30 biggest draft busts in NFL history

28. Blaine Gabbert, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars

The first round of the 2011 NFL draft left quite a few teams wondering what could have been. Prior to the draft, fans and experts alike debated whether Gabbert, Cam Newton or Jake Locker would turn out to be the best professional quarterback of the class.

In the end, Newton was taken first overall and has gone on to justify his pick. Gabbert, in contrast, was a major bust. He lasted only three years in Jacksonville before moving to the San Francisco 49ers.

A five-star high school recruit, Gabbert sat out his first year at Missouri before rising to prominence in his sophomore season in 2008. Gabbert threw for 3,592 yards and 24 touchdowns to just nine interceptions, and nearly matched those numbers his next season.

Give his excellent physical skills, many believed Gabbert could develop into the best quarterback in his draft class. Jacksonville traded up six spots to select Gabbert 10th overall, one spot ahead of J.J. Watt.

Gabbert got the chance to start almost immediately and really struggled. In his rookie season, he completed just 50.8 percent of his passes, notching up 12 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Jacksonville’s poor offensive line didn’t help matters — Gabbert looked especially bad when put under any sort of pressure.

Things didn’t get much better the next year; Gabbert suffered multiple injuries, including a torn labrum that ended his season. After three appearances in 2013, the Jaguars traded Gabbert to the 49ers and drafted Blake Bortles third overall in 2014.

Gabbert somewhat redeemed himself with a decent eight starts in San Francisco last year. Still, he fell way short of Jacksonville’s expectations.

Next: 27. Keith McCants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers