Who was the biggest draft bust in NBA history?

Answer 1

1. Dan McGwire - 16th overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 1991
   • McGwire is the younger brother of Major League Baseball's legendary slugger Mark McGwire. To refresh your memory, Dan was a 6'8" quarterback coming out of San Diego State University where he threw for 3,883 yards and 27 touchdowns in 1990. He barely saw any action his rookie season, then his second season was demoted to third string behind Stan Gelbaugh and Kelly Stouffer. His career totals are underwhelming at best. He completed a career 50 percent of passes, with two touchdowns, six interceptions, and five fumbles. The reason he's considered a bigger bust is because the Seahawks passed on Brett Favre to take McGwire. 
2. Tim Couch - First overall pick by the Cleveland Browns in 1999
   • It's always a big risk to take a quarterback as the number one overall pick, and Couch was no exception. He started the second game of the rookie season and played the next five seasons for the Browns as their starting QB. After that season, there was a massive controversy about whether they should start Couch or Kelly Holcomb. Holcomb had thrown for over 400 yards in the wild card round of the playoffs in 2002 because Couch was injured. At his best he completed 63.7 percent of passes in 2000. The next year he threw 21 interceptions in 16 starts. The saddest part of all is that Couch holds a Browns franchise record with a 59.8 career completion percentage. He's not the worst pick ever, but he's no first overall pick to rally around.
3. Vernon Gholston - Sixth overall pick by the New York Jets in 2008
   • The former defensive end attended "THE" Ohio State University, where he set a school record with 14.5 sacks in 13 games during the 2007 season. The Jets wanted him to play outside linebacker in their 3–4 defense. The Jets didn't use him much his rookie season, where they placed him on special teams. Gholston saw more playing time in his second and third seasons, back in a familiar role in the defensive end position. Over the three years he spent tallying stats in the NFL, Gholston played 45 games, recording 42 combined tackles. Nothing to be too terribly upset about, but the Jets ruined his chances of being at least a decent everyday player. Even so, Gholston never rose to the occasion. 
4. Tony Mandarich - Second overall pick by the Green Bay Packers in 1989
   • All anyone needs to know about Mandarich is the former offensive lineman didn't live up to being a second overall pick at all. He has mediocre stats in the NFL and was cut by the Packers in 1992. The fact that he was taken in front of Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas, and Deion Sanders (all three of whom were future Pro Football Hall of Famers) is quite shocking. The Packers kind of messed up a bit with that pick. 
5. Matt Leinart - 10th overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2006
   • Winning the Heisman Trophy as a junior in 2004, the quarterback was slated to be a prime pick in a future draft. Leinart knew little about losing while at USC, as he only lost twice in 39 starts. The Cardinals knew he was a risk because he had a weaker arm, but his frame and build were the makings of a great NFL QB. The Cardinals signed him to a six-year, $51 million contract to back up Kurt Warner. He actually got 11 starts his rookie season, but only finished with a record of 4–7. Leinart started just five games in his second season because of an injury later in the season. Even so, he only completed 53.6 percent of his passes. Needless to say, he was a waste of money. 
6. Charles Rogers - Second overall pick by the Detroit Lions in 2003
   • When he was coming out of Michigan State University, many compared Rogers' style to Randy Moss. The young wide receiver broke Moss' NCAA record by receiving a touchdown in 13 consecutive games. During the first five games of the 2003 NFL season, he caught three touchdowns and accumulated 243 yards, which is rather fantastic for a rookie. Unfortunately, he broke his clavicle in practices and was out the rest of the season. The 2004 season started poorly too. On his third snap, Rogers broke his clavicle yet again. The Lions gave him the rest of the season off and told him to go be with his family. In 2005, the Lions got word that he'd been breaking the substance abuse policy and he had to be suspended for four games. Word got out that he'd been using more drugs than previously thought and he was cut by the team in 2006. 
7. Heath Shuler - Third overall pick by the Washington Redskins in 1994
   • Since winning Super Bowl XXVI, the Redskins didn't have a good quarterback, and they saw Shuler as their savior. In one game during the 1994 campaign, Shuler threw five interceptions against the Cardinals. Fans became pretty mad and he was benched during the 1995 season due to poor play. He was traded in 1997 to the Saints for a fifth-round pick because his value dropped that much. Fortunately for Shuler, he found a career outside of football and eventually became a U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 11th congressional district from 2007 to 2013.
8. Lawrence Phillips - Sixth overall pick by the St. Louis Rams in 1996
   • Phillips won two National Championships with the University of Nebraska as a running back in college. He was so highly regarded that the Rams actually traded away future Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis to the Steelers the same day they drafted Phillips. Boy, were they terribly mistaken. Off the field, Phillips always seemed to have troubles. He had such a high ceiling and Rams coach Dick Vermeil said his talent was something he'd never seen before. Unfortunately, Phillips wouldn't listen to reason or coaching and the Rams cut him for being quite stubborn. After his short three years in the NFL, he got into lots of trouble. He was arrested multiple times and while in prison in 2015, was charged with the murder of his cell mate. Sadly, in January of 2016, Phillips took his own life. 
9. Ryan Leaf - Second overall pick by the San Diego Chargers in 1998
   • This quarterback was highly regarded as one of the two best QBs in the 1998 draft, the other being Peyton Manning. Manning went first overall to the Colts and the rest is history. Leaf was a bit of a slacker and a wild guy. He missed conferences, was quite lazy, and was just a mess off the field. He was also a mess on the field for that matter: He fumbled his first ever snap. Off the field, after his short four seasons in the NFL, Leaf got into some legal trouble. He was using lots of illegal drugs and eventually pleaded guilty to burglary and drug possession in 2012. To say he was a bust is putting it lightly. 
10. JaMarcus Russell - First overall pick by the Oakland Raiders in 2007
    • The quarterback was primed to be one heck of a player coming out of LSU and being named the MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. The Raiders picked Russell first overall, but he didn't sign with the team right away. He held out for bigger money, raking in $61 million with $32 million guaranteed. He only played with the team for three seasons and racked up just seven wins during that span. 

Answer 2

Lenn Bias. He was drafted highly by the Celtics but died from doing too much heroin before he ever played an NBA game