The NFL draft is finally upon us. Beginning on Thursday night, the dreams of 257 total selections—and a handful of undrafted free agents—will come true as they'll embark on their professional football journeys.
In the same breath, 32 NFL teams will be doing their damnedest to bring in the best players they can to try to rejuvenate their rosters with young talent.
Within the top 10 selections specifically is where you can make or break your draft class, as you're using high capital on premium players who—by all accounts—are supposed to be the best prospects to choose from.
Sometimes, it works. Other times, it doesn't. Here's a look at the worst top-10 picks in each of the last 10 years:
2024 – QB J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings (Pick No. 10)
While it's far too early to tell what McCarthy will be like in the NFL, he's the easiest selection from the 2024 class because he's yet to play a single down as a professional after tearing his meniscus in the preseason.
With Sam Darnold now leading the Seattle Seahawks' offense, McCarthy is slated to be the Vikings starter in 2025 and will have a chance to prove why he was selected 10th overall.
2023 – QB Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts (Pick No. 4)
It's been quite the whirlwind of a career for Anthony Richardson since being drafted No. 4 overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 2023. The former Florida Gator started just four games as a rookie due to a shoulder injury and, and after "winning" the starting job again as a sophomore, at one point took himself out of a game last season to catch his breath and was ultimately benched midway through the year for veteran Joe Flacco.
Now, with Daniel Jones also in the QB room to push Richardson for the starting job, the 22-year-old's long-term outlook—at least in Indy—looks bleak.
2022 – OL Evan Neal, New York Giants (No. 7)
A 2020 national champion with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Evan Neal was drafted by the New York Giants with the No. 7 overall pick in '22 and projected out to be a bookend tackle for then-franchise quarterback Daniel Jones.
Instead? The 24-year-old is more well-known for criticizing fans for booing Jones—which he later apologized for—and starting just 27 games in three years due to various injuries.
2021 – QB Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers (Pick No. 3)
In a 2021 draft class filled with busts at the quarterback position (see: Zach Wilson, Mac Jones, Justin Fields), Trey Lance was the worst. After trading three future first round picks and a future third to the Miami Dolphins, the San Francisco 49ers drafted Trey Lance with the No. 3 overall pick in '21.
The former North Dakota State Bison started just four games over two years in The Bay and was traded to the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the 2023 season after it was clear the 49ers were moving forward with Brock Purdy. Lance is now a Los Angeles Charger where he'll help back up Justin Herbert.
2020 – CB C.J. Henderson, Jacksonville Jaguars (Pick No. 9)
Named an All-SEC defender in each of his three years as a member of the Florida Gators, cornerback C.J. Henderson was drafted with the No. 9 pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2020 NFL draft. After playing in just eight games as a rookie in Duval, Henderson was traded to the Carolina Panthers just two weeks into his second season.
Following an offseason stint with the Houston Texans, the 26-year-old spent time on the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad in 2024 before being signed to the active roster in October. Henderson has intercepted just three passes in his NFL career and is currently a free agent.
2019 – DE Clelin Ferrell, Las Vegas Raiders (Pick No. 4)
One of the many shocking picks by the Mayock-Gruden administration during their time with the Raiders was their selection of Clelin Ferrell—who was widely regarded as a late-first, early-second-round pick—at No. 4 overall.
The former Clemson Tigers defensive end spent his first four NFL seasons across Oakland and Vegas before spending the last two seasons with San Francisco and Washington, respectively. Though he's turned out to be a relatively productive player (57 starts, 16 sacks) since being drafted, the fact that he was such a high first-round pick makes him by far the worst top-10 2019 selection.
2018 – QB Josh Rosen, Arizona Cardinals (Pick No. 10)
After being drafted 10th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 2018, quarterback Josh Rosen told reporters that, "there were nine mistakes" made ahead of him and that he'd spend the next decade-plus making sure they know it.
Selected before him were the likes of Saquon Barkley, Quenton Nelson, Denzel Ward, Josh Allen, and Bradley Chubb, among others. Rosen threw 12 touchdowns to 21 interceptions throughout his NFL career and is currently an MBA candidate at The Wharton School in Pennsylvania.
2017 – QB Mitchell Trubisky, Chicago Bears (Pick No. 2)
While quarterback Mitchell Trubisky being selected No. 2 overall in 2017 will haunt Chicago Bears fans forever, it's the fact that he was drafted eight picks ahead of three-time Super Bowl champion and all-time great Patrick Mahomes that's the true salt in the wound.
Despite notching a 29-21 record as a starter in Chicago while throwing for 64 touchdowns to 37 interceptions, Trubisky never rose to the level of franchise quarterback. He's since spent time with Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills.
2016 – CB Eli Apple, New York Giants (Pick No. 10)
Cornerback Eli Apple was drafted 10th overall by the Giants in 2016, but spent just over two seasons in New York before being traded to the New Orleans Saints. Though he's ultimately turned in a decent career, all things considered—with 82 starts, 60 passes defensed, three forced fumbles, and six interceptions, over eight NFL seasons—it's the players selected before him that make him the worst top ten pick in his class.
Those taken ahead of Apple in '16 include Jared Goff, Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Jalen Ramsey, Ronnie Stanley, and DeForest Buckner, among others.
2015 – WR Kevin White, Chicago Bears (Pick No. 7)
After putting up a 1,447-yard, 10 touchdown campaign for the West Virginia Mountaineers in 2014, Kevin White was set to be the next big thing after being drafted No. 7 overall by the Chicago Bears.
Instead? An abundance of injuries, including a stress fracture in his shin, a fractured fibula, and a fractured shoulder blade derailed his career. White caught just 28 passes for 397 yards—while failing to score a touchdown—over his six-year stint in the NFL.
