Top 10 Draft Busts In Saints History: #1 Johnathan Sullivan

by Jon Banks on Apr 15, 2011 2:00 PM CDT

Starting April 4th and continuing through April 29th, Canal Street Chronicles will be counting down the top 10 draft busts and then the top 10 draft successes in Saints history. Feel free to to use these posts as a springboard for discussion about how awful or how great each draft pick turned out.

This guy is a bust for so many reasons. First off, the back story: During the 2003 draft, the Saints had two first round picks, both the 17th and the 18th overall, thanks to the Ricky Williams trade and the Saints would be able to get a good infusion of talent with both of these opportunities. Instead, the Saints used those selections to trade up to the 6th overall spot and took Johnathan Sullivan. Sullivan, a defensive tackle out of Georgia, was obviously going to be a great starter.

Instead, the Georgia bulldog sucked...horribly. He played for three seasons with the Saints but only managed to play 36 games and only started for 16 of them. He had a total of 77 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble during that three year period.

After that time, the Patriots traded for him and released him shortly afterward. He is still technically on the free agent market but can't find a team to pick him up (imagine that). Another horrible memory from the Haslett era that makes people scream.

And with that, Canal Street Chronicles concludes it's countdown of the top 10 draft busts in Saints history! Make the jump to see the complete list of all ten players and a quick note from our sponsor.

#10: Rick Middleton

#9: Lindsay Scott

#8: Larry Burton

#7: Alvin Toles

#6: Joe Campbell

#5: Les Kelley

#4: Shawn Knight

#3: Kevin Hardy

#2: Russell Erxleben

#1: Johnathan Sullivan

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The #1 bust and no comments?

CSC is DEAD.

Canal Street Chronicles-A place of great Saints news and information. Oh and the stuff I write!

by Jon Banks on Apr 15, 2011 2:51 PM CDT reply actions

What’s there to comment about? Was he a bust….yes. Was he our number 1 bust….yes. Do any of us actually want to remember that pain…not really.

"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."

by jeff.l.b on Apr 15, 2011 2:52 PM CDT up reply actions 2 recs

+1

"It's more than a handful. It's a handsful."

by Dan Kelly on Apr 15, 2011 3:30 PM CDT up reply actions

That's like having a writeup on HWSNBN as the worst FA pickup in Saints history...

(please don’t do it, BTW)

We all know he was beyond garbage. No need to open old wounds by even mentioning his name. :-)

"It's more than a handful. It's a handsful."

by Dan Kelly on Apr 15, 2011 3:32 PM CDT up reply actions

JASON DAVID

by Jee on Apr 15, 2011 3:43 PM CDT up reply actions

BANNED

Canal Street Chronicles-A place of great Saints news and information. Oh and the stuff I write!

by Jon Banks on Apr 15, 2011 3:45 PM CDT up reply actions

+1

:-)

"It's more than a handful. It's a handsful."

by Dan Kelly on Apr 15, 2011 4:23 PM CDT up reply actions

I feel gross that has name is that close to one of my comments.

I need to go take a shower now.

"It's more than a handful. It's a handsful."

by Dan Kelly on Apr 15, 2011 4:24 PM CDT up reply actions

my eyes!!!

by GRlZZ on Apr 15, 2011 5:42 PM CDT up reply actions

shouldn't be included

wasn’t drafted by saints

by Pathomaniac on Apr 15, 2011 8:40 PM CDT up reply actions

but he was definately a bust

a big one

by Pathomaniac on Apr 15, 2011 8:41 PM CDT up reply actions

I mentioned… “worst FA pickup” when I mentioned him. :-)

"It's more than a handful. It's a handsful."

by Dan Kelly on Apr 15, 2011 10:13 PM CDT up reply actions

Had you specified VETERAN free agent, I might have to agree. Walter Thomas still takes the overall worst free agent pickup cake. Possibly the worst in NFL history.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 15, 2011 10:16 PM CDT up reply actions

was he an undrafted free agent.. ie. a rookie so bad he didn’t get drafted.. ie. not expected to do all that much.

or, what? :-)

"It's more than a handful. It's a handsful."

by Dan Kelly on Apr 15, 2011 10:18 PM CDT up reply actions

Something like that. Jason David came much, much closer to doing what was expected of him.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 15, 2011 10:32 PM CDT up reply actions

I thought we had moderate expectations of JD… what with the multi-million in salary…

he was dog s***. worse than nothing. horrible.

singlehandedly lost 5 games for us one year.

horrendous!!!

"It's more than a handful. It's a handsful."

by Dan Kelly on Apr 15, 2011 11:05 PM CDT up reply actions

hyperbole much?

He made the team, was a starter and at least tied for the team lead in interceptions both seasons he was here. Sure, he still fell far short of overall expectations, but he also met a few along the way. At minimum, UDFAs are expected to compete for a position on the roster. Thomas didn’t even make it to position DRILLS.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 15, 2011 11:29 PM CDT up reply actions

it’s not hyperbole.

he literally, singlehandedly lost at least 5 games for us his first year.

"It's more than a handful. It's a handsful."

by Dan Kelly on Apr 16, 2011 12:03 PM CDT up reply actions

Wayne Gandy

lost more games than that for us. I don’t know how they let him be a professional. Well ok, he was a professional holder and false starter throughout his career. Now that’s a bust big time.

by tommy v on Apr 16, 2011 6:10 PM CDT up reply actions

If you’re using the criteria of ‘how fast they got cut’, then we have hundreds of players that are ‘worse than HWSNBN’….

But, this article is about “busts”.. players with high expectations who didn;t live up to them.

JD had moderated expectations… then proceeded to set our franchise back 2 years.

"It's more than a handful. It's a handsful."

by Dan Kelly on Apr 15, 2011 11:17 PM CDT up reply actions

If you’re using the criteria of ‘how fast they got cut’, then we have hundreds of players that are ‘worse than HWSNBN’

That’s correct. We’ve had hundreds worse.

But, this article is about "busts".. players with high expectations who didn’t live up to them.

My comment didn’t pertain to this article. It pertained to your assertation that David was the worst FA pickup in team history. One that didn’t even contain the word “bust”. All non-drafted (and probably a few drafted) players included, that’s simply not true.

singlehandedly lost 5 games for us one year.

SMH. Singlehandedly? Oh yes, I’m sure passing in excess of 61% of the time had nothing to do with either one of those mediocre seasons. Reggie Bush starting 19 games at HB, despite averaging 45 yards rushing per game over that span. Yep, that’s completely congruent to winning football.

then proceeded to set our franchise back 2 years.

Try two games. Tops. We were never THAT good to begin with.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 15, 2011 11:48 PM CDT up reply actions

In fact, I think an argument could be made that we were actually in better hands at CB with Jason David, than we were the prior season with Fred Thomas. Not saying either were worth a pot to p*** in. Just that the acquisition of David wasn’t the earth shattering disaster you’re making it out to be. Hell, we’ve paid Randall Gay more per season since and he can’t even stay healthy, much less crack the starting lineup.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 15, 2011 11:54 PM CDT up reply actions

I would have been happy if they paid DAvid more to sit on the bench.

Go back and actually watch the games.

He lost at least 5 games. There is no argument for that. He did it. I saw it. My friends saw it. My girlfriend saw it. Thousands of other people who HATE JD saw it.

"It's more than a handful. It's a handsful."

by Dan Kelly on Apr 16, 2011 12:05 PM CDT up reply actions

I rather Fred Thomas more than David.

by tommy v on Apr 16, 2011 6:15 PM CDT up reply actions

KEVIN WILLIAMS

God…all they had to do was take him. Or Troy Polomalu.

Though when you look at the 2003 first round in general it sucked.

Writer (and a handsome one at that),
And the Valley Shook

by Billy Gomila on Apr 15, 2011 4:04 PM CDT reply actions

1 Question, How fat is Johnathan Sullivan?

"This is for you Buffalo..."
Eddie Vedder 10-1-1996

by Steven Bennett on Apr 15, 2011 8:48 PM CDT reply actions

so fat

that when he sits around the house, he really sits AROUND THE HOUSE

Atheists just take a pass,
Watch football in their underpants.

by Hans Petersen on Apr 15, 2011 9:17 PM CDT up reply actions

SO FAT

he has his own zip code

Atheists just take a pass,
Watch football in their underpants.

by Hans Petersen on Apr 15, 2011 9:17 PM CDT up reply actions

so fat

when coach tells him to haul ass, he has to make two trips

Atheists just take a pass,
Watch football in their underpants.

by Hans Petersen on Apr 15, 2011 9:19 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs

LOL!!!!

OMG…. I’ve never heard that one. Hilarious!

"It's more than a handful. It's a handsful."

by Dan Kelly on Apr 15, 2011 10:14 PM CDT up reply actions

so fat

I took a picture of him last christmas and its still printing

Atheists just take a pass,
Watch football in their underpants.

by Hans Petersen on Apr 15, 2011 9:20 PM CDT up reply actions

This might actually be a "Your printer is soooo slow..." joke.

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by Dave Cariello on Apr 16, 2011 1:17 AM CDT up reply actions

haha - you're right

Atheists just take a pass,
Watch football in their underpants.

by Hans Petersen on Apr 16, 2011 3:31 PM CDT up reply actions

So fat that when he wears his Malcolm X t-shirt, helicopters try to land on him.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 15, 2011 10:07 PM CDT up reply actions

So fat that the locals named his belt buckle “Ecuador”.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 15, 2011 10:09 PM CDT up reply actions

Haha

I like this one.

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by Dave Cariello on Apr 16, 2011 1:17 AM CDT up reply actions

So fat that he refers to Triple Whoppers as “sliders”.

"I was not on the boat in question" -Darren Sharper

by coldpizza on Apr 15, 2011 10:11 PM CDT up reply actions

So Fat

He looks like a 10 lb. sausage, in a 5 lb. skin.

You think you know, and you don't know, and you never, ever will.-Jim Mora Sr.
Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica-Jim Halpert
My three best qualities? Hard worker, Alpha male, Jackhammer- Dwight K. Shrutte
Creed :It's pronounced "Colonel", the highest rank in the military. Andy: No, it's pronounced "Cornell" the highest rank in the Ivy League.

by metryman on Apr 17, 2011 12:27 PM CDT up reply actions