The 2025 NFL Draft is almost here and every single team has the opportunity to draft players that they feel are the best fit for their franchise. However, sometimes draft selections just don’t work out the way planned and the players get labeled as draft busts. When looking at the Cleveland Browns history, there are plenty of examples of draft busts that have been made throughout their history. Looking at their draft history there are 5 that stand out from the rest.
In the 2019 NFL Draft, the Giants had 3 first-round picks. One was used on Dexter Lawrence which was a great pick. Another was used on Daniel Jones, which was a reach. The 3rd and final first-round pick was used on DeAndre Baker who flopped as a Giant. He only played one season with the team and was arrested due to aggravated assault with a weapon and robbery charges. Then it got weird as Quinton Dunbar who also was involved allegedly paid off those who accused them of doing this. The whole thing was just bizarre and eventually the charge got dropped.
Baker did sign with the Kansas City Chiefs, but it didn’t work out. Especially when he broke his leg and then got released in 2021. As for where he is today, he currently is playing in the UFL with the DC Defenders trying to earn a second chance in the NFL. As for him as a first-round pick, he definitely became a bust.
Oh boy where to begin with Evan Neal? The dude was once seen as a potential franchise blindside blocker when the Giants used the 7th pick on him. Well, he is horrendous as a blocker and the word that comes to mind is liability. He even put his foot in his mouth when he called out the fans and even said why would he listen to hot dog and hamburger flippers. It was such a terrible move on his part and that Don Lagreca rage about him is hilarious. Ever since that moment, it pretty much killed his career with the Giants as he has been on backup duty since. He still is on the Giant’s roster for some reason, but his time is running out. Its expected that he is going to be moving to guard, but he clearly is a bust for this team.
Out of the bunch, this was the biggest disappointment as Eli Apple has a ton of potential, but a lot went wrong for Apple. He has had multiple poor performances throughout his time with the Giants and was a clear-cut cancer in the locker room. It also didn’t help he was caught tweeting in the middle of a game.
Along with the Giants also suspending him, they had enough of his antics and traded him to the New Orleans Saints for a 4th and 7th-round draft pick. He then became a journeyman player in the NFL also playing with the Cinncinati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, and Miami Dolphins. His time with the Bengals was a mess during Super Bowl LVI when he allowed multiple touchdowns in that game. He was a mediocre player, but it feels like a wasted top-10 selection for the Giants.
The New York Giants did a really good job drafting back in the day, but there were two big misses draft-wise in the 90’s. The first was tight end Derek Brown who the Giants used a Top 15 pick on Tight End Derek Brown. This pick was trying to find a replacement for Mark Bavaro and with Bavaro and Brown both playing at Notre Dame the Giants hoped lightning would strike twice.
Well, it didn’t as Derek Brown barely played on offense as a Giant. Even when he did, his stats were horrifically bad. In the three seasons he played with the Giants in 45 games, he only caught 11 passes for 87 yards. Also, he didn’t even score once as a member of the Giants. While he did play with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, and Oakland Raiders he did not impress. What a complete flop of a first-round pick.
Here is mistake number two draft-wise in the 90’s for the Giants. This one was weird as a few months into his tenure it was discovered Cedric Jones was blind in one eye due to a cornea issue. His agent also once claimed that Jones played his entire career at Oklahoma while blind, which is crazy. No matter what the Giants were stuck with a player who was blind in one eye and he did not do well. While he did have 7.5 sacks in the 1999 NFL Season, it was too little too late as he was let go after the next year. He did have a brief tenure with the St. Louis Rams, but barely played due to an injury. He was then out of the league.
So those are the Top 5 biggest draft busts in New York Giants history. Do you agree? Who did I leave out? What are your thoughts on the 5 busts listed above? Let me know in the comment section and give me the article a like as well. Don’t forget to check out other NFL content on Stadium Rant as well.
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