Each NFL team’s QB we expected better from

Detroit Lions: Joey Harrington

Joey Harrington appeared to be another can’t-miss quarterback when he came out of the University of Oregon, as he even was the coverboy for the NCAA Football franchise. The No. 3 overall selection in the 2002 NFL Draft, Harrington was given the keys to the car immediately for the Detroit Lions, but ended up having a rough time driving.

A member of the organization from 2002 through the 2005 season, Harrington took over for starter Mike McMahon in Week 1 of the 2002 season. The former Pac 10 Player of the Year was mostly unsuccessful at the NFL, which was a shame due to the fact he had all the arm talent to be a star at the next level.

The real issue with Harrington’s time in Detroit was the fact that he played behind a terrible offensive line. His best season as a pro came in 2004, where he threw for 19 touchdowns against only 12 interceptions, but that was not enough for the organization to continue to view him as their franchise quarterback.

In 2005, Harrington was replaced by Jeff Garcia as the starter for the Lions, and overall, he ended his Detroit career with a 18-37 record across 55 starts. It would have been interesting to see what kind of career he would have had if he had better protection, but as it stands, this was one early draft pick that the franchise did not get what they expected from.