5 biggest NFL draft busts in Kentucky football history

Kentucky won't be producing another first-round pick in 2024, but that also means no Wildcat taken this year will be seen as a big NFL draft bust, which is a bit of a silver-lining.

December 8 2002;Jacksonville,FL,USA; Quarterback Tim Couch of the Cleveland Browns in action against / Paul Chapman

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No. 19 overall. George Adams, RB. . player. George Adams. . 4. 31. 1985. George Adams, RB

Kentucky continued its run-heavy style for a while after Randy Burke was in the NFL and George Adams was a huge beneficiary. He posted back-to-back 700-yard seasons in 1982 and 1983, but in ‘84, he exploded. Adams, despite only averaging 4.3 yards per carry, ran for 1,085 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was a high-volume running back who also caught 33 passes for 330 yards and another score.

With so much tread already worn off the tires, and a lack of efficiency in college, it’s not a surprise in hindsight that Adams didn’t succeed in the NFL. He was taken by the Giants and had a promising rookie season with 498 yards on the ground and 389 more through the air, but he averaged under four yards per rush.

He didn’t seem destined for NFL superstardom, but Adams’s career was derailed by a hip injury leading up to the 1986 season. He missed the entire year and in 1987, his long-awaited sophomore campaign in the pros, he averaged 2.8 yards per carry and only racked up 169 yards.

Adams played for six years in the league but finished his career with 886 rushing yards and 1,014 receiving yards.

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