Re-Drafting the 2005 NFL Draft Using Advanced Analytics
5 Busts
We've alluded to a few busts, but there were much more than a few in this draft.
| Player | Position | CarAV | Actual Pick | Re-Draft Pick | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlin Jackson | DB | 13 | 29 | 104 | 75 |
| Mike Williams | WR | 12 | 10 | 106 | 96 |
| Troy Williamson | WR | 8 | 7 | 124 | 117 |
| David Pollack | LB | 3 | 17 | 134 | 117 |
| Erasmus James | DE | 6 | 18 | 152 | 134 |
Troy Williamson and Mike Williams have already been talked about, who played a combined 10 seasons with just 2,657 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns between them. Neither would be re-drafted inside the top 95 picks.
Marlin Jackson wasn't one of the top defensive backs taken, but he was drafted in the first round, nonetheless. He was expected to improve the Indianapolis Colts' secondary at such a high draft price. Instead, he played just 5 seasons with 32 total starts and a mere 4 interceptions to his name.
Erasmus James was also a defender who was expected to do much more than he did in his short career. He was great in his time as a Wisconsin Badger, but he never started more than nine games in a season and totaled just five sacks across five seasons in the league.
You might know the other guy, David Pollack, from his new working capacity as a college football analyst for ESPN. That's fitting, considering Pollack was a beast with the University of Georgia. The NFL was a different story, though.
Pollack's career was cut short by a terrible back injury suffered in his second season with the Cincinnati Bengals. He finished his career with 4.5 sacks in 14 games and five career starts.
