It has been 14 years since the highly hyped Joe Smith was drafted 1st overall, four picks ahead of future NBA Champion, MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, four time All-NBA first team and 12 time NBA All-Star Kevin Garnett. While Joe Smith is still doing big things in the league, his career does not match up to KG's. It makes you wonder, how many professional sports drafts have there been worst results? Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan? Darko Milicic over Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh? Ryan Leaf taken by the San Diego Chargers with 2nd pick of the 1998 NFL Draft with Randy Moss slipping to the Minnesota Vikings with the 18th pick???????
The point is, talent and potential is in the eye-of-the-beholder. ESPN analysts like Mel Kiper Jr. may have more experience and information coming his way than the average fan, but year after year it shows that success for professional athletes is not predictable in the short and long term.
So, after all is said and done with this weekends NFL Draft your team may end up with the hottest college and NFL scout hyped player, but never jump to any conclusion because you may have picked up the next Tim Couch. But, then again you could have drafted the next Tom Brady. Time and experience will only tell.
If you're not feeling me on this read ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski's latest column. He looks through five-time Cy Young winner, 296 win and 10-time MLB All-Star Randy Johnson's scout report from 24 years ago. The scouting report by one MLB scout of the future Hall-of-Famer, "NO PROSPECT."
Who really knows?
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