Revisiting the 2013 NFL Draft: A Historic Class of “Draft Busts”

The 2013 NFL Draft has garnered notoriety as one of the least successful draft classes in NFL history. A closer examination of the top 32 picks reveals a staggering number of players who have exited the league, leaving only a small fraction still active in the NFL.

The draft’s top selections tell a compelling story:

1. Eric Fisher (out of the league)
2. Luke Joeckel (out of the league)
3. Dion Jordan (out of the league)
4. Lane Johnson (Philadelphia Eagles)
5. Ezekiel Ansah (out of the league)
6. Barkevious Mingo (out of the league)
7. Jonathan Cooper (out of the league)
8. Tavon Austin (out of the league)
9. Dee Milliner (out of the league)
10. Chance Warmack (out of the league)
11. D.J. Fluker (out of the league)
12. D.J. Hayden (out of the league)
13. Sheldon Richardson (out of the league)
14. Star Lotulelei (out of the league)
15. Kenny Vaccaro (out of the league)
16. EJ Manuel (out of the league)
17. Jarvis Jones (out of the league)
18. Eric Reid (out of the league)
19. Justin Pugh (New York Giants)
20. Kyle Long (out of the league)
21. Tyler Eifert (out of the league)
22. Desmond Trufant (out of the league)
23. Sharrif Floyd (out of the league)
24. Bjoern Werner (out of the league)
25. Xavier Rhodes (out of the league)
26. Datone Jones (out of the league)
27. DeAndre Hopkins (Tennessee Titans)
28. Sylvester Williams (out of the league)
29. Cordarrelle Patterson (Atlanta Falcons)
30. Alec Ogletree (out of the league)
31. Travis Frederick (out of the league)
32. Matt Elam (out of the league)

Startlingly, only four players from the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft remain active in the league. The list of departed talents includes some highly-touted prospects whose careers took unexpected turns. The 2013 draft class serves as a reminder that despite the intense scouting and evaluation processes leading up to the draft, outcomes can be remarkably unpredictable.