There were some big surprises last night at Radio City Music Hall but the first two picks of the 2012 NFL draft went exactly as everybody expected. Andrew Luck went number one to the Colts and Robert Griffin III came right after when the Redskins called his name. With the top two players off the board, things began to get interesting as teams began to jostle for position.
The Browns traded up one slot to pick Trent Richardson, which had been projected by many, but it was a surprise nonetheless to see a running back valued so highly. The Browns must see him as a once in a generation type running back; in the past 10 years, only seven running backs have been picked in the top 10 of the NFL Draft. Only one of those seven has panned out: Adrian Peterson.
The first surprise came when Dallas moved up to grab cornerback Maurice Claiborne at six. Even though many experts had Claiborne going a bit later, there’s not much bad to say about the move because of his tremendous talent and production at LSU last year. He had the mental makeup and physical tools to develop into a true shutdown corner at the next level.
While many first rounds can last five or six hours, the picks in this one came fast and furious. A few of the biggest shockers came in the middle of the first. When Seattle picking Bruce Irvin at 15, Mel Kiper Jr, said it was the first real “head scratcher” of the draft. Greg Cosell said Irvin was a “first round talent”, and the most “explosive” edge rusher this year but because of off the field issues, his name wasn’t even on the radar. That being said, Pete Carroll has never been afraid to take on a problem child.
While Irvin moved up, some players went higher than expected. Both Quinton Coples and Melvin Ingram were on the board when Seattle picked. Some media personalities were saying that out of the 150 or so draft scenarios the Charges ran, not one of them had Melvin Ingram falling to them at 20. On the other hand, when the Jets passed over Ingram to pick Coples instead, many fans in the room started booing. There have been some questions about Coples effort at times, but Rex Ryan must think he can get the most out of the 6’6” defensive end.
The Browns really changed the look of their offense with a top 5 running back and a new quarterback in Brandon Weeden. Now they just need to add some pieces but they should be much improved this year. All in all, it was an amazing night not just for the kids that were picked but for football fans everywhere. Many of the kids picked will go on to become huge stars and make major impacts at the next level. That’s what makes watching the drama of the draft so much fun!
Top Players Still Available:
- Peter Konz
- Stephen Hill
- Coby Fleener
- Jenoris Jenkins
- Lavonte David
