Looking back at the first round of the 2012 NFL draft

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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-draft-good-luck-then-a-lot-of-bad-to-follow/

The 2012 NFL Draft: Good Luck, then a lot of bad to follow
Posted by Darin Gantt on September 1, 2015

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AP

Yesterday was a horrible day for the top of the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

But it’s not like the news had been that good otherwise for the players at the top of that selection meeting.

With the benching of second-overall pick Robert Griffin III in Washington and the release of former Browns No. 3 overall pick Trent Richardson in Oakland, the fate of that draft drew new attention.

But looking back at the top 10, Griffin and Richardson were far from the only mistakes.

The Colts again stumbled into the right call, having Andrew Luck fall into their laps with the first pick the way Peyton Manning did in 1998.

But after that, the draft was a bit of a mess.

The fourth pick was underwhelming Vikings tackle Matt Kalil, but he’s at least still employed. The same can’t be said for No. 5 Justin Blackmon, still suspended for multiple substance abuse violations, with the Jaguars not expecting to ever get anything from him.

The Cowboys moved all the way up to No. 6 to take cornerback Morris Claiborne, and he’s only playing a significant role now because of the injury to Orlando Scandrick.

The seventh pick, safety Mark Barron, has already been moved once. The Buccaneers traded him to the Rams for fourth- and sixth-round picks, cutting bait on a guy who never seemed to quite fit what they were trying to do.

Things turned up after that, with the Dolphins, Panthers and Bills finding cornerstone pieces in quarterback Ryan Tannehill, linebacker Luke Kuechly and cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

But the misses on what should have been can’t-miss picks above them are glaring, and yesterday’s moves only underscored how much of a guessing game the draft can truly be.

1/Andrew Luck/Colts/QB

2/RGIII/Skins/QB

3/Trent Richardson/Browns/RB

4/Matt Kalil/Vikings/OT

5/Justin Blackmon/Jaguars/WR

6/Morris Claiborne/Cowboys/CB

7/Mark Barron/Bucs/S

8/Ryan Tannehill/Dolphins/QB

9/Luke Kuechly/Panthers/LB

10/Stephon Gilmore/Bills/CB

11/Dontari Poe/Chiefs/DT

12/Fletcher Cox/Eagles/DT

13/Michael Floyd/Cardinals/WR

14/Michael Brockers/Rams/DT

15/Bruce Irvin/Seahawks/DE

16/Quinton Coples/Jets/DE

17/Dre Kirkpatrick/Bengals/CB

18/Melvin Ingram/Chargers/LB

19/Shea McClellin/Bears/DE

20/Kendall Wright/Titans/WR

21/Chandler Jones/Patriots/DE

22/Brandon Weeden/Browns/QB

23/Riley Reiff/Lions/OT

24/David DeCastro/Steelers/G

25/Dont'a Hightower/Patriots/LB

26/Whitney Mercilus/Texans/DE

27/Kevin Zeitler/Bengals/G

28/Nick Perry/Packers/LB

29/Harrison Smith/Vikings/S

30/A. J. Jenkins/49ers/WR

31/Doug Martin/Bucs/RB

32/David Wilson/Giants/RB
************************
For the rest of the draft the Rams landed in order; Brian Quick(WR), Janoris Jenkins(CB), Isaiah Pead(RB), Trumaine Johnson(CB), Chris Givens(WR), Rokevious Watkins(G), Greg Zuerlein(K), Aaron Brown(LB), and Daryl Richardson(RB).
 

Angry Ram

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1/Andrew Luck/Colts/QB Stud

2/RGIII/Skins/QB Cut

3/Trent Richardson/Browns/RB Cut (tho I really, really liked the guy)

4/Matt Kalil/Vikings/OT One good year

5/Justin Blackmon/Jaguars/WR Cut (may as well be, and I really, really wanted him to be a Ram)

6/Morris Claiborne/Cowboys/CB Meh

7/Mark Barron/Bucs/S Meh

8/Ryan Tannehill/Dolphins/QB Good

9/Luke Kuechly/Panthers/LB Stud

10/Stephon Gilmore/Bills/CB Good

11/Dontari Poe/Chiefs/DT Good

12/Fletcher Cox/Eagles/DT Good

13/Michael Floyd/Cardinals/WR Good

14/Michael Brockers/Rams/DT STUD

15/Bruce Irvin/Seahawks/DE fuck the shitchickens

16/Quinton Coples/Jets/DE Good

17/Dre Kirkpatrick/Bengals/CB Meh

18/Melvin Ingram/Chargers/LB Meh

19/Shea McClellin/Bears/DE Meh

20/Kendall Wright/Titans/WR OK

21/Chandler Jones/Patriots/DE Good

22/Brandon Weeden/Browns/QB Cut

23/Riley Reiff/Lions/OT Meh

24/David DeCastro/Steelers/G Good

25/Dont'a Hightower/Patriots/LB Good

26/Whitney Mercilus/Texans/DE Good

27/Kevin Zeitler/Bengals/G Meh

28/Nick Perry/Packers/LB Meh

29/Harrison Smith/Vikings/S Good

30/A. J. Jenkins/49ers/WR CUT LOLZ

31/Doug Martin/Bucs/RB Meh

32/David Wilson/Giants/RB Medical issue cut


14/Michael Brockers/Rams/DT STUD
 
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…..

Legend
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This is why I never "blame" the Rams for missing. Jason Smith was a huge miss but we did what all the "experts" would have done. I'm not going to bash our front office over draft misses.
 

PFaulk

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Between Poe, Cox and Brockers it's starting to look like a real nice DT class.

I remember thinking that Luck, Kalil, T-Rich, Blackmon and Claiborne looked like can't miss prospects...1 out of 5 ain't bad?

Always good to remember these sorts of things around draft time so I don't myself too worked up over one particular player.
 

HometownBoy

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So far it's been a pretty meh draft, good show to the folks who think we're the only ones who draft busts or have guys who haven't' realized their potential yet.
 

V3

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At the time I wanted DeCastro, Glenn, Jenkins, and Lavonte David in the first two rounds.
 

Psycho_X

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Was a good draft for us. Three defensive starters, one significant offensive contributor in Quick probably even though it took him a while, a good kicker, a role player at WR in Givens, and an ok RB in Richardson even though we quickly upgraded the next season. Pead and Rok being the only bad picks. Maybe Pead makes team and earns special team accolades this year finally.

Either way, if you can get three instant starters, a potential starter, and a few special teams stars I'd say you had a successful draft.
 

RAGRam

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Outside of the 2nd round trade down it wasn't a bad draft for us, still imagine this team with David on it :(.
 

CGI_Ram

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Yeah, that 2012 first round wasn't the greatest as a general rule.
 

Pancake

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Was a good draft for us. Three defensive starters, one significant offensive contributor in Quick probably even though it took him a while, a good kicker, a role player at WR in Givens, and an ok RB in Richardson even though we quickly upgraded the next season. Pead and Rok being the only bad picks. Maybe Pead makes team and earns special team accolades this year finally.

Either way, if you can get three instant starters, a potential starter, and a few special teams stars I'd say you had a successful draft.

Agreed and when you compare it to some of the previous years it really makes you appreciate the improvement in the people making the picks now vs years past.