Texas Football: 5 biggest NFL Draft busts ever among former Longhorns

Kenneth Sims, DT

Among the best Texas defensive linemen in program history is Kenneth Sims. It’s rare for a defensive lineman to ever be in the final Heisman Trophy voting, but Sims finished in the top 10 in 1981. But this talent was not really something that was able to translate smoothly from the Forty Acres to the NFL.

The uber-talented 6-foot-5 and 275 pound defensive end was the first overall pick of the New England Patriots in the 1982 NFL Draft. Sims actually did have a rather lengthy NFL career with the Patriots over the course of eight seasons. But there was never a team where the All-Pro/Pro Bowl level billing came through for Sims.

In those eight seasons he played in for the Patriots in the NFL, Sims registered 17 sacks and five fumble recoveries (at least among stats that were recorded). Sims did get 64 career starts in 74 games played in the regular season. About the only accolade that Sims racked up during his NFL career was All-Rookie Team in 1982.

Sims never lived up to the hype with the Patriots, and he got a long while to try and reach his immense ceiling he came off the Forty Acres with.

Picked later in the first round in the 1982 draft were eventual Hall-of-Famers such as running back Marcus Allen and offensive guard Mike Munchak. There were also other notable players picked later in the first, and throughout the second round, such as Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon, Patriots Hall-of-Fame wide receiver Andre Tippett, and St. Louis Cardinals offensive guard Luis Sharpe.