Tag: Kyle Brady

Was Kyle Brady a bigger NFL draft bust than Ki-Jana Carter?

Was Kyle Brady a bigger NFL draft bust than Ki-Jana Carter? USA TODAY Sports ranks them.

For years it seems the NFL draft world recognized the drafting of Penn State running back [autotag]Ki-Jana Carter[/autotag] by the Cincinnati Bengals with the first overall pick in the 1995 NFL draft as one of the biggest draft busts in draft history. And, with the benefit of hindsight, the selection by the Bengals may have been ill-advised for the franchise at the time, but labeling Carter a bust always felt weird. But what if another Penn State player taken in the top 10 of that same draft was an even bigger bust?

USA TODAY Sports ranked the top 50 NFL draft busts of the last 50 years. And, not surprisingly, Carter does find himself ranked among the top 50 biggest busts of the past 50 years. This particular ranking listed the Bengals’ draft pick of Carter at no. 44 on its list and noted the selection of Carter may be unfair due to Carter’s early injury before things ever really got started for him in the league.

Here is what USA TODAY Sports said about Carter and the Bengals;

In fairness, he ripped up his knee in his first preseason game and was never the same. Of note, it could have been much worse for Cincinnati. Expansion Carolina only charged the Bengals the fifth and 36th overall picks to move up for Carter, sweetheart terms by today’s standards. Yet it worked out OK for the Panthers, who took QB Kerry Collins.

Yes, the Panthers traded down and took Penn State quarterback [autotag]Kerry Collins[/autotag] with their first NFL draft pick in franchise history. Collins wasn’t a bust, but another of Collins’ and Carter’s teammates selected in that same draft in the top 10 was ranked as a bigger bust than Carter. That would be tight end [autotag]Kyle Brady[/autotag], who was selected with the ninth overall pick by a franchise synonymous with bad draft picks, the New York Jets.

The Jets drafting Brady with the ninth overall pick in 1995 was ranked no. 29 on USA TODAY Sports’ ranking of the top 50 NFL draft busts. Brady had a solid career in the NFL, but the biggest strike against Brady was who the Jets could have had instead. From USA TODAY Sports;

New York could have had Warren Sapp. Or Ty Law. Or Derrick Brooks. But in typical J-E-T-S fashion, they screwed it up royally. (And the availability of Law and Brooks didn’t deter the Jets from taking DE Hugh Douglas 16th overall, either.)

In fairness, the Jets weren’t the only team that whiffed on Warren Sapp. The Philadelphia Eagles did the same thing by drafting Mike Mamula, a move that also appears on this same list. Ironically, the Eagles eventually ended up with Hugh Douglas, who became a fixture on a team that went on a ride to its best stretch of success in the Andy Reid era.

Was Brady a bigger bust than Carter? Admittedly, this is not a comparison I ever gave much thought to until now. It still feels rough to call Carter a draft bust because of the injury in his first preseason, and labeling Brady a bust following a 13-year season also feels a bit off.

Of course, no ranking fo the top 50 NFL draft busts of the past 50 years is complete without mentioning the teams that didn’t draft a hall of fame quarterback in the famous 1983 NFL draft. Unfortunately for the Kansas City Chiefs, that included national championship quarterback at Penn State [autotag]Todd Blackledge[/autotag]. Drafting Blackledge when Dan Marino was on the board is certainly a mistake that cost the Chiefs. The Chiefs drafting Blackledge was packaged with the New England Patriots drafting Tony Eason out of Illinois and Ken O’Brien of UC Davis being drafted by the  — you guessed it — the Jets.

Blackledge stands out above the other two though because he was the second quarterback drafted (John Elway was taken no. 1 overall by the Baltimore Colts). Blackledge went before Jimy Kelly and Marino, two hall of fame quarterbacks. And at least O’Brien made the Pro Bowl during his career.

Which for these three was the biggest NFL draft bust out of Penn State? Honestly, the more you look at it, the more likely the answer could be Blackledge, who spent nine years in the NFL primarily as a backup.

Check out the full ranking of the top 50 NFL draft busts of the past 50 years from USA TODAY Sports.

[polldaddy poll=12183733]

Follow Kevin McGuire on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Follow Nittany Lions Wire on Twitter and like us on Facebook for continuing Penn State coverage and discussion. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

[mm-video type=video id=01gywdnz7han4zmv982n playlist_id=01ey902ehrs6e9bvhw player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gywdnz7han4zmv982n/01gywdnz7han4zmv982n-d2d8d4043dd71037771c45d28dfeae73.jpg]

Penn State’s all-time first-round NFL draft picks

Every Penn State football player ever drafted in the first round of the NFL draft in school history.

In the history of the NFL draft, only a handful of schools have had more players drafted by NFL franchises than Penn State. The Nittany Lions have sent over 360 players through the NFL draft over the years, and that number continues to climb every year. And when it comes to first-round picks, Penn State has had a solid number of those as well, including some top draft picks.

Lenny Moore, arguably the best player in Penn State football history, is appropriately the first player in program history to be selected by an NFL franchise in the NFL draft. Since then, Penn State players have been selected in the first round numerous times through the decades with players like Shane Conlan, Blair Thomas, Ki-Jana Carter, LaVar Arrington, Saquon Barkley, and Micah Parsons.

Here is a look at every first-round NFL draft pick in Penn State history, starting with the first.

Evan Engram breaks Jaguars record with fast start vs. Jets

Evan Engram is breaking franchise records during his first season with the Jaguars.

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram started strong against the New York Jets on Thursday, catching five passes for 83 receiving yards in the first half.

That fast start was enough to secure Engram the Jaguars’ franchise record for receptions in a season by a tight end.

The record previously belonged to Kyle Brady, who finished the 2000 season with 64 receptions for 729 yards and three touchdowns. On Thursday, Engram recorded his 65th reception of the season and rumbled down the left sideline for a 36-yard gain.

After the first half, Engram had 693 receiving yards and four touchdowns on the year.

Engram joined the Jaguars in the offseason on a one-year, $9 million deal after spending the first five years of his career with the New York Giants. Last week, Engram told ESPN’s Michael DiRocco that he’s hopeful he can return to the Jaguars in 2023.

With just a little bit more production, Engram will likely own every single-season receiving record for a Jaguars tight end. And it’ll be hard for the team not to make keeping him in the offseason a top priority.

PHOTOS: Penn State’s first round NFL draft picks since joining the Big Ten

From LaVar Arrington and Kerry Collins to Saquon Barkley and Micah Parsons, Penn State has had some big names drafted in the first round by NFL teams over the years.

After seeing two players be selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, with [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] and [autotag]Odafe Oweh[/autotag], Penn State is hoping to see at least one more player go in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. And there is a good chance a Nittany Lion will be selected in the first round with wide receiver [autotag]Jahan Dotson[/autotag] and defensive end [autotag]Arnold Ebiketie[/autotag] each being viewed as potential first-round selections.

Penn State has a history of developing NFL talent at all positions, but the school may not have quite as many first-round draft picks as you might have originally thought. Since joining the Big Ten in 1993, Penn State has had 19 players drafted in the first round of the NFL draft. Three players highlighted the top 10 of the 1995 draft following Penn State’s undefeated 1994 season. In 2003, Penn State players were selected with four first-round picks by NFL teams.

A Penn State player has been selected with the top overall pick twice in the Big Ten era of the program. Running back [autotag]Ki-Jana Carter[/autotag] was the first pick of the 1995 draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, who traded up to make the move. In 2003, Penn State’s massive defensive lineman [autotag]Courtney Brown[/autotag] was the first pick of the draft by the Cleveland Browns. His teammate, linebacker [autotag]LaVar Arrington[/autotag], followed as the No. 2 pick of Washington.

Here is a look at each first-round draft pick out of Penn State since the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten.