NFL Draft successes and busts 10-year evaluation: 10th overall bust

by Dan Kadar on Apr 5, 2011 7:01 PM EDT

Over the next few weeks, we'll evaluate the best and worst top 10 picks in a 10-year span from 1999-2008. We capped this at 2008 because it's unfair to judge first- or second-year players. Today, the pick 10 bust.

Pick: 10 overall
The player: Matt Leinart | QB | Arizona Cardinals (2006)

Among the 10th overall picks from 1999-2008, there are plenty of choices as the biggest bust. Green Bay defensive end Jamal Reynolds had three sacks over three years and 18 games before quitting football. Wide receiver Mike Williams at himself out of Detroit. Amobi Okoye isn't quite physical enough for the NFL.

But recent busts from the 10 spot begin and end with Matt Leinart. After a prestigious college career at Southern California, Leinart was expected to be Arizona's franchise quarterback.

Instead, he seemed to be more interested in partying and scoring random hookups. While those are great pastimes for most 20-somethings, it may not be for someone expected to be the face of an NFL franchise.

After an average rookie year, Leinart never got much of a chance in year two after breaking his collarbone and landing on injured reserve in October. From there, Leinart couldn't supplant Kurt Warner as the starting quarterback in 2008 or 2009.

The 2010 season really proved Leinart as a bust. Unable to beat out Derek Anderson for the starting quarterback job, Leinart was released. His replacements were rookies Max Hall and John Skelton.

Leinart is now backing up Matt Schaub in Houston.

At USC, Leinart was surrounded by an incredible amount of talent. As the Cardinals found out, it masked his lack of physical ability and work ethic. Although injuries and the play of Warner attributed to Leinart's bust, the other traits are just as to blame.

Runner-up: Jamal Reynolds | DE | Green Bay Packers (2001)

Coming tomorrow: The biggest bust among ninth picks from 1999-2008.

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After breaking his collar-bone

He never really played the same again. He seemed to be a lot more careful, and didn’t really try to throw big passes.

by Skii on Apr 5, 2011 7:03 PM EDT reply actions

Agree he's a bust

But he couldn’t have been worse than Derek “It’s not funny!” Anderson. Just goes to show when a coach loses faith in a guy—that more than actual talent was Leinart’s downfall

by tejadar on Apr 5, 2011 8:02 PM EDT reply actions

I agree Leinart couldn't have been much worse

but watching him in pre season was embarrasing. He was so timid and scared out there, and I think its one of the dangers of sitting a guy for too long. Its gotta hurt your confidence to go from Heisman to backup for so many years.

If you reply to a comment/post/fanshot of mine, I will more likely then not respond to it, unless you come off like a d-bag.

by DBroncs1414 on Apr 5, 2011 10:02 PM EDT up reply actions

2 1/2 years is hardly a long time!

Not too mention he had the chance towork w/ and learn from a HOF QB like Warner! But he still couldn’t pull his head out of his ass! If he had shown anything at all he might have been worth keeping. IMO, its more Whisenhunts fault for keeping Leinart around when it was clear he didn’t fit the mold of QB’s Whiz wanted!

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on Apr 5, 2011 10:55 PM EDT up reply actions

if he was drafted in 06

and didn’t start a full season, that’s 4 years on the bench

If you reply to a comment/post/fanshot of mine, I will more likely then not respond to it, unless you come off like a d-bag.

by DBroncs1414 on Apr 5, 2011 11:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Started as a rookie and I think front part of 2nd season...

You've been Stroh'd™!!!

by Strohman on Apr 6, 2011 12:28 AM EDT up reply actions

A big-time bust

I find it interesting that Matt Leinart’s name barely comes up when discussing busts at QB. Leinart is one of the great mistakes of the Denny Green era in AZ and current GM Rod Graves had a hand in Leinart’s selection too. For me, Matt Leinart is the poster child and number 1 reason why I feel it is a huge mistake to Draft QB’s from the football factories just because they played in a pro style offense, i.e. USC, Notre Dame, FSU and The U. QB’s from these schools’ have not “produced” recently and yet have had memebers of the media talk them up………big-time. It’s all about the transition. Production is great but can it translate?

Back to Leinart, he is a classic case of incorrect evaluation and hype by his coach and his coaches connections to the NFL. USC was, under Pete Carroll, for all intents and purposes, the Pro team out in Southern California. Not really that difficult to look good when you’ve got studs at WR (on the collegiate level), on the OL and players that will be drafted and oh by the way, Reggie Bush and Lindell White to hand the rock off to. How difficult was it for Leinart? Did the aforementioned players make Leinart or did Leinart make them?

You hear the buzz words and tearing down of certain prospects coming out———will he be the 1st guy in the building and the last guy to leave (there were flags about Leinart). Matt Leinart never demonstrated he wanted to work after he got the carrot. Leinart couldn’t make the throws with consistency in the short and intermediate passing game or threaten a defense deep (Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald were the best WR duo in the league for more than a few years), had trouble looking down the gun barrel under duress, and because he was limited athletically couldn’t buy time with his feet.

Once Ken Whisenhunt came to town, the hand writing was on the wall. HC’s want their guy (Kurt Warner got the call, the rest is history) and Leinart didn’t want to compete and felt a since of entitlement.

When do the Cardinals recover? Who will be the Matt Leinart of this year’s Draft?

by Ravens One on Apr 5, 2011 10:04 PM EDT reply actions