Bust. The word gets thrown around a lot come draft time. Memories of Ryan Leaf and Tony Mandarich come back and haunt the dream of NFL General Managers. Every team hopes to avoid drafting a “bust,” like a bingo player waiting for there last space to be filled, but if we have learned anything from the NFL Draft it’s that busts are unavoidable and plentiful.
While after the draft, reviews are mostly positive and every team is feeling good about its draft class, but those thoughts will soon be a distant memory. Just ask any Raiders fan about JaMarcus Russell.
Players can “bust” for a multitude of reasons. Some can never get over the injury bug (Charles Rodgers). Others underachieve and never live up to their potential (Vernon Gholston). And then there are those whose off the field issues get the best of them (Pacman Jones).
With that said here are a few players from the 2010 NFL Draft that I think will end up being busts in the NFL.
Terrence Cody, DT, Baltimore Ravens
Cody is a mountain of a man who can clog the the middle of the line. However, he has serious weight issues that might affect his play. He showed up at the Senior Bowl weighing a massive 370 lbs. He knew he was going to have to weigh in there and to show up that out of shape sends a poor message to teams about his self discipline. Cody’s ceiling is already as a two down lineman, but if he is tipping the scales at 370 lbs that is seriously going to affect his stamina and long term productivity.
Anthony Davis, OT, San Francisco 49ers
Davis has all the talent to be an elite tackle in the NFL, but had big problems with consistency. One moment he flashed dominant abilities and then the next he looked like lazy and sluggish. There were also problems about his weight and reports says he lacks the “killer instinct” that is needed to succeed at the next level. I worry that once he gets that big payday he will relax and not work to improve his game and maximize e his potential a la JaMarcus Russell.
Carlos Dunlap, DE, Cincinnati Bengals
Dunlap was once considered a first round pick and he still does possess that talent. However, there was far too much tape of him where he simply disappeared from games. You barely noticed he was on the field at times. You can’t be lazy if you want to succeed in the NFL and Dunlap will have to work to overcome that. He also got a DUI last season and was suspended for the SEC Championship Game, raising concerns about his character.
Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, New York Giants
He has a great size and speed combination that would seem to make him an ideal pass rusher, but he is unlikely to ever be one at the NFL level. He only played one year at the Division I level after transferring from junior college and he wasn’t even that productive in college producing only 6.5 sacks. If you can’t dominate at the collegiate level, it’s hard to see him dominating at the NFL level. He was also lining up across George Selvie, who was the 207 Big East player of the year and drawing most of the attention from opposing offenses. He put up great numbers at the combine and comes off as more of a “workout warrior.” He reminds me more of Vernon Gholston than Jevon Kearse.
