Worst No. 1 Picks in NFL History

The NFL draft began in 1936, and success is not guaranteed for the top overall choice.

Worst No. 1 Picks in NFL History

The NFL draft began in 1936 with team owners gathered in Philadelphia to make their picks off names written on a giant chalkboard. Those humble beginnings gave little evidence to the juggernaut the draft would become.

But even then, someone had to go No. 1.

For better or worse, in over 80 years of No. 1 picks, it's not always bright lights and big paychecks for players in the top spot. That’s because if they don’t deliver on the field — or in some cases, even make it to the field — the spotlight can start to feel more like a heat lamp in an interrogation room.

When this happens, careers go bust, and teams are left to wonder what could have been.

These are the worst No. 1 overall picks in NFL history.

30. Vinny Testaverde

Position: Quarterback

Hometown/school: Elmont, New York/Sewanhaka High

College: University of Miami

Year drafted: 1987

Team that drafted him: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

They could’ve picked: Two-time AFC Defensive Player of the Year Cornelius Bennett (No. 2, Indianapolis Colts), Hall of Famer Rod Woodson (No. 10, Pittsburgh Steelers)

Bottom line: Vinny Testaverde, who played 21 seasons, lost an NFL-record 123 games as a starting quarterback.

While he found some success later in his career with the Jets and Ravens, his six years in Tampa Bay were a wasteland — all losing seasons and a 28-67 team record, including going 24-48 as the starter from 1987 to 1992.

29. John Matuszak

Position: Defensive end

Hometown/school: Oak Creek, Wisconsin/Oak Creek High

College: University of Tampa

Year drafted: 1973

Team that drafted him: Houston Oilers

They could’ve picked: Hall of Famers John Hannah (No. 4, New England Patriots) and Joe DeLamielleure (No. 26, Buffalo Bills)

Bottom line: John Matuszak gained international fame as an actor, playing Sloth in the hit film "The Goonies," but he was one of the all-time bad boys in NFL history. He played only one season for the Houston Oilers, before being traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, then finding a home with the Oakland Raiders.

His career was plagued by controversy and drug use, and no Pro Bowls, though it did include two Super Bowl wins with the Raiders.

Matuszak died of a drug overdose in 1989, at 38 years old.

28. Angelo Bertelli

Position: Quarterback

Hometown/school: West Springfield, Massachusetts/Cathedral High

College: University of Notre Dame

Year drafted: 1944

Team that drafted him: Boston Yanks

They could’ve picked: Hall of Famers Otto Graham (No. 4, Detroit Lions) and Steve Van Buren (No. 5, Philadelphia Eagles)

Bottom line: Angelo Bertelli couldn’t go play for the Yanks after being drafted because he had bigger concerns — fighting in World War II at the Battle of Iwo Jima, where he almost lost his life.

He returned to play three seasons of pro football, but not in the NFL. He played for the Los Angeles Dons and the Chicago Rockets in the All-American Football Conference.

In 1946, two years after selecting Bertelli, the Yanks took another Notre Dame quarterback with the top overall pick, Frank Dancewicz. The team went out of business in 1952.

27. Ricky Bell

Position: Running back

Hometown/school: Los Angeles/Fremont High

College: University of Southern California

Year drafted: 1977

Team that drafted him: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

They could’ve picked: Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett (No. 2, Dallas Cowboys), five-time All-Pro Gary Green (No. 10, Kansas City Chiefs)

Bottom line: Ricky Bell’s pick was controversial, since Tony Dorsett was viewed as a better all-around running back. But Buccaneers head coach John McKay had coached Bell at USC.

Bell led the Bucs to the playoffs in 1979, but his health (weight loss, migraines) forced him out of the NFL by 1983. He was diagnosed with dermatomyositis (a muscle/skin disease) and died in 1989.

26. David Carr

Position: Quarterback

Hometown/School: Bakersfield, California/Stockdale High

College: Fresno State University

Year drafted: 2002

Team that drafted him: Houston Texans

They could’ve picked: Six-time All-Pro Julius Peppers (No. 2, Carolina Panthers), seven-time Pro Bowler Dwight Freeney (No. 11, Indianapolis Colts), Hall of Famer Ed Reed (No. 24, Baltimore Ravens)

Bottom line: David Carr started the first game in Houston Texans' history and ran into trouble early on, setting the NFL single-season records for times sacked (76) and fumble recoveries (12).

In five seasons as a starter for Houston, Carr went 22-53, then played six more seasons as a journeyman backup quarterback.

25. Jeff George

Position: Quarterback

Hometown/school: Indianapolis, Indiana/Warren Central High

College: University of Illinois

Year drafted: 1990

Team that drafted him: Indianapolis Colts

They could’ve picked: Hall of Famers Cortez Kennedy (No. 3, Seattle Seahawks), Junior Seau (No. 5, San Diego Chargers) and Emmitt Smith (No. 17, Dallas Cowboys)

Bottom line: Imagine if the Colts had picked Junior Seau or Emmitt Smith. Instead, they got George and signed him to the richest rookie contract in NFL history.

George had a cannon for an arm, but he didn't have the makeup to be a franchise player.

As a result, his performance (14-35 as an NFL starter) and bad attitude saw him play for seven teams over 14 seasons.

24. Bo Jackson

Position: Running back

Hometown/school: Bessemer, Alabama/McCalla McAdory High

College: Auburn University

Year drafted: 1986

Team that drafted him: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

They could’ve picked: Pro Bowler Tony Casillas (No. 2, Atlanta Falcons), Pro Bowler Jim Everett (No. 3, Houston Oilers), Hall of Famer Charles Haley (No. 96, San Francisco 49ers)

Bottom line: One of the more head-scratching picks, ever, because Bo Jackson repeatedly told the Bucs before the draft that he would not play for them.

He believed the team deceived him over a plane ticket that cost Jackson his baseball eligibility at Auburn, and he never played a down for Tampa Bay.

23. Billy Cannon

Position: Running back

Hometown/school: Baton Rouge, Louisiana/Istrouma High

College: Louisiana State University

Year drafted: 1960

Team that drafted him: Los Angeles Rams

They could’ve picked: Hall of Famers Johnny Robinson (No. 3, Detroit Lions) and Ron Mix (No. 10, Baltimore Colts)

Bottom line: Billy Cannon, reportedly the basis for the main character in the novel and film adaptation of "Everybody’s All-American," never played for the Rams.

A judge said the team and general manager Pete Rozelle took advantage of Cannon’s "naivete," when he signed a contract, and allowed him to sign with the Houston Oilers.

Cannon played his entire career in the AFL with Oilers, Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs.

22. Sam Bradford

Position: Quarterback

Hometown/school: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma/Putnam City North High

College: University of Oklahoma

Year drafted: 2010

Team that drafted him: St. Louis Rams

They could’ve picked: Five-time All-Pro Ndamukong Suh (No. 2, Detroit Lions), five-time All-Pro Earl Thomas (No. 14, Seattle Seahawks), three-time Super Bowl champion Rob Gronkowski (No. 42, New England Patriots)

Bottom line: Sam Bradford signed a massive contract as a rookie, with $50 million guaranteed and worth up to $86 million.

Bradford played five seasons for the Rams, including just seven games over the last two seasons because of injuries. The team went 29-50-1 during that stretch.

21. King Hill

Position: Quarterback

Hometown/school: Freeport, Texas/Brazosport High

College: Rice University

Year drafted: 1958

Team that drafted him: Chicago Cardinals

They could’ve picked: Nine-time All-Pro Alex Karras (No. 10, Detroit Lions), Hall of Famer Jim Taylor (No. 15, Green Bay Packers)

Bottom line: King Hill had a lengthy career, but most of it was as a backup. That was for good reason. In 12 seasons for three different teams, Hill threw for just 5,553 yards, 31 touchdowns and a staggering 71 interceptions.

He went on to become an offensive coordinator for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints.

20. George Shaw

Position: Quarterback

Hometown/school: Portland, Oregon/Grant High

College: University of Oregon

Year drafted: 1955

Team that drafted him: Baltimore Colts

They could’ve picked: Three-time All-Pro Rosey Grier (No. 31, New York Giants), Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas (No. 109, Pittsburgh Steelers)

Bottom line: George Shaw was an All-American at Oregon, but his career suffered more from bad luck than anything else.

After breaking his leg in his second season in Baltimore, he was replaced by backup Johnny Unitas, one of the NFL’s all-time greats. When Shaw became the starter in Minnesota, he was hurt and replaced by Fran Tarkenton, another of the NFL’s all-time greats.

Shaw appeared in 71 games in his pro career, completing 405 of 802 passes for 5,829 yards with 41 touchdowns and 63 interceptions.

19. Aundray Bruce

Position: Linebacker

Hometown/school: Montgomery, Alabama/George Washington Carver High

College: Auburn University

Year drafted: 1988

Team that drafted him: Atlanta Falcons

They could’ve picked: Hall of Famers Tim Brown (No. 6, Los Angeles Raiders), Michael Irvin (No. 11, Dallas Cowboys), Randall McDaniel (No. 19, Minnesota Vikings)

Bottom line: Aundray Bruce’s selection was more of a result of the era — teams were desperate to find the next Lawrence Taylor.

Bruce was not that, but he still had a solid career over 11 seasons with the Falcons and Raiders.

No linebacker has been picked No. 1 overall since.

18. Dan Wilkinson

Position: Defensive tackle

Hometown/school: Dayton, Ohio/Dunbar High

College: Ohio State University

Year drafted: 1994

Team that drafted him: Cincinnati Bengals

They could’ve picked: Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (No. 2, Indianapolis Colts), three-time Super Bowl champion Willie McGinest (No. 4, New England Patriots), Hall of Famer Kevin Mawae (No. 36, Seattle Seahawks)

Bottom line: Dan Wilkinson’s career wasn’t the disaster it seems like on the surface. He played 13 seasons and was productive for several different teams.

Off-the-field issues seemed to keep him from his full potential, including a nasty falling out with the Bengals and a domestic violence conviction for striking his pregnant girlfriend in 1996.

17. Randy Duncan

Position: Quarterback

Hometown/school: Des Moines, Iowa/Roosevelt High

College: University of Iowa

Year drafted: 1959

Team that drafted him: Green Bay Packers

They could’ve picked: Three-time Pro Bowler Dick Bass (No. 2, Los Angeles Rams), three-time All-Pro Dick LeBeau (No. 58, Cleveland Browns)

Bottom line: Randy Duncan never played for the Packers, instead choosing to play for the Canadian Football League’s British Columbia Lions.

"They just offered me a lot more dough," Duncan told The Daily Iowan.

He played two seasons in Canada, then one season for the AFL’s Houston Texans before retiring to finish his law degree.

16. Gary Glick

Position: Defensive back

Hometown/school: LaPorte, Colorado/Cache la Poudre High

College: Colorado State University

Year drafted: 1956

Team that drafted him: Pittsburgh Steelers

They could’ve picked: Hall of Famers Lenny Moore (No. 9, Baltimore Colts) and Forrest Gregg (No. 20, Green Bay Packers)

Bottom line: Gary Glick still is the only defensive back selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft.

He was a backup for all but one of his six seasons in the NFL, then played his final season in 1963 with the San Diego Chargers and won an AFL title.

15. Tom Cousineau

Position: Linebacker

Hometown/school: Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood High

College: Ohio State University

Year drafted: 1979

Team that drafted him: Buffalo Bills

They could’ve picked: Hall of Famer Dan Hampton (No. 4, Chicago Bears), Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms (No. 7, New York Giants), Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr. (No. 13, San Diego Chargers)

Bottom line: The Bills acquired the No. 1 pick in a trade that sent O.J. Simpson to the San Francisco 49ers. Tom Cousineau never played a down for the Bills, instead choosing to play in the CFL for the Montreal Alouettes, where he was the Grey Cup Most Valuable Player as a rookie.

In 1983, the Bills, who still owned Cousineau's NFL rights, traded him to the Cleveland Browns for a first-, second- and third-round draft pick.

He played four seasons with the Browns (57 games, 56 starts) and two with the San Francisco 49ers (9 games, 3 starts).

14. Jay Berwanger

Position: Halfback

Hometown/school: Dubuque, Iowa/Dubuque High

College: University of Chicago

Year drafted: 1936

Team that drafted him: Philadelphia Eagles

They could’ve picked: Hall of Famers Joe Stydahar (No. 6, Chicago Bears) and Alphonse "Tuffy" Leemans (No. 18, New York Giants)

Bottom line: Jay Berwanger, the first Heisman Trophy winner and first No. 1 overall pick in NFL history, never played professional football.

The Eagles traded his rights to the Bears, and Berwanger asked Bears’owner George Halas for $15,000. Halas offered $13,500, and Berwanger went to work at a Chicago rubber factory instead of playing.

13. Eric Fisher

Position: Offensive tackle

Hometown/school: Rochester, Michigan/Stoney Creek High

College: Central Michigan University

Year drafted: 2013

Team that drafted him: Kansas City Chiefs

They could’ve picked: Two-time Pro Bowler Lane Johnson (No. 4, Philadelphia Eagles), three-time All-Pro LeVeon Bell (No. 48, Pittsburgh Steelers)

Bottom line: Eric Fisher has been a serviceable player for the Chiefs, but far from dominant and inconsistent at times.

He might be most famous for an infamous penalty. In a 2016 playoff game against the Steelers, he was called for holding after the Chiefs scored on a two-point conversion. They were penalized 10 yards, missed the next conversion attempt and lost 18-16.

On the bright side, Fisher is only 28 and did make his first Pro Bowl in 2018.

12. Kenneth Sims

Position: Defensive end

Hometown/school: Kosse, Texas/Groesbeck High

College: University of Texas

Year drafted: 1982

Team that drafted him: New England Patriots

They could’ve picked: Two-time Super Bowl champion Jim McMahon (No. 5, Chicago Bears), Hall of Famers Mike Munchak (No. 8, Houston Oilers) and Marcus Allen (No. 10, Los Angeles Raiders)

Bottom line: Kenneth Sims played eight unremarkable seasons for the Patriots, including a Super Bowl XX loss, but his career was more known for off-field issues than his play.

He tested positive for marijuana in 1985, then cocaine in 1987 and 1988. Sims was arrested for cocaine possession in 1990, just months after he was released.

11. Bob Fenimore

Position: Halfback

Hometown/school: Woodward, Oklahoma/Woodward High

College: Oklahoma State University

Year drafted: 1947

Team that drafted him: Chicago Bears

They could’ve picked: Hall of Famers Dante Lavelli (No. 103, Los Angeles Rams) and Art Donovan (No. 204, Baltimore Colts)

Bottom line: Bob Fenimore was arguably the most dominant player in college football in 1945, when he led Oklahoma State to the national title.

In 1946, he barely played because of injuries, but the Bears decided to roll the dice and pick him anyways.

His NFL career lasted 10 games.

10. Harry Babcock

Position: End

Hometown/school: Pearl River, New York/Pearl River High

College: University of Georgia

Year drafted: 1953

Team that drafted him: San Francisco 49ers

They could’ve picked: Hall of Famers Doug Atkins (No. 11, Cleveland Browns) and John Henry Johnson (No. 18, Pittsburgh Steelers)

Bottom line: Harry Babcock was a surprise pick at No. 1 for the 49ers, who drafted Hall of Fame offensive tackle Bob St Clair in the third round of the same draft.

Injuries defined Babcock’s career. He caught just 16 passes in three seasons and never scored a touchdown.

9. Walt Patulski

Position: Defensive end

Hometown/school: Dewitt, New York/Christian Brothers Academy

College: University of Notre Dame

Year drafted: 1972

Team that drafted him: Buffalo Bills

They could’ve picked: Four-time Pro Bowler Ahmad Rashad (No. 4, St. Louis Cardinals), Hall of Famer Franco Harris (No. 13, Pittsburgh Steelers)

Bottom line: Walt Patulski had unusual size and speed for the era in which he played. At 6-foot-6, 260 pounds, he could run a 4.8-second 40-yard dash.

But his quiet personality clashed with Buffalo Bills head coach Lou Saban, who traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals .

Putalski was out of the NFL after the 1977 season.

8. Terry Baker

Position: Quarterback

Hometown/school: Portland, Oregon/Jefferson High

College: Oregon State University

Year drafted: 1963

Team that drafted him: Los Angeles Rams

They could’ve picked: Hall of Famers Dave Robinson (No. 13, Green Bay Packers), Bobby Bell (No. 16, Minnesota Vikings), John Mackey (No. 19, Baltimore Colts)

Bottom line: Terry Baker, the first Heisman Trophy winner from west of Texas, only played three seasons for the Rams and never had a winning record.

He played one more season in the Canadian Football League with Edmonton, then earned his law degree from USC and opened a firm in his hometown.

7. Jameis Winston

Position: Quarterback

Hometown/school: Bessemer, Alabama/Hueytown High

College: Florida State University

Year drafted: 2015

Team that drafted him: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

They could’ve picked: All-Pro Vic Beasley (No. 8, Atlanta Falcons), 2017 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Todd Gurley (No. 10, Los Angeles Rams), two-time All-Pro Marcus Peters (No. 18, Kansas City Chiefs)

Bottom line: Jameis Winston had major red flags coming out of Florida State, but the Bucs still picked the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner.

He was suspended for the first three games of the 2018 season for groping a female Uber driver.

In four NFL campaigns, he has gone 21-33 as a starter.

6. Bobby Garrett

Position: Quarterback

Hometown/school: Los Angeles/South Pasadena High

College: Stanford University

Year drafted: 1954

Team that drafted him: Cleveland Browns

They could’ve picked: Two-time AFL All-Star Cotton Davidson (No. 5, Baltimore Colts), Hall of Famer Raymond Berry (No. 232, Baltimore Colts)

Bottom line: The Browns envisioned Bobby Garrett as the replacement for legendary quarterback Otto Graham.

At his first practice, the Browns realized they had a huge problem — Garrett had a severe stutter that would not allow him to intelligibly make play calls.

He lasted one season in the NFL.

5. Courtney Brown

Position: Defensive end

Hometown/school: Alvin, South Carolina/Macedonia High

College: Penn State University

Year drafted: 2000

Team that drafted him: Cleveland Browns

They could’ve picked: Six-time Pro Bowler Chris Samuels (No. 3, Washington Redskins), Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher (No. 9, Chicago Bears), four-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady (No. 199, New England Patriots … who knew?)

Bottom line: Courtney Brown played only one full NFL season, his rookie year, and had nine sacks in his first 21 games before the first of many injuries that derailed his career.

Over the next four seasons, Brown played five games or less twice, recorded only 10 more sacks and was out of the league after the 2005 season.

4. Tim Couch

Position: Quarterback

Hometown/school: Hyden, Kentucky/Leslie County High

College: University of Kentucky

Year drafted: 1999

Team that drafted him: Cleveland Browns

They could’ve picked: Six-time Pro Bowler Donovan McNabb (No. 2, Philadelphia Eagles), four-time All-Pro Edgerrin James (No. 4, Indianapolis Colts), Hall of Famer Champ Bailey (No. 7, Washington Redskins)

Bottom line: The Browns made Tim Couch their franchise quarterback in their first year returning to Cleveland. He led them to the playoffs in 2002 but broke his leg in the regular-season finale.

Couch had to compete with Kelly Holcomb in 2003, was cut in 2004 and never played in the NFL again.

3. Ki-Jana Carter

Position: Running back

Hometown/school: Westerville, Ohio/Westerville South High

College: Penn State University

Year drafted: 1995

Team that drafted him: Cincinnati Bengals

They could’ve picked: Hall of Famers Warren Sapp (No. 12, Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Ty Law (No. 23, New England Patriots) and Derrick Brooks (No. 28, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Bottom line: Ki-Jana Carter signed for a then-NFL record $7.125 million bonus, but his career was beset by injuries from the start.

He tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the first preseason game of his rookie season, and in five seasons with the Bengals, he missed all or most of four seasons with injuries.

2. Steve Emtman

Position: Defensive end

Hometown/school: Cheney, Washington/Cheney High

College: University of Washington

Year drafted: 1992

Team that drafted him: Indianapolis Colts

They could’ve picked: Super Bowl XXXI MVP Desmond Howard (No. 4, Washington Redskins)

Bottom line: Steve Emtman played a total of 18 games over three seasons with the Colts and ended each season on the injured reserve.

He only played one complete season in the NFL, in 1995 with the Dolphins, and he was out of the NFL for good after 1997.

1. Jamarcus Russell

Position: Quarterback

Hometown/school: Mobile, Alabama/Williamson High

College: Louisiana State University

Year drafted: 2007

Team that drafted him: Oakland Raiders

They could’ve picked: Five-time All-Pro Calvin Johnson (No. 2, Detroit Lions), 2012 NFL MVP Adrian Peterson (No. 7, Minnesota Vikings), six-time All-Pro Patrick Willis (No. 11, San Francisco 49ers)

Bottom line: JaMarcus Russell signed a five-year, $68 million contract with $31.5 million guaranteed as a rookie, but lasted only three seasons.

Concerns over work ethic and his use of codeine cough syrup mixed with soft drinks ("purple drank") followed him constantly. In one infamous case, the Raiders coaching staff even sent Russell home with blank game film to review as they suspected he wasn’t studying film.

Russell was arrested for possession of codeine cough syrup in 2010 and never played again.