Robert Gallery
When Gallery was selected with the second overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the Raiders – sandwiched in between the selections of Eli Manning and Larry Fitzgerald – he was considered as safe and “can’t-miss” a player as there was in the Draft. He was a unanimous All-American and the best lineman in college the previous year.
Alas, the Raiders made a huge mistake in drafting him and giving Gallery a huge rookie contract. The University of Iowa lineman received a seven-year, $60 million contract with $18.5 million in guaranteed money. He started as a tackle in the NFL but was moved to guard after 2006 when he played 13 games and still placed fourth in the league for most sacks given up. Gallery was drafted and paid to be a benchmark tackle, not to play guard. He wasn’t even that good of a guard despite starting over 100 games in the NFL.