Eagles Draft Busts

The NFL draft is one of the most highly anticipated days of the year for some people. It is the day when teams look to add quality football players to their roster.

I for one am a huge draft fan. I love the excitement around it. The feel of the people in the crowd. The reactions when players are picked. The good picks, the bad picks. I love it all.

One thing I don't like are the "busts". Just what is a bust? No one will say for sure, but my personal definition of a bust is simple. Someone who showed plenty of potential in college, was a high draft pick, and never materialized. Most people think bust and think of Ryan Leaf right away. He was the great college QB who was the second overall pick in the draft in 1998. He never really got off the ground though.

As for the Eagles, we have had our share of draft busts.

Starting way back in 1936. Jay Berwager. He was our first ever draft pick. He never signed a contract and never played a down for the Eagles.

Kevin Allen. The 1985 pick looked good at the time. A monster at OT. But was a terrible pass protector and run blocker. Former Eagles coach Buddy Ryan once described him as a good player to have, "if you want someone to stand around and kill the grass."

In 1993 we actually had two busts. Leonard Renfro and Lester Holmes. Holmes, the OG actually did play in 46 games, but wasn't a very productive player. Renfro was even worse at DT.

1994 was much of the same with Bernard Williams. He played two seasons but never really did anything worth mentioning.

1997 yielded John Harris. The big 300 lb DE was supposed to be a force. Instead he was a farce with only 2 sacks in two seasons.

2001 had the "Mouth". "The Peoples Champ" "Fred -Ex." Yes Freddie Mitchell had some OK catches. 4th and 26 sticks out most. But overall he never lived up to his potential. He was known for his mouth than anything else.

People claim 1995's draft pick, Mike Mamula was a bust. I strongly disagree. He wasn't a bad player. He was a player who shouldn't have been drafted that high in the first place. A great combine showing made his stock rise dramatically. The Eagles traded up to get the DE from Boston College. IMO he should have been playing LB. He was too small to play DE against big 300 lb OT's. He had decent speed for his size. But he only recorded 31.5 sacks in 5 seasons.

So there you have it. Some of the busts the Eagles have had. I'm sure I'm overlooking other ones. Other teams I'm sure have had the same experiences at one time or another. My only hope is the Eagles have more luck in this year and future drafts.