The NFL draft is where most teams do most of their roster building, but prospects are far from certain to pan out as pros. Every year, there are players who we call “busts” – players who fail to live up to the expectations of being a first- or second-round pick.
The Rams have had their share of draft picks that didn’t work out in the NFL, most recently Greg Robinson in 2014. He flamed out as the No. 2 overall pick by St. Louis, and even though he’s revived his career somewhat in Cleveland, he still flopped with the Rams.
He wasn’t the franchise’s biggest whiff, however. Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire picked the biggest draft bust of each team and for the Rams, he went with running back Lawrence Phillips. He was selected sixth overall out of Nebraska in 1996 after gaining 3,102 yards and scoring 33 touchdowns in his collegiate career.
Teams knew what they were getting with Phillips. He came out of Nebraska with rare talent — and a whole lot of black marks related to off-field behavior. The Rams decided to take the risk, selecting him sixth overall in the 1996 draft. He was released after two decent seasons but still more off-field issues, washed out with the 49ers and Rams, and later in his life served several different prison terms. He committed suicide in prison in January 2016.
Phillips had legal troubles and got in trouble with the law several times, resulting in his release and eventual imprisonment. The Rams released him after less than two full seasons. In 2005, he was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and three years later, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
He had an abundance of talent at running back, but he wasn’t able to stay out of trouble off the field. Phillips had a brief stint with the Dolphins and 49ers, while also playing in NFL Europe and in the AFL and CFL.
