27. Dan Wilkinson – 1st overall to Bengals in 1994:
The infamously nicknamed “Big Daddy” came into the storied 1994 draft class amid much promise, and for good reason. The hulking prospect weighed 315 pounds while bench-pressing 225 pounds 34 times and running an alarming 4.72-second 40-yard dash. But those measurables failed to register into actual on-field success. He was drafted by the Bengals and immediately held out before becoming the highest-paid player in franchise history. By 1997, however, he was on the outs in Cincinnati after calling the city ‘racist.’
Wilkinson went on to play for the Redskins, Lions, and Dolphins, with his last year coming in 2006. He had a decently lengthy career but not one that justified his pre-draft hype. The pick’s failure was compounded by the fact that Cincinnati could have drafted Marshall Faulk with the pick, thereby potentially avoiding the Ki-Jana Carter disaster the following year.
