Lists, baby! Lists! Bleacher Report has one, where they try to pick the biggest mistakes of the past 10 years for each NFL team. They chose the selection of Damarious Randall in 2015 for the Green Bay Packers.
Randall was somewhat of a head case and that eventually got him shipped to the Cleveland Browns, earlier this year.
The Packers’ biggest mistake there may have been trying to make Randall a cornerback. Coach Mike McCarthy has publicly stated that the Packers didn’t use Randall where they should have, which was at safety. It’s the position he played in college.
The problem with the logic behind Randall as the Packers’ biggest mistake in the past 10 years is twofold. First, Randall did play some decent football for the team from time to time, particularly as a rookie. Second, their argument is that the Packers could have had All Pro safety Landon Collins instead.
Yeah, the Packers could have had Barry Sanders or Derrick Thomas instead of Tony Mandarich too. These things happen, so let’s throw that argument out the window.
In 2015, the Packers didn’t need a safety. They already had Morgan Burnett and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. So why would they pick Collins?
They needed a cornerback at the time, after having let Tramon Williams and Davon House walk in free agency. Randall would be that cornerback. And the Packers went hard to replenish the position in that draft, choosing Quinten Rollins in the second round.
Neither of those guys have been great, but biggest mistake?
I think that’s a reach.
How about defensive lineman Jerel Worth in the second round in 2012?
Ted Thompson traded up to make that selection. What did he get?
Worthy was a stud at Michigan State, but there were questions about his work ethic coming out. Worthy had a total of 15 tackles and 2.5 sacks in two seasons with the Packers. Not one to give up on his own draft picks, Thompson gave up on Worthy after just two years. That’s an admission of a mistake.
Worthy was traded to the Patriots for a conditional late-round pick. Conditional on Worthy making the Patriots’ roster, which he did not.
So the Packers got nothing for this particular mistake.
You could also throw quarterback Brian Brohm into this conversation. Initially, it was thought that Brohm might compete with Aaron Rodgers to be the starter in the post-Brett Favre era. Thompson spent a second-round pick on Brohm in 2008.
The pro game was too fast for him. He was beat out for the No. 2 quarterback job by seventh-rounder Matt Flynn. Brohm lasted only one season with the Packers and is out of football.
How about Derek Sherrod, who was a first-round pick in 2011? Granted, he suffered a knee injury that killed his career. Sherrod started just one game in his three-year career.
Unfortunately, this discussion is limited to 10 years.
However, Thompson’s biggest gaffe has to be choosing defensive lineman Justin Harrell in the first round in 2007. Three years, 14 total games played, two starts, 28 total tackles.
Harrell was injured when he came out. Nothing changed in the pros.
So you go ahead and pick the biggest mistake in that group. I say it isn’t Randall.