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The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history

The Arizona Cardinals have made some outstanding selections in the NFL Draft, including current players Larry Fitzgerald and Patrick Peterson. But they've also selected their share of stinkers. Here's a look at their five worst picks, along with a few dishonorable mentions, since moving to the Valley in 1988.

  • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    Dishonorable mention: Anthony Thompson -- second round (No. 31 overall), 1990: Thompson isn't the biggest bust at running back for the Cardinals, but he's up there. The two-time consensus All-American at Indiana rushed for a grand total of 774 yards during his two-plus seasons in Arizona, managing just 3.2 yards per carry. (Getty Images)Photo by: George Rose
  • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    Dishonorable mention: Johnny Rutledge -- second round (No. 51 overall), 1999: The linebacker was a first-team All-SEC selection in his senior season at Florida, but he made just three starts in four seasons in Arizona and didn't record a single sack. (Getty Images)Photo by: Scott Halleran
  • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    Dishonorable mention: Tony Sacca -- second round (No. 46 overall), 1992: Sacca isn't the biggest QB bust in AZ Cardinals history (keep reading), but fans expected more from the Penn State star. He appeared in just two games for the Cardinals, throwing two interceptions without a touchdown pass. 1992 was Sacca's only NFL season.  
  • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    5. Ryan Williams -- second round (No. 38 overall), 2011: The man nicknamed "Lil Sweetness" as a nod to Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton is the only non-first round pick on this list. Big things were expected out of the Virginia Tech running back, but a ruptured patella tendon put him on the shelf for his entire rookie season in the Valley. When he finally took the field in 2012, Williams managed just 154 yards on 58 carries (2.8 yards per rush). He didn't see the field the following two years, and he was released by the Cardinals in 2014. (Getty Images)Photo by: Christian Petersen
  • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    4. Tommy Knight -- first round (No. 9 overall), 1997: The Iowa cornerback who was drafted ahead of future Pro Bowl cornerbacks such as Ronde Barber and Sam Madison did start 53 games in five seasons in Arizona, but he never became the Pro Bowl-caliber player the Cards hoped he would be. Knight managed just three interceptions and one forced fumble in AZ, and he missed more than half of the team's 1998 and 2001 seasons due to injury. He finished his NFL career with the St. Louis Rams in 2004. (Photo via NFL)Photo by: NFL
  • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    3. Wendall Bryant -- first round (No. 12 overall), 2002: The two-time Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year at Wisconsin entered the league with seemingly All-Pro potential -- but he would go on to start just nine games for the Cardinals. Bryant managed a total of 1.5 sacks during his three-year stint in Arizona before missing the 2005 season due to a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy. He never played in the NFL again, and his pro football career ended with the United Football League's Omaha Nighthawks in 2010. (Getty Images)Photo by: NFL Photos/Getty Images
  • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    2. Andre Wadsworth -- first round (No. 3 overall), 1998: A 1997 Consensus All-American at Florida State, Wadsworth held out for a bigger contract until the day before the beginning of the 1998 regular season. He went on to start just 30 games in three seasons with the Cardinals, managing only 72 total tackles and eight sacks during that time. Injuries kept Wadsworth's career from ever really getting started, as he underwent a trio of knee surgeries. The Cards released him after the 2000 season, and he never played in another NFL game. (Getty Images)Photo by: Harry How
  • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    1. Matt Leinart -- first round (No. 10 overall), 2006: Since moving to AZ, the Cards have selected one quarterback in the NFL Draft's first round -- and it's a pick they'd like to have back. The 2004 Heisman Trophy winner from USC, whom then-Cards coach Dennis Green called "a gift from heaven," would start a total of 17 games in Arizona. Leinart's 2006 and '07 seasons ended with injuries. He was benched in favor of Kurt Warner in 2008 and '09, and he was cut before the 2010 season began. He played briefly for three other teams, and his NFL career ended with the Bills in 2013. (Getty Images)Photo by: Jonathan Daniel
  • KNXV - Phoenix, Arizona

    The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history

    • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history
    • The biggest draft busts in Arizona Cardinals history

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    Dishonorable mention: Anthony Thompson -- second round (No. 31 overall), 1990: Thompson isn't the biggest bust at running back for the Cardinals, but he's up there. The two-time consensus All-American at Indiana rushed for a grand total of 774 yards during his two-plus seasons in Arizona, managing just 3.2 yards per carry. (Getty Images)George Rose
    Dishonorable mention: Johnny Rutledge -- second round (No. 51 overall), 1999: The linebacker was a first-team All-SEC selection in his senior season at Florida, but he made just three starts in four seasons in Arizona and didn't record a single sack. (Getty Images)Scott Halleran
    Dishonorable mention: Tony Sacca -- second round (No. 46 overall), 1992: Sacca isn't the biggest QB bust in AZ Cardinals history (keep reading), but fans expected more from the Penn State star. He appeared in just two games for the Cardinals, throwing two interceptions without a touchdown pass. 1992 was Sacca's only NFL season.  
    5. Ryan Williams -- second round (No. 38 overall), 2011: The man nicknamed "Lil Sweetness" as a nod to Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton is the only non-first round pick on this list. Big things were expected out of the Virginia Tech running back, but a ruptured patella tendon put him on the shelf for his entire rookie season in the Valley. When he finally took the field in 2012, Williams managed just 154 yards on 58 carries (2.8 yards per rush). He didn't see the field the following two years, and he was released by the Cardinals in 2014. (Getty Images)Christian Petersen
    4. Tommy Knight -- first round (No. 9 overall), 1997: The Iowa cornerback who was drafted ahead of future Pro Bowl cornerbacks such as Ronde Barber and Sam Madison did start 53 games in five seasons in Arizona, but he never became the Pro Bowl-caliber player the Cards hoped he would be. Knight managed just three interceptions and one forced fumble in AZ, and he missed more than half of the team's 1998 and 2001 seasons due to injury. He finished his NFL career with the St. Louis Rams in 2004. (Photo via NFL)NFL
    3. Wendall Bryant -- first round (No. 12 overall), 2002: The two-time Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year at Wisconsin entered the league with seemingly All-Pro potential -- but he would go on to start just nine games for the Cardinals. Bryant managed a total of 1.5 sacks during his three-year stint in Arizona before missing the 2005 season due to a violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy. He never played in the NFL again, and his pro football career ended with the United Football League's Omaha Nighthawks in 2010. (Getty Images)NFL Photos/Getty Images
    2. Andre Wadsworth -- first round (No. 3 overall), 1998: A 1997 Consensus All-American at Florida State, Wadsworth held out for a bigger contract until the day before the beginning of the 1998 regular season. He went on to start just 30 games in three seasons with the Cardinals, managing only 72 total tackles and eight sacks during that time. Injuries kept Wadsworth's career from ever really getting started, as he underwent a trio of knee surgeries. The Cards released him after the 2000 season, and he never played in another NFL game. (Getty Images)Harry How
    1. Matt Leinart -- first round (No. 10 overall), 2006: Since moving to AZ, the Cards have selected one quarterback in the NFL Draft's first round -- and it's a pick they'd like to have back. The 2004 Heisman Trophy winner from USC, whom then-Cards coach Dennis Green called "a gift from heaven," would start a total of 17 games in Arizona. Leinart's 2006 and '07 seasons ended with injuries. He was benched in favor of Kurt Warner in 2008 and '09, and he was cut before the 2010 season began. He played briefly for three other teams, and his NFL career ended with the Bills in 2013. (Getty Images)Jonathan Daniel
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