2017 NFL Draft: Biggest Busts

Story posted April 10, 2017 in CommRadio, Sports, NFL Draft by Anthony Spada

There are many talented guys in this draft class. There are also many busts in this draft class too. There are three guys specifically that could be bust when they arrive in the NFL: Jabrill Peppers, Mitch Trubisky, and Corey Davis.

Starting out with Jabrill Peppers, he is coming into the NFL declaring that he will be a safety in the league. He is from the University of Michigan, where he is coming off a very good year. He is well known for playing on both sides of the field, as well as being a Heisman candidate. When he was at the NFL Combine, he looked pretty good.

He might be the biggest bust in this whole draft class. He only had one interception last year, at Michigan State, which is not that great for being a safety, especially with the athletic caliber he has. The thing that is in question could be his dedication to the game. He decided not to play in the bowl game against Florida State this season. It was a very popular choice to forgo the bowl game and get prepared like many players like Christian McCaffery did. 

His performance from college to the NFL will also hinder him. Even though he may be the most athletic guy on the field, he might not be able to break down offenses as easily as he did in college.

Moving on to the next guy, Mitch Trubisky. Many think he should have stayed his last year, but he decided to go. He may have been North Carolina’s best quarterback ever. The thing that is in question about him is his inexperience.

Even though he was playing at UNC for three years, many people see that as not enough. Reading articles about him, leaving to go to the draft, people call him the next Mark Sanchez. Now, that could be a good thing and a bad thing. The good thing is that Mark Sanchez led the Jets to two AFC Championship games. The bad part is that Sanchez came into the NFL too early and did not live up to his potential.

Mitch Trubisky could be a risky first round pick for any team that needs a quarterback, especially since he could possibly go to the New York Jets. If he wants to avoid being a bust and teams also want to avoid that, they will need to allow him to develop and give a smooth transition into the NFL.

The last guy on the list is Western Michigan’s Corey Davis. He was probably the second-best wide receiver in the nation behind Mike Williams from Clemson. Davis is a big man, standing at 6-3 and weighing 205 pounds.

The problem with Corey Davis is his size and strength. When watching him on TV, people could see that he did not really fill out that 6-3 frame even though he weighs 205 pounds. This could lead to him getting bullied by cornerbacks and getting beat to the inside by them too.

That is huge when it comes to wide receivers. They have to be able to beat their man to the inside. If they cannot, then they will not be a threat on the field. He also was not asked to do much blocking, so he might be a liability in the run game too.

These three guys all have the potential to be superstars in the NFL. They also have the potential to be the biggest bust of their draft class. We will see, what they look like when they step on the field in September.

 

Anthony Spada is a freshman majoring in security and risk analysis. To contact him, email ajs6709@psu.edu.