Ranking the first overall picks in the NFL Draft since 2010

10 - 2014 - Jadeveon Clowney, DE, Houston Texans

Jadeveon Clowney was productive in Cleveland.

Prior to the 2014 NFL Draft, many teams were concerned about Jadeveon Clowney’s motor. He seemed to take too many plays off and few expected him to be an elite edge rusher in the NFL.

Even so, the Houston Texans selected him first-overall in the NFL Draft and would only get five years out of him before moving on.

Clowney’s rookie year was disrupted by injury and he made just two starts, however he never showed his true talent in Houston.

A career-high of 9.5 sacks in a single season came in 2017, yet his production has tailed off ever since.

In the 2021 campaign, after failed stints with the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans, Clowney would start 14 games for the Cleveland Browns. He recorded nine sacks, but this wasn’t enough to persuade the Browns to re-sign him.

Clowney has shown flashes of his talent, but in a way, this consolidates what scouts said about him prior to the 2014 NFL Draft. He's too inconsistent with his effort and you can’t rely on him to pressure the quarterback on every down.

His NFL career hasn’t been poor, but for where he was taken in the NFL Draft the Texans have to consider it a wasted pick. Especially with Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald both being taken later in the first-round of the same NFL Draft class.

9 - 2010 - Sam Bradford, QB, St. Louis Rams

Sam Bradford couldn't stay healthy.

Sam Bradford was a consensus first-overall selection in the 2010 NFL Draft. His quarterback prowess was incredible as a collegiate athlete and few had any complaints when the St. Louis Rams drafted the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner.

Unfortunately, injuries would ruin Bradford’s career, rendering this pick almost impossible to judge as a success story.

Four years in St. Louis were unproductive for Bradford, who enjoyed his only fully healthy year in 2012, when he started all 16 of the Rams’ games and threw for 3,702 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Unfortunately, playing on a poor Rams team often afforded Bradford next to no protection, and he started just seven games in his final year in St. Louis. An ACL tear followed in October 2013, before he suffered the exact same injury in a pre-season game in 2014, ensuring he would miss the entire season.

Bradford was then able to make two solid runs with the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings, starting 14 and 15 games respectively in 2015 and 2016. He threw for 3,725 yards and 3,877 yards in those two years.

Injuries hit him again and his last contract was as a backup with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. He has been out of the NFL ever since, and his career is considered to be over.

8 - 2018 - Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns

Baker Mayfield's career in Cleveland is over.

The Cleveland Browns went 0-16 in the 2017 season and needed to find a quarterback to rescue the situation.

Baker Mayfield was jettisoned in as the first-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, with many having concerns about his suitability for the position.

Mayfield’s story is one which is still being told, even after four mixed seasons in Cleveland.

Mayfield has been consistent with the Browns, but consistently average, rather than ever hitting the elite bracket.

He led the team to a winning season in 2020, throwing for 26 touchdowns and 3,563 yards. He was also able to win the Browns their first play-off game since 1994 when he commandeered a 48-37 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

However, 2021 saw the Browns grow tired of mediocre play from their quarterback and replace him with Deshaun Watson.

Mayfield is currently without a starting role, and it remains to be seen who will trade for him after the 2022 NFL Draft. After just four average seasons, he is at a career crossroads.