Top 5 Worst Draft Picks - 2000 NFL Draft

Over the next several days I will be going through the first round of each NFL draft since the year 2000 and highlighting the five worst selections of each draft. Inevitably there will be some decent players that will find their way onto this list, and many will do so not because of how they perform but because of the players their team could have selected. Consequently, this is more of a reflection on the teams picking than the players themselves. Let's dive right in.

5. Peter Warrick, Wide Receiver, #4 Overall Pick, Cincinnati Bengals - A playmaking wideout at Florida State, Warrick's career was short (he was out of the NFL by 2006) and while he had a decent year in 2003, an injury in 2004 led to the emergence of teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Warrick was released before the start of the 2005 season. He never lived up to the billing of a top 5 pick. Players selected later: RB Jamal Lewis (#5), DT Corey Simon (#6), WR Plaxico Burress (#8).

4. Ron Dayne, Running Back, #11 Overall Pick, New York Giants - Although Dayne was a Heisman Trophy Winner in college at Wisconsin, his skill set never quite seemed to translate to the NFL. Despite his size, Dayne was never able to fill the role of a short-yardage back that the Giants were hoping for to complement Tiki Barber in their backfield. Dayne gained a reputation for dancing too much in the backfield and not taking hits, and although he managed some decent seasons in Denver and later Houston, Dayne certainly never lived up to the #11 pick he was taken at. Players selected later: DE Shaun Ellis (#12), DE John Abraham (#13), RB Shaun Alexander (#19).

3. Courtney Brown, Defensive End, #1 Overall Pick, Cleveland Browns - You know this draft was bad when Brown only comes in 3rd. Brown and college teammate LaVar Arrington of Penn State went 1-2 in this draft, and in hindsight it appears Arrington would have been a far better choice for the Browns who were in just their second draft since returning to the league. Brown did record 4.5 sacks and 70 tackles in a productive rookie campaign, but he would record that same 4.5 sacks the next season before he began dealing with injury problems that would plague him the rest of his career. He would record just 8 sacks after those first two years and, after spending 2006 on the Denver Broncos IR, he was out of football by 2007. Players selected later: LB LaVar Arrington (#2), OT Chris Samuels (#3), RB Jamal Lewis (#5).

2. Rashard Anderson, Cornerback, #23 Overall Pick, Carolina Panthers - Anderson earns this spot not just because of his lack of on-field production (1 interception in 27 career games), but because of the way his career ended. Anderson was suspended for a year prior to the 2002 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy, and failed to be reinstated after that time expired for having not met the requirements for reinstatement. He was finally reinstated following the 2003 season, and was released by the Panthers that same day. Players selected later: CB Ahmed Plummer (#24), LB Keith Bullock (#30), DE Darren Howard (#33).

1. Sebastian Janikowski, Kicker, #17 Overall Pick, Oakland Raiders - One of the first in a long list of mind-boggling personnel decisions by the Raiders, Janikowski was only the fifth kicker selected in the first round in NFL history. Janikowski entered the NFL with a reputation and arrest record that would make Pacman Jones take notice, and his first years in the league followed suit with numerous arrests, mostly alcohol-related. Despite a career that has been okay on the field, the "Polish Powderkeg" has not been nearly the performer the Raiders would have needed to justify the first round pick and the legal problems that came with him. Players selected later: RB Shaun Alexander (#19), LB Keith Bullock (#30), K Neil Rackers (#169, the next kicker taken).

Next up: 2001, the Michael Vick Draft.