30 biggest draft busts in NFL history

8. Vernon Gholston, DE, New York Jets

While Gholston slipped to sixth overall in the 2008 draft, many believed he would develop into the top player from the class. Instead, Gholston couldn’t even get on the field as a role player.

Gholston was one of the most dominant defensive players in the country during his junior and senior years at Ohio State in 2006 and 2007. Not even 2008 first overall pick Jake Long of Michigan could stop Gholston from getting into the backfield. He racked up 22.5 sacks over those two years, including 14.5 in 2007.

As great as Gholston was those two seasons, many thought he was just tapping into his potential. The Jets appeared to get a steal by selecting Gholston sixth overall.

Gholston struggled to get on the field as a rookie other than special teams, and only started five games for New York in his brief three-year career. Incredibly, Gholston failed to record a single sack in those three seasons despite appearing in nearly every game, and made only 16 tackles over his entire career.

It’s hard to say what went wrong with Gholston. He certainly had the physical skills to be a force in the NFL and was a hard worker at Ohio State by all accounts. In any case, Gholston’s sheer lack of production makes him one of the biggest busts in NFL history.

Next: 7. Charles Rogers, WR, Detroit Lions