We've spent some time over the past two weeks discussing some of the team's biggest draft busts. Don't worry my friends. We'll start a series on draft successes next week, leading up to the draft weekend. We believe in positive thoughts and our thinking is, with draft success the Bengals will draft a highly successful player. It works like that, right?First, let's recap the draft busts.
Three of the top four busts we selected ended up being quarterbacks, all of whom were designed to become franchise quarterbacks. Obviously, they never did. Three linebackers were also featured, one of whom never signed with the team after being drafted. The other two, David Pollack and Odell Thurman, had careers that never played beyond their rookie seasons for respective reasons.
We also featured three running backs, two of whom dealt with injuries that seriously reduced their overall production and talent and Archie Griffin, who was simply disappointing after a stellar collegiate career. The final player is a wide receiver who was tremendous in college, but didn't come with more production than, say, a wide receiver drafted in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. Though injuries took their tool on Peter Warrick too.
We had honorable mentions, like Kenny Irons, Greg Cook, David Verser and Dan Wilkinson (mostly because he was just a dick). Regardless, he's our list. What does your list look like?
Player | Draft | Overall | Position | |
1 | Akili Smith | 1999 | 3rd | Quarterback |
2 | David Klingler | 1991 | 6th | Quarterback |
3 | Ricky Hunley | 1984 | 7th | Linebacker |
4 | Jack Thompson | 1979 | 3rd | Quarterback |
5 | Odell Thurman | 2005 | 48th | Linebacker |
6 | Chris Perry | 2004 | 26th | Running Back |
7 | Archie Griffin | 1976 | 24th | Running Back |
8 | Ki-Jana Carter | 1995 | 1st | Running Back |
9 | Peter Warrick | 2000 | 4th | Wide Receiver |
10 | David Pollack | 2005 | 17th | Linebacker |