Buyer Remorse draft pick #3 – Mike Williams
2005 was another Matt Millen draft. It was also another moment that left Lions fans screaming for mercy. On April 23, 2005, Matt Millen did the unthinkable and used the 10th pick in the draft to select USC receiver, Mike Williams. That was the third first-round pick Millen used on a receiver in four years.
The book on Williams was that he was a gifted athlete with great size, but lazy. He declared for the draft following his sophomore season in 2004 but was ruled ineligible by a federal court after challenging the NFL’s rule that a player must be three years removed from High School to enter the draft. Since Williams had already signed with an agent, that meant he was unable to return to USC for his junior season.
So after one whole year out of football, the Lions decided to pull the trigger on Williams. The backlash was incredible and unfortunately right. Williams only played two seasons in Detroit before he was traded to the Oakland Raiders.
Fourteen picks after the Lions had selected Williams in the 2005 draft, the Green Bay Packers selected quarterback Aaron Rodgers from the University of California.
Once again Lions fans are very well aware of what their divisional rival has been able to do with Rodgers at the helm. After sitting behind Brett Favre for three years, Rodgers took over and the Packers haven’t missed a beat.
Between his ability to make plays with his feet and his accurate arm, the two-time former NFL MVP and Super Bowl XLV champion has become one of the games all-time greats.
Lions fans may not like Rodgers, but there is little doubt they would have liked some of the success in Motown that he has brought to Green Bay, making this the third worse ‘buyers remorse’ draft pick for the Lions in common draft history.