The 5 biggest NFL Draft busts in Arizona Football history
By Mason Duhon
. 2009 2nd round, 39 overall. Eben Britton. Eben Britton. 52. EB. Offensive tackle. player. . 2
Britton was with Arizona from 2005-08, and he started in his final three seasons with the Wildcats across both tackle positions. In the 2006 and 2007 seasons, he was the starter at right tackle before moving to the left side for the 2008 season. He was graded as one of the top tackle prospects in the 2009 NFL Draft and drew comparisons to Browns legend and first-ballot Hall-of-Famer Joe Thomas. Despite rumblings of being a first-round draft pick, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him with the seventh pick in the second round at 39 overall to pair with first-round left tackle Eugene Monroe.
Britton excelled in Year 1 and was the full-time starter at right tackle opposite Monroe, but he missed Week 4 with an injury. This would soon become a recurring theme, as his sophomore season ended in Week 7 when he tore his labrum. Before the next season, he had surgery for a herniated disc and only played in Weeks 2 through 5 before an infection from the surgery ended his 2011 season. Britton was kicked inside to guard for the season opener in 2012 but immediately suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him for two weeks. He spent three more games in the starting lineup before getting benched and eventually signing with the Bears ahead of 2013.
Britton spent the next two seasons as a reserve lineman in the Windy City. He played in 13 games in 2013 with four starts, and he was re-signed in 2014. He appeared in 10 games with no starts before his year was (predictably and unfortunately) cut short by appendix surgery. Britton was served a suspension before 2015, but he never re-signed with any NFL teams and has since become an outspoken proponent of cannabis in athletics as a pain management tool.