Top 10 Wide Receiver Draft Busts of the 2000s

[Obst]

Matt Jones/Reggie Williams are far more deserving at that spot, IMO.

Just ask any Jaguar fan about that 2004 NFL draft, when they passed on Big Ben and Steven Jackson, despite having the 16 ranked rush offense, and Fred Taylor having 2 rushing TDs, which he followed up with an even worse season.

Lee Evans would of even been a better pick at that spot. Fast forward a fucking year to when we took Matt Jones over Roddy White. Jaguars were just really good at spotting great Wide Receiver talent when it was in front of them. Taking a quarterback to play WR for you when you got a guy in Roddy White who led the nation with 1,452 receiving yards and ranked third in the country with a 20.5-yard per catch average in 2004 and accounted for six 100-yard receiving contests. UGHHH

 

[Archer]

Lee Evans would of even been a better pick at that spot. Fast forward a fucking year to when we took Matt Jones over Roddy White. Jaguars were just really good at spotting great Wide Receiver talent when it was in front of them. Taking a quarterback to play WR for you when you got a guy in Roddy White who led the nation with 1,452 receiving yards and ranked third in the country with a 20.5-yard per catch average in 2004 and accounted for six 100-yard receiving contests. UGHHH

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

 

[longhornfan]

I was expecting to see RaShaun Woods on there.
And Warrick at #1? mehh

 

[Nukleopatra]

Most teams in the NFL would trade for CJ in a heartbeat.

I wouldn't.

We have Steve Breaston.

 

[Tengo Juego]

I wouldn't.

We have Steve Breaston.

They wouldn't... Arizona has Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin...

 

[Goober]

Marcus Nash was drafted in '97... But Ashlie Lelie should be on any of these lists.

Fuck that guy.

 

[DDRGuido]

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

 

[Deviant]

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.

 

[Deviant]

Yeah. But see, he believes that DHB is already a bigger bust than Matt Jones, Reggie Williams.

Great list, indeed.

Reggie Williams had a 19th ranked passing offense to play with. DHB has the 32nd. And some of you actually agree with this list? You honestly believe that DHB is a bigger bust than Reggie Williams? Ridiculous.

And we're going by what? His rookie season? l o l. Calvin Johnson couldn't even beat out Shaun McDonald in his rookie season, and he had Mike Martz and the 9th best passing offense. Fast forward to 2009 - Devin Hester has more yards than Calvin Johnson. Megatron, baby!

Is Calvin Johnson a bust?

Reggie Williams would have made the list, but then he had that weird season where he broke the Jaguars' receiving TD record. Then, he went and did marijuana and drank all the goddamn time. He was strange guy to place up there, but probably deserves to be up there. But yes, DHB is a bigger bust. I understand that the Raiders' passing attack is absolutely garbage, but I swear to God, every time I watch DHB and a pass is on the money, he'll drop it 60% of the time. Even when Gradkowski is in, he drops the damn ball.

And I would say that the Calvin Johnson thing is valid, but Calvin put up decent numbers despite injuries rookie year. DHB has played in more games than he has receptions. 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?

 

[FedEx227]

I agree with Larry....the term bust is a buzz word that is used entirely too much across sports.

Also, I'm not sure it's fair to do a lot of the hindsight "he was drafted in front of this guy" stuff.

Charles Rogers just dropped a 4.2 40 at 6'3 after a pretty awesome college career, there was no doubt he was going to be the top WR taken... at the time it was absolutely the right pick.

 

[jags224]

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

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.