Top 10 Biggest NFL Draft Busts of the 2020s

The 2026 NFL Draft is almost here, which means we're officially more than halfway through the decade. By now, we can make some assessments on guys who just couldn't make things work out, whether it was injuries, bad character, or just poor performance. These are some of the biggest busts of this decade, from 2020 to 2029.

The Top Ten

Trey Lance

It's a bad omen when I forget this guy exists. The 49ers sent a premium haul to trade up and get him, sending three first-round picks. The problem is Lance was a huge boom-or-bust prospect who played at North Dakota State at the FCS level, so he wasn't playing against great competition.
He was a project quarterback who just had a ton of bad breaks, like hardly getting any playing time. A season-ending ankle injury in Week 2 of 2022 was essentially the beginning of the end for him. The 49ers were incredibly lucky to find Brock Purdy, and by the time the 2023 season rolled around, they had clearly focused on making Purdy the long-term starter.
Lance had played just eight games in two years with San Francisco, only starting four games with a 2-2 record, throwing just under 800 yards and five touchdowns. In 2023, he was traded to Dallas for a fourth-round pick. He was a backup who didn't play at all in 2023, got limited action in 2024 with the Cowboys, and signed in 2025 with the Chargers, where he is currently.
This is the kind of pick that would set a franchise back for years, but the Niners got a generationally lucky break finding Brock Purdy. Had they not had him, this would probably be #1 hands down.
Isaiah Wilson

Isaiah Wilson is a contender for the worst draft pick of all time, which sounds like a bold statement, but I'm not even exaggerating. He tried his hardest to speedrun his way out of the league entirely.
He played four total snaps in his rookie season, and three of those were in victory formation. On his one true meaningful snap, he got steamrolled by the defender. He would be traded for a seventh-round pick to Miami, who cut him in three days due to showing up late to meetings and practice and not seeming committed. He got a third chance with the Giants and was released in January 2022. He has not been on an active roster or practice squad since then. It's embarrassing, but he's had more arrests than games played. This was an example of a guy who just didn't even try. At least some other bad-character guys tried.
Zach Wilson

The Jets took a huge gamble on Zach Wilson, and it backfired horribly. Wilson had one good season, that being the COVID year at BYU, who played absolutely nobody good, and he was hyped up because of one BYU Pro Day showing. In the NFL, he was wildly inconsistent with poor decision-making. He had just a 12-21 record in New York with a barely above 50% pass completion rate and threw more interceptions than touchdowns. It was clear this guy was not anywhere close to being good. There's a reason why the Jets traded for Aaron Rodgers: Zach Wilson sucked. Even Mike White looked better than Wilson did.
He would be traded to Denver for a sixth-round pick in 2024. He's signed with the Dolphins in 2025 and is now on the Saints.
Jeff Okudah

At one point, Okudah was seen as a can't-miss prospect out of Ohio State. He dealt with so many injuries during his first few seasons, including a ruptured Achilles costing him nearly the entire 2021 season. Injuries are one thing, but even when he was healthy, he flat-out sucked in coverage. It was clear he was only rated so high because he played at Ohio State. He only played 25 games in three years in Detroit, never even coming close to matching the value of a top-three draft pick.
He was traded to Atlanta in 2023 for a fifth-round pick. That was the last time he was a full-time starter. He played limited time with Minnesota and Houston, but he continued to struggle with injuries. Nowadays, he's a journeyman depth piece and nothing more.
Henry Ruggs III

Henry Ruggs is the worst example of a flameout I can recall in recent memory. He had tons of potential on paper and had a strong start to his career.
However, he was involved in a serious car accident and charged with felony DUI resulting in death and reckless driving. He was immediately released by the Raiders. It's truly a tragedy. It's a case of an NFL player thinking they're invincible to the law. There's no excuse for that. All you had to do was call an Uber. He's technically eligible for parole in 2026, but his NFL career is definitely over.
Jalen Reagor

Eagles fans have to be kicking themselves over this one. They could have had Justin Jefferson, taken one pick later. Instead, they got Jalen Reagor, who was supposed to be good but never amounted to anything. He couldn't catch the ball consistently and was generally underwhelming. He showed poor route running and a lack of explosiveness at TCU. He also muffed a few punts.
He never had more than 400 yards and never more than two touchdowns in any season. After only two years in Philadelphia, he was traded for a seventh-round pick. He would play for the Vikings and Patriots. He last played for the Chargers in 2024. He's a free agent unlikely to play in the NFL again.
Damon Arnette

The Raiders massively reached on Arnette, who most considered a second- or third-round pick. Yet, the Raiders took a flier on him in the first round, and it was a disaster.
This guy flamed out quickly due to his off-the-field issues, like brandishing firearms and making death threats on social media. That video led to his release from the Raiders. He would be arrested a couple of other times for various incidents. Meanwhile, he bounced around various practice squads for short stints.
He then played in the UFL before trying to come back to the NFL with the Houston Texans in 2025. That did not work out, and he was once again relegated to the practice squad. He played just 15 games over three seasons in the NFL and was completely underwhelming.
Treylon Burks

When the Titans moved on from A.J. Brown, they immediately thought they had found his replacement in Treylon Burks. Unfortunately, Burks never amounted to anything. His career was derailed by injuries, and when he did see the field, he was very inconsistent.
He only played 27 games as a Titan in 3 seasons and started just 17 games in that same time frame. He had less than 800 total yards and 1 touchdown. He was supposed to be their WR1 of the future. Instead, he was off the team in 3 years. He has found a second chance in Washington. Time will tell if he can turn his career around.
C.J. Henderson

On paper, C.J. Henderson had the intangible skills you wanted from a cornerback. He was set to be a Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback and improve the Jaguars' secondary.
Instead, he would flame out quickly in Jacksonville, who moved on from him a year later, sending him to Carolina along with a fifth-round pick in exchange for a backup tight end and a third-round pick. When a team moves on from someone that quickly, it's usually a very bad sign. He's been on five teams in six years. He has never been a full-time starter.
Alex Leatherwood

Alex Leatherwood was considered a massive reach at the time, and it showed immediately. This guy was projected to be a mid-to-late second-round pick, yet the Gruden/Mayock-era Raiders didn't care about what analysts and consensus rankings said.
The issue with him is that he was absolutely atrocious at blocking. He was a turnstile, allowing defenders past him with ease. Things were so bad the Raiders let him go a year later. He was cast to backup and practice squad assignments. His last time on an active roster was 2022, and he has not even been on a practice squad since 2024.