30 biggest draft busts in NFL history

16. Tim Couch, QB, Cleveland Browns

The very first pick of the new Browns era was Couch, the first in a long line of draft mistakes that have cost the franchise. While it’s hard to blame Couch entirely given the lack of talent around him, he’s one of the biggest quarterback busts in NFL history.

Couch was one of the most prolific passers in the nation from 1997-1998 at Kentucky, setting a few NCAA records along the way. Under legendary head coach Hal Mumme, Couch excelled in the air raid offense, throwing for over 8,000 yards and 73 touchdowns across the two seasons. Couch finished his college career with the NCAA record for completion percentage at 67.1

The 1999 draft featured a strong class of quarterback prospects, with five going in the first round. Despite playing a vastly different system to Kentucky, Cleveland believed Couch could excel in the NFL, and took him him first overall.

Couch was hugely inconsistent and failed to sustain any amount of success. Given how bad the Browns were in his rookie season, Couch did fairly well, throwing for nearly 2,500 yards and 15 touchdowns.

However, Couch struggled in his next full year as a starter in 2001, throwing 17 touchdowns to 21 interceptions. He led the Browns to the playoffs the next year, but was sidelined by a broken leg in the regular season finale, and his career ended the next year.

Couch threw for over 11,000 yards in the NFL and was much more productive than some other notable quarterback busts. Still, he left the NFL with more interceptions than touchdowns, and fell far short of expectations after a stellar college career.

Next: 15. Rich Campbell, QB, Green Bay Packers