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10 Worst Ever NFL Draft Busts
Welcome to the fifth edition of the DraftCast newsletter! Tim Wood here, host of the EssentiallySports DraftCast with Tony Pauline.
This was a seminal week in the NFL Draft cycle, where top prospects descended on Frisco, Texas, and Mobile, Alabama, for the Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl.
Our man, Tony Pauline, was there for all the action, all the behind-the-scenes intrigue, and all of the rumors and draft maneuvering among the many executives and scouts on hand.
We broke down Tony’s week on this week’s episode, going through the winners (and some losers) from the bowls and what it will do for their draft stock.
The game of NFL Head Coach Musical Chairs is finally concluding, and we took a look at one of the more intriguing hires, with Robert Saleh to Tennessee, and what it means for their first-round No. 4 pick.
Big updates to Tony’s Big Board this week, with tons of player evaluations being added, so be on the lookout for that—and make sure to create your watchlist so you can keep an eye on your favorite players moving up the Big Board.
We also had a discussion around elite college players whose talents didn’t translate to the NFL, which our fellow Draftnik Luke Hubbard has broken down in article form for you in this newsletter edition!
Finally, a HUGE shoutout to you, our loyal readers. We had an amazing week of mailbag questions for the show. Please keep the questions coming, and we’ll answer as many as we can on-air each week.
As always, we want to hear from you! Hit us in the comments, engage with us on Reddit, and let us know what you want to hear and read about when it comes to this year’s draft!
We’ve all watched highly touted prospects arrive in the NFL with sky-high expectations, only for some to never come close to delivering. Still, failing to achieve superstardom doesn’t automatically make a player a bust. We’re taking a look at college stars who reached the league and completely unraveled. You may agree or disagree with our picks. There’s only one way to find out!
NFL Draft season has officially kicked into high gear, and our Draft expert Tony Pauline spent the past week on the move, making stops at the Shrine Bowl before heading to the Senior Bowl. With a front-row seat to the action, our key insights, standout performances, and notes offer sharp analysis and takeaways from an exciting week.
With the 2026 Shrine and Senior Bowls now in the books, both events showcased players who saw their draft stock rise alongside others who struggled to meet expectations. We break down the biggest winners and losers at every offensive position and what their performances mean for the road ahead.
On our Draft big board, you’ll see Tony’s rankings and scouting reports for each prospect. And you can build a watchlist by clicking on the star at the far right of each prospect ranking.
Do you think Garrett Nussmeier will be a round 1 pick in 2026 NFL Draft? |
For its first 52 years, the NFL Draft was held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It shifted to different days in 1988, moved to a full weekend format in 1995 at Madison Square Garden, and expanded to its current Thursday–Saturday schedule in 2010.
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