25 most sought after NFL quarterback draft prospects of all time

Three different quarterbacks had a chance to go No. 1 overall in the 1999 NFL Draft. In one of just two NFL Drafts that have seen quarterbacks go 1-2-3 in the opening round, the Cleveland Browns had decisions to make. The franchise, rebooting after the original Browns left for Baltimore a few years earlier, desperately needed a signal-caller to build around.

There was Akili Smith, the Oregon quarterback who piled on 3,700 passing yards and 32 touchdowns on the Pac-10. Donovan McNabb, a four-year starter at Syracuse, was also on the board available to the Browns as the franchise rebooted in 1998. But the Browns decided to go with the option behind Door No. 3, a tall signal-caller from Kentucky named Tim Couch.

Under Hal Mumme’s Air Raid offense, Couch set several school records and terrorized SEC defenses for his last two years in school. Between 1997 and 1998, Couch threw for more than 8000 yards and 73 touchdowns.

Entering the NFL Draft as the SEC Player of the Year and a consensus All-American selection, Couch headed to Cleveland as the next in a long line of quarterback hopefuls.

Injuries ultimately shortened Couch’s career. When he could get onto the gridiron, Couch had glimpses of promise. His best year came in 2002, when he led the Browns to a 9-7 regular season and their first playoff appearance since 1994 before the original franchise’s move to Baltimore.

But a broken leg in the final game of the regular season prevented Couch from his lone opportunity to play in a playoff game. Cleveland lost to Pittsburgh with Kelly Holcomb as the Browns starter.

Couch left Cleveland after the 2003 NFL season and bounced around the league trying to land with another team. He was unable to solidify a roster spot in Green Bay, Chicago, Cincinnati, Tennessee, Miami, Pittsburgh, Houston or Jacksonville. Out of the league by 2007, Couch showed immense promise, but ended up as a draft bust.