Carson Palmer was the 2002 Heisman Trophy winner, and the USC Quarterback was considered a can’t-miss prospect in the NFL.  The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Palmer first overall and took their time with the pivot, not playing him in his rookie season and starting him in 2004. In 2005, he was a Pro Bowl selection and ranked second in the NFL in Completions, fourth in Passing Yards, and led all Quarterbacks in Touchdown Passes while taking the Bengals to the playoffs, though he suffered a severe injury in the playoffs.

Palmer returned in the 2006 season, where he went back to the Pro Bowl and had a 4,000-yard passing season, and he continued to be a solid performer, though not necessarily elite, and he would later grow frustrated playing there, and he retired, basically forcing a trade out of Southern Ohio.  Palmer would go on to play for Oakland for two seasons and five more for Arizona, where in 2015 he was a Pro Bowl Selection for a third time with a career-high 4,671 Passing Yards and leading the league in Yards per Attempt and Quarterback Rating.

He retired 12^th all time in Passing Yards and Passing Touchdowns, probably a higher ranking than most people realize.

A First Round Pick from USC, Brian Cushing would play nine seasons professionally for the Houston Texans where he would be a Pro Bowl Selection as a rookie and win the coveted Defensive Rookie of the Year Award.  That would be his highwater mark as he would suffer a suspension due to PED use, a change from Inside to Outside Linebacker and a torn ACL but Cushing still had a solid career where he played in started in 104 Games.  At the time of his retirement he was the leading tackler in Houston Texan history.

From UCLA, Alterraun Verner was a fourth round pick in 2010 by the Tennessee Titans.  The Cornerback would have 94 Combined Tackles as a rookie, which is a decent number.  That would be a career high but in 2013 he would go to the Pro Bowl and earn a Second Team All Pro nod on the strength of his five Interceptions.  Verner would then play four more seasons, three with Tampa Bay and one with the Miami Dolphins.

Undrafted in 2010 from UMass, Victor Cruz signed with the New York Giants and in his second season he became one of the surprises of the year with a 1,536 Receiving Yard Season and a salsa dance that captivated the nation every time he made it to the end zone.  Cruz helped the Giants upset the New England Patriots for the Super Bowl and the season after he would have his second (and final) 1,000 Yard Season and he would be named to the Pro Bowl.  Injuries compiled and he would only play six seasons and he would not accumulate 5,000 Yards over his career but few captured the imaginations of Giants fans like Victor Cruz did.