Once considered one of the highest-ranked wide receivers to ever enter the NFL Draft, the former Oklahoma State star repeatedly crashed and burned
By Ryan K Boman | April 17, 2026 | @ryankboman on X
When you look back at some of the biggest NFL draft busts of all time, certain names always seem to get thrown into the conversation first. Ryan Leaf, DeMarcus Russell, Charles Rogers, and Tony Mandarich tend to top a lot of lists.
But the most promising pass-catching prospect of the 2012 NFL Draft, Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon, may be the biggest disappointment among them all. With astonishing intangibles and superhuman skills, the 6’1″, 210-pound physical specimen looked like he had been built in a laboratory – a machine programmed to catch footballs and make plays like never before. Scouts tended to agree that Blackmon was destined to be a multi-time Pro Bowler and franchise cornerstone. Praise was rained down upon him, but he quickly poured it all down the drain.
Blackmon didn’t enter the league with red flags as much as whispers. There were some off-field concerns, but ones that felt manageable for a franchise willing to invest in his massive talent. Besides, passing on a two-time Biletnikoff Award winner who overwhelmed defenses with strength, body control, and a rare ability to turn a short throw into a huge play would be a potential death knell for any NFL general manager. So, the Jacksonville Jaguars came calling, selecting Blackmon with the fifth overall pick in that year’s Draft.
Early on, some flashes of brilliance suggested that the Jags had hit the mark with their decision. Blackmon’s rookie season was statistically strange and uneven, but it included moments that hinted at what he could become. That included a star-making performance against the Houston Texans when he had 236 receiving yards. He followed that with a strong start to his second season, appearing more comfortable, more refined, and seemingly on the verge of promising to dominate.
But in short order, off-field issues, mostly related to an early addiction to alcohol, began to overshadow all of his outstanding accomplishments. Multiple arrests and violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy led to suspensions that grew longer and more consequential. In many ways, he became an afterthought for Jacksonville fans. Still others hoped that the light switch would go on in his head, he would right the ship, and then go on to live out his destiny. Unfortunately, though his problems initially looked like just temporary setbacks, they soon became the defining trait of his professional life.
The most damage to his NFL career, however, came in 2013, when Blackmon was suspended indefinitely after repeated violations. He was just 23 years old, but it was clear to his team – and every other franchise in the pro game – that the troubled young star would likely never be the world-beater they originally imagined.
The Jaguars, once patient and hopeful, were left waiting on Blackmon’s never-fulfilled potential. Eventually, they were forced to cut ties with the young pass catcher. By that time, the rest of the league had basically moved on, leaving Blackmon in their rear view mirrors.
In the years that followed, Blackmon’s story became less about what he did on Sundays and more about what could have been. He will forever be labeled as a ‘bust’, but not because he couldn’t physically translate to the pro level. No, that’s not where the letdowns come from, in this case.
Justin Blackmon’s failures weren’t because he didn’t have the ability to be a shining star… but because he had too much of it to fade and burn the way he did. It’s a different kind of disappointment. One rooted not in miscalculation, but in lost potential and damaged souls.
