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Top 10 All Time RB Draft
Busts
by
Paul Eide
Senior Writer
4/13/08
10. Reggie Bush
NFL Stats: 1,146 rushing yards, 3.7 avg 10 TD
Drafted #2 overall in 2005, Bush’s performance thus far compared with
#1 pick Mario Williams on field performance makes the Katrina related
conspiracy theories regarding his slip from certain #1 seem irrelevant.
Bush has barely rushed for over 1,000 yards in two seasons combined and
has proven nothing other than his inability to run inside the tackles.
His knee injury at the end of ’07 certified him as a fantasy bust in
addition to his real life “bust” status after two years.
9.
Ron Dayne
NFL Stats: 3,722 Rushing yards, 3.8 avg, 28 TD
Didn’t Ron Dayne look so much bigger in college? But once he was
drafted #11 by the Giants in 2000, not only did he look smaller, but
also slower putting the “Thud” in “Thunder” to Tiki Barber’s
“Lightning”. Until 2007, Dayne’s rookie year was easily his best as a
pro. In fact Dayne has never eclipsed 800+ yards in any of his eight
pro seasons.
8. Maurice Clarett
NFL Stats: N/A
In 2002 Clarett was on the top of the world. He led Ohio State to a
National Championship as a freshman by rushing for 1,237 yards and 18
touchdowns and looked to be a certain first round NFL draft pick in the
future. But after the National Championship game, allegations of
academic fraud surfaced and Clarett bolted for the NFL, challenging a
long standing rule that all NFL eligible players had to be at least
three years removed from high school. After he was ruled to be
ineligible, Clarett didn’t play for an entire year. At the 2005 NFL
combine Clarett ran a horrible 4.82 40 time but the Broncos still took
a chance on him drafting him in the third round. It proved to be a less
than great decision as Clarett was cut prior to the season.
7.
Tim Biakabutuka
NFL Stats: 2,530 rushing yards, 4.1 avg, 14 TD
After being drafted 8th overall in 1996, Biakabutuka was never able to
stay healthy throughout his career, starting an average of less than
six games a year during his six year career. Biakabutuka set an
NFL record as the only running back to record two touchdown runs of 60
or more yards in the same game, but this largely added to the
disappointment surrounding his career because he showed so much promise
when healthy.
6. Curtis Enis
NFL Stats: 1,497 rushing yards, 3.3 avg, 4 TD
Enis continued the Bears string of bad luck RB picks as the 5th overall
selection in the 1998 Draft. Highly touted coming out of Penn State
where he had scored 27 rushing TD’s in the previous two seasons, he
never produced at anywhere the same level averaging barely three yards
a carry over three NFL seasons. Enis battled weight and attitude issues
before a brief stint at fullback prior to being released by the Bears
in 2000.
5.
Rashaan Salaam
NFL Stats: 1,684 rushing yards, 3.6 avg, 13 TD
The only guy on this list to have played for Vince McMahon’s “Memphis
Maniax”. Even more sad is that the former Heisman trophy winner
actually got cut from the XFL in 2001. After a first year in which he
set a Bears rookie record for rushing yards, Salaam blamed his love of
weed for the lack of production over the next two seasons prior to
brief stints in Cleveland and then Green Bay. The real issue was his
propensity for fumbles (14 in 21 NFL starts) and inability to stay
motivated.
4. Archie Griffin
NFL Stats: 2,808 rushing yards, 4.1 avg, 7 TD
Though he is the only player to win the Heisman Trophy twice during his
college career, Griffin was never a full time starter in the NFL mostly
due to the fact he was just 5-9, 185 pounds, lacking the size to be an
every down NFL back. Griffin was a solid reserve in his seven year
career with the Bengals after being selected 24th overall in the 1976
Draft, but he only started nine games during that time frame. Griffin
never lived up to the hype surrounding his illustrious college career
in the NFL.
3.
Lawrence Phillips
NFL Stats: 1,453 rushing yards, 3.4 avg, 14 TD
Where did it all go wrong, Lawrence? Unfortunately for Phillips, his
difficult childhood and trouble with authority figures in general did
more to sabotage his NFL career than any injury or anything else. For
proof look at his performance in NFL Europe and the CFL. Obviously the
league-wide talent is less than the NFL but in Europe he demolished the
single season rushing and scoring records (1,021 rushing yards, 14 TD)
and in Canada with the Alouettes (1,022 yards, 13 TD) he led his team
to a Grey Cup title in 2002. Recruited by Nebraska out of a California
foster home, Phillips could never overcome the rough beginning of his
life.
2. Blair Thomas
NFL Stats: 2,236 rushing yards, 4.2 avg, 7 TD
Thomas battled injuries throughout his six years and couldn’t survive
the hype of being the #2 overall pick in 1990. A big reason for this
was his inability to stay healthy after his first two seasons in the
league, attributed mainly to his diminutive size (5-9, 198) and not
being able to handle the increased physicality the NFL. The failure of
Thomas, Enis and Ki-Jana Carter has sullied the rep of RB’s from Penn
State the same way that Wuerffel, Kresser and Leak have injured the
reputations of any Florida QB who hopes to get drafted.
1. Ki-Jana Carter
NFL Stats: 1,144 rushing yards, 3.6 avg, 20 TD
After a completely destructive knee injury on his third carry as a pro
during the first preseason game of 1995 Carter hung around the league
and played for three additional teams. But as the first pick in the
entire 1995 draft, those teams were sucked in by the allure of his
title as “Former #1 Pick” more than his talent/health, sort of like
seeing the “Bearded Lady” at the circus because you have a roster spot
and some time to kill. You think, “Hey why not? Let’s check it out.
Might be cool and if nothing else I just waste a couple bucks.” Luckily
for the “Bearded Lady” she had the ability to deliver the goods when it
mattered. Unfortunately for Carter, he became a lot easier to forget
than he was to remember.
Michael
Abromowitz's 2008 NFL Mock
Draft
Gregory Cox's 2008
NFL Mock Draft
Paul Eide's 2008 NFL
Mock Draft
Jared
Donnelly's 2008 NFL Mock
Draft
Joey Bures' 2008 NFL Mock Draft
Mock
Draft Database
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