Biggest Arizona Cardinals 1st Round Draft Pick Bust

[NJCardFan]

Who would you all consider our biggest 1st round pick bust? Here are the candidates:

Eric Hill, LB 1989
Tim Rosenbach, QB 1989(supplemental draft)
Tom Knight, DB, 1997
Andre Wadsworth, DE 1998
Thomas Jones, RB 2000
Leonard Davis, T 2001
Wendell Bryant, DT 2002
Bryant Johnson, WR 2003
Calvin Pace, DE 2003
Matt Leinart, QB 2006
Levi Brown, T 2007
Other

As you've probably noticed, there is a considerable gap between 1989 and 1987 but a few years we didn't have a 1st round pick or our pick wasn't that bad(Eric Swann, Simeon Rice, Garrison Hearst/Ernest Dye, Jamir Miller) all of which were good or in Dye's case, was in a career ending car accident. Anyhoo, if any of these belong, by all means vote other but have at it.

 

[Shane]

Calvin PAce wasnt a bust. Per your list IMO Its clearly Wadsworth. With his hype coming out of college? Ferguson crying on draft day? Injury or not clearly the BIGGEST bust and its not even close. MAtt Leinart not so close close 2nd though!

 

[TJ]

Injury or not clearly the BIGGEST bust and its not even close. MAtt Leinart a close 2nd though!

 

[Shane]

Wanted to make BIM crazy!

 

[RON_IN_OC]

How in the world could you include Eric Hill? He played well for 11 years in the NFL, almost all with AZ. Thomas Jones, Calvin Pace, and Leonard Davis can't be considered busts...Jones had a pretty good career, after he left the Cards...same with Pace...he shouldn't have been a 1st round pick, but that's not his fault...did he live up to expectations, no, but he certainly wasn't a bust...As for Davis, he was forced to play out of position with the Cards...he leaves and look what happened...

 

[NJCardFan]

Calvin PAce wasnt a bust. Per your list IMO Its clearly Wadsworth. With his hype coming out of college? Ferguson crying on draft day? Injury or not clearly the BIGGEST bust and its not even close. MAtt Leinart a close 2nd though!

You're not wrong especially considering he held out but his rookie year he looked like the real deal. He had 5 sacks and 45 solo tackles...then he fell off.

 

[TJ]

BTW, it's Wendell Bryant. And he's the biggest bust of them all. Played 39 games in 3 season. 1.5 sacks and 28 total tackles in his ENTIRE career. IMO one of the laziest football players I've ever seen. Completely dominated at the LOS and was in poor physical condition.

Keep in mind we could have had Albert Haynesworth, who was drafted a couple of slots after.

 

[Shane]

BTW, it's Wendell Bryant. And he's the biggest bust of them all. Played 39 games in 3 season. 1.5 sacks and 28 total tackles in his ENTIRE career. IMO one of the laziest football players I've ever seen. Completely dominated at the LOS and was in poor physical condition.

Keep in mind we could have had Albert Haynesworth, who was drafted a couple of slots after.

No f'n way. He was the last of the "dominant" DT's taken that year and he was the least hyped.

 

[NJCardFan]

How in the world could you include Eric Hill? He played well for 11 years in the NFL, almost all with AZ. Thomas Jones, Calvin Pace, and Leonard Davis can't be considered busts...Jones had a pretty good career, after he left the Cards...same with Pace...he shouldn't have been a 1st round pick, but that's not his fault...did he live up to expectations, no, but he certainly wasn't a bust...As for Davis, he was forced to play out of position with the Cards...he leaves and look what happened...

That's the point. Jones had 1 good game here in 3 dancefilled seasons. Pace's career wasn't that memorable and the only thing I remember him doing is having a career game against us while with the Jets. As for Leonard Davis, this guy couldn't block my sister here but went to Dallas, moved to guard, and became a pro bowler. He was a bust with us which is the point.

 

[NJCardFan]

BTW, it's Wendell Bryant. And he's the biggest bust of them all. Played 39 games in 3 season. 1.5 sacks and 28 total tackles in his ENTIRE career. IMO one of the laziest football players I've ever seen. Completely dominated at the LOS and was in poor physical condition.

Keep in mind we could have had Albert Haynesworth, who was drafted a couple of slots after.

Didn't realize the typo. We could spend hours on who we should have taken instead of the stiffs we did take *cough, cough* Adrian Peterson & Brian Urlacher *cough, cough*.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

I have to go with Tom Knight. Horrible top 10 pick. Horrible.

I love how Assface responded to this listing of Knight as a top NFL bust.

Knight just might be one of the most forgettable top-10 picks in NFL history. Knight spent five seasons in Arizona, intercepted three passes, and can anybody remember a single significant play he made?

Yes. There was that play where he was running and then grabbed his hammy. Then there was the time he grabbed his knee. Oh, who could forget the great play where he fell down and grabbed his ankle. Tom Knight had many memorable plays.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Wendell Bryant without a doubt. The other players all at least stuck around and played for other teams and multiple seasons in the NFL. I don't count injuries as making a player a bust.

 

[Cardinals.Ken]

Calvin PAce wasnt a bust. Per your list IMO Its clearly Wadsworth. With his hype coming out of college? Ferguson crying on draft day? Injury or not clearly the BIGGEST bust and its not even close. MAtt Leinart not so close close 2nd though!

You're wrong...just plain wrong.

Wendell Bryant was the Cardinals biggest 1st round bust since coming to Arizona.

 

[Shane]

You're wrong...just plain wrong.

Wendell Bryant was the Cardinals biggest 1st round bust since coming to Arizona.

Nope.

 

[Phrazbit]

Wadsworth. The way he was hyped you'd think we were getting Reggie White combined with Zues.

 

[NJCardFan]

Tell you why I went with Hollywood Matty. He shows some flash his rookie season but gets hurt his sophomore season(not to mention that Warner was out playing him anyway) but instead of focusing on getting better and working toward the next season, he's busy still going to frat parties and making appearances in House Bunny. Also, surprised no one has mentioned Timm Rosenbach. Especially considering taking him in the supplemental draft in '89 cost us a 1st rounder in 1990 which would have been a top 10 pick. Considering that Emmett Smith was taken 17th, I shudder at the prospects of being able to draft him.

 

[Buckybird]

Nope.

Yep

 

[Buckybird]

BTW, it's Wendell Bryant. And he's the biggest bust of them all. Played 39 games in 3 season. 1.5 sacks and 28 total tackles in his ENTIRE career. IMO one of the laziest football players I've ever seen. Completely dominated at the LOS and was in poor physical condition.

Keep in mind we could have had Albert Haynesworth, who was drafted a couple of slots after.

Yep.

I remember him saying he loved Bill Bidwill, then promptly smoked more weed than during his time in AZ than he played.

 

[Shane]

Yep

Nope. Wendell Bryant wasn't even hyped as compared to the other DTs that went that year. He was easily considered the worst of the bunch. The Cards reached. Matt freaking Leinart was considered the most NFL ready QB of the last decade and fell flat on his face. Was a complete waste at the most important position on the entire field. I'll give you Wadsworth if you don't think injuries should count. But no way Bryant tops either.

 

[Buckybird]

Nope. Wendell Bryant wasn't even hyped as compared to the other DTs that went that year. He was easily considered the worst of the bunch. The Cards reached. Matt freaking Leinart was considered the most NFL ready QB of the last decade and fell flat on his face. Was a complete waste at the most important position on the entire field. I'll give you Wadsworth if you don't think injuries should count. But no way Bryant tops either.

What did we say?

 

[RugbyMuffin]

That poll question was tough.....too tough.

 

[azmike74]

That poll question was tough.....too tough.

I'm with Rugby. I can't figure out how some of you guys narrowed the list down so quickly. I'm still debating in my head between a few guys.

I'm leaning with Wendall Bryant but Tommy Knight is making a good case.

I sure wish I could vote for Skillethands, if only for the hope that someone could find the awesome photoshop picture of him in all his glory, eyes closed waiting for the ball in the end zone, just before it bounced off his chest and onto the ground.

 

[Jetstream Green]

I would not put Eric Hill on that list, and W. Bryant is the hands down winner from that list. And Phrazbit, Wadsworth was not Eric Swann (which is what I feel Reggie White and Zeus would be lol) but he got a hard luck injury (and I would not hold that against him).

 

[Phrazbit]

I would not put Eric Hill on that list, and W. Bryant is the hands down winner from that list. And Phrazbit, Wadsworth was not Eric Swann (which is what I feel Reggie White and Zeus would be lol) but he got a hard luck injury (and I would not hold that against him).

If we are not counting injury then obviously Wadsworth is out, but I think that has to be a factor. If his injuries never happen then Leinart is probably a middling QB right now dinking and dunking his way to 8-8 seasons.

Look at a dude like Greg Oden in the NBA. An all-time bust of a pick because his body cant take it. Personally, I gotta take that into account, so I put Wadsworth as top billing.

 

[Snakester]

I have to go with Wendall Bryant, then Tim Rosenbach, Tom Knight and Andre Wadsworth.