Most Forgotten QBs In First Round of NFL Draft

Most Forgotten QBs In First Round of NFL Draft
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Fact Checked by Nate Hamilton

Each year, hundreds of college football stars hear their names called during the NFL Draft, with a select few going in the first round and having their success celebrated by Commissioner Roger Goodell, while hundreds of others are relegated to daytime television on days two and three of the made-for-TV spectacle.  

This year’s exhibition takes place in Downtown Detroit from April 24-27, with ESPN, ABC and the NFL Network carrying the event live each day, where a legion of future NFL stars will start their journey towards their pro careers in earnest.  

With the NFL Draft just around the corner and the QBs in this upcoming 2024 NFL Draft being the most discussed topic of this offseason, we looked at who the most forgotten 1st round NFL QBs are.   
 
Utilizing the quiz website, Sporcle.com, we used their quiz, “Can you name the QBs taken in the first round of the NFL Draft since 1983?” which has been taken by 692.8 thousand people. BetCarolina.com - your home for North Carolina sports betting news and sportsbook promos - determined the most forgotten QBs selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since 2010 to keep the data relevant. 

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Top 10 Most Forgotten QBs Selected In 1st Rd. of NFL Draft (Since 2010)

The information below won't help you on North Carolina sports betting apps, but it's fun to reminisce about these first-round draft picks.

Rank Quarterback Draft Year Team % Correct By Quiz Takers
1 Blaine Gabbert2011Jacksonville Jaguars34.5%
2 Jake Locker2011Tennessee Titans35.5%
3 Christian Ponder2011Minnesota Vikings36.2%
4 Brandon Weeden2012Cleveland Browns49.2%
5 Tim Tebow2010Denver Broncos52.4%
6 Cam Newton2011Carolina Panthers54.5%
7 EJ Manuel2013Buffalo Bills57.6%
8 Sam Bradford2010St. Louis Rams57.7%
9 Paxton Lynch2016Denver Broncos58.8%
10 Tua Tagovailoa2020Miami Dolphins68.1%

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Who Are The Most Forgotten 1st Round QBs Since 2010?

The “most forgotten” draft picks under center over the last decade-and-a-half include a trio of Heisman Trophy winners and a host of award winners at the position, including former UCF and Jacksonville Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert, who had the lowest successful percentage of any player at the position, at 34.5%.  

Gabbert was the third pick in the 2014 NFL Draft out of Orlando University by the nearby Jacksonville Jaguars, with a career approximate value of 48 in 78 games with the Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams between 2014 and 2019.  

His best season came in 2015 when he posted 14 AV across 16 games while throwing for 4,428 yards, 35 touchdowns (to 18 interceptions) with a 51.4 QBR with Jacksonville, two years after he won the American Athletic Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year award.  

The other “most forgotten” 1st round QBs were Jake Locker, who went from being the next big thing as the No. 8 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft out of Washington to out of the NFL in less than a half-decade, making it through 30 games with the Tennessee Titans, where he posted a 9-14 record and had nearly as many interceptions (22) as touchdowns (27).  

Locker (35.5%) beat out former FSU and Minnesota Vikings QB Christian Ponder (36.2%), Brandon Weeden of the Cleveland Browns and Oklahoma State Cowboys (49.2%) and Tim Tebow of Florida Gators and Denver Broncos fame (52.4%).  

Rounding out the list of the “most forgotten” first-round draft picks at QB were EJ Manuel of the Buffalo Bills (57.6%), Sam Bradford of the St. Louis Rams (57.7%), Paxton Lynch of the Denver Broncos (58.8%) and Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins (68.1%).

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Author

Christopher Boan

Christopher Boan is a lead writer at BetCarolina.com specializing in covering state issues. He has covered sports and sports betting in Arizona for more than seven years, including stops at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.

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