r/nfl • u/LarryLucchino Patriots • 2h ago
First Player Selected In Each Draft To Play Fewer Than 4 Seasons
As you may be able to tell, I got curious about this when thinking about the Patriots ineptitude with drafting receivers high and how Ja'lynn Polk was so immediately out of the NFL.
So I wanted to look through each draft and see how high a player was drafted who never made it past that all important 4th year.
For this exercise, practice squads don't count (looking at you Tebow and Coleman).
As for the *, it's a sad one. That's the Dwayne Haskins year.
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u/jtighe Steelers 2h ago
Tebow played less than four seasons?! God that felt like wayyy longer lol
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u/duvie773 Rams 2h ago
Technically, he hung around longer than that. He was just only on an active roster for 3 years
Broncos 2010-2011, Jets 2012, Patriots preseason 2013, Eagles preseason 2015, Urban Meyer’s failed experiment 2021
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u/TheHoundofUlster Bills 2h ago
Ah, Josh Rosen.
The Josh some Bills fans wanted. Some Bills fans named TheHoundofUlster.
Man I hope I deleted all those “Wrong Josh” comments.
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u/GrundleThief Eagles 2h ago
Dorial Green-Beckham so forgotten ppl are calling him Dorian
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u/Phenomenon0fCool Dolphins 2h ago
Saw a graphic about the highest rated high school WRs.
- Jeremiah Smith
- DGB
- Julio Jones
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u/R_Hunt Eagles 2h ago
Jeremiah unknowingly bargaining between HOF career and Biggest What If of his draft class, no in between
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u/dasruski Browns Lions 1h ago
If Smith is a bust in the NFL I will utterly confused and befuddled.
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u/bootygoon2 Packers 46m ago
A lot of people said this about Marvin Harrison Jr. at the time too. Smith is better than MHJ though so I imagine he will have a lot more success than him. I should also mention MHJ is young enough to turn things around and shed his current label as a bust.
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u/Dr__Flo__ Chiefs 1h ago
As a Mizzou fan, DGB is an all time fuck up. Had all the talent on the world, but about every red flag you could have, on the field and off.
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u/LegitimateTutor7185 2h ago
The Browns in the 2010s were just incredibly bad. Only reason Johnny Manziel wasn't listed was because they drafted Justin Gilbert earlier that draft. Gilbert didn't even seem to like football.
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u/ay21690 Browns 2h ago
Look at the picks in that draft after we took Gilbert at 8.
It’s so depressing.
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u/BigFatModeraterFupa Vikings 57m ago
i honestly thought he was going to be a bust as soon as his name was announced.
I'm sorry, but ain't nobody named "Gilbert" is succeeding in the NFL
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u/WagerWilly Vikings 1h ago
I thought Corey Coleman was going to be good. Was shocked he was basically useless at the next level
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u/escapepodsarefake 52m ago
He was a very shocking bust based off college tape, at least for me. Those Browns teams were just so bad, have to wonder if he would've amounted to something somewhere else.
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u/GrayFox6688 Eagles 41m ago
Manziel said Gilbert was doing drugs when in Cleveland. It was funny that he just ratted him out like that on a podcast
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u/Signal_Minimum8509 Falcons 2h ago
Poor Raiders
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u/LarryLucchino Patriots 2h ago
It's interesting that it's such an arbitrarily chosen very specific look at a certain draft condition, and still the worst offenders are all the most inept franchises in the league.
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u/Scaryclouds Chiefs 2h ago
I mean they literally did it to themselves.
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u/sgeep Patriots 2h ago
Not sure I'm gonna be blaming the Raiders front office for Ruggs
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u/alienbringer Cowboys 2h ago
Raiders and Browns suck at drafting. And we laugh at the jets draft choices… oof.
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u/Plastic-Low2911 2h ago
Dang I didn’t Trent “struggle cuts” Richardson didn’t even last 4 seasons
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u/OldBayOnEverything Ravens 2h ago
Drafted in the 1st, traded for a 1st, and out of the league within 3 years. Crazy.
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u/Second_City_Saint Bears 2h ago
What happened with Gholston? Could he just not beat NFL tackles?
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u/CloudStrife012 Patriots 2h ago
Basically he was drafted so high because he was physically very impressive, but had an extremely low football IQ and had no desire to improve it. So strength alone wasnt going to get him very far in the NFL.
Some say his lack of motivation was the depression from being drafted by the jets.
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u/latman Jets 2h ago
He had elite production in college. He wasn't only drafted because of his combine performance. Also, the Jets were contenders those years
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u/Double-Ad-7483 25m ago
He did, but I also remember him shooting up mocks and insider projections after his combine.
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u/previouslyonimgur Jets 2h ago
Oh fuck off. That was during the Rex Ryan years when we were making the playoffs.
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u/CloudStrife012 Patriots 2h ago
Haha honestly I miss that version of the jets. Mark Sanchez eating a hot dog during the game, Rex ryan guaranteeing a superbowl victory at the start of the season, their weird obsession with that 1 time they blocked randy moss from catching a touchdown, and the "CANT WAIT." Made the matchups more fun.
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u/Double-Ad-7483 24m ago
Mark Sanchez eating a hot dog during the game
"Now let's go get a god damned snack!"
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u/urbanachiever2804 Rams 2h ago
As an OSU fan, I thought he was a slam dunk. He was an absolute monster in college.
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u/Second_City_Saint Bears 2h ago
Yea, I remember him being pure athleticism coming out. He had a cup of coffee with the Bears.
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u/MikeFrancesa66 Jets 1h ago
We called him the Ghost because a majority of the time you wouldn’t even know he was on the team. He finished his career with 42 total tackles, 3 TFL, and 0 sacks. With most of these guys they at least had some flashes of being impact players. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that high a draft pick have such little impact as Gholston.
As others have said, he was very athletic but he had a terrible work ethic and zero awareness. He also had no pash rush moves and no desire to learn any.
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u/Double-Ad-7483 24m ago
I still laugh at the scene in hard knocks when one of the coaches saw Gholston actually make a play and said, "they dropped"
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u/strongscience62 Commanders 2h ago
Jets, Raiders, and Browns on here a lot. What are the odds?
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u/Drak_is_Right Colts 2h ago
Now need one for worst free agent deal signed each off-season
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u/OwlFarmer2000 NFL 1h ago
Albert haynesworth
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u/Drak_is_Right Colts 1h ago
I would be curious how many years Snyder would have had the worst one.
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u/WiredSky Commanders 38m ago
Bruce Smith, past his prime Prime Time, Jayson Taylor...
There was an NFL Top Ten a while back, #1 was "anyone to the Redskins."
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u/latman Jets 2h ago
Jets only twice, raiders seven times
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u/whobroughtmehere Lions 1h ago
This is just the highest profile bust, plenty of mistakes not captured
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u/KeathleyWR Broncos 2h ago
Yea, I hated the Tebow pick from day 1. He was NEVER going to succeed in the NFL.
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u/LarryLucchino Patriots 2h ago
Tebow and Manziel. Literally everyone saw that coming.
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u/Ambiguously_Ironic Giants 1h ago
It never surprised me that they got drafted due to their college careers, I just didn’t think either would be that high.
Tebow I know gave his full effort and went as far as he could go, but Manziel will always be a what if to me. He was amazing to watch in college.
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u/InvictusSolo Packers 1h ago
I loved Johnny at TAMU, but his skillset was always questionable for the NFL where there are four 260+ 4.6+ killers on the field playing with elite team speed to knock your block off every play. Johnny was like a magic man in college but even a lot of scouts didn’t know if that escapability would convert to the NFL and his arm was never elite elite.
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u/Ambiguously_Ironic Giants 1h ago
You’re probably right but I do wonder what his career could’ve been if he actually read the playbook and didn’t party 7 nights per week.
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u/Anachronismsc2 Rams 1h ago
I won't pretend that I'm some Manziel expert, but I watched about 10~ games in college and he was hot dogshit in the games I saw. He was a great scrambler, but the number of times I watched him heave it into quadruple coverage only for Evans to pull it down made him look good.
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u/Ambiguously_Ironic Giants 1h ago
I don’t know man, he beat #1 Alabama and multiple ranked teams as a RS freshman while winning the Heisman and accounting for like 45+ touchdowns.
I think you can say a lot of bad things about Manziel and his football career, but he definitely wasn’t bad in college.
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u/Frosti11icus Seahawks 16m ago
He wasn’t bad in college, he just never actually showed any true nfl skills. He had a weak arm, he wasn’t that athletic, he was small for a QB, and he had dogshit leadership abilities.
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u/jtom56372 1h ago
I wouldnt have been surprised if they'd went day 2 or 3. Tebow had enough grit that he might figure to be simply a football player and a way for him to contribute would be found. Even thru all the mental health & substance stuff surrounding Manziel, he had talent. I don't know how he did it, but in the glimpses we seen him playing pro ball, he had a level of composure that made it look like he was capable of learning to be an NFL QB.
Spending first round pics on them was foolish. But day 3 or UDFA invites? They were worth a look.
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u/JetKeel Broncos 1h ago
The worst was all the fans talking about him like he was some savior who could do no wrong. Mediocre from start to finish.
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u/KeathleyWR Broncos 1h ago
Not even mediocre, he was BAD. That playoff game got him so much slack on his poor performance.
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u/blotsfan Bills 44m ago
Whenever I watch that OT touchdown, undoubtedly the best play of his career, I am just amazed at how incredibly slow his throwing motion is.
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u/LarryLucchino Patriots 1h ago
The clips of him throwing in preseason for the Patriots will always make me laugh. Looks like a non athlete throwing a first pitch at a baseball game.
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u/PaddyMayonaise Eagles 35m ago
He looked a lot better in his Eagles preseason under Kelly but still not great
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u/Majestic-Volume9996 47m ago
It was just that typical American Christian victimization, where the reality they live in is so counter to the persecution the Bible warns them about, that they end up doing things like attributing people not liking a shitty football player to religious persecution.
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u/SoKrat3s 49ers 49ers 1h ago
Still brought one of the most amazing wins in playoff history.
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u/KeathleyWR Broncos 1h ago
🤮. No he made a easy as shit throw and DT made the play. I could've made that fucking throw.
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u/BigFatModeraterFupa Vikings 55m ago
bro Tebowmania was objectively a fun ass time for the league. lol i'm sure it probably sucked as a Broncos fan because you knew the guy had no arm talent, but as a neutral, it was sooo funny to see the Broncos keep pulling miracle comeback wins led by Tebow that year🤣🤣
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u/roushmartin6 Broncos 2h ago
Truth. But at least he was a great guy who didnt do dumb shit and it stung less because we got DT right before him (and then McDaniels tried to ruin him by having him return kickoffs)
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u/KeathleyWR Broncos 2h ago
Yea, silver lining I supposed. DT is my #1 favorite modern Bronco, followed by Sutton (I may have a bias for WR's). Dudes that I hope against all odds succeed, even if they move off to another team.
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u/PaddyMayonaise Eagles 35m ago
Never made sense either. Every blue moon you get a first round pick that’s just a real head scratcher.
McDaniels hated Cutler so much that he convinced himself he could win with Tebow lol
Ironically, Tebow is the only QB taken in that draft that won a playoff game
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u/digitalray34 Dolphins 2h ago
Pat White.....*shudder*
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u/crosberries Steelers 1h ago
I remember Ike Taylor on the Steelers absolutely murder him while he ran down the sideline. Scary hit. Dude was electric in college though.
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u/myrealnameisdj Patriots 2h ago
Patriots drafting early round wide receivers. Woof.
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u/dlb199091l Patriots 1h ago
At this point, I'm willing to just say f it and throw draft capital to trade for proven recievers. We'd be ahead that way
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u/CaptQuakers42 2h ago
This is quite interesting because I believe the average for a 1st round pick working out is like 50%.
2009 didn't Beanie Wells leave the league really early?
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u/dubbeazy Jets 1h ago
The thing that surprises me most is that Trent Richardson lasted less than 4 seasons. I could've sworn he spent two seasons each with Cleveland and Indianapolis.
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u/Bright_Efficiency_87 Broncos 2h ago
Dorian green Beckham looked like such a beast. Dee Milliner had a historic combine, 9 mistakes before Rosen, Trent got traded for a 1st round pick, Tebow and Pat white were absolutely electric in college.
Kind of crazy how some of these guys fizzled out so quickly. NFL has always meant Not For Long
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u/FrontPerformance5 Eagles 2h ago
My memory of DGB with the Eagles: the Eagles are driving at around the 12 yard line. DGB beats his man cleanly at the snap, Wentz sees it and throws the ball to the back pylon.
All DGB has to do is run at regular game speed and the ball will meet him at the pylon for a routine chest-high pitch-and-catch YD. And he just doesn't do it.
And I think the same scenario happened multiple times!
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u/Ambiguously_Ironic Giants 1h ago
Milliner was good as a rookie too, he just had a bunch of injuries that killed his career.
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u/teamorange3 Jets 1h ago
He grew into it. He was slightly horrific to start the season and then got better to solid towards the end. Its what was disappointing because he grew a lot his rookie year
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u/Ambiguously_Ironic Giants 1h ago
I have a memory of some game towards the end of the year where he dominated, maybe even the last game.
I remember thinking at the time he would become one of the best db’s in the league. I think he just never really recovered after that Achilles injury.
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u/teamorange3 Jets 58m ago
He won rookie of the year in the final month but he also got benched in like the first 3 or 4 games for playing like absolute donkey shit lol. I think he wouldve been good if he didn't get injured but he also was very inconsistent his rookie year
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u/Calm_Plenty1828 2h ago
jamarcus at number 1 overall is still the benchmark for a bust, that pick probably set the raiders back half a decade
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u/Mr_Hugh_Honey 2h ago
I was so wrong on Dee Milliner lol thought he was gonna be a beast
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u/gopaloo NFL 39m ago
Dee Milliner is one of the biggest what ifs for the Jets. He showed so much promise with his second half play, to the point I really thought the Jets found their next Revis. He tore his Achilles in his second year, had wrist surgery before the start of his 3rd, and was waived with injury designation before his 4th season. Really wonder what could've been if he stayed healthy
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u/MrMeeseeks33 Rams 1h ago
I’ll never forget one of the draft analyst ripping the Alex Leatherwood pick. Like up and down how he was a terrible player. I’m not a fan of the raiders, but it was so brutal to listen to
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u/Wildebean Patriots 2h ago
Justin Gilbert is an underrated bust in NFL history. People forget about him and how bad and cantankerous he was just someone even worse and even more cantankerous than him was taken by the same team in the same round of the same draft.
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u/The_Great_Mage Ravens 1h ago
This made me check if Kenyon Green is still on our practice squad (he’s not)
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u/JerryOfTheMtn Titans 2h ago
The list is missing Isaiah Wilson for the Titans in 2020. One of the very few players who have a legitimate argument of being a bigger bust than Jamarcus Russell
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u/MankuyRLaffy Patriots 2h ago
Jalynn Polk year 2 sent to Robidas Island, then traded for a 7th round pick. Missed the entire season with a vague shoulder injury. Nobody knows what's actually wrong with it either.
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u/ButObviously 49ers 1h ago
I know there are a lot of bigger busts here. But Danny Watkins was the kind of bust where it seemed almost too obvious immediately at the time he was drafted. I suppose he was the OL equivalent of Brandon Weeden.
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u/ScottMaximus23 Bears 8m ago
The only bust on this list who was moonlighting as a fireman while on an NFL roster
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u/Fiendfuzz Eagles 1m ago
He didn't bust out of the league. He was old enough to retire from the league when he was drafted. Fucking moronic pick.
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u/Callywood Buccaneers 1h ago
Both Gareon Conley and Deandre Baker ended up playing together for the DC Defenders in the UFL. Baker won a championship with the team in 2025 and is a 2x All-UFL selection. Disappointing outcomes for both in the NFL given their draft position, but cool that they both went on to play well in spring football.
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u/Revenge_of_the_Khaki Lions 1h ago
Not a single Lion has me almost suspicious of this list's accuracy.
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u/swaqq_overflow Steelers 1h ago
Lions have drafted some incredible first round players in the last 20 years
Even on early picks the hit rate isn’t that high
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u/Revenge_of_the_Khaki Lions 1h ago
We've also drafted quite a few duds in the first two rounds in that time.
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u/lonely_zetsu Vikings 17m ago
Jeff Okudah comes to mind. Can't believe the Vikings trusted him as their slot corner last year and he was so unbelievably bad
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u/DifficultWave4488 38m ago
Yeah it’s why I always laugh when every fanbase assumes they “got their guy” when they draft a rookie QB. Especially now when it seems like QBs go 1st round more often pushing up guys who used to be 2nd round picks.
I think it’s something like 35-40% of all 1st round picks ever make a pro bowl. So in a draft with 5 first round QB picks, odds are that more/most of them won’t be a hit lol. And yet every year we have people on here convinced their rookie QB definitely won’t be a bust after a bad first season.
I understand fans will always be hopeful but like there’s only so many potential top 3-5 QBs in the league, and there aren’t 5 being drafted every other year lol. Odds are most will not turn into a great QB lol
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u/PaganFarmhouse Cowboys 2h ago
Shocking to see the Browns on this list. Also Ruggs kind of needs an asterisk
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u/Free_Elk653 1h ago
4X Raiders
3X Browns
2X Patriots, Dolphins, Jets
1X Texans, Giants, Cardinals, Titans, Eagles, Broncos
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u/Patchy_Face_Man Bengals 1h ago
Browns, Raiders and Jets are half of these and we all would have guessed that. Fucking idiots.
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u/GeologicalOpera Steelers 1h ago
Steelers being saved by the Jets in 2013, Jarvis Jones lasted 4 years and got dumped pre-season by Arizona before he hung them up. I didn't finish checking picks 10-16 before I posted this but I'll come back and edit if I'm wrong.
Edit: I was right, closest guy to the threshold was EJ Manuel (pick 16) but he backed up Derek Carr in 2017, which I'd completely forgotten happened.
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u/Apennie Packers 1h ago
What happened to that Henry Ruggs guy? Seemed promising.
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u/pm-me-your-catz Raiders 56m ago
He was promising. Drunk high speed driving, killed a lady and her dog. Is currently in jail.
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u/Loracfro Rams 59m ago
As someone who only got into football back in 2019, what the hell? I had no idea Tim Tebow was that unsuccessful. Why was he one of the few nfl player names I recognised before I got into the nfl?
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u/mysteresc Patriots 12m ago
You know the hype Arch Manning has had since he signed with Texas? Tebow had more.
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u/Guilty-Doctor1259 49ers 56m ago
tbf to the jets, that 2008 draft was fucking awful
the 2007 class had a combined 33 AP1 nominations, 08 had 14, 09 had 7 too
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u/ScruffMixHaha Bears 44m ago
I remember thinking Dorial Green-Beckham was going to be the next Megatron...
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u/GrayFox6688 Eagles 40m ago
And people still think "the best college team could beat the worst NFL team"
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u/Trashy_pig Seahawks 39m ago
Pretty sure known POS Malik McDowell who we drafted in 2017 in the second round never played a down in the NFL
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u/Frosti11icus Seahawks 6m ago
He played like 5 years for the Browns and was actually decent along with Sheldon Richardson who sucked for us and was good for Cleveland.
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u/Look_its_Rob 5m ago
Am I being dumb here, but wouldn't it be the number one pick of the 2024 draft since no player drafted in 2024 has played 4 seasons yet?
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u/Rocktamus1 Eagles 2h ago
Danny Watkins was a real lunch pale kind of guy. So much so he wanted a lunch pale job as a fire fighter.
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u/Jonjon428 Dolphins 2h ago
Thanks Grier for drafting Cam Smith because your son was good friends with him!
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u/Kurupt_Introvert Raiders 2h ago
Sheesh another horrible stat we had for this last decade plus