The NFL draft is inching closer and closer and with it comes hype, uncertainty, and agonizing memories of what could have been. The draft is a way for teams to rebuild, retool, or rethink their current roster. Months and months of scouting hours, player interviews and film study in an attempt to select the next franchise player. With all the time and energy spent through the process, no draft pick is guaranteed. No matter how certain a team can be, the always feared "bust" label is never known until years later. Here are the 10 biggest draft busts in recent Eagles history.
# 10 - WR Reggie Brown | 2005 2nd Round Pick
Reggie Brown was selected with the 35th pick in the 2nd round of the 2005 NFL draft. Brown never panned out to be a top receiver for the team, and never made it to his second contract. While Brown did have a decent 2006 season, he was never able to live up to the hype. After the 2006 season, his career numbers took a nose dive.
# 9 - QB Kevin Kolb | 2007 2nd Round Pick
At the time, this pick showed that the Eagles were looking for an heir to the QB throne once McNabb's time was up. Kolb was a gunslinger from Houston that Andy Reid loved, enough to draft him in the top 5 picks of the second round. Kolb was officially named the Eagles starting QB after the Eagles dealt McNabb to Washington during the 2010 offseason. Injuries to Kolb, starting in the first game of the season, paved the way for Mike Vick to come in and eventually lead the team to the playoffs. That offseason Vick got the massive QB contract with the Eagles and that was all she wrote for Kolb's time in Philadelphia. The Eagles were actually able to get quite a haul from the Cardinals for Kolb, trading him for Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2nd round pick. At least Kolb wasn't the WORST QB taken in the 2007 NFL Draft (JaMarcus Russell).
#8 - DT Trevor Laws | 2008 2nd Round Pick
If you can remember Trevor Laws, you also remember that the Eagles used their first of two 2nd round picks on Laws. Guess who was their second pick in that years round? Desean Jackson. With one team picking between the Eagles, who drafted at 47th and 49 that year, the Eagles valued Laws over Desean Jackson. Enough about that, back to how Laws was a bust. With five sacks in four seasons with the team, Laws only made two starts for the Eagles. Luckily the team that drafted in-between the Eagles had already drafted their WR earlier in the 2nd round in Devin Thomas. Thanks again, Washington!
#7 - DE Marcus Smith | 2014 1st Round Pick
A name associated with another name that most of us Eagles fans wish to erase from recent memory. "Who is that?!" was the immediate reaction from most fans of the NFL in general when this pick was announced in 2014. The team just traded back to stock pile picks for future seasons. In an attempt to try to prove that he was smarter than everyone else, Chip decided to draft the ACC sack leader from Louisville in Smith. We all know how this one turned out.
# 6 - DE Jerome McDougle | 2003 1st Round Pick
McDougle has as many sacks as he did seasons he played in midnight green. Three. McDougle was supposed to be the next great defensive end for the team, but injuries and an incident outside of his control, derailed that. McDougle is known as a big time bust in Philadelphia, because if he would have panned out, the Eagles may have won the 2004 Superbowl.
# 5 - WR Freddie Mitchell | 2001 1st Round Pick
While Fred-Ex did deliver on 4th and 26, there wasn't much else valuable from the first round draft choice. Mitchell played four seasons with the team and never passed 500 yards in a season. He finished his Eagles career with only 5 TDs. While he may have been a bust, he will always be a Philadelphia legend for what he did on 4th and 26.
#4 - OL Danny Watkins | 2011 1st Round Pick
Danny Watkins was drafted at the ripe age of 26. While 26 is extremely young by most standards, that should be right about when an NFL player is getting to their peak NFL playing level. Watkins was drafted well before he should have been, in a year when the Eagles brought in the "Dream Team". The story of Danny Watkins and the rest of that Eagles teams went from dreams to nightmares quickly, as Watkins retired early to pursue his true dream of becoming a firefighter.
#3 - DT Leonard Renfro | 1993 1st Round Pick
Renfrow was labeled a bust because he didn't even last 3 seasons in the NFL. In addition, Renfrow never collected a sack, forced fumble, or fumble recovery with the team over two seasons. Richie Kotite was not very good at drafting.
#2 - OT Bernard Williams | 1994 1st Round Pick
Bernard Williams started all 16 games for the Eagles in his rookie season. Williams also failed 15 drug tests and was banned from the NFL before his sophomore season. This was another Richie Kotite pick.
#1 - DE Mike Mamula | 1995 1st Round Pick
Mike "Workout Warrior" Mamula had a nice little career with the Eagles, but never lived up to the draft hype. Mamula blew the doors off of the combine tempting the Eagles to trade up to the 7th pick to draft him. While Mamula produced at least some numbers - he was ultimately out of the NFL by age 27.
