Top 10 Wide Receiver Draft Busts of the 2000s

[jags224]

He had the perfect combination of Size and Speed though according to ESPN

he did have the perfect size and speed 6'5/6'6 242 ran a 4.4 , it was just that he likes that coke and wasnt dedicated and liked to drop balls from time to time

[Len B]

A guy with 18 TD's (more than most people will see in their career) is the #1 on the list?

A guy with 4,000 yards receiving is on this list?

Michael Clayton? Ginn? Bey?

Love the article but not agreeing with a lot of selections.


Busts that weren't on the list but should be:

Chad Jackson
Reggie Williams
Michael Jenkins
Rod Gardner
Taylor Jacobs
Sylvester Morris
R. Jay Soward

[Deviant]

A guy with 18 TD's (more than most people will see in their career) is the #1 on the list?

A guy with 4,000 yards receiving is on this list?

Michael Clayton? Ginn? Bey?

Love the article but not agreeing with a lot of selections.


Busts that weren't on the list but should be:

Chad Jackson
Reggie Williams
Michael Jenkins
Rod Gardner
Taylor Jacobs
Sylvester Morris
R. Jay Soward

Funny enough, most of those guys are in the first portion of my article that I forgot to paste in:

Remember these glorious names during the drafts? Rod Gardner, Koren Robinson, Sylvester Morris, R. Jay Soward, Matt Jones. Drafting a wide receiver in the 2000's was so risky that in the 2008 Draft, no wide receivers were drafted in the first time. It is the only time in NFL Draft history that a wide receiver had not been taken in the first round. So, let's go back in time and recap the Top 10 wide receiver draft busts of the 2000's.

[Archer]

he did have the perfect size and speed 6'5/6'6 242 ran a 4.4 , it was just that he likes that coke and wasnt dedicated and liked to drop balls from time to time

It was a joke

Every year ESPN names 2-3 guys who are the "perfect combo of size and speed" and sure enough most of them ending up sucking

[Nukleopatra]

Of course Calvin Johnson isn't a bust. Calvin Johnson had an All-Pro season the year afterwards. Do you honestly expect DHB to make that sort of a jump next year?

Well, of course not - he's ''Megatron!''

All DHB needs is a cool nickname like that or ''Spiderman'' and he's all set. Maybe a two time MVP/Hall of famer under center, that always help, right?

Until he gets a cool nickname, I won't be taking DHB seriously.

However, Steve Breaston > CJ.

5th round.

[jaxjaggywires]

Mike Williams is #1 with a bullet on this list...

As for the Jags great record of WR drafting, none were worse than Soward in 2000. He was a later first rounder, though, as was Jones. Williams at least somehow got a 10 TD season before he left to get high and dance.

[dave]

How could Warrick be a bigger bust than Williams?
That's ridiculous.
Warrick got on the field.

[Hasselbeck]

Well, I'm shaping the list off of draft position and expectation. That's what I think about when I think bust. Indeed, Buster Davis, Chad Jackson, Koren Robinson, Ashley Lelie, etc make sense and had ZERO/minimal success in the NFL. However, the expectation lowers when you're drafted lower. The problem with labeling a second-rounder or third-rounder as a bust is that second-rounders/third-roudners are often considered steals when they're successful (Anquan Boldin, Chris Chambers, etc.). If this were wide receivers who didn't translate to the game, I'd agree with a few. But, the list is based upon expectation and the career itself.

DHB is probably early, but I honestly see no signs of it improving. Warrick may not be 1st, but I remember him being the man in college, a huge name receiver, one of the best in the game, and just never living up to it.

You do realize Koren Robinson was a Top 10 pick in the same draft David Terrell came out right?

[Deviant]

How could Warrick be a bigger bust than Williams?
That's ridiculous.
Warrick got on the field.

Yeah, Warrick got on the field and had the better career out of most of the selections. I don't know, I just remember Warrick being the man in college and then never really living up to the huge hype in the NFL.

You do realize Koren Robinson was a Top 10 pick in the same draft David Terrell came out right?

No. I actually overlooked him as I was making the list and thought he was a Top 20.

[Obst]

Sylvester Morris should of made this list for sure. Chiefs spent the 21st overall pick on him and he only played one year in the NFL. That's not exactly a great career.

[nflman2033]

probably should have stopped reading the list when i see a rookie on it, you can't not even evaluate a good draft for at least 3 seasons after, how the hell can you call a guy a bust when he hasn't even finished his first year, i agree it was a bad pick, and he will probably end up being a bust in most peoples eyes mainly because of the team he was drafted to, but lets give it some time before you call him a bust, same thing can be said about Ginn and i agree the same thing, but you never really know where these guys who have only been in the league a couple years will end up by the time their careers are done.

[Senser81]

Is Josh Reed a bust?

Bills WR #82

came out of LSU with the Biletnikoff award and was supposed to be one of the best

He's been in the NFL for a number of years, and manages to weasel his way onto the field. I don't think he's a bust, and I don't think anyone who saw him in college would think he'd be a great NFL WR. He isn't that physically talented.

Glad someone mentioned R. Jay Soward. He had such bad hands, it was almost a joke. He made Bill Schroeder seem "glue-fingered".

[OnlyOneBeerLeft]

good analysis houtz... I mean... top 10 overall I guess you expect a ton, but how many WR's are gunna be Randy Moss's or Chris Carters or Jerry Rice's? A WR's progression int he NFL is almost completely based around coaching and playcalling. I think if Ginn is used on screens, not on PR or KR's because thats wear and tear that a #10 pick shouldn't have to deal with. If used right Ginn can be a solid 50-80 catch 800-1,000 yard WR throughout his career. Miami is a run team.

[Tailback U]

Most agree, but another reason why it's too early for DHB to be labeled a bust:

Roddy White's career stats:

2005: 29 catches, 446 yards, 3 TDs.
2006: 30 catches, 506 yards, 0 TDs.
2007: 83 catches, 1202 yards, 6 TDs.
2008: 88 catches, 1382 yards, 7 TDs.

Not saying DHB is going to turn into Roddy White, at all, and I think he is going to have a very average career, but it's too early to call him a bust.

[Nash]

Roddy White had trouble learning the playbook and remembering which route to run. It finally clicked for him lol