Yet that’s hardly the case. Every year nearly half the players selected in the first round turn out to be below average -- and some turn out to be disastrous. Here are our picks for the 10 worst selections of the last 15 years.
Click here for our picks as the best draft selections.";
spt_NFL_Draft_busts[i++] = new Array("","1. Ryan Leaf","","","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "", "", "256", "198", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NFL_Draft_busts[i-1].body = "
Position: Quarterback
Year drafted, round: 1998, 2nd pick
Team: San Diego Chargers
College: Washington State
The reasons: The classic choice for this spot. When Leaf came out of Washington State, it was basically a toss-up between Leaf and Peyton Manning for the No. 1 pick that season. As the ’98 draft day approached, Leaf was picking up steam and many teams would have selected him over Manning. When the Colts took Manning with the No. 1 pick, Chargers’ GM Bobby Beathard took Leaf. Ouch, babe. Leaf was a spoiled and willful child off the field, often embarrassing his employers with his fits. On the field, he lacked accuracy, completing just 48.6 percent of his passes and had an unconscionable 14-36 touchdown-to-interception ratio.";
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Position: Defensive tackle
Year drafted, pick: 1992, 1st overall
Team: Indianapolis Colts
College: Washington
The reasons: The Colts had the daily double 15 years ago with the draft’s first two picks. They wanted to build up their defense and made Emtman, the Outland and Lombardi trophy winner, their first choice. Most scouts thought he would quickly become the league’s dominant interior defensive lineman. While strong and powerful, Emtman wasn't athletic or quick and struggled with injuries throughout his career that came to an end after the 1997 season.";
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spt_NFL_Draft_busts[i-1].body = "
Position: Linebacker
Year drafted, pick: 1992, 2nd overall
Team: Indianapolis Colts
College: Texas A&M
The reasons: Coryatt was not a terrible player, but many expected him to play at a consistent Pro Bowl level when he finished his college career. Coryatt was known as one of the college game’s hardest hitters and had swagger and explosiveness. But he became a moderately effective NFL player, but nothing close to a star. Coryatt had just 8.5 sacks during his seven-year career.
";
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spt_NFL_Draft_busts[i-1].body = "
Position: Quarterback
Year drafted, pick: 1993, 2nd overall
Team: Seattle Seahawks
College: Notre Dame
The reasons: Much like the Peyton Manning-Ryan Leaf debate in 1998, Mirer was involved in a duel for the No. 1 pick with Drew Bledsoe. Bledsoe was solid for the Patriots, Bills and Cowboys before announcing his retirement April 12. Mirer had more athletic ability than the slow-footed Bledsoe and won the 1993 AFC offensive rookie of the year award. However, it was all downhill after that and by the time the Seahawks unloaded Mirer on the Bears (along with a fourth-round selection) for a first-round draft pick in 1997, he was a shell-shocked bust. Mirer bounced around to five more teams before calling it a career in 2004.";
spt_NFL_Draft_busts[i++] = new Array("","5. Heath Shuler","","","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NFL_Draft_busts[i-1].body = "
Position: Quarterback
Year drafted, pick: 1009, 3rd overall
Team: Washington Redskins
College: Tennessee
The reasons: The man who preceded Peyton Manning at quarterback with the Volunteers was supposed to be nearly that good when the Redskins grabbed him. Shuler held out in 1994 before signing a 7-year, $19.25 million contract. His prolonged absence hurt him during his rookie year and he never came close to looking like he belonged in the NFL, let alone worthy of the third pick in the draft. Despite Shuler’s failure with the Redskins, he’s back in Washington in his post-football career. Shuler (D-North Carolina) was elected to the House of Representatives from North Carolina’s 11th district in 2006. ";
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spt_NFL_Draft_busts[i-1].body = "
Position: Running back
Year drafted, pick: 1995, 1st overall
Team: Cincinnati Bengals
College: Penn State
The reasons: Oh, those Penn State running backs. While Curt Warner was a great runner for the Seahawks after coming out of Happy Valley, Carter was more like Blair Thomas who was a disastrous pick for the Jets in 1990 (2nd overall). Carter tore his anterior cruciate ligament on the first carry of his first preseason game. He ran for 1,127 yards in a six-year NFL career and never had more than 464 yards in a single season.
";
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Position: Running back
Year drafted, pick: 1996, 6th overall
Team: St. Louis Rams
College: Nebraska
The reasons: Phillips makes this list on two fronts. When he came out of Nebraska, the book on Phillips was that he was be an explosive runner who could carry a team on its shoulders. He also had a slew of off-the-field problems with the law that made him a major gamble. The Rams decided to throw the dice on Phillips and they came up snake eyes. He ran for 632 yards in 1996, but he was cut the following year.
";
spt_NFL_Draft_busts[i++] = new Array("","8. Curtis Enis","","","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NFL_Draft_busts[i-1].body = "
Position: Running back
Year drafted, pick: 1998, 5th overall
Team: Chicago Bears
College: Penn State
The reasons: Enis had a brilliant career playing for Joe Paterno at Penn State and the Bears were hoping that Enis would give them a solid running game. Instead of asserting himself in the NFL, Enis moped around and acted like a homesick baby after being drafted. He ran for 1,497 yards in three years before the Bears sent him packing. He never hooked on with another NFL team.
";
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Position: Receiver
Year drafted, pick: 2003, 2nd overall
Team: Detroit Lions
College: Michigan State
The reasons: A brilliant college receiver, Rogers was a can’t-miss. But it was not about to happen. Rogers simply was not durable as he suffered collarbone injuries in his first two seasons. After that, Rogers seemed to be a shell of the player who wowed scouts while playing for the Spartans. Rogers meager career totals were 36 catches for 440 yards and 4 TDs before the Lions released him.
";
spt_NFL_Draft_busts[i++] = new Array("","10. Joey Harrington","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/051129/051129_harrington_vlrg.vmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "left", "Paul Sancya", "AP", "264", "198", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
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Position: Quarterback
Year drafted, pick: 2002, 2nd overall
Team: Detroit Lions
College: Oregon
The reasons: This spot could have gone to another former Oregon Duck quarterback in Akili Smith. However, Harrington had far more experience when the Lions drafted him -- Smith only started for one year in college when he was selected by the Bengals -- and he was an abject failure. Harrington gained more of a reputation for being a wine aficionado and piano player than he did for his quarterback play. He is trying to resurrect his career as a backup to Michael Vick in Atlanta.
";
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// END editorial data