What do the worst No. 1 NFL Draft picks of all time have in common? With the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin starting on April 24, 2025, now is the perfect time to look back. Since 1936, there have been 89 No. 1 NFL draft picks. Last offseason Caleb Williams went No. 1 to the Chicago Bears. The Tennessee Titans have this year’s No. 1 pick, and early rumors are they will use it on UM standout Cam Ward. Let’s look at what the Titans and Ward can hope to avoid.
1. JaMarcus Russell-QB, Raiders
He is by far the biggest bust at No. 1 ever in the NFL Draft. The other draft picks on this list can blame injuries or a poor situation, but Russell can’t. Oakland Raiders Owner Al Davis fell in love with the LSU junior’s arm during the draft process. He was never able to realize that potential. Questions about his work ethic dogged him for most of his career. He was woefully out of shape to start the 2009 NFL season, his last in the league.
2. Ki-Jana Carter -RB, Bengals
He may have had the worst luck on this list after tearing a knee ligament in the first quarter of his first preseason game. Carter never recovered and never played a healthy regular season down in the NFL. After capping off an undefeated season with an all-time Rose Bowl performance, Cincinnati drafted Carter in the 1995 NFL Draft. A powerful, shifty runner who drew comparisons to Bo Jackson and Barry Sanders before injury, the Penn State product played parts of seven seasons in the NFL.
3. Tim Couch-QB, Browns
The first of two straight whiffs at No. 1 in the NFL Draft for the Browns. Couch had an outstanding junior year at Kentucky, leaving early for the 1998 NFL Draft. However, the “Air Raid” offense he ran in college was at least a decade and a half from NFL relevancy in the late ’90s. Couch’s career was inconsistent, injury-plagued, and ended after five seasons. He led Cleveland to a playoff appearance in 2002 before breaking his leg in the last regular season game.
4. Courtney Brown-DE, Browns
The second ’90s Penn State standout on the list, and the second whose career never had a chance due to injuries. After a record-breaking 33 sacks in college, “The Quiet Storm” was selected by Cleveland first overall in 2000. After a promising rookie season, Brown’s second season was cut short due to injury. The 6-foot-5, 285 defensive end only appeared in 26 games over the next four seasons. Second-guessing this pick is easy, but no one was taking Brian Urlacher (9th) or Tom Brady (199th) at first overall that year.
5. David Carr-QB, Texans
The expansion Houston Texans were not an ideal landing spot for a rookie quarterback. Carr was sacked a record-setting 76 times in his rookie year and never recovered. An accomplished college passer at Fresno State, he was drafted first overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. After his stint with the Texans, Carr was able to stick around the league as a backup. He had stints with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers. He eventually won a ring on the bench with the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI.
Final Thoughts
For about a decade, teams struggled at the top of the NFL Draft. Or at least teams in Ohio did. Advances in sports science, training methods, and personal nutrition have helped prospects avoid career-altering injuries. These names are likely to stay on this list for a long time. Bryce Young, the first overall pick in 2023, was a contender until turning it around last season.
