Cincinnati Bengals — Peter Warrick (2000):
Ironically, there was a huge contingent of Cleveland Browns fans who argued that the team should’ve taken Peter Warrick, and not Courtney Brown, with the #1 overall pick (what a lose-lose situation). Warrick was one of the most electrifying players in college football history, and would’ve easily won the 1999 Heisman Trophy if not for his arrest for a theft charge after accepting heavily discounted clothing from a local Dillard’s department store.
Add in the fact that he ran a slower than expected time in the 40 yard dash (between 4.57 and 4.63) prior to the NFL Draft, and the red flags begin mounting. He just simply couldn’t replicate in the NFL what he did in college. His career highs in Cincinnati were 79 passes for 819 yards and 7 touchdowns in 2003, but a knee injury in 2004 forced him to miss 12 games, and likely contributed to his early retirement after the 2005 season.