It’s one of those picks that leads NFL head coaches and general managers to the unemployment line.
When the Dallas Cowboys drafted edge rusher Taco Charlton in the 1st round (No. 28 overall) of the 2017 NFL draft, they did so just 2 picks ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers drafting future NFL Defensive Player of the Year, 6-time NFL All-Pro, and likely future Pro Football Hall of Fame edge rusher T.J. Watt at No. 30 overall.
It’s a draft pick that’s so bad it’s being called the “Worst Draft Pick of the Century” by Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox.
“Charlton was an intriguing prospect despite having inconsistent production (in college),” Knox wrote. “He had tremendous size (6’6″, 277 lbs) and was an all-Big Ten selection in his final collegiate season. Still, picking Charlton late in Round 1 meant passing on T.J. Watt, whom the Steelers selected two picks later. Watt has gone on to have a Hall of Fame-caliber career with 115.0 sacks, eight Pro Bowls and four first-team All-Pro selections. Charlton recorded four sacks in two seasons with the Cowboys before he was waived early in the 2019 season. He recorded five sacks with the Miami Dolphins that season, but he was out of the NFL by 2023.”
‘All-Pro Ceiling’ for Taco Charlton Was Mirage
While hindsight is 20/20, the buzz around Charlton was much louder than it was around Watt, even though it was Watt who seemed like the better prospect on paper.
In Watt’s only year as a full-time starter in 2016, he filled up the stat sheet with 63 tackles, 15.5 TFL, and 11.5 sacks on the way to earning All-American and All-Big Ten honors. For Charlton, who was also named All-Big Ten that season, the hype heading into the draft proved too powerful for the Cowboys to ignore.
“Charlton is an ascending prospect with the size, length, athleticism and pass-rushing potential that NFL general managers dream of,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “What you see today might not be what you get. While his production coming out of college will be modest, he could become a substantially better player as a pro if he’s committed to the weight room and willing to absorb coaching. High-impact defensive end with all-pro potential is his ceiling. His floor is solid starter.”
Questions Over Work Ethic Led to Release
After backing up star edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence as a rookie, Charlton was essentially gifted a starting spot in his 2nd season, although defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli made a point of taking Charlton off the field on obvious passing downs.
After repeated conversations with Marinelli about concerns over his work ethic, Charlton was released just 2 weeks into the regular season after posting “Free Me” on his social media accounts.
That kicked off a long and winding road for Charlton, who wound up playing for 7 different NFL teams over the next 5 seasons, although he hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2022 with the Chicago Bears and spent his final NFL season in 2023 on the practice squad for the San Francisco 49ers.
Since 2024, Charlton has played in the UFL, winning a championship with the Birmingham Stallions. He currently plays for the Arlington/Dallas Renegades.
Cowboys Blasted for ‘Worst Draft Pick of the Century’ Over 6-Time NFL All-Pro