It started with the Indianapolis Colts ushering in a new era by selecting Andrew Luck No.1 in the 2012 NFL draft. It ended with a shutdown corner from South Carolina being taken. There were eight other picks in between these, as the top-10 draft picks look to come into their rookie season and make an impact.
But which of these 10 players will have the biggest impact on their team in 2012?
For starters, let’s list out who we have as the options to choose from, running down the list from Luck to Stephon Gilmore
1. Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
2. Washington Redskins (from St. Louis) – Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
3. Cleveland Browns (from Minnesota) – Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
4. Minnesota Vikings (from Cleveland) – Matt Kalil, OT, USC
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Tampa Bay) – Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
6. Dallas Cowboys (from Washington via St. Louis) – Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (from Jacksonville) – Mark Barron, S, Alabama
8. Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
9. Carolina Panthers – Luke Kuechly, MLB, Boston College
10. Buffalo Bills – Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
There they are, the top-10 2012 NFL Draft picks. And from the looks of things, we believe that every one of these players will start, with the exception of Tannehill in Miami. Though with the quarterback situation in the Dolphins camp still competitive, it’s hard to say.
Obviously the potential is there for the quarterbacks, who will have the biggest chance to affect them team in a positive way. But when you are drafted No.1 or No.2, you know that there won’t be a ton of help around you. The fact of the matter is that there are probably a bunch more problems than just you.
Last season, I would say that Patrick Peterson, the former LSU corner drafted in the top-10 by Arizona was the biggest impact player as a rookie. Coming into 2012, Peterson might cement himself as the best corner in the league. Yes, better than Darrelle Revis.
So who’s it going to be this season?
Morris Claiborne plays Peterson’s position, and the Dallas Cowboys traded up to get arguably the best athlete in the 2012 draft class. The Cowboys needed a shutdown corner, and got their man. We definitely think he will be a help to the Dallas secondary.
Mark Barron plays a similar position to Peterson in the secondary. He is a safety, and Tampa Bay definitely needs help on defense. Barron is a big time player who can help in the run and in pass coverage. He made play after play for Alabama.
Luke Kuechly was all over the field during his time in Boston College, leading the team in tackles. He was a three-time All-American for the Eagles. The Panthers made great strides during quarterback Cam Newton’s rookie season in 2011, who could arguably be the rookie who had the biggest impact, and now hope to have great success with another first rounder, this time on the defensive side of the ball.
Justin Blackmon joins a team that has no passing game in 2011. Probably because there are no playmakers on offense at the wide receiver position. The Jacksonville Jaguars were pitiful on offense, and needed that big time receiver. There is no question that Blackmon can fill that void, and will probably be second year quarterback Blaine Gabbert’s best friend, along with a good offensive line.
We’ve seen how running backs can take over a game, and the Browns definitely got one with potential in Trent Richardson. But the shelf life of a running back in the NFL is small, and it’s hard to bank on these guys no matter how good they are. And Richardson is a physical specimen at the running back position. But he has already had to have some minor surgery and the regular season hasn’t even started.
But the biggest impact on their team will probably come from the quarterback position. And while Luck might have been the No.1 quarterback taken, I like the way Robert Griffin III plays football. Not to brag, but I picked up on this guy long before the national media did. It was the way he threw the long ball at Baylor. Every pass was spot on, and thrown with such little effort it appeared. And we know the Redskins are banking on him, they gave up enough to get him. But I think they will be very happy with that decision after the Redskins become competitive this season.
Griffin will throw for more yards, more touchdowns, and have more wins in Washington than Luck in Indy this season.