Russell is still well-remembered as one of the worst busts in NFL history.
Former LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell had no shortage of hype coming out of Baton Rouge, but he fell far short of the expectations after he was selected first overall in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.
Actually, falling “far short” is probably an understatement, considering that Russell has gone down as one of the biggest busts in LSU history.
In his 2007 NFL re-draft, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport rectified the situation for the Raiders by having them select wide receiver Calvin Johnson out of Georgia Tech instead.
Here’s what he had to say about the pick:
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“By his second professional season, Megatron had established himself as one of the best wideouts in the game. When he came closer than anyone ever has to a 2,000-yard season with his 122 catches for 1,964 yards in 2012, he staked his claim as one of the greatest wide receivers ever.”
Johnson went to six straight Pro Bowls from 2010 to 2015, was named a first-team All-Pro three times and is a mortal lock for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot.”
Russell finished out his three-year NFL career with a completion percentage of 52.1%, 4,083 passing yards,18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.
It’s interesting to think about what could have been if the Raiders had gone with Johnson instead, though there’s a host of options that would have produced a better overall outcome for the team over Russell.
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