Auburn Football: The five best, and five worst, NFL first-round picks from Auburn
By Chris Roush
1. Aundray Bruce, drafted first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 1988
When a team drafts a player with the first pick in the NFL draft, it wants a Pro Bowl player whose career is filled with outstanding plays and playoff appearances. The Atlanta Falcons got one of the greatest No. 1 pick busts of all time with Aundray Bruce.
Bruce was an All-American in 1987 and garnered national attention after he intercepted three passes in one game that year against Georgia Tech. He played his first four seasons with the Falcons and started 29 of the first 32 games in his career but totaled just 136 tackles during the first two years.
Bruce played eight more years in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders, but he started just 41 of 151 career games and had just 264 career tackles, or about 1.5 per game.
For a player expected to be the next Lawrence Taylor, Bruce’s career was a disappointment, especially for an overall No. 1 pick. The NFL Network last year selected Bruce as the No. 6 all-time NFL Draft bust.