2012 NFL Draft: Analyzing the Winners and Losers of the 2012 Draft
Whenever the draft rolls around, we're intrigued, glued to the TV, and surprised.
This year's draft showed a perfect example.
We all expected Andrew Luck to be drafted first by Indianapolis and Robert Griffin III, or RG3, to be picked second by Washington. But just about everything after that was unexpected.
Cleveland gave up three picks (plus the fourth overall pick) to move up one spot and select Alabama running back Trent Richardson. Minnesota, who made the trade with Cleveland, picked USC offensive lineman Matt Kalil fourth, and Jacksonville traded up two spots to pick Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon.
No one expected that to happen.
The Browns-Vikings trade was great for Minnesota and terrible for Cleveland. Even though Adrian Peterson tore his ACL, he could be back by Week 1, so using the third pick on Richardson was unlikely for Minnesota. The Vikings likely would've still picked Kalil third, and they got him and three more picks.
The Browns were trying to block Tampa Bay from trading up and picking Richardson, but I still don't think they got the better end of the deal. I didn't see Tampa Bay pulling off a trade for Richardson.
It's hard to call the Browns a loser when they picked two dynamic players in the first round (Richardson and Brandon Weeden), but the trade was absurd in my mind, so I have to call them a draft loser. Cleveland had a decent back in Peyton Hillis, and they didn't win.
Brandon Weeden played well at Oklahoma State, but Justin Blackmon helped him a lot. Weeden is 28, and he won't be able to give Cleveland 15 years like some quarterbacks would. The moves could pay off, and while I expect improvement from Cleveland, I don't think these picks can turn them around and make them a legit contender.
Jacksonville made a similar trade to Cleveland's, but their trade paid off more, in my opinion. Jacksonville only gave up one pick, and they stole the best receiver in the draft (Justin Blackmon). St Louis was likely to pick the Oklahoma State star, so the Jaguars got a big prospect.
The Jags have young receivers who aren't big names in the NFL, but Blackmon could change that. He made some great catches and was crucial in Brandon Weeden's success. Blackmon could transform Blaine Gabbert as well and help the Jaguars win more games.
Miami is a loser in my opinion, and not because Texas A&M star Ryan Tannehill isn't a good quarterback, but that he's a big risk. Tannehill is the third-best quarterback in the draft, but Texas A&M only went 6-6, and while he threw a good amount of touchdowns, he threw 15 interceptions as well, which is more than one per game (on average).
For a team as desperate for a quarterback as Miami, Tannehill was a good choice, because Matt Moore wouldn't've gotten Miami to the playoffs. But I don't see Tannehill sticking around in South Beach for a while.
I think Miami should pick up a quarterback next year to aid Tannehill, because he'll throw interceptions in his rookie campaign. Joe Philbin developed Aaron Rodgers well, but will he be able to do the same with Tannehill?
Tampa Bay was a winner, because they picked a defensive stud and an explosive running back. Doug Martin is the exact opposite of LeGarrette Blount, the other Buccaneer running back, which will keep defenses off-balance.
Martin dominated Boise State, and when I saw him play against San Jose State in 2010, the Spartans were absolutely no match for Martin's speed and explosiveness. He can juke defenses, outrun a lot of players, catch passes, and return kicks. As long as Martin can break tackles, he'll be a great, underrated NFL back.
Mark Barron helped Alabama, who had a great defense in 2011, win the national championship. Barron is athletic and physical, and he has the tools to be a Pro Bowler. Tampa Bay ranked 29th in pass defense, so the addition of Barron is valuable.
Minnesota is also a big winner. They traded down and scored three extra picks while still getting Matt Kalil, the guy the Vikings wanted all along. They lured Cleveland into a trade just to block Tampa Bay from making a trade up, and they got three extra picks.
At the end of the draft, they traded up to pick Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith. He can tackle well and fill a hole left by Darren Sharper's departure in 2008, and he has great knowledge of Cover 2. Plus, Minnesota still has 10 picks left in the last 6 rounds. What else can you ask for?
Seattle was craving Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly all along, but when Kuechly went to Carolina at number nine, they swapped picks with the Eagles and moved down to the fifteenth spot. However, they took Bruce Irvin at the fifteenth spot.
Irvin has great speed off the edge, and he should be able to get a few sacks. But his run-ins with the law and the talent on defense in this draft made him a projected second rounder. For this pick to not go by as a bust, Irvin must make an immediate impact.
Draft Day Winners: Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars
Draft Day Losers: Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins
This year's draft showed a perfect example.
We all expected Andrew Luck to be drafted first by Indianapolis and Robert Griffin III, or RG3, to be picked second by Washington. But just about everything after that was unexpected.
Cleveland gave up three picks (plus the fourth overall pick) to move up one spot and select Alabama running back Trent Richardson. Minnesota, who made the trade with Cleveland, picked USC offensive lineman Matt Kalil fourth, and Jacksonville traded up two spots to pick Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon.
No one expected that to happen.
The Browns-Vikings trade was great for Minnesota and terrible for Cleveland. Even though Adrian Peterson tore his ACL, he could be back by Week 1, so using the third pick on Richardson was unlikely for Minnesota. The Vikings likely would've still picked Kalil third, and they got him and three more picks.
The Browns were trying to block Tampa Bay from trading up and picking Richardson, but I still don't think they got the better end of the deal. I didn't see Tampa Bay pulling off a trade for Richardson.
It's hard to call the Browns a loser when they picked two dynamic players in the first round (Richardson and Brandon Weeden), but the trade was absurd in my mind, so I have to call them a draft loser. Cleveland had a decent back in Peyton Hillis, and they didn't win.
Brandon Weeden played well at Oklahoma State, but Justin Blackmon helped him a lot. Weeden is 28, and he won't be able to give Cleveland 15 years like some quarterbacks would. The moves could pay off, and while I expect improvement from Cleveland, I don't think these picks can turn them around and make them a legit contender.
Jacksonville made a similar trade to Cleveland's, but their trade paid off more, in my opinion. Jacksonville only gave up one pick, and they stole the best receiver in the draft (Justin Blackmon). St Louis was likely to pick the Oklahoma State star, so the Jaguars got a big prospect.
The Jags have young receivers who aren't big names in the NFL, but Blackmon could change that. He made some great catches and was crucial in Brandon Weeden's success. Blackmon could transform Blaine Gabbert as well and help the Jaguars win more games.
Miami is a loser in my opinion, and not because Texas A&M star Ryan Tannehill isn't a good quarterback, but that he's a big risk. Tannehill is the third-best quarterback in the draft, but Texas A&M only went 6-6, and while he threw a good amount of touchdowns, he threw 15 interceptions as well, which is more than one per game (on average).
For a team as desperate for a quarterback as Miami, Tannehill was a good choice, because Matt Moore wouldn't've gotten Miami to the playoffs. But I don't see Tannehill sticking around in South Beach for a while.
I think Miami should pick up a quarterback next year to aid Tannehill, because he'll throw interceptions in his rookie campaign. Joe Philbin developed Aaron Rodgers well, but will he be able to do the same with Tannehill?
Tampa Bay was a winner, because they picked a defensive stud and an explosive running back. Doug Martin is the exact opposite of LeGarrette Blount, the other Buccaneer running back, which will keep defenses off-balance.
Martin dominated Boise State, and when I saw him play against San Jose State in 2010, the Spartans were absolutely no match for Martin's speed and explosiveness. He can juke defenses, outrun a lot of players, catch passes, and return kicks. As long as Martin can break tackles, he'll be a great, underrated NFL back.
Mark Barron helped Alabama, who had a great defense in 2011, win the national championship. Barron is athletic and physical, and he has the tools to be a Pro Bowler. Tampa Bay ranked 29th in pass defense, so the addition of Barron is valuable.
Minnesota is also a big winner. They traded down and scored three extra picks while still getting Matt Kalil, the guy the Vikings wanted all along. They lured Cleveland into a trade just to block Tampa Bay from making a trade up, and they got three extra picks.
At the end of the draft, they traded up to pick Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith. He can tackle well and fill a hole left by Darren Sharper's departure in 2008, and he has great knowledge of Cover 2. Plus, Minnesota still has 10 picks left in the last 6 rounds. What else can you ask for?
Seattle was craving Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly all along, but when Kuechly went to Carolina at number nine, they swapped picks with the Eagles and moved down to the fifteenth spot. However, they took Bruce Irvin at the fifteenth spot.
Irvin has great speed off the edge, and he should be able to get a few sacks. But his run-ins with the law and the talent on defense in this draft made him a projected second rounder. For this pick to not go by as a bust, Irvin must make an immediate impact.
Draft Day Winners: Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars
Draft Day Losers: Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins
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