10 biggest Ohio State football NFL Draft busts of all time
By Ryan Stano
WR. New York Jets. Devin Smith. 6. player. 30.
Ohio State football NFL Draft bust No. 6: Devin Smith
2015 NFL Draft, Round 2, Pick 37
New York Jets, 2015-2017
Dallas Cowboys, 2019
Jacksonville Jaguars, 2021
No one could catch the deep ball quite like Devin Smith could for the Ohio State football team. He was one of the best to ever do it. He was huge during the 2014 season when the Buckeyes won the most improbable national championship in modern history. During the Big Ten Championship against Wisconsin, he had 4 catches for 137 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Smith showed his ability to speed down the field and get the separation required to catch the deep ball. That’s a very valuable skill at the NFL level. Because of that, he was the second-round pick of the New York Jets in the 2015 NFL Draft, taken 37th overall.
Unfortunately, Smith tore his ACL late in his rookie season. He then proceeded to only play four games the following year after rehabbing that injury. that same right knee would be problematic for him for the rest of his time in the NFL.
Once again, he tore his ACL in 2017 in that same knee. That forced him to miss the entire year. After that 2017 season, the Jets released him. The Cowboys signed Smith in 2019 though, giving him a second chance. He would only play four games that year before the Cowboys made him inactive and dropped him.
Smith has tried to come back a few times by signing onto practice squads but hasn’t signed anywhere since 2021. His career is over at this point. It’s a shame because he could have been a real threat down the field.
The next player on this list just had some legal trouble that will probably end any hope of his NFL career continuing.