Every NFL team’s biggest draft whiff of all time
By Brad Rowland
Oakland Raiders – JaMarcus Russell (No. 1 pick, 2007)
We’ve discussed Ryan Leaf a few times in this space (before even getting to the Chargers), but JaMarcus Russell is Leaf’s biggest competition for the title of biggest bust in NFL draft history. Before we even look at Russell’s numbers, consider this: three of the next six picks in the 2007 draft were Calvin Johnson, Joe Thomas and Adrian Peterson.
Whoops.
Now, let’s chat about Russell a bit. The 6-foot-6 quarterback had every measurable imaginable, including an absolute cannon for an arm. Unfortunately, Russell had no idea how to maximize his physical potential, and allowed himself to get (vastly) out of shape in a hurry. Things were never going to end well of the No. 1 pick.
Russell started 25 games for the Raiders, posting a 7-18 record. In that time, he completed only 52 percent of his passes with more interceptions (23) than touchdowns (18). He was also a disaster off the field, and the combination of the two forced him completely out of the league with surprising haste.
Even as I type this, JaMarcus Russell is only 30 years old. Wow.
Next: Philadelphia Eagles