Not all draft busts are created equal, as some experienced success for a short period before failing to live up to expectations later in their career, while others fall flat right out of the gate. However, even those in the latter category are capable of inspiring performances that came out of nowhere.
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While these players might not have amounted to much during their careers, they still turned back the clock and caught fire for one game. However, no player could build on the performance, as they reverted to their old ways following the uncharacteristic showing.
10 JaMarcus Russell
The Raiders had high hopes for JaMarcus Russell when they selected the big-armed LSU quarterback with the top selection of the 2007 NFL Draft. Nevertheless, it did not take him long to dash those expectations, as he stumbled out of the gates and lacked the work ethic to get back up after the struggles knocked him down a peg. The signal-caller only played three years and is one of the biggest disappointments in league history.
His sophomore season was especially sporadic, as he combined games where he could be mistaken for a serviceable (albeit uninspiring) NFL quarterback with ones where he looked like a replacement-level starter at the high school level. His most impressive performance came during a Week 12 matchup against the Broncos when he completed ten of eleven attempts for 152 yards and a touchdown in the Raiders' 31-10 road win.
9 Shea McClellin
Many were shocked when the Bears selected Boise State pass-rusher Shea McClellin (a late-riser throughout the pre-draft process) with the 19th pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, as he a raw tweener prospect who was not an ideal fit for their 4-3 scheme. Nevertheless, Chicago fell in love with his athleticism and versatility and thought he could thrive on the other side of Julius Peppers.
Those who questioned the selection were proven right, as McClellin's lack of play strength saw him get pushed around by bigger linemen, and he only recorded 8.5 career sacks. Shockingly, three of those sacks came in a matchup between the Bears and Packers in Week 9 of the 2013 season. His performance helped Chicago upset their rival 27-20, and he was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts. The Bears probably still regret taking him over Chandler Jones, who was selected two picks later, as all he has done is record 107.5 sacks and get named to the 2010's All-Decade team.
8 Ron Dayne
Ron Dayne was one of the most prolific running backs in college football history, and he holds the NCAA record with 7125 career rushing yards. Nevertheless, the University of Wisconsin product had a frame that would make Eddie Lacy blush, as he was pushing 250 pounds at only 5'10", and his weight became a recurring issue once he mae it to the pros.
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Luckily for Dayne, he entered the league when grabbing a running back with a premium selection was still trendy. The Giants ignored the fact he already had a lot of tread on his tires (he had over 1200 carriers in college) and selected the workhorse with the 11th pick of the 2000 NFL Draft. He failed to make an impact in four seasons in New York and had his most successful stretch after joining the Texans late in his career. The best game of his career came in Week 16 of the 2006 season, when his 153-yard, two-touchdown performance helped the team score an upset 27-24 victory over the playoff-bound Colts.
7 David Wilson
It might not be fair to call David Wilson a bad football player, as he was an immensely talented running back who had to retire after only two seasons due to an injury that was out of his control. Nevertheless, the Giants hoped the Virginia Tech star would provide some much-needed juice to their dormant running game when they selected him with the 32nd pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, and it is safe to say he failed to deliver.
However, he looked like the playmaker New York thought they were getting after recording 327 all-purpose yards (a franchise record) and three touchdowns (two on the ground and one on a 97-yard kickoff return) during their 52-27 win over the Saints in Week 14 of the 2012 season. That was the only time he reached the 100-yard mark on the ground in his career, and he became the first player to have 100 yards on the ground and 200 yards in the return game in a single contest.
6 Mike Williams
The Lions got ridiculed when they selected USC pass-catcher Mike Williams with the 10th pick of the 2005 draft, as the selection marked the third-straight year that the team picked a wide receiver in the top 10. Unsurprisingly, the quantity over quality approach failed to pay dividends, and Williams was the most egregious example of that, as he only lasted two seasons in the Motor City before they packaged him and journeyman quarterback Josh McCown to the Raiders for a fourth-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft.
The pass-catcher only played six games in Oakland before getting released and was out of football for two years until he reunited with his college head coach Pete Carroll in Seattle. He had a surprise breakout in his return season with the Seahawks, and his 751 receiving yards were just under half of his career yardage total. The towering receiver peaked during a Week 10 matchup with the Cardinals when he caught 11 of 17 targets for 145 yards and helped Seattle come away with a 36-18 victory.
5 Ryan Leaf
Ryan Leaf might not have accomplished much during his career, but his infamous unassuming mugshot has become synonymous with the term 'NFL draft bust,' and that's... something? While it is easy to blame the Chargers for their terrible decision to pick him with the second pick of the 1998 NFL Draft, it is not hard to see their mindset, as many even had him graded higher than Peyton Manning, who was the top pick.
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Despite beginning his career with back-to-back victories, Leaf failed to show any promise in his rookie season (or at any point after that) and had an awful 2:15 touchdown-to-interception ratio. However, he looked somewhat like a capable quarterback during a Week 12 matchup with the Broncos the following season, as he completed 13 of 27 attempts for 311 yards and three touchdowns with only one interception. Naturally, his performance was not enough to win the game, as they lost 38-37. Ryan seems to have turned a new leaf (I'll see myself out), as he began working for ESPN as a football analyst in 2019 and is much better in his new position.
4 Jonas Gray
The Patriots have a knack for keeping opposing defenses (and fantasy football players) on their toes with their backfield rotation, but there is no way to comprehend the sheer insanity of Jonas Gray's random breakout game against the Colts in Week 11 of the 2014 season. He carried the load and churned out tough yardage with every touch, and New England showed no interest in going away from him, as he finished the contest (which the Patriots won 42-20) with a whopping 37 carries for 201 yards and four touchdowns.
The Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl that season, but Gray had little to do with their victory, as the only playoff game he was even active for was against the Colts (it isn't difficult to see New England's mindset there). The Notre Dame product might not have accomplished much during his career, but he can still find solace in the fact that his nightmare-inducing performance still causes Colts fans grief to this day.
3 Brady Quinn
Speaking of Notre Dame alum, Brady Quinn is one handsome guy. However, his boyish good looks were not enough to compensate for his lack of athleticism, poise, arm talent, accuracy, and practically everything else that goes into a successful NFL quarterback. The Browns were not privy to this information, and they thought they landed a franchise passer at a fraction of the price after selecting him with the 22nd pick in the 2007 NFL Draft (they should probably avoid taking quarterbacks at that slot in the future).
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Quinn failed to lock down the starting job for an extended period and never lived up to the expectations. However, he was capable of having sporadic performances where he could be mistaken for a competent passer. His best game came during a matchup with the Lions in Week 11 of the NFL season, when he completed 21 of 33 attempts for 304 yards and four touchdowns in an exciting 38-37 shootout (which Cleveland obviously lost).
2 Dee Milliner
Dee Milliner is the perfect example of how unpredictable the draft is. The defensive back was considered one of the safest prospects in the 2013 NFL Draft after winning two National Championships on an Alabama team that featured a slew of NFL talent. The Jets (who had just traded away Darelle Revis) bought into this notion and selected the cover man with the ninth pick.
It turns out practicing against Amari Cooper every day in college did not sharpen his skills as much as New York would have hoped, as he struggled to adapt to the speed of the NFL and regularly hemorrhaged yards to wide receivers. However, he ended his rookie season on a high note, as he recorded his first interception in Week 16 and followed up the performance with an even more impressive one the following week when he picked off two more passes in a 20-7 victory against the Dolphins.
1 Matt Flynn
If there were a trophy to commemorate the best passing performance from a player no one (outside of the land of cheese) ever heard of, it would belong to Matt Flynn for his game against the Lions in the final week of the 2011 season. The inexperienced signal-caller filled in for Aaron Rodgers, who the team was resting for the playoffs as they already had the NFC's top seed locked up with a 14-1 record, and he vastly outperformed expectations in doing so.
Flynn led Green Bay to an exciting 45-41 victory and set franchise records with 480 passing yards and six touchdowns. The performance was enough to trick the Seahawks into signing him to a three-year, $20.5 million contract the following offseason. He promptly lost the quarterback battle against a rookie Russell Wilson and only played one year in Seattle before getting traded to Oakland.
