Coulda Been Athletes
Draft & waivers · roster building since 2017

The Draft

Steals, busts, and the waiver wire. A pick's value = how late it went vs. how it produced. Draft returns & waiver moves are 2019+ (player-level data); waiver moves are reconstructed from weekly rosters.

+148
Biggest steal · Drake Maye (2025, Devion)
493
Best waiver pickup · Lamar Jackson (2019, Crock)
231
Worst drop · Jared Goff let go by Devion (2024)
Late-Round Gold

Biggest Steals

draft slot → production
PlayerOwnerSeasonDraftedPtsValue
Drake MayeDevion2025Rd 16 · Pk 1399.2+148
Dak PrescottFrost2025Rd 14 · Pk 8391.1+134
Dak PrescottMeek2019Rd 14 · Pk 9360.2+134
Justin HerbertManny2025Rd 15 · Pk 2351.9+130
Kyler MurrayChengy2019Rd 14 · Pk 7308.3+129
Dak PrescottBryan2023Rd 14 · Pk 3348.1+126
Tom BradyManny2021Rd 13 · Pk 5429.7+123
Brock PurdyBryan2024Rd 14 · Pk 10276.7+121
Brock PurdyDez2025Rd 16 · Pk 3218.2+117
Josh AllenCrock2020Rd 12 · Pk 10444.8+117
Courtland SuttonTyler2019Rd 16 · Pk 5215.2+110
Kyle Pitts Sr.Marcus2025Rd 16 · Pk 5201.0+110
Reach Of The Year

Biggest Busts

draft slot → production
PlayerOwnerSeasonDraftedPtsValue
Saquon BarkleyCrock2020Rd 1 · Pk 215.4-145
Christian McCaffreyCrock2024Rd 1 · Pk 347.8-132
Antonio BrownFrance2019Rd 2 · Pk 316.1-127
Nick ChubbBryan2023Rd 2 · Pk 325.1-124
J.K. DobbinsCrock2021Rd 4 · Pk 50.0-122
Malik NabersDez2025Rd 1 · Pk 859.1-119
Javonte WilliamsDez2022Rd 3 · Pk 242.0-116
Isiah PachecoChengy2024Rd 2 · Pk 656.9-113
Courtland SuttonChengy2020Rd 4 · Pk 79.6-112
Tyreek HillManny2025Rd 3 · Pk 255.5-110
Elijah MitchellChengy2022Rd 4 · Pk 626.1-109
Zamir WhiteDevion2024Rd 5 · Pk 221.5-105
Off The Scrap Heap

Best Waiver Pickups

undrafted · 2019+
PlayerOwnerSeasonPts for owner
Lamar JacksonCrock2019492.7
Baker MayfieldDevion2024402.5
Brock PurdyManny2023337.1
Ben RoethlisbergerBryan2020333.2
Jameis WinstonTyler2019328.5
Ryan TannehillDevion2020321.8
Josh AllenFrost2019310.4
Caleb WilliamsFrost2025307.4
Matthew StaffordMeek2025295.0
Kirk CousinsDevion2021281.1
Puka NacuaDevion2023274.5
Geno SmithDonte2022262.4

Players nobody drafted that year, ranked by the points they scored for the owner who grabbed them. The waiver-wire heists.

The Ones That Got Away

Worst Drops

estimated
PlayerDropped bySeasonPts missed
Jared GoffDevion2024230.5
Jared GoffChengy2025226.1
Chase BrownBryan2024216.5
Justin JeffersonDevion2020214.4
Jared GoffBeav2025200.0
Brock PurdyDez2025197.4
Tua TagovailoaDonte2022197.4
Darnell MooneyMeek2024194.7
Jordan LoveMeek2025193.9
Kenneth Walker IIIBeav2022193.1
RJ HarveyBeav2025191.0
Jared GoffMarcus2025187.6

Points a player scored after the owner cut them loose to the waiver wire — detected trades excluded. Reconstructed from weekly rosters (ESPN exposes no transaction log for this league), so it's an estimate; player-for-pick trades can read as drops.

Should've Kept Him

Trades That Backfired

estimated
PlayerTraded away byToSeasonPts after
Josh AllenDezMeek2021428.5
Josh AllenDezMeek2023424.5
Lamar JacksonMeekDez2023383.7
Jayden DanielsMannyMeek2024332.9
Dak PrescottFrostCrawf2021285.7
Tyreek HillMeekFrost2020274.3
Aaron RodgersMeekChengy2019274.1
Kyler MurrayChengyFrost2019266.3
Stefon DiggsFrostManny2020259.2
Derrick HenryBryanMeek2020255.6
Lamar JacksonMeekDez2021254.0
Leonard FournetteDezMeek2021246.7

Players shipped in a trade who then piled up points for their new team. A trade is inferred when a player moved the opposite way between the same two owners the same week — so a lopsided-looking deal here may have brought back real value the other way.

Who Drafts Best

Draft Grades

cumulative value · 2019+
OwnerPicksAvg / pickTotal value
DT48+21+1000
Crawf80+5+379
AJ32+8+245
Frost112+2+220
Beav64+3+213
Manny96+1+120
Bryan800+36
Majae32-1-42
Tyler16-3-50
Marcus16-5-82
France16-5-83
Devion96-1-105
Chengy112-1-110
Donte16-13-204
Meek112-3-302
Crock112-5-537
Dez80-8-602
Pick By Pick

Draft Board

202520242023202220212020201920182017
PickOwnerPlayerPtsValue
1.01ChengyJonathan Taylor148.4-79
1.02CrockChristian McCaffrey346.5-6
1.03BryanJustin Jefferson371.9-2
1.04FrostAustin Ekeler365.7-2
1.05MeekCooper Kupp206.4-42
1.06DevionNajee Harris210.5-39
1.07BeavDerrick Henry300.0-7
1.08DonteDalvin Cook237.1-20
1.09DezAlvin Kamara200.7-42
1.10CrawfTravis Kelce312.5-1
2.01CrawfJa'Marr Chase223.8-23
2.02DezStefon Diggs299.2-3
2.03DonteJoe Mixon222.7-24
2.04BeavAaron Jones245.8-11
2.05DevionD'Andre Swift176.5-47
2.06MeekCeeDee Lamb290.4-1
2.07FrostDavante Adams331.2+8
2.08BryanDeebo Samuel165.0-52
2.09CrockMark Andrews193.5-34
2.10ChengyTyreek Hill349.9+13
3.01MeekLeonard Fournette225.7-11
3.02DezJavonte Williams42.0-116
3.03BryanJames Conner201.2-26
3.04FrostKeenan Allen134.8-65
3.05FrostMike Evans229.4-6
3.06DevionTee Higgins223.2-9
3.07BeavKyle Pitts75.6-93
3.08DonteMichael Pittman Jr.206.5-18
3.09DezCam Akers127.5-64
3.10CrawfSaquon Barkley288.0+12
4.01CrawfNick Chubb265.2+11
4.02MeekJ.K. Dobbins83.2-82
4.03DonteEzekiel Elliott184.8-23
4.04BeavMike Williams173.3-29
4.05DevionTerry McLaurin216.6-5
4.06ChengyElijah Mitchell26.1-109
4.07ChengyA.J. Brown291.1+21
4.08BryanBreece Hall117.1-62
4.09CrockJaylen Waddle254.9+17
4.10CrockMarquise Brown155.3-37
5.01MeekDJ Moore200.1-11
5.02CrockCourtland Sutton148.1-40
5.03BryanTravis Etienne Jr.204.7-5
5.04FrostJosh Allen437.8+42
5.05MeekAmon-Ra St. Brown260.7+24
5.06DevionJosh Jacobs328.3+36
5.07BeavBrandin Cooks124.0-47
5.08DonteDarren Waller79.3-70
5.09MeekDiontae Johnson163.0-23
5.10CrawfPatrick Mahomes482.4+49
6.01CrawfDavid Montgomery176.6-10
6.02DezJustin Herbert308.4+39
6.03DonteJerry Jeudy181.9-5
6.04BeavGeorge Kittle182.6-3
6.05FrostChris Godwin215.3+13
6.06ChengyDalton Schultz135.4-31
6.07ChengyKareem Hunt121.0-41
6.08BryanLamar Jackson272.1+39
6.09CrockJalen Hurts414.6+56
6.10CrockChase Edmonds49.8-72
7.01DezMichael Thomas51.1-69
7.02CrockDameon Pierce168.4-4
7.03BryanGabe Davis165.7-6
7.04DevionJoe Burrow407.1+60
7.05MeekKyler Murray229.5+35
7.06DevionRashod Bateman54.5-61
7.07BeavCordarrelle Patterson146.8-16
7.08DonteAllen Robinson II48.8-66
7.09MeekT.J. Hockenson214.8+26
7.10CrawfDK Metcalf221.8+32
8.01CrawfDarnell Mooney79.4-46
8.02DezMiles Sanders216.4+31
8.03DonteHunter Renfrow40.6-66
8.04BeavAmari Cooper243.9+48
8.05DevionCole Kmet79.7-41
8.06FrostClyde Edwards-Helaire97.4-29
8.07DevionTony Pollard250.9+54
8.08BryanJuJu Smith-Schuster181.8+19
8.09CrockDeVonta Smith245.9+55
8.10MeekAntonio Gibson165.9+12
9.01ChengyTom Brady312.3+69
9.02ChengyBrandon Aiyuk218.9+43
9.03BryanDallas Goedert131.6-8
9.04FrostDeAndre Hopkins153.7+6
9.05ChengyJames Cook34.2-55
9.06FrostAJ Dillon164.3+15
9.07BeavAllen Lazard161.7+13
9.08DonteRussell Wilson114.2-15
9.09DezZach Ertz115.6-12
9.10CrawfAdam Thielen170.8+26
10.01CrawfChristian Kirk223.0+55
10.02DezRobert Woods49.0-41
10.03DonteSkyy Moore0.0-64
10.04BeavAaron Rodgers230.9+65
10.05DevionBills D/ST119.0-4
10.06ChengyDrake London160.6+21
10.07FrostRhamondre Stevenson237.9+70
10.08BryanRashaad Penny53.2-31
10.09CrockTrey Lance12.5-52
10.10DezJames Robinson88.6-10
11.01MeekDevin Singletary176.7+41
11.02CrockElijah Moore63.0-21
11.03BryanChris Olave186.2+48
11.04FrostDamien Harris84.7-9
11.05ChengyMelvin Gordon III80.1-10
11.06DevionDawson Knox87.1-5
11.07BeavKenneth Walker III193.1+53
11.08DonteRavens D/ST123.0+11
11.09DezJakobi Meyers169.1+44
11.10CrawfMichael Carter123.5+14
12.01CrawfTyler Lockett224.9+78
12.02DezPat Freiermuth148.2+31
12.03DonteGeorge Pickens123.9+18
12.04BeavTreylon Burks89.2+5
12.05DevionMecole Hardman10.6-38
12.06ChengySaints D/ST22.0-33
12.07FrostBrian Robinson Jr.113.7+13
12.08BryanRussell Gage24.7-30
12.09CrockKadarius Toney26.0-27
12.10MeekDak Prescott211.1+76
13.01MeekNyheim Hines55.3-4
13.02CrockKenneth Gainwell26.2-22
13.03BryanMatthew Stafford44.8-14
13.04FrostMichael Gallup57.80
13.05ChengyJustin Tucker145.0+41
13.06DevionEvan McPherson96.0+20
13.07BeavDerek Carr115.5+25
13.08DonteRachaad White138.6+42
13.09DezGarrett Wilson200.8+79
13.10CrawfDarrell Henderson Jr.73.5+8
14.01CrawfHunter Henry4.0-25
14.02DezPackers D/ST25.0-15
14.03DonteHarrison Butker85.0+21
14.04BeavDaniel Carlson149.0+55
14.05DevionDeshaun Watson78.0+16
14.06ChengyChase Claypool54.5+10
14.07FrostMike Gesicki5.1-17
14.08BryanBuccaneers D/ST92.0+30
14.09CrockTyler Allgeier128.5+47
14.10MeekZamir White0.0-17
15.01MeekColts D/ST46.0+6
15.02CrockMatt Gay34.0+1
15.03BryanTyler Bass132.0+53
15.04Frost49ers D/ST140.0+59
15.05ChengyRaheem Mostert162.2+72
15.06DevionAlexander Mattison33.8+4
15.07BeavMarquez Valdes-Scantling10.9-5
15.08DonteEvan Engram159.3+72
15.09DezBrandon McManus45.0+13
15.10CrawfBroncos D/ST95.0+43
16.01CrawfNick Folk50.0+20
16.02DezJameson Williams0.0-5
16.03DonteChargers D/ST13.0+3
16.04BeavCowboys D/ST135.0+66
16.05DevionDeVante Parker0.0-2
16.06ChengyTyler Boyd74.2+35
16.07FrostWil Lutz5.0+2
16.08BryanJamaal Williams168.0+91
16.09CrockDolphins D/ST54.0+31
16.10MeekChris Boswell27.0+17