Best: Cincinnati Bengals – Anthony Munoz
Drafting Anthony Munoz was seen as a risk, as knee injuries limited him to just 16 games during his final two seasons at USC. The gamble paid off for the Bengals though, as they got one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history for 13 seasons. Despite the injury record in college, Munoz missed just 3 games in his first 12 seasons. He helped lead the Bengals to two Super Bowls in the 1980’s, losing them both to the San Francisco 49ers. Munoz was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
Worst: Cincinnati Bengals – Akili Smith
Taking a quarterback early in the draft was the thing to do in 1999. Smith was chosen 3rd overall behind Tim Couch and Donovan McNabb. Smith almost wasn’t the Bengals pick at 3, as the Saints tried to trade up to take Ricky Williams. The deal would have given the Bengals 9 draft picks. Instead, the Bengals kept the pick, spent it on Akili Smith, and have regretted it ever since. Smith Spent just 4 seasons with the Bengals starting just 17 games. He threw 5 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in those 4 seasons.