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2006 Draft threw some curveballs at Cowboys, rest of NFL
By Rainer Sabin / Reporter
1:44 PM on Wed., Apr. 6, 2011
They're both NFL players and they were romantically linked to Kim Kardashian, the queen of the celebrities who are famous for being famous. Miles Austin and Reggie Bush share much in common, including the year in which they turned pro. That was 2006, when the media machine was hyping a draft class that did seem to have its share of future stars. Among them were Matt Leinart , Vince Young and of course Bush, who was seen as the next Gale Sayers. Nobody was talking about Austin, a little-known receiver from a small school in New Jersey.
But flash forward five years and there is little argument that Austin has had a better career than Bush. After all, Austin has been to two Pro Bowls while Bush has yet to be invited to one. Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune takes a look back at the 2006 draft and finds that things didn't turn out as some thought they would:
If the 2006 draft were held today, the Big Three most likely wouldn't even be worthy of first-round selections.
That's as much a testament to the quality of depth in the draft as it is an indictment on their talents. Some of the productive players in the 2006 draft came in the middle and late rounds or weren't even drafted.
An incredible 33 Pro Bowl players came from the 2006 draft, and while few appear headed for Hall of Fame careers, the depth of the class was indeed extraordinary. Six Pro Bowl players were found in the fourth round, including Saints guard Jahri Evans. Five players who went undrafted eventually became Pro Bowlers, among them Cowboys receiver Miles Austin, Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes and Buccaneers tackle Donald Penn.
But the Cowboys botched the 2006 draft. They had eighth picks, yet only one player -- defensive end Jason Hatcher -- remains on the team's roster five years later. If not for Austin, the Cowboys could have been left with virtually nothing. And as it turned out Austin has proved incredibly valuable -- more valuable, in fact, than Reggie Bush.
By Rainer Sabin / Reporter
1:44 PM on Wed., Apr. 6, 2011
They're both NFL players and they were romantically linked to Kim Kardashian, the queen of the celebrities who are famous for being famous. Miles Austin and Reggie Bush share much in common, including the year in which they turned pro. That was 2006, when the media machine was hyping a draft class that did seem to have its share of future stars. Among them were Matt Leinart , Vince Young and of course Bush, who was seen as the next Gale Sayers. Nobody was talking about Austin, a little-known receiver from a small school in New Jersey.
But flash forward five years and there is little argument that Austin has had a better career than Bush. After all, Austin has been to two Pro Bowls while Bush has yet to be invited to one. Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune takes a look back at the 2006 draft and finds that things didn't turn out as some thought they would:
If the 2006 draft were held today, the Big Three most likely wouldn't even be worthy of first-round selections.
That's as much a testament to the quality of depth in the draft as it is an indictment on their talents. Some of the productive players in the 2006 draft came in the middle and late rounds or weren't even drafted.
An incredible 33 Pro Bowl players came from the 2006 draft, and while few appear headed for Hall of Fame careers, the depth of the class was indeed extraordinary. Six Pro Bowl players were found in the fourth round, including Saints guard Jahri Evans. Five players who went undrafted eventually became Pro Bowlers, among them Cowboys receiver Miles Austin, Falcons cornerback Brent Grimes and Buccaneers tackle Donald Penn.
But the Cowboys botched the 2006 draft. They had eighth picks, yet only one player -- defensive end Jason Hatcher -- remains on the team's roster five years later. If not for Austin, the Cowboys could have been left with virtually nothing. And as it turned out Austin has proved incredibly valuable -- more valuable, in fact, than Reggie Bush.
