David Carr, Texans – #1 in 2002
Officially, Carr is a bust. But being the first overall pick for an expansion franchise put a lot on his shoulders, and there are a lot of good quarterbacks who probably would have failed in that role. After leaving Houston, he did become a viable backup for a few years, even winning a Super Bowl with the Giants as a backup to Eli Manning.
Joey Harrington, Lions – #3 in 2002
Harrington was given the label of “savior” when he first got to Detroit, but he could never live up to that moniker. Despite his struggles, a lot of people defended him, claiming that he didn’t have a lot of help around him in Detroit and that he was set up for failure. There’s actually a strong argument for that. However, the numbers tell us that in six seasons, only one time did Harrington have more touchdowns than interceptions.