Going back 25 years in the history of top draft picks, top QB picks and those immediately after.
1999
1.1 QB Tim Couch
1.2 QB Donovan McNabb
1.3 Qb Akili Smith
Next picks: Edgerrin James, Ricky Williams, Torry Holt, Champ Bailey, David Boston, Chris Claiborne, Chris McAlister and Daunte Culpepper.
The draft choices obviously went horribly wrong for the Browns and Bengals.
2000
First QB was Chad Pennington at #18. That QB class has previously been researched quite extensively.
2001
1.1 QB Michael Vick
Three QBs were drafted in the 2nd round: 2.32 Drew Brees, 2.53 Quincy Carter, 2.59 Marques Tuiasosopo
2002
1.1 QB David Carr
1.3 QB Joey Harrinton
DE Julius Peppers was the right pick at #2. Several good players from #5 to #11.
The next QBs were 1.32 Patrick Ramsey, 3.81 Josh McCown, 4.108 David Garrard and 4.117 Rohan Davey
2003
1.1 QB Carson Palmer was the right pick.
The next QBs were 1.7 Byron Leftwich, 1.19 Kyle Boller and 1.22 Rex Grossman. Brian Billick wanted Boller so badly Baltimore traded picks with the Pats that turned into Vince Wilfork and Eugene Wilson.
2004
1.1 Eli Manning
1.3 Philip Rivers
1.11 Ben Roethlisberger
The big gaffe in this draft was OT Robert Gallery by the Raiders with the 2nd pick.
2005
1.1 QB Alex Smith
1.24 QB Aaron Rodgers
1.25 QB Jason Campbell
The bad picks in this draft were at other offensive skill positions, not QB. Tampa Bay (RB Cadillac Williams, 1.5), Minnesota (WR Troy Williamson, 1.7), and Detroit (WR Mike Williams, 1.10) were selected just prior to LBs DeMarcus Ware, Shawne Merriman, Thomas Davis and Derrick Johnson.
2006
1.3 QB Vince Young
1.10 QB Matt Leinart
1.11 QB Jay Cutler
The top two picks were DE Mario Williams and RB Reggie Bush.
2007
1.1 QB JaMarcus Russell
1.22 QB Brady Quinn
2.36 QB Kevin Kolb
Another mistake by the Raiders, as Al Davis had lost some zip off his fastball by this point. The 2nd and 3rd picks were Hall of Famers: WR Calvin Johnson and OT Joe Thomas.
2008
1.3 QB Matt Ryan
1.18 QB Joe Flacco
2.57 QB Chad Henne
The top two picks were OT Jake Long and DE Chris Long. The Jets had the worst pick, Vernon Gholston at #6. This was the draft that the Pats used an early pick, 3.94 on QB Kevin O'Connell - which I never understood.
2009
1.1 QB Matt Stafford
1.5 QB Mark Sanchez
1.17 QB Josh Freeman
The #2 pick was a bust (OT Jason Smith), the #3 (DE Tyson Jackson) was okay but below expectations of a #3.
Obviously the 2nd and 3rd QBs of this draft did not pan out. The Jets could have had WR Michael Crabtree, LB Brian Orakpo or S Malcolm Jenkins; the Bucs missed on C Alex Mack, WR Percy Harvin, CB Vontae Davis and LB Clay Matthews, all selected a few spots later.
2010
1.1 QB Sam Bradford
1.25 QB Tim Tebow
2.48 QB Jimmy Clausen
Picks #2 through #7 were all Pro Bowlers: DT Ndamukong Suh, DT Gerald McCoy, OT Trent Williams, S Eric Berry, OT Russell Okung and CB Joe Haden. The decision to trade a 2nd, 3rd and 4th to move up to select Tebow has to be one of the worst draft trades in NFL history.
2011
1.1 QB Cam Newton
1.8 QB Jake Locker
1.10 QB Blaine Gabbert
Newton was a very good player before he arrived in New England; Locker and Gabbert never lived up to their draft status. The players selected #2 through #7 were all Pro Bowlwers, as was the one at #9 between Locker and Gabbert. The player taken after Gabbert was DE JJ Watt.
I need a break, will get to 2012-2023 later...