Every year there are players taken in the first few rounds and even the first round and the top ten that don’t live up to expectations and end up being busts. The 2014 NFL Draft will be the same and some team will get burned early. There are a lot of big named players and especially quarterbacks that are looked at as franchise players at their position that will enter this draft and even a few of them will end up being busts. Let us take a look at the prospects that may enter the 2014 NFL Draft that have the biggest bust potential.
10. Louis Nix III, Defensive Tackle, Notre Dame
Louis Nix III is a player that has shown the ability to completely take over a game. He is big, strong, and quick and can take on blockers and still make a play. That being said, at times Nix will completely disappear from a game. Nix has all the talent to be a Pro-Bowl defensive tackle and be a stud inside. However, taking a player that can be completely taken out of a game at times is a scary proposition, especially in the first round and even more so in the top 10 where some have him going.
9. Marqise Lee, Wide Receiver, USC
Marqise Lee has a lot of talent on the football field and has big play written all over him. However, the problem with Lee is that he can be pushed around and he has legitimate injury concerns. Lee makes the majority of his plays with the ball in his hands. He is quick and explosive and can make people miss, but cornerbacks in the NFL can jam him on the line, knock him off his route and mess up his timing.
On top of that, Lee has been nicked up over and over. He just had a knee injury a few weeks ago, causing him to miss some time. If Lee gets knocked around and can’t stay healthy he won’t make much of an impact in the NFL.
8. Vic Beasley, Defensive End/Outside Linebacker, Clemson
Beasley is a guy who has been shooting up draft boards this season and has been showing a ton of pass rush ability. That being said, Beasley has put up a lot of stats against some teams that don’t feature NFL quality left tackles. A couple of weeks ago when he played the only NFL caliber lineman he has seen all season, he was shut down by him. Beasley doesn’t have a lot of size to him and will have to move to outside linebacker in the NFL. Add learning a new position to putting up stats against lower competition and you have the recipe for a bust.
7. Taylor Lewan, Offensive Tackle, Michigan
Lewan is thought of by some as the top tackle in this draft. However, I’m not 100% sold that Lewan should be taken in the top portion of the first round and I’m not sure he can be a left tackle in the NFL. Lewan has played well in the run game this year but he hasn’t pass blocked very well at all. He struggled often against a tough Notre Dame defensive line and hasn’t been able to protect the quarterback all season. Lewan won’t be a guy who will be out of the league early in the career, but if you are expecting a franchise left tackle, Lewan could leave you severely disappointed.
6. Bradley Roby, Cornerback, Ohio State
Had Bradley Roby came out last year, he would have been the first cornerback off the boards, but he didn’t and he has fallen down the draft hard this year. Bradley Roby can still be an elite corner at times, but other times he just gets beaten. Roby has played poorly a lot of this year, but the raw talent and ability is still there and will warrant a first-round pick from someone. Roby has the talent to be a No. 1 cornerback, but if you are drafting him early and expecting him to come in and be your No. 1 you might be left saddened. Roby has a high bust potential.
5. Marcus Mariota, Quarterback, Oregon
Mariota is being talked about as a potential top five pick and some people have him as the No. 1 player in the draft. Mariota is good, he has the arm talent and the leg talent to be a great quarterback in the NFL. That being said, Mariota has a couple of things that could cause him some problems in the NFL.
One thing is the system that he plays in. Mariota doesn’t make reads before the snap because his coach calls them in to him. Another is his skinny build. Mariota is 6’4”, but he only weighs in around 200 pounds. Some worry that Mariota might not be able to take the beating he will get in the NFL.
4. Tajh Boyd, Quarterback, Clemson
Before the season started and during the first part of the season many people were talking about Boyd as a top 10 pick. Boyd struggled mightily against the Florida State Seminoles and some of his flaws were highlighted in prime time. Boyd has great running ability and a big arm, but his footwork needs work and it causes him to be inaccurate at times. Boyd is short, but well-built and can take the weekly beating of the NFL. However, if Boyd is to be a franchise quarterback he has to get his footwork under control. If he doesn’t Boyd will never be accurate enough to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL.
3. Brett Hundley, Quarterback, UCLA
Brett Hundley has all of the talent in the world and has as high a potential as most quarterbacks in college and will probably be picked in the top 10 because of it. That said, in UCLA’s two biggest games of the season Hundley struggled mightily. Against both Stanford and Oregon Hundley 256 yards passing with two touchdowns and four interceptions. Hundley still has a lot to work on before he is ready for the NFL and if a team takes him early and expects him to start as a rookie they may be in for disappointment. Hundley needs another year to learn the nuances of the quarterback position and improving his accuracy and decision making or he won’t make it in the NFL.
2. A.J. McCarron
McCarron is one of the most overrated quarterbacks in college football. No other quarterback has the team around him that McCarron does and he doesn’t have to do much. Many people are talking about McCarron being a first round pick and if someone takes him there, they made a bad decision. McCarron doesn’t have the arm talent to be an NFL quarterback. If you take him in the third of fourth round and want him as a developmental guy and a spot starter then it’s understandable. If you take him in the first round and expect him to be a franchise quarterback, well I feel sorry for you.
1. Johnny “Football” Manziel
Is there anyone in the country more controversial than Johnny Manziel? Some people think he should be a top 10 pick and some people say they wouldn’t take him until the third round. I can’t think of another player besides Tim Tebow that has been this controversial on where he should be drafted. Manziel is an explosive player who has stepped up in the biggest games against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Manziel won the Heisman trophy last year as a rookie and took the college football world by storm. Many will say he is too small to take the beating of the NFL and that he doesn’t have the arm to make all the throws. I don’t agree with them, but if he can’t hold up then he won’t make it long in the NFL.