No. 2: Ron Faurot | Defensive End |
|---|---|
New York Jets | 1984 - First Round |
Another Razorback great who was taken high in the first round because it was thought he could rush the passer in the NFL was Ron Faurot, the No. 15 overall pick in the 1984 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. But he too proved to be a disappointment on Sundays.
As a senior, he earned All-American honors after racking up 61 tackles and seven sacks for the Razorbacks. Thus, he was a coveted player coming out of school.
As a rookie, he made nine starts and played in 15 games racking up 2.0 sacks. However, a scheme change by the Jets coaching staff would ask him to move to outside linebacker in a 3-4 alignment the next season. Faurot didn't take to that move very well.
"Well, that was kind of the beginning of the end for me there because we were a 4-3 defense and they switched to a 3-4," Faurot later said. "They brought in a new defensive coordinator (Bud Carson) and decided to experiment with me at outside linebacker.
"I believe Coach Walton was the one that told me about trying me at that position and see how it goes. They told me to drop weight, and so I had to go through drills and just basically ran all my weight off. I went from 275 down to 255."
After just five games into that season, the Jets cut Faurot. Then, while with the San Diego Chargers, he would suffer a career-ending knee injury.
Faurot would go back to his native Texas and open a successful bar and grill in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. However, when it comes to his football career, the former top-15 pick has to be considered a huge bust.