Though the 2024 season is quite some time away, the NFL Combine is currently going on in Indianapolis meaning that the NFL Draft is not too far off in the distance. That's where the Arkansas Razorbacks have been a staple as every year since 1995, at least one Razorback has been selected.
That's a streak that will almost certainly continue in 2024. Right now, five Razorbacks are participating in the combine in front of scouts and talent evaluators from every franchise.
Offensive linemen Beaux Limmer and Brady Latham, defensive lineman Trajan Jeffcoat, cornerback Dwight McGlothern, and kicker Cam Little are working out at the combine. Each of them has a shot to hear his name called in April.
When each of these players gets his shot, Arkansas fans hope that he makes his mark on Sundays. However, there have been plenty of Razorbacks who were high draft picks but who did not pan out in the NFL. So let's look at the top five Arkansas NFL Draft busts.
No. 5: Felix Jones | Running Back |
|---|---|
Dallas Cowboys | 2008 - First Round |
When the Dallas Cowboys drafted former Arkansas running back Felix Jones with the No. 22 overall pick of the 2008 NFL Draft, many jested that Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones, an Arkansas Alum, just wanted to draft a player from his alma mater. That's because taking a backup running back so early in the draft was a strange move. Unfortunately for both Joneses, that move didn't pan out.
At Arkansas, Felix Jones played second-team running back behind superstar Darren McFadden. Thus, he never had more than 155 carries in a season. Granted, he did make the most of his touches as twice he surpassed the 1,000-yard mark thanks to his speed and big-play ability.
Still, being a featured back in the NFL would prove to be more than Jones was ready for. On Sundays, he'd again prove to be nothing more than a change-of-pace back who couldn't be a team's lead back. He never had more than 185 carries and 800 yards in a season. What's more, he never scored more than three TDs as a running back in any season.
As a collegiate, he averaged a whopping 7.7 yards per carry. No on expected that number to hold up in the NFL but as his carries went up at that level, his yards per average dropped significantly.
Now, in Dallas, Jones did have to share carries with bruising running back Marion Barber for much of his career. Still, though, he did get a chance to be the lead back after a few years but he never proved to be a player that could carry an offense and that's not what teams should expect of the No. 22 player taken in any draft.
After five seasons in Dallas and one in Pittsburgh, Jones would end his career with only 2,912 rushing yards and 11 TDs. Those are woefully modest numbers for a first-round draft pick thus Jones has to be considered a bust, even if he was taken higher than he should have been by Jerry Jones.