It’s been nearly four years since the 2020 NFL Draft and while there have been some incredible success stories, there have also been some absolute flops. Despite being stars in college and teams hoping to see that continued success in the league, many players fell short of their expectations.
Over the last three seasons, who has failed to prove their worth as a first round draft pick?
Here are the eight biggest busts coming out of the 2020 NFL Draft:
Okudah has collected just two interceptions and broken up 10 passes over his three seasons in the league. He has yet to play in a complete season and hasn’t performed exceptionally well when he has taken the field.
The Lions eventually let go of their No. 3 overall pick and traded Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons for just a fifth-round pick.
During the 2023 season, Okudah only had 34 tackles and 3 pass deflections. He has 168 total tackles for an average of 56 per season.
The highlight of his career was a pick-six against the Chicago Bears in 2022.
Derrick Brown was selected by the Carolina Panthers in hopes of beefing up their defensive line and minimizing the damage done by opponents’ offenses.
Despite 97 pressures and 66 hurries, I think that Brown has left a lot unanswered, especially when one takes into consideration that he was a top-10 pick. Even with 25 quarterback hits, Brown has only had six sacks through three years.
Taking a defensive tackle in the first round much less within the first 10 picks, he should change the game for his team. Brown has fallen well short of that mark and is a big bust from the 2020 draft.
Another top-10 pick from the 2020 draft, C.J. Henderson was set to be a star for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ secondary.
The cornerback out of Florida was taken No. 9 overall by the Jags and can easily be regarded as a wasted first-round pick. With just one interception and 44 tackles during his time for Jacksonville, Henderson was sent to the Carolina Panthers.
While he has earned two more picks and 128 more tackles with the Panthers, Henderson has fallen well short of a No. 9 pick.
The final top-10 pick was offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. out of Alabama. While he has started in 13+ games each season, his production levels have been progressively shrinking.
Wills left the Crimson Tide before he had run out his eligibility, so he’s still young but through each season, he has allowed more pressures and sacks on his quarterbacks.
Getting drafted No. 10 overall in 2020, one would expect Wills to be a brickwall in the league and he has failed to reach that level of play. Tragically, Wills injured his MCL and had to undergo season-ending surgery in 2023.
Henry Ruggs III was an elite receiver coming out of Alabama but he wasn’t known for his smart decisions. The Raiders, who have historically made poor choices with their draft picks, made another poor choice with Ruggs.
With fewer than 30 catches and less than 500 yards per season over two years, his season was cut short when he was accused of killing a woman in a drunk driving accident. Ruggs is facing felony DUI charges for the 2021 incident and hasn’t seen the NFL field since.
Definitely not the illustrious career one would hope to see from a No. 12 overall pick.
Another bad choice by the Raiders in 2020 was selecting Damon Arnette as their second pick in the first round of the draft.
His career in Las Vegas didn’t last long as he allowed more than 77 percent on passes thrown his way. Arnette’s two-year career with the Raiders allowed for 174 yards on 40 receptions and a touchdown. He was flagged for five penalties and never brought in a pick.
Being selected No. 19 overall as a cornerback is a big flex but in order to show that you were worth the draft stock, a player has to show up on the field. Arnette certainly hasn’t done that.
In total, he has just 29 tackles and three pass deflections.
Through four seasons, Jalen Reagor has bounced around to three different teams. After being selected by Philadelphia in Round 1, Reagor was a total non-factor for the Eagles’ offense.
His first two seasons in the league produced just 64 receptions for only 695 yards and 3 touchdowns. Reagor was eventually traded to the Vikings and then the Patriots but has yet to have a show-stopping season.
The past two years have seen an abysmal 15 receptions, 242 yards, and one touchdown for Reagor.
Almost immediately being arrested and charged with a DUI after being drafted by the Titans, Isaiah Wilson was suspended for breaking team rules.
Wilson continuously underperformed when he was allowed on the field and was eventually traded to the Miami Dolphins along with a seventh-round pick for an embarrassing trade. Wilson and the seventh-round selection were deemed equal to only a “better” seventh-round pick.
After the DUI and the trade, Wilson was never able to produce the level of play expected out of a first-round draft pick and has continued to fade into the background.