The Most Expensive NFL Drafts in History

Football is also a big-money sport through which some players receive generational wealth even before they have played a real NFL game. Here are some of the most expensive NFL draft picks in history and how they fared after transitioning from college to professional football.

JaMarcus Russell

JaMarcus Russell’s draft hype was almost as big as his stature. At 6’6” and 260 pounds, Russell was big, even for a quarterback. He could also run and, of course, had a cannon of an arm that could fling a football 70 yards from one knee, which is impressive because many quarterbacks struggle with that distance with two legs and momentum on their side.

Russell also put up big numbers at Louisiana State University, where he played college football. The combination of college prowess and his otherworldly athletic skills made for a huge contract. Out of college, he earned an unheard-of $61 million contract with the Oakland Raiders after they signed him as their first overall pick.

The Raiders’ chosen athlete had many problems, though. His work ethic was rumored to be rather poor, as he relied almost entirely on his athletic ability to get him by rather than studying. While JaMarcus had many issues on and off the field, he reportedly became addicted to cough syrup when he accidentally drank a soda that had been mixed with medicine, causing him to get high and pass out.

Russell wasn’t exactly put in the best situation, with a terrible offensive line and poor receivers resulting in a low completion percentage and a relatively high number of interceptions. He was cut from the Raiders by 2009 and never played in the league again. In hindsight, the former college star might be the worst money value for a draft pick in NFL history.

Von Miller

Von Miller’s story is quite different from Russell’s. Miller was selected second overall in the 2011 draft, one spot behind Cam Newton. The two would face off in the Super Bowl a few years later, where Von Miller would cause a game-changing fumble that sent the Panthers packing after an incredible season and earned Von Miller a ring.

Miller is on this list for the relatively wealthy bonus he signed after the draft. The total amount of his contract was $21 million, fully guaranteed, with $13.773 in signing bonuses. The Broncos also included a bonus for sacks, as they bet that as a highly-skilled pass rusher, Miller would quickly disrupt backfields and cause negative plays. Much like the Broncos’ bet on Von’s future, Miller is also a strategic gambler and enjoys all sorts of games like those on casinos.com, including roulette and blackjack.

Sam Bradford

While we have talked about a very effective NFL linebacker and an ineffective quarterback, both of whom received big paydays, we haven’t yet discussed the biggest rookie contract in NFL history. In 2010, the St. Louis Rams needed a quarterback and picked college phenom Sam Bradford with their first overall pick, then signed him for six years and $76 million.

Bradford did well for the Rams, though he missed many games because of injuries. While Sam had a rocket arm that threw with serious precision, his knees seemed to be made of glass. After a few years, he headed to the Philadelphia Eagles before he was dealt to the Minnesota Vikings following a preseason injury to their quarterback. He then got hurt again.

Sam only played 83 NFL games and received nearly $130 million, though, in all fairness, he did look good most of the time he stepped onto the field.

Ndamukong Suh

The Detroit Lions picked Suh second overall in the 2010 draft. Like Bradford, Suh provided exceptional value, even for the high price tag of $64 million for five years. Ndamukong’s fierce pass rush provided plenty of negative players for the Lions. Suh earned 2010 Rookie of the Year honors, which are uncommon for a defensive player. While one would expect a defensive player like Ndamukong to be very physical, he also earned a bad reputation in the NFL for being a dirty player who went for the knees and stomping on players with his cleats.

Calvin Johnson

Calvin Johnson earned the nickname “Megatron” for an incredible combination of speed, hands, and jumping ability. He is also the second Detroit Lion on our list, from the same decade even, and shows how poorly the Lions played in the late 2000s to earn two high-draft picks worthy of a substantial early contract.

Johnson’s contract was slightly larger than Suh’s, weighing $64 million. Johnson and quarterback Matthew Stafford put up some serious numbers over the years, including 1,964 receiving yards in 2012. Nevertheless, Megatron grew unhappy with the team and retired pretty young at just 31 years old.

Conclusion

Many of the players we mentioned have celebrated legacies that live on with their teams where they showed their worth after a big paycheck received just out of college. Others, like JaMarcus Russell, shows that NFL owners should exercise caution, even when the bright future of a skilled player enthralls them. The expensive draft day picks we discussed are the dream of many NFL players who love the sport, fans, and big money.