The first round of the NFL Draft is supposed to be where teams make their smartest, safest, most well-researched moves. But occasionally, a team strolls up to the podium and announces a pick that makes fans collectively say, “Wait, what?”
These selections felt off from the start—reaches, head-scratchers, or weird fits. Whether the logic behind them was flawed or completely nonexistent, these picks left fans and analysts blinking in disbelief.
18. Tim Tebow – Denver Broncos, 2010
Tebow was a college legend, but a first-round quarterback who couldn’t throw? It was bold, confusing, and short-lived.
17. Daniel Jones – New York Giants, 2019
Jones was projected as a late-first or second-round pick, so going sixth overall shocked just about everyone. The Giants saw something most people didn’t—and the jury’s still out on whether it was real.
16. A.J. Jenkins – San Francisco 49ers, 2012
No one had Jenkins going in the first round except the 49ers. He barely played, and the pick still doesn’t make sense over a decade later.
15. Terrell Edmunds – Pittsburgh Steelers, 2018
Even Edmunds looked surprised when his name was called in the first round. He became a serviceable player, but no one graded him this high.
14. Damon Arnette – Las Vegas Raiders, 2020
Arnette was a fringe second-round prospect, taken at 19 overall. He struggled on the field and had serious off-field issues that made this pick look even worse.
13. Christian Ponder – Minnesota Vikings, 2011
The Vikings were desperate for a quarterback, but this one felt like pure panic. Ponder was never a top-tier prospect and didn’t look the part once he hit the field.
12. Tyson Alualu – Jacksonville Jaguars, 2010
Alualhadng a long NFL career, but no one had him pegged as a top-10 pick. Jacksonville surprised everyone with a name that hadn’t been in many mock drafts.
11. Clyde Edwards-Helaire – Kansas City Chiefs, 2020
The Chiefs used a first-round pick on a running back in a pass-heavy offense after winning a Super Bowl. It never really worked out like they hoped.
10. Rashaun Woods – San Francisco 49ers, 2004
Woods was productive in college but not viewed as a surefire NFL star. The 49ers passed on bigger names for a wideout who barely made a dent.
9. Josh Freeman – Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2009
Freeman had the tools, but the pick came out of left field. Tampa bet big on upside, and it never quite paid off.
8. Darrius Heyward-Bey – Oakland Raiders, 2009
Heyward-Bey had Olympic speed, but few thought he was worth a top-10 pick. The Raiders overlooked better all-around receivers in favor of the fastest guy available.
7. Artie Burns – Pittsburgh Steelers, 2016
Burns was seen as a developmental prospect with upside, not a first-round plug-and-play corner. Pittsburgh reached, and the pick never quite worked.
6. Tim Couch – Cleveland Browns, 1999
Couch went first overall, but many questioned whether he was the best quarterback in the class. He struggled in Cleveland, and the pick set the tone for years of QB chaos.
5. Alex Leatherwood – Las Vegas Raiders, 2021
This was a classic Raiders reach. Leatherwood was projected as a second-rounder and struggled mightily from the start.
4. Taven Bryan – Jacksonville Jaguars, 2018
Bryan was a classic combine riser, but his production never matched his draft slot. Jacksonville took a gamble with minimal logic behind it.
3. Jordan Love – Green Bay Packers, 2020
The pick confused everyone, including Aaron Rodgers. Love was a developmental quarterback on a team that needed one more piece, not another quarterback controversy.
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2. Justin Gilbert – Cleveland Browns, 2014
Gilbert had elite athleticism but massive red flags regarding effort and focus. Cleveland picked him anyway, and it was a disaster.
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1. JaMarcus Russell – Oakland Raiders, 2007
Sure, he had arm strength, but the red flags were neon. This pick wasn’t just confusing—it was catastrophic.
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