first year, and was out of the league last year for gambling. Also, Delarrin Turner-Yell and Montrell Washington were colossal failures.

2023: Before Sean Payton was fired, Jim Harbaugh was interviewed. He told these joke owners that they needed to fire the FO and scouting people and give him total control, and they were too stupid to do that.

Now, on to the draft (year two without a first-rounder). The Broncos traded back into the second round to get WR Marvin Mims, who shows great potential. However, they drafted another tall, slow zone CB in Riley Moss, a 4-3 ILB that they want to convert to 3-4 OLB in Drew Sanders, and SS J.L. Skinner, who needs to step up this year.

2024: Bo Nix, the first-round QB, will be fed to the wolves behind a sub-par O-line, and is being set up to fail. Jonah Elliss, their third-round pick, is another undersized 4-3 DE that doesn't fit a 3-4 defense. WR Troy Franklin is a one-trick pony with shaky hands. CB Kris Abrams-Draine is another zone corner. Also, they drafted another big, slow back (like Freeman and Javonte) in Estime from ND.

So, in conclusion, you see a FO and scouting department that doesn't know football. They keep drafting the same types of players (one-trick pony WR's with shaky hands, 4-3 defensive ends, tall slow corners, etc...). They want to build from the outside in, not the inside out. The Walmart group should have gotten rid of these people at the end of the 2022 season. They don't belong in any NFL personnel department.

[Brian wolf]

I hope Cushionberry is better with the Titans ... haha

[Citizen]

Going back to the days when scouting was in its infancy, it's not hard to find numerous drafts that were complete disasters for the teams that conducted them. We've all heard stories about how teams would pick a guy because they liked how his photo looked in the Street & Smith college football forecast. Whether or not that actually happened, it probably isn't much of an exaggeration.

To cite one example, the Packers in 1944 drafted 30 (!!!) players, only one of whom even made the team. The "prize" of that draft class was Alex Agase, who played six seasons -- for four teams other than Green Bay.

[RichardBak]

To cite one example, the Packers in 1944 drafted 30 (!!!) players, only one of whom even made the team. The "prize" of that draft class was Alex Agase, who played six seasons -- for four teams other than Green Bay.

Offhand I wonder how many of those 30 draft picks didn't play because they were part of that "other" draft---the army. By 1944-45 World War II was in full swing and they were drafting every able-bodied (and many not so able-bodied) men they could find.

But your point's spot-on. Up through the mid-50s or so a lot of guys--or at least those picks in the last few rounds---were being drafted straight out of magazines. But at the same time NFL teams getting a bit more sophisticated. Here's Buddy Parker in 1955: "To demonstrate the importance of the talent-scouting operation, I'd just like to mention that NFL teams spend an average of between $20,000 to $35,000 each season on scouting college players."

[Jay Z]

1967 Falcons, coming off an expansion year, had NO ONE from their draft make the team.

Shortly before the draft the Falcons traded their #1 pick (number 3 overall) to the 49ers for three players. The best of these players was WR Bernie Casey. I am guessing that Casey made it clear he wouldn't report, so Casey was traded in July to the Rams for Tom Moore. Moore was the former Packer RB who was on the downside due to injuries, though he had led the NFL in receptions in 1966. Moore was less effective for the Falcons in 1967, rushing 50 times for 104 yards. The 49ers basically traded their pick for three scrubs. The 49ers picked Steve Spurrier, who was not that great but still better than what the Falcons wound up with.

#2 draft choice was Leo Carroll, a DE who went on IR for a year, then was traded to the Packers for Bob Long. Who lasted one season. A couple of other players, Jimmy Jordan and Bobby Moten, played very briefly in the NFL, but only after being cut by the Falcons. And, that's it. No one else made the NFL at all. Included in this draft were Randy Matson, who decided to remain a shot putter, and "Billy" Buckner, not the baseball player and a 17th round draft choice who never made it.

Other horrible draft was 1975 Chiefs. Only one player, Morris LaGrand, ever played in the NFL. This was another case where some DCs were traded. #1 choice went to Houston along with Curley Culp for John Matuszak. This was not a good trade for the Chiefs. #4 went to the Broncos along with Jim Marsalis for Tom Graham and Tom Drougas. Neither Graham nor Drougas ever started for the Chiefs and were released by them in 1975 camp, though both caught on with other teams. So more mishandling there. #5 DC went to the Rams for some reason, maybe more payment for Willie Ellison. #2 and #3 never made the team or the NFL, an awful performance for an aging, declining team with a new coach.

[sheajets]

Jets 2014 Draft Class was a disaster

1. Calvin Pryor - Safety
2. Jace Amaro - TE - thought he would be a fairly decent pass catching TE. Ended up a disinterested bust with a case of the drops
3. Dexter McDougle - CB
4. Jalen Saunders - WR
4. Shaq Evans - WR
4. Dakota Dozier - OL
5. Jeremiah George - LB
6. Brandon Dixon - DB
6. Quincy Enunwa - Only one who had any sort of meaningful contribution. Career cut short because of a neck injury
6. IK Enemkpali - DT
6. Tajh Boyd - QB
7. Trevor Reilly - LB

[7DnBrnc53]

6. IK Enemkpali - DT

That's the guy who punched QB Geno Smith in the face in August 2015 over 600 dollars that Smith allegedly owed him. Naturally, the Bills and Sexy Rexy signed him after that, and put him on their practice squad after cutting him (he was activated that year and played in 11 games).

The next year, this guy got into a fight with OL Cyrus Kouandjio, then tore his knee and missed the 2016 season. The next year, the Raiders waived him at the end of camp. A short and volatile career.

6. Tajh Boyd - QB

I remember Boyd being considered a high pick by some mocks in the summer and fall of 2013 (also, at that time, Bridgewater was considered to be the #1 pick by a lot of people). That guy dropped far.

[Bryan]

1967 Falcons, coming off an expansion year, had NO ONE from their draft make the team.

Interesting. The 67 Saints had a draft that I didn't really understand. They ended up getting a few good players, but their first two picks were Bo Burris and Les Kelley. Burris was a QB who the Saints had planned on converting to Safety, and Kelley was a FB who the Saints planned on converting to LB. I don't know why they would spend such high picks on guys who would be moved to new positions. They could have just selected established college players like Rick Volk, Jim Lynch, Willie Lanier, etc.