11. Jamarcus Russell
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Jamarcus Russell had so much raw talent coming out of LSU that famed NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. compared him to John Elway (seems pretty ridiculous now, doesn’t it?). At 6’5 and 250lbs, Russell was a hulking athlete who could throw the football as far as anyone on the planet. Lane Kiffin, who was the head coach of the Oakland Raiders at the time (the team that eventually drafted Russell), said that his talents were “straight out of a videogame,” and called Russell “a scout’s dream.” But the biggest roadblock to Russell’s success would be his own character and work ethic. He simply never put in the work required to be a successful NFL quarterback, often spending more time enjoying the millions of dollars he was earning from the Raiders.
One team source described Russell as coming into training camp “incredibly overweight, every single year” — once ballooning to over 300lbs (compared to the 250lbs he was listed at in college). Upon his release from the Raiders, several teammates and coaches told stories of Russell falling asleep during team meetings, and often being the first to leave the practice facility. Not exactly the type of work ethic you expect from your franchise quarterback. Russell is widely known as one of, if not the, biggest bust in NFL draft history. (Image Credit: Getty)