2012 NFL Draft First Round Grades
Let’s take a look at who drafted who in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft and whether it was a good pick.
Disclaimer: this is just instant reaction by a football writer.
1) Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Grade: A
No-brainer here for the Colts. I don’t know if he can be Peyton Manning, but he’ll come close.
2) Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
Grade: A
The price was steep for this pick, but if RGIII is as good as they and I think he will be it’s absolutely worth it.
3) Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Grade: B+
Richardson is a special player, but they gave up picks to move up one spot, and for a running back. Still, this will pay dividends in a touch division like the AFC North.
4) Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC
Grade: A+
Easy pick for the Vikings as they get a franchise left tackle to protect Ponder. Not to mention, they pick up some more picks from the Browns in the trade down.
5) Jacksonville Jaguars: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
Grade: A-
They moved up for him, but they’ve needed a receiver for about a decade. They get another weapon for Gabbert and pair him with newly signed Laurent Robinson. Good move.
6) Dallas Cowboys: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
Grade: A-
It was an aggressive move that will pay off big as they get a shutdown corner. Their duo with him and Brandon Carr will completely revamp their constantly struggling secondary.
7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mark Barron, S, Alabama
Grade: B+
A bit high for a safety, but Barron is an extremely good player that addresses the Bucs’ biggest need.
8) Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
Grade: B
The Dolphins finally draft a QB in the first round. I think he’s going to be very good. Will he be a franchise QB, though? Time will tell.
9) Carolina Panthers: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
Grade: A
The Panthers get one of the cleanest, and best, players in the draft. Drawing comparisons to Brian Urlacher, Kuechly is a good tackler with ridiculous coverage skills. Great pick.
10) Buffalo Bills: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
Grade: C+
I think Gilmore is a good player, but I’m not infatuated with him like the Bills were. I actually thought Kirkpatrick would’ve been a better pick.
11) Kansas City Chiefs: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
Grade: C-
This is a classic case of a boom-or-bust pick. His size is there, as are the combine numbers. The production wasn’t, and neither is the effort. I don’t see a reason in spending the 11th pick on anyone but a surefire prospect.
12) Philadelphia Eagles: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
Grade: A
Although they traded up, this will be well worth it. Jim Washburn is going to turn this guy into a monster as a DT in the wide-9.
13) Arizona Cardinals: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
Grade: B
Larry Fitzgerald finally gets an opposite receiver years after Anquan Boldin left him. If Kevin Kolb can’t put it together with his receiving core, then they made a HUGE financial mistake.
14) St. Louis Rams: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
Grade: B+
Brockers is really raw, but this is a typical Jeff Fisher pick. He might develop into a great DT, and they also got more picks. They’re in great position going into the last two days.
5) Seattle Seahawks: Bruce Irvin, DE/OLB, West Virginia
Grade: B-
I don’t mind this pick as much as everyone else has. The off-field concerns are obviously alarming, but he was a beast at West Virginia coming off the edge. He may be able to have an Aldon Smith-type impact for the Seahawks this year.
16) New York Jets: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
Grade: C+
Another boom-or-bust pick that I believe has the potential to be one of the best defensive ends in the league. He’s going to be a weird fit for Rex Ryan’s defense, though, and I’m not sure if it will work out.
17) Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
Grade: B+
They now have a logjam at cornerback, but it’s hard to pass on a talent like Kirkpatrick. This is a very good value pick.
18) San Diego Chargers: Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina
Grade: A+
A very good player falls into a very good situation. Ingram is a perfect fit in the Chargers’ 3-4 defense. He will shine in San Diego.
19) Chicago Bears: Shea McLellin, OLB, Boise State
Grade: C
He’s a good football player, but where will he play. The Bears want him to play Sam in their 4-3, while he seems to be better as a 3-4 pass rushing linebacker. We’ll see how it works out.
20) Tennessee Titans: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
Grade: A-
I wanted DeCastro badly, but in no way was I disappointed with the Titans realizing they have become a pass-first team and drafting an explosive home run hitter that may end up being the best receiver out of this draft.
21) New England Patriots: Chandler Jones, DE/OLB, Syracuse
Grade: A
Bill Belichick will turn this kid loose in his 3-4 defense, as he will rack up double digit sacks. Maybe starting this year.
22) Cleveland Browns: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
Grade: D
They were bummed not to get Kendall Wright, so end up settling for a 28-year old rookie QB. I don’t even think he’s any better than Colt McCoy. They should have gotten another weapon to help McCoy come along. Just doesn’t make much sense.
23) Detroit Lions: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
Grade: A+
Just a great value pick at a position of need for the Lions. There are concerns about his short arms, but it hasn’t stopped him from being an anchor on the offensive line, and I don’t think it will.
24) Pittsburgh Steelers: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
Grade: A+
Classic Steelers having a tailor-made player fall to their laps. A mean, hard-nosed football player of the Steeler variety, he will start from day one up until the next decade.
25) New England Patriots: Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama
Grade: B+
As we’ve come to expect, another good pick by the Patriots. Hightower is a hard hitting linebacker that can play inside, as well as rush the passer when needed.
26) Houston Texans: Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois
Grade: C+
This isn’t that much of a position of need for the Texans, although they did lose Mario Williams. Mercilus has the makings of a one year college wonder, and it’ll be interesting to see if his huge year was a fluke. He seems to lack some explosiveness.
27) Cincinnati Bengals: Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin
Grade: A-
The Bengals trade down, and still get the offensive line help that they needed in Zeitler, a nasty, tough guard.
28) Green Bay Packers: Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC
Grade: C+
There’s been rumblings that Perry is a bit soft, and we’ll find out soon enough if it’s true given the relentlessness of the NFL.
29) Minnesota Vikings: Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame
Grade: B
In an incredibly pass heavy NFC North the Vikings needed help in their secondary. They got it in a somewhat under-the-radar safety.
30) San Francisco 49ers: A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois
Grade: C
One of the real surprise picks of the first round. Jenkins was very productive this last year, and has shown flashes of being a very good receiver. But can he consistently keep it up? Seemed like a 2nd rounder to me.
31) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Doug Martin, RB, Boise State
Grade: B+
A tough runner with good pass catching ability, Martin is a good pick for the Buccaneers. They did trade up to get Martin, though.
32) New York Giants: David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech
Grade: A-
The rich get richer. I think the Giants really nailed this pick, giving them a great 1-2 punch with Ahmad Bradshaw. Wilson has all the makings of a very good NFL running back.
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