NFL · 2 hours ago

Every NFL Team’s Biggest Draft Regret of the Last 10 Years

Joe Cervenka

Host · Writer

The Ultimate Draft Gamble: Super Bowl Window or Rebuilding Nightmare?
The margin for error in the NFL has never been thinner. As we’ve seen over the last ten years, the difference between a championship parade and a front-office clearing often comes down to a single choice. Whether it’s reaching for a signal-caller under pressure or ignoring a blue-chip defender for a high-upside project, these regrets define the current landscape.

With the Raiders, Jets, and Cardinals all holding the top-three picks in the 2026 Draft, the stakes have never been higher for bettors and fans. One wrong move, and they’re the next slide on this list.

Think you know who the next big bust will be? Don’t just watch from the sidelines—get in the game.

What is your team's biggest draft "What If?" Let us know in the comments!
Draft Night Nightmares: Every NFL Team's Biggest Regret Since 2016
As the 2026 NFL Draft descends on Pittsburgh, the air at Point State Park is thick with the promise of franchise-altering talent. But for every Fernando Mendoza or Jeremiyah Love set to change a city's fortune, there is a ghost of April’s past, a first-round card that still makes a fan base shudder.

We’ve seen the can't-miss prospects turn into how-did-they-miss disasters. From the Bears trading the farm for a project to the Jets chasing the dragon at QB, the last decade has been a graveyard of elite expectations.

Before the first name is called on April 23, let’s take a painful walk down memory lane. Here is the single biggest draft regret for every NFL team since 2016.
Washington Commanders
QB Dwayne Haskins (2019)
- The Selection: No. 15 Overall
- The Regret: A pick forced by ownership over the objections of the coaching staff.
- The Reality: The late Haskins struggled to find his footing in Washington's system and was released after less than two seasons.
- Who They Missed: Brian Burns or Montez Sweat (who they ended up trading for anyway).
Tennessee Titans
OT Isaiah Wilson (2020)
- The Selection: No. 29 Overall
- The Regret: A player who seemingly didn't want to play in the NFL.
- The Reality: Wilson played four total snaps for Tennessee. Between arrests and a lack of conditioning, he was gone within a year.
- Who They Missed: Tee Higgins went four picks later.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
K Roberto Aguayo (2016)
- The Selection: No. 59 Overall
- The Regret: Trading up in the second round for... a kicker.
- The Reality: Aguayo was the most accurate kicker in NCAA history, but he got the yips in Tampa, hitting just 71% of his field goals before being cut after one season.
Seattle Seahawks
DE L.J. Collier (2019)
- The Selection: No. 29 Overall
- The Regret: A first-round pick who became a healthy scratch.
- The Reality: Collier managed just three sacks in four years and was frequently inactive on game days.
- Who They Missed: Deebo Samuel or Elgton Jenkins.
San Francisco 49ers
QB Trey Lance (2021)
- The Selection: No. 3 Overall
- The Regret: The most expensive miss in NFL history.
- The Reality: The Niners traded three first-rounders to get Lance. He started four games.
- The Silver Lining: Luckily, the Niners found Brock Purdy with the last pick in the draft a year later, or this would have cost John Lynch his job.
Philadelphia Eagles
WR Jalen Reagor (2020)
- The Selection: No. 21 Overall
- The Regret: The pick that haunts Philly fans every time they check the Vikings' box score.
- The Reality: Reagor lasted just two seasons in Philly.
- Who They Missed: Justin Jefferson went one pick later. It is widely considered the biggest draft blunder in Eagles history.
New York Jets
QB Zach Wilson (2021)
- The Selection: No. 2 Overall
- The Regret: Falling for the Pro Day hype.
- The Reality: Wilson’s 23-to-25 TD-to-INT ratio in NY tells the whole story. The Mormon Mahomes never materialized.
New York Giants
CB Deandre Baker (2019)
- The Selection: No. 30 Overall
- The Regret: Trading up into the first round for a player with major off-field concerns.
- The Reality: Baker was released after one season following legal issues (charges were later dropped). He never played another meaningful snap for the Giants.
- Who They Missed: The Giants could have stayed put and taken A.J. Brown.
New Orleans Saints
OT Trevor Penning (2022)
- The Selection: No. 19 Overall
- The Regret: Trading multiple picks to move up for a raw tackle who struggled with penalties.
- The Reality: Penning has been benched multiple times and has struggled to stay healthy in the Big Easy.
- Who They Missed: Tyler Smith, who became a Pro Bowler for the Cowboys.
New England Patriots
WR N'Keal Harry (2019)
- The Selection: No. 32 Overall
- The Regret: The pick that signaled the end of the Brady era in NE.
- The Reality: Harry struggled with the playbook and injuries, finishing his Pats career with only 598 yards over three seasons.
- Who They Missed: Deebo Samuel, A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin, and D.K. Metcalf. All were on the board.
Miami Dolphins
DE Charles Harris (2017)
- The Selection: No. 22 Overall
- The Regret: Another team that ignored the Watt signal.
- The Reality: Harris had just 3.5 sacks in three seasons in Miami. He eventually found success in Detroit, but Miami got zero ROI.
- Who They Missed: T.J. Watt. Again.
Minnesota Vikings
WR Laquon Treadwell (2016)
- The Selection: No. 23 Overall
- The Regret: Drafting a WR who couldn't create separation in the pros.
- The Reality: Treadwell caught just one touchdown in four seasons with the Vikings.
Los Angeles Rams
QB Jared Goff (2016)
- The Regret: The price paid to get him.
- The Reality: Goff went to a Super Bowl, but the Rams eventually had to attach two first-round picks just to trade him away for Matthew Stafford.
- Who They Missed: The Rams gave up a king's ransom (including the pick that became Jeffery Simmons) to move to No. 1.
Los Angeles Chargers
WR Quentin Johnston (2023)
- The Selection: No. 21 Overall
- The Regret: Drops, lack of separation, and a slow start in a high-octane offense.
- The Reality: While the jury is still technically out, Johnston’s struggles were painful to watch for Bolts fans.
- Who They Missed: Zay Flowers and Jordan Addison were taken immediately after and looked like stars from Week 1.
Dallas Cowboys
DE Taco Charlton (2017)
- The Selection: No. 28 Overall
- The Regret: Choosing scheme fit over the best player on the board.
- The Reality: Rod Marinelli wanted Taco. Jerry Jones (reportedly) wanted T.J. Watt. Taco was waived in Year 3.
Las Vegas Raiders
OT Alex Leatherwood (2021)
- The Selection: No. 17 Overall
- The Regret: The ultimate Mayock/Gruden reach.
- The Reality: Leatherwood was widely projected as a second or third-rounder. He was cut by the Raiders after just one season.
- Who They Missed: Christian Darrisaw, who went to Minnesota and became a Top-5 tackle.
Kansas City Chiefs
DE Breeland Speaks (2018)
- The Selection: No. 46 Overall
- The Regret: Trading up for a player who didn't fit the new defensive scheme.
- The Reality: Speaks lasted just one active season in KC. He’s one of the few blemishes on the Brett Veach era.
- Who They Missed: The Chiefs could have stood pat and drafted Mark Andrews or Fred Warner.
Pittsburgh Steelers
QB Kenny Pickett (2022)
- The Selection: No. 20 Overall
- The Regret: Trying to find Big Ben's successor in a weak QB class.
- The Reality: Pickett threw only 13 touchdowns in 24 starts before the Steelers traded him to the Eagles in 2024 to make room for the Russell Wilson/Justin Fields experiment.
- Who They Missed: Tyler Linderbaum or Trent McDuffie.
Jacksonville Jaguars
CB C.J. Henderson (2020)
- The Selection: No. 9 Overall
- The Regret: A Top-10 pick traded away after only 10 games.
- The Reality: Henderson struggled with injuries and culture fit. Jacksonville shipped him to Carolina before his second season was halfway over.
- Who They Missed: CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson. Imagine that offense.
Baltimore Ravens
WR Breshad Perriman (2015/16)
- The Selection: No. 26 Overall
- The Regret: The ghost of the first round who couldn't stay on the field.
- The Reality: While technically drafted in '15, his 2016 re-debut cemented the regret. Perriman averaged fewer than 30 yards per game in Baltimore.
- Who They Missed: In a draft where Stefon Diggs went in the fifth round, Baltimore's failure to scout their own backyard (Maryland) still hurts.
Carolina Panthers
QB Bryce Young (2023)
- The Selection: No. 1 Overall
- The Regret: Mortgaging the entire franchise's future for an outlier frame.
- The Reality: Carolina traded DJ Moore and the pick that became Caleb Williams to get Young. Three years later, the offense is still searching for an identity.
- Who They Missed: C.J. Stroud went No. 2 and immediately became an MVP candidate. This is the biggest what-if in Panthers history.
Indianapolis Colts
DE Ben Banogu (2019)
- The Selection: No. 49 Overall
- The Regret: High-end athleticism that never translated to pressure.
- The Reality: Banogu spent four years in Indy and recorded just 2.5 sacks.
- Who They Missed: D.K. Metcalf and Terry McLaurin were both available when the Colts took a project edge rusher.
Houston Texans
OL Tytus Howard (2019)
- The Selection: No. 23 Overall
- The Regret: A massive reach for a project tackle.
- The Reality: While Howard has been a starter, he’s never been the lockdown force you want in the first round.
- Who They Missed: Just a few picks later, the Giants took Deandre Baker... okay, maybe everyone missed in the late first that year.
Green Bay Packers
QB Jordan Love (2020)
- The Regret: Not the player, but the timing.
- The Reality: While Love is now the man in GB, drafting him in 2020 while Aaron Rodgers was in MVP form arguably cost the Packers a Super Bowl window.
- Who They Missed: Tee Higgins or Michael Pittman Jr.—the WR1 Rodgers desperately begged for.
Detroit Lions
LB Jarrad Davis (2017)
- The Selection: No. 21 Overall
- The Regret: Drafting a linebacker who struggled in pass coverage during the pass-happiest era in NFL history.
- The Reality: Davis had the athleticism but couldn't find the ball. He was a frequent target for opposing QBs.
- Who They Missed: T.J. Watt (are you seeing a theme yet?) and Ryan Ramczyk.
Denver Broncos
QB Paxton Lynch (2016)
- The Selection: No. 26 Overall
- The Regret: Trading up for a QB who couldn't beat out Trevor Siemian.
- The Reality: Lynch started just four games and threw four touchdowns in Denver. He is the poster child for Pro Day over-evaluations.
- Who They Missed: Dak Prescott was available for four more rounds.
Cleveland Browns
CB Justin Gilbert (2014/16)
- The Selection: No. 8 Overall
- The Regret: A Top-10 pick who simply didn't like football.
- The Reality: Gilbert’s lack of work ethic saw him out of Cleveland by 2016. He started only three games for the Browns.
- Who They Missed: The Browns bypassed legends like Aaron Donald and Odell Beckham Jr. to take Gilbert.
Cincinnati Bengals
OL Jonah Williams (2019)
- The Selection: No. 11 Overall
- The Regret: A safe pick that led to Joe Burrow running for his life.
- The Reality: Williams was serviceable but never elite, eventually losing his spot and moving to Arizona in free agency.
- Who They Missed: Cincinnati could have had Deebo Samuel or Terry McLaurin to pair with Burrow from Day 1.
Chicago Bears
QB Mitchell Trubisky (2017)
- The Selection: No. 2 Overall
- The Regret: The most famous wrong choice in modern NFL history.
- The Reality: Chicago traded up one spot to take Trubisky. He wasn't terrible, but he wasn't him.
- Who They Missed: Patrick Mahomes. Enough said.
Buffalo Bills
DE Boogie Basham (2021)
- The Selection: No. 61 Overall
- The Regret: A second-round whiff in an era where Buffalo was one piece away.
- The Reality: Basham never became the rotational force Buffalo envisioned and was traded to the Giants for a late-round pick swap after just two seasons.
Atlanta Falcons
DE Takkarist McKinley (2017)
- The Selection: No. 26 Overall
- The Regret: Passing on a future Hall of Famer for a project pass-rusher.
- The Reality: McKinley had the fire, but not the finish, recording just 17.5 sacks in four years.
- Who They Missed: The Falcons famously bypassed T.J. Watt, who went four picks later to the Steelers and became a perennial DPOY candidate.
Arizona Cardinals
QB Josh Rosen (2018)
- The Selection: No. 10 Overall
- The Regret: Trading up to secure a pro-ready QB who lasted only one season.
- The Reality: Arizona gave up a first, third, and fifth-round pick for Rosen. He threw 11 TDs to 14 INTs before being shipped to Miami to make room for Kyler Murray.
The Ultimate Draft Gamble: Super Bowl Window or Rebuilding Nightmare?
The margin for error in the NFL has never been thinner. As we’ve seen over the last ten years, the difference between a championship parade and a front-office clearing often comes down to a single choice. Whether it’s reaching for a signal-caller under pressure or ignoring a blue-chip defender for a high-upside project, these regrets define the current landscape.

With the Raiders, Jets, and Cardinals all holding the top-three picks in the 2026 Draft, the stakes have never been higher for bettors and fans. One wrong move, and they’re the next slide on this list.

Think you know who the next big bust will be? Don’t just watch from the sidelines—get in the game.

What is your team's biggest draft "What If?" Let us know in the comments!
Draft Night Nightmares: Every NFL Team's Biggest Regret Since 2016
As the 2026 NFL Draft descends on Pittsburgh, the air at Point State Park is thick with the promise of franchise-altering talent. But for every Fernando Mendoza or Jeremiyah Love set to change a city's fortune, there is a ghost of April’s past, a first-round card that still makes a fan base shudder.

We’ve seen the can't-miss prospects turn into how-did-they-miss disasters. From the Bears trading the farm for a project to the Jets chasing the dragon at QB, the last decade has been a graveyard of elite expectations.

Before the first name is called on April 23, let’s take a painful walk down memory lane. Here is the single biggest draft regret for every NFL team since 2016.