Drafts of Days Past

[Hervoyel]

The 2000 NFL Draft, Round 1. Perhaps it's not a big mystery where this season is concerned but here's my question. Out of these 31 guys who was the best pick (taking into account where they were taken) and who was the worst?

1 Cleveland COURTNEY BROWN Defensive line Penn State
2 Washington LAVAR ARRINGTON Linebacker Penn State
3 Washington CHRIS SAMUELS Offensive line Alabama
4 Cincinnati PETER WARRICK Wide Receiver Florida State
5 Baltimore JAMAL LEWIS Tailback Tennessee
6 Philadelphia COREY SIMON Defensive line Florida State
7 Arizona THOMAS JONES Tailback Virginia
8 Pittsburgh PLAXICO BURRESS Wide Receiver Michigan State
9 Chicago BRIAN URLACHER Linebacker New Mexico
10 Baltimore TRAVIS TAYLOR Wide Receiver Florida
11 New York Giants RON DAYNE Tailback Wisconsin
12 New York Jets (from San Francisco) SHAUN ELLIS Defensive line Tennessee
13 New York Jets JOHN ABRAHAM Linebacker South Carolina
14 GREEN BAY BUBBA FRANKS Tight End Miami
15 Denver (from Baltimore) DELTHA O'NEAL Defensive backs California
16 San Francisco (from NY Jets) JULIAN PETERSON Linebacker Michigan State
17 Oakland SEBASTIAN JANIKOWSKI Kicker Florida State
18 New York Jets CHAD PENNINGTON Quarterback Marshall
19 Seattle SHAUN ALEXANDER Tailback Alabama
20 Detroit STOCKAR MCDOUGLE Offensive line Oklahoma
21 Kansas State SYLVESTER MORRIS Wide Receiver Jackson State
22 Seattle CHRIS McINTOSH Offensive line Wisconsin
23 Carolina RASHARD ANDERSON Defensive backs Jackson State
24 San Francisco AHMED PLUMMER Defensive backs Ohio State
25 Minnesota CHRIS HOVAN Defensive line Boston College
26 Buffalo ERIK FLOWERS Defensive line Arizona State
27 New York Jets ANTHONY BECHT Tight End West Virginia
28 Indianapolis ROB MORRIS Linebacker Brigham Young
29 Jacksonville R. JAY SOWARD Wide Receiver Southern California
30 Tennessee KEITH BULLUCK Linebacker Syracuse
31 St. Louis TRUNG CANIDATE Halfback Arizona

[texasguy346]

IMO the best value pick was Keith Bullock for the Titans. He's still their best defender, and is often mentioned as one of, if not, the best at his position in the league. There are a few other guys that were good value like John Abraham, Shaun Alexander, Julian Peterson, etc. I'm going to go ahead an say that Courtney Brown was the worst pick. They definately haven't gotten much for the #1 overall pick, and now he's in Denver and is being counted on to contribute. Plenty of guys could be the worst pick including Peter Warrick (definately not worth #4), Ron Dayne, Travis Taylor, R. Jay Soward, Sylvester Morris, and Trung Canidate.

[Ihategeeks]

Detroit STOCKAR MCDOUGLE Offensive line Oklahoma

Bust. Signed for peanuts in Miami this offseason. Fat lazy and stupid.
And those are the good things.

[Lucky]

Like texasguy346 said: Bullock the best, Courtney Brown the worst.

Looking at this list, I'm still not sure who I'd take #1 (well, Brady was a 6th rounder). But I know it wouldn't be Brown. Another pick that became a complete bust is Rashard Anderson. He just couldn't put down the chronic. The Seahawks caught a bad break with the loss of Chris McIntosh to a career ending neck injury. And Erik Flowers had no business in the NFL, much less the 1st round. I would give Flowers the title of "Worst player selected in the 1st round".

[D-ReK]

Originally Posted by Lucky

And Erik Flowers had no business in the NFL, much less the 1st round. I would give Flowers the title of "Worst player selected in the 1st round".

Didn't Flowers play for us back in 2002? If he's the guy I'm thinking of, then you're right, he has no business being in the NFL...

[Ghetto D]

I think Pennington was the best pick. He is the stabilizer for the Jets and has made sure they are in playoff contention each year he plays. They don't alway have the best talent, but between Herman Edwards and Pennington, they always seem to play above themselves.


On the otherside, I'm gonna agree with Brown as the biggest bust. Anytime you're picking number one you need to get at the very least a perennial Pro-Bowl contender. The Browns essentially picked an injury pronned back-up that they had to play due to pressure to cover up their mistake and a lack of overall talent on the line itself.

On the subject, lets think for a second how many of the Browns #1 picks worked out:

1999: Tim Couch (#1) - Ummm...don't call us, we'll call you (oops!)
2000: Courtney Brown (#1) - Signed with Denver for about a buck and a quarter
2001: Gerrard Warren (#3) - I think Denver traded a half-eaten jelly doughnut for him
2002: William Green (#16) - Given permission to seek a trade - too bad no one wanted him
2003: Jeff Faine (#21) - 1 out of 6 aint bad, that's almost a 17% success rate
2004: Kellen Winslow (#6) - You really should wear a helmet when riding a bike
2005: Braylon Edwards (#3) - Hasn't played a down yet, but the tradition has been set and his fate is sealed

The Browns should really congratulate themselves. Drunken monkey could have picked better.

[Big B Texan Fan]

Shaun Alexander

[F-minus67]

Consisdering how good the browns picks were in college, you can't blame them for going after them. I mean, they just had the bad luck to one after another, after another. And from what I have hear and read on various websites, Romeo isn't to high on Faine and I read some where that Faine has trouble keeping weight on.

[stephen1]

Originally Posted by Ihategeeks

Bust. Signed for peanuts in Miami this offseason. Fat lazy and stupid.
And those are the good things.

thats hilarious

[Ghetto D]

Consisdering how good the browns picks were in college, you can't blame them for going after them.

College success is only a small part of scouting.

I mean, they just had the bad luck to one after another, after another.

All teams have bad luck and picks that just don't pan out. Their record is abysmal. Down right Clipperesque.

[Hervoyel]

Ok let's step back a year to 1999. Same questions though, who was the best pick in round one and who was the worst (again relative to where they were taken).


1. Cleveland -- Tim Couch, QB, Kentucky
2. Philadelphia -- Donovan McNabb, QB, Syracuse
3. Cincinnati -- Akili Smith, QB, Oregon
4. Indianapolis -- Edgerrin James, RB, Miami
5. New Orleans -- Ricky Williams, RB, Texas
6. St. Louis -- Torry Holt, WR, NC State
7. Washington -- Champ Baily, CB, Georgia
8. Arizona -- David Boston, WR, Ohio State
9. Detroit -- Chris Claiborne, LB, USC
10. Baltimore -- Chris McAlister, CB, Arizona
11. Minnesota -- Daunte Culpepper, QB, Central Florida
12. Chicago -- Cade McNown, QB, UCLA
13. Pittsburgh -- Troy Edwards, WR, Louisiana Tech
14. Kansas City -- John Tait, OT, Brigham Young
15. Tampa Bay -- Anthony McFarland, DT, LSU
16. Tennessee -- Jevon Kearse, DE/LB, Florida
17. New England -- Damien Woody, C, Boston College
18. Oakland -- Matt Stinchcomb, OT, Georgia
19. New York Giants -- Luke Petitgout, OT, Notre Dame
20. Dallas -- Ebenezer Ekuban, DE, North Carolina
21. Arizona -- L.J. Shelton, OT, Eastern Michigan
22. Seattle -- Lamar King, DE, Saginaw
23. Buffalo -- Antoine Winfield, CB, Ohio State
24. San Francisco -- Reggie McGrew, DT, Florida
25. Green Bay -- Antwan Edwards, DB, Clemson
26. Jacksonville -- Fernado Bryant, CB, Alabama
27. Detroit -- Aaron Gibson, OT, Wisconsin
28. New Enagland -- Andy Katzenmoyer, LB, Ohio State
29. Minnesota -- Dimitrius Underwood, DE, Michigan State
30. Atlanta -- Patrick Kerney, DE, Virginia
31. Denver -- Al Wilson, LB, Tennessee

[texasguy346]

Wow talk about a class filled to the brim with busts. Off hand I'd probably say Akili Smith was the WORST pick of the 99 draft. He was the #3 overall pick, and he still can't crack an NFL roster. Don't get me wrong Tim Couch was in the running, but at least he had a little success in the NFL and his injury gives him a bit of an excuse. Cade McNown definately is a candidate too. As far as the BEST pick of the 99 draft I'd say it's got to be either Atoine Winfield or Al Wilson. I'd guess I'll give the edge to Winfield since he's been one of the most consistent players at his position, and he's just as good in run support.

[STEEL BLUE TEXANS]

Patrick Kerney

[Ihategeeks]

Damn good draft for Cb's

[Ghetto D]

Gotta pile on the Browns and go with Couch as the worst. He wasn't showing too much BEFORE the injury. Maybe if they would have stuck it out with Chris Palmer, he would have been OK, but once they canned Palmer it was all over for Couch.

As for the best...wow...tough pick. There is a TON of solid value picks up and down the board. Culpepper as a franchise QB at 11, picks 15-17, 19, 23, and 31 all yielded great players, but I think I'm leaning toward the pick of Kerney at #30. Good call Steel Blue.

[Ihategeeks]

Oh, and Both Chris Clairbourne and Aaron Gibson were busts.


Chris was a contract player who was fat and lazy.
Aaron Gibson was fat and you can't blame him for not being able to move.


1999 - 2000, great drafts for the Lions. Bobby Ross really did a job of turning this franchise into the gutter.

[Hervoyel]

This must be a real ordeal for you geeks. This isn't exactly a time period where the Lions picked well.

In 1999 though I'm going to go ahead and say that Akili Smith was the biggest mistake in the first round. Even more than Brown in 2000, Akili Smith just leaps off the list as having no business being where he is. The Bengals could have had Culpepper if their hearts were set on a QB. What were they thinking?

Best pick in here is hard to nail too. There are a few that look equally good to me. McNabb gets a nod for simply doing what's expected of a player taken second overall. The Vikings though got Culpepper at the 11 pick and he's been just about as impressive as anyone could ask him to be.

I'm saying Culpepper was the best draft pick from 1999 at number 11. He could have easily been the QB that the Bengals need if they hadn't gone nuts for Smith. That makes me wonder where Carson Palmer would be playing today if Culpepper had gone to the Bengals

[Ghetto D]

The Bengals could have had Culpepper if their hearts were set on a QB. What were they thinking?

In defense of the Bungles, Culpepper was considered a big time development project coming out of CFU, worse than Air McNair was out of Alcorn. I remember how shocked everyone was when Denny Green tabbed him as the starter in his second season. Most people thought it would take the same 3 years it took McNair.

True Smith was also a bit of a project, but coming out of Oregon at least he played against top competition (albeit only one year, I think). I want to say that their other choice they were considering was McNown, since he was the next Aikman.

They were desperate for a QB and had to take SOMEONE. Who knows what would have happened had the Eagles fans got their way and they picked Ricky. Would Mike Brown have screwed up McNabb or would he have carried them like he did the Eagles? Hmmm...