Sports Illustrated Calls Akili Smith the Bengals’ Biggest Draft Bust Ever
CINCINNATI Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verdarame didn’t hold back when ranking the worst draft picks in NFL history — and for the Bengals, he named quarterback Akili Smith as their biggest miss.
Verdarame listed Smith as Cincinnati’s all-time worst draft choice in a piece where he picked the biggest bust for every NFL team. Smith, drafted third overall in 1999 right after Donovan McNabb, never lived up to expectations.
“There were a lot of bad Bengals picks in the ‘90s, but Akili Smith takes the cake,” Verdarame wrote. Smith stepped in for Jeff Blake but struggled to get going, completing just 46.6% of his passes, with five touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his short NFL career.
The Oregon product only lasted four seasons in the league and racked up a low career stat line, especially when compared to current players. For example, safety Nick Scott, who had a rough 2023 season, still produced twice the value in one season that Smith did in four.
Sports Illustrated Crowns Akili Smith the Bengals’ Draft Flop King”
