1. Alphonso Smith (2009)
Pick: 2nd Round (37th Overall) Experience: 4 years (1 with Broncos)
Career Stats: 83 total tackles; 8 interceptions; 2 fumble recoveries; 2 touchdowns
Hands down, the most inexcusable, short-sighted thing the Denver Broncos have done in recent memory. Not because they selected Alphonso Smith — that’s defensible — but because they gave up a first-round pick the next season to move up to draft Smith in the second round.
Any idea what that first-round pick turned into?
Smith was jettisoned out of Denver after one season, in which he totaled 12 tackles, three passes defensed and zero interceptions in 15 games, and he was out of the league entirely after four seasons.
Conversely, Earl Thomas has gone on to make five Pro Bowls, make three First-Team All-Pro selections, lead one of the greatest defenses in NFL history to a Super Bowl appearance and start 96 out of 96 possible games for the Seattle Seahawks.
Yeah … I think the Broncos would have preferred to keep that pick.
(Featured image courtesy of dentonrc.com)
