Re-Drafting the 2000 NFL Draft Using Advanced Analytics
5 Busts
There weren't many absolute top 10 busts here, but there were still busts in this draft nonetheless.
| Player | Position | CarAV | Actual Pick | Re-Draft Pick | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R. Jay Soward | WR | 2 | 29 | 163 | 134 |
| Sylvester Morris | WR | 6 | 21 | 128 | 107 |
| Rashard Anderson | DB | 6 | 23 | 129 | 106 |
| Erik Flowers | DE | 6 | 26 | 130 | 104 |
| Chris McIntosh | T | 8 | 22 | 120 | 98 |
Each of these five players were picked in the first round -- albeit, at the end of it -- yet wouldn't be picked inside the top 100 if we were to re-do everything today.
R. Jay Soward, a former USC Trojan, did next to nothing for the Jaguars. He played only one season before missing the entire 2001 in violation of the league's substance abuse policy. He never played in the NFL again.
Soward wasn't the only wideout to play just one season in the league before disappearing altogether. Sylvester Morris did the same thing, with just 678 yards and 3 touchdowns in his one year with the Kansas City Chiefs. He caught fewer than 50% of his targets and fumbled the ball three times.
On the other side of the ball, Rashard Anderson's career was just as short as the two wideouts preceding him. After appearing in 12 games in his rookie season, Anderson played in 15 games his second season, when he tallied just one interception.
Compared to the others, Erik Flowers had a long-lived NFL life. But, that doesn't mean it was any more successful. In five seasons, the defensive end played for three teams and recorded 5 sacks in 58 games. Not exactly what you're looking for out of a late first-rounder.
There's a lot of offensive linemen in the NFL, so it's hard to stick. Usually, though, top picks happen to stick because they're graded so high by scouts and teams. Back in 2000, Chris McIntosh was highly valued by the Seattle Seahawks, but he played only two seasons.
