You know why the NFL draft is so popular? Because it's the NFL's season for optimism. Everyone can feel good, because hey, you're about to get a future Pro Bowler, right? At the very least, a starter? Because that's what good teams do. They draft well.
Bad news, though: Your team can screw this up dreadfully, and they've done it before. There's no team out there that hasn't botched a first-round draft pick. In fact, some teams make a habit of it. There's no team that's immune from it this year, either.
So, on the eve of the draft, here's a reminder for all 32 teams of just how poorly things can go. From laughable arrogance to the truly tragic, here's a cautionary tale for all 32 teams on how injury, poor performance or legal entanglements can submarine a career.
AFC East:
New York Jets: Vernon Gholston, 6th overall, 2008 . Vernon Gholston played three years for the Jets and gave them exactly as many sacks as Verne Troyer. When you spend the sixth overall pick on a sack specialist, you're probably expecting, I don't know, at least one sack every three years.
Honorable Mentions: Blair Thomas, Roger Vick, Johnny Mitchell
New England Patriots: Tony Eason, 15th overall, 1983 . Not that Eason was a terrible player, but the Patriots took him one spot after the Bills took Jim Kelly and 12 spots before the Dolphins took Dan Marino. They eventually got Tom Brady in the sixth round, though, so don't shed too many tears for the Pats.
Honorable Mentions: Kenneth Sims, Chris Singleton, Andy Katzenmoyer
Miami Dolphins: Eric Kumerow, 16th overall, 1988 . Had the Dolphins not taken Eric Kumerow in 1988, Dan Marino's Dolphins teams might not have always had been so defensively deficient. This, really, was compounding an error, since they did it the year after they took John Bosa, a defensive bust of equal caliber. Kumerow played three years for the Dolphins and totaled five sacks. You really suck, Vernon Gholston.
Honorable Mentions: John Bosa, Jamar Fletcher, Yatil Green
Buffalo Bills: Tim Cousineau, 1st overall, 1979 . Tom Cousineau had a really enjoyable career, if you happen to love the Montreal Alouettes. He never played a snap for the Bills. After being drafted, he took the more lucrative offer from the CFL team. The good news is that he eventually came back, and the Bills traded his rights to Cleveland for a draft pick that turned into Jim Kelly. If that's too happy an ending for you, see the Bills formidable list of honorable mentions below.
Honorable Mentions: Mike Williams, John McCargo, J.P. Losman, Aaron Maybin
