Worst No. 1 NFL draft picks?

Darren McFadden is a guaranteed supertsar!! He's DARREN MCFADDEN!!!!!!" [/E60reporters]

(I just noticed the typo on superstar, but I kind of like "supertsar."

 

Talk about firing up the Wayback Machine.

 

Yup. I remember learning the story on some old NFL Films show. He was a bonus pick, first overall, in 1956 (Don't ask me to explain the bonus pick. I forget what the deal was.) They took him because they loved his versatility. Too bad that just meant he was below average at a whole bunch of positions.

 

One more factor: he's from upstate NY (Syracuse).

The Bills needed to fix a horrid defense that had allowed a franchise record 394 points in 1971, and Lombardi Award winner Patulski was the obvious choice. He did lead Buffalo with five sacks in his rookie year, but instantly became the second-best DE on the roster when the Bills traded for Earl Edwards the following season. He didn't suck; he just never lived up to the #1 hype. Still, you won't find much argument from Bills fans about this one.

On the other hand, we like Cousineau -- trading him to Cleveland brought the pick used to select Jim Kelly. Worth every penny of the contract he never signed.

 

I dunno. He never lived up to his potential and the dogfighting thing really damaged the Falcons. They were horrible last season, and they may be just as bad for the next couple of years. The Falcons may be worse off than when they drafted Vick. That's a pretty good sign that you were a bust.

 

He led them to 2 of their 8 franchise playoff appearances in 40+ years. One of their two NFC conference championships. The Falcons went from having empty seats to a waiting list after he arrived.

He left damage on the franchise. But, they are still better off for having had him on the team.

 

my buddy jeff lageman should not be on any "bust" list. he was a solid player for a pretty long time. 8) 8) 8)

 

Good thread Alley - the fact that NFL fans under 30 never heard of him is no reason to leave him off list. A bad pick is a bad pick. I would list Patulski near the top but in the context of 1972 draft overall it was not bad. Not many good players came out that year . ( the best Franco Harris at # 13 by Steelers)

I would have to put Jeff George on list before Vick and I would also have to include John Matuszak drafted by Houston in 1973 . In fact Matuszak might be at top of my list.

 

Now you're just saying that to piss me off, aren't you Boom.

 

the fact that folks don't know the name "walt patulski" tells you what a supreme bust he was, no?

 

Go back before the AFL-NFL merger and there are number one busts that make Tim Couch look like John Elway. Terry Baker? How about Randy Duncan by Green Bay in 1958? He was a QB, and they already had Bart Starr and Paul Hornung on the team.
But this is a question with a simple answer. The worst number one of all time was the first one. In 1936, the Eagles (no surprise they qualified for the pick) chose Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago. Berwanger never played a down. He never signed a contract. He went to medical school so he could make real money.

 

Not necessarily. Usually, colossal failures get quite a bit of press. Heaven's Gate? Battlefield Earth? George W. Bush?