2006: Matt Leinart, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Some writers have labeled Reggie Bush as the biggest bust of the 2006 draft class. And while Bush wasn’t nearly as dominant in the NFL as he was in college, he still had a productive career, and was a key member of the New Orleans Saints 2010 Super Bowl squad. Unfortunately, nothing like that can be said for Bush’s former USC teammate Matt Leinart. If social media and smartphones were as common in 2006 as they are today, Matt Leinart might have been the original Johnny Manziel. During his college days at USC, Leinart was arguably a bigger national celebrity than most NFL quarterbacks!
Leinart enjoyed the Los Angeles party scene, and was infamously photographed at a Las Vegas nightclub hooking up with Paris Hilton. Although his skills as a quarterback didn’t translate from college to the pro’s, according to sources, Leinart never lost his touch when it came to partying like a rock star. In his six NFL seasons, Leinart only started 18 games, and in those games he put together miserable totals of 15 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. Instead of Leinart, the Cardinals could have taken Haloti Ngata, Maurice Jones-Drew, or one of a handful of offensive lineman who made multiple Pro Bowl appearances.