The NFL Combine is underway in Indianapolis which means the NFL Draft is not far away. This year, Texas Tech won't be as much of a factor in the draft as it has been in recent years.
With only four players from the 2023 team selected to participate in this year's combine, Texas Tech is still represented and the program will likely have at least one player selected in the draft. If that happens, it will be the eighth year in a row that at least one Red Raider has been drafted.
Today, as we wait for the latest results from the NFL combine and begin to look forward to the draft, let's look back at a few Red Raiders who got their shot in the NFL but who didn't pan out for one reason or another. Here are five Texas Tech football players who were busts in the NFL.
No. 5: DB Darcel McBath
Defensive back Darcel McBath was one of the more underrated players of the Mike Leach era of the program. Though he didn't get the recognition that Wes Welker, Michael Crabtree, or Graham Harrell did, he was as good of a safety as Tech has had in the modern era of the program and one of the key players on the unforgettable 2008 team.
Playing at Tech from 2005-08, McBath racked up 244 career tackles and 12 interceptions. That included seven picks as a senior.
As a result, the Denver Broncos selected him with the No. 48 overall pick (2nd round) of the 2009 NFL Draft. Their expectation was that he would quarterback their defense the way he did Texas Tech's but that didn't happen.
McBath played in 13 games as a rookie picking off two passes. However, a broken forearm would end his season after he'd made just 26 total tackles.
In 2010, he would appear in only seven games, making one start. Then, in 2011 he saw action in only one game for Jacksonville after being cut by Denver late in training camp. He would then play the next season for the San Francisco 49ers with whom he'd appear in Super Bowl XLVII. That year, he was primarily a special teams player and he would end up with no starts and only seven tackles.
2012 was the end of the road for McBath in the NFL. He ended his career with just one start and 52 career tackles. That's nowhere near what was expected of him when he was a second-round pick which is why he has to be considered an NFL bust.