10 biggest first-round draft busts in Philadelphia Eagles history

Michael Haddix had a long Eagles career but didn’t accomplish much of anything.

In speaking of Michael Haddix’s six-year career that we witnessed from 1983 to 1988, words like disappointing and disaster come to mind.

He appeared in 88 regular-season games for Philly and was the starter in 39 of them, but that isn’t what any NFL franchise is looking for when they invest a top-ten selection in any draft prospect. Neither is three total rushing touchdowns and a career rushing average of a mere three yards per tote.

It almost makes one want to double-check facts that they already know to be accurate. This guy was the eighth-overall selection? Really? Yes, friends. Indeed he was.

Here are a few of the prospects that were still on the board when Philadelphia scribbled Haddix’s name on a draft card: Terry Kinard, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, and Darrell Green, and get this. The Houston Oilers drafted Bruce Matthews just one spot after the Birds went with Haddix. Had the draft followed the same rules that it does today, Richard Dent would have gone undrafted. He was the 203rd-overall selection in Round 8.

Michael Haddix, upon his retirement, held the record for the lowest yards-per-carry average who had 500 career carries or more, and the longest rush of his career was 21 yards. Stop for a moment and let all of that sink in.