Top 10 Philadelphia Eagles Draft Busts
The Philadelphia Eagles have had their share of failed draft picks throughout the franchise’s history. Some of these are victims of injuries, which are difficult to avoid. Others are victims of off-the-field issues, which have derailed some terrific collegiate prospects. Here are the 10 biggest draft busts in Eagles history.''The Philadelphia Eagles selected him first overall in the first-ever draft, but Berwanger never played a game. In fact, he never tried to play a game. Berwanger and the Eagles couldn’t agree upon a salary, and Berwanger chose to participate in the Olympics instead. He later worked briefly as a sportswriter and then as a manufacturer of plastic car parts.''
''Haddix was an absolutely disastrous first-round selection as a running back. Despite being taken eighth overall, Haddix scored just three touchdowns in 120 career NFL games. He holds the all-time record for the lowest yards per carry average (3.0) among a running back with at least 500 carries. In eight seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers, Haddix never averaged more than 3.5 yards per carry. He went the final six seasons of his career without scoring a rushing touchdown. And the longest carry he ever had went for 21 yards. That’s not production worthy of a top-10 selection.''
Kenny was nothing more than an average number 3 caliber slot guy where even with that he was just okay, but not a 4th overall worthy guy in 1984. Spent 3 years with the team eventually came back, and was even worse.
''Mamula was a productive defensive end at Boston College who saw his stock rise after an extremely productive scouting combine. The NFL’s ultimate workout warrior, Mamula ran a 4.58 40-yard dash, bench-pressed 225 pounds 28 times, had a vertical jump of 38" and even scored a ridiculous 49 out of 50 on the Wonderlic test. Mike never came close to fulfilling his potential. He registered 31.5 sacks in six underwhelming seasons, never hitting double digits in any campaign.''
''Eagles traded up in the 2003 NFL draft to grab Jerome McDougle, a pass-rushing specialist out of the University of Miami. McDougle saw action in just eight games as a rookie as a reserve end, picking up no sacks. Over the next five seasons, he played in just 29 of a possible 80 games. He made no starts, registered a grand total of three sacks and zero forced fumbles and was mercifully released in the 2008 training camp.''
''Keyes played one disappointing season at running back before making an unsuccessful transition to strong safety. His career numbers included a 3.0 yards-per-carry average, three touchdowns and eight interceptions.''
''Davis eighth overall in 1991. Davis was thought to be a prototypical left tackle at the NFL level, although he never came close to reaching elite status. Davis’s rookie season was mired by a lengthy holdout and numerous penalties that even led to his benching. He suffered a knee sprain in Year 2 and a shoulder injury in Year 3. By Year 4, the Eagles slid Davis inside to left guard.''
''Watkins has been benched twice in two seasons. He’s already 28 years old with just 18 career starts to his name. He is a poor pass-blocker and an average run-blocker who commits too many penalties.''
''Harris was one of the more disappointing draft picks of the last 20 years. The defensive end, selected 25th overall in 1997, collected two sacks in two seasons before he was released. Fortunately for Harris, he was only the second-worst defensive end the Eagles picked in the first round that decade.''
