Choose your 2012 NFL Draft

[Slyfox696]

Now that the 2012 NFL season is all but over, knowing what we know now, who would be your top 5 NFL draft picks? I assume most of the debate/controversy will be between Luck and RG3, but who do you pick and why?

Here was the original draft position for the first 5 picks.

1. Indianapolis
2. St. Louis
3. Minnesota
4. Cleveland
5. Tampa Bay


And here's Wikipedia entry for the draft, where you can see original draft order and the picks made: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_NFL_Draft

 

[PlayTheGame]

1. Andrew Luck, QB. He still has to be the #1 pick. Did wonders with the previously 2-14 Colts and has made the playoffs, besides breaking rookie records. RG3 is surprisingly close, but his injury risk which has presented itself a bit this season and will probably be a factor down the line clearly gives the edge to Luck.

2. Robert Griffin III, QB. I'll assume the Redskins would still trade up, possibly paying even more for RG3 then the already ludicrous amount they gave up in reality. However, RG3 has made that deal look worth it so far, as he has all but carried the Redskins to the playoffs. If Luck doesn't exist, he goes #1.

3. Trent Richardson, RB. The Richardson pick has looked good, and although the Browns have plenty of holes to fill, Richardson was worth it. I don't see anything wrong with him being picked here, nor do I personally clearly see a better alternative.

4. Morris Claiborne, CB. Claiborne, when healthy, has showed promising flashes this season and could develop into a premiere CB in the NFL. The Vikings are getting old at CB, and injuries have piled up this season. Antoine Winfield is mostly overhyped. He hits hard for his age, but his coverage skills have diminished. The Vikings D has shown promise this season, and making this acquisition would foster more positive growth in the future for this defensive squad. Claiborne could start with Winfield and eventually take over the #1 spot later on in the season and into the future as Winfield's career comes to a close. They chose Khalil here, which wasn't a bad pick, but he hasn't completely lived up to his lofty selection. Not to mention the fact that AP gets his yards regardless of the O-Line and Ponder needs only 2 seconds to throw his 5-yard slant routes.

5. Luke Kuechly, MLB. The Jaguars originally selected WR Justin Blackmon here, which looked bust-worthy until recently when he came on a bit. However, with rumors that Tim Tebow may be coming to town and the possibility of giving up on pocket passers Blaine Gabbert and Chad Henne, the team will need to shift to his style of play. That means WR's become less important, let alone young and inexperienced ones like Blackmon, and defense becomes a major priority, a field in which the Jags are lacking, yet trying to build on. Acquiring Jason Babin (if he stays) is a nice start, and pairing the rookie Kuechly (who will develop into a future captain) with the underrated veteran Paul Posluszny would be a great start, providing a heart and identity for the D. Khalil for the O-Line would also be a good pick, but I like Kuechly's promise down the line better, so I would go with him here as the Jags try to rebuild around Tebow and a better D.

 

[Megatron]

I guess it depends if we're going with the original order or what the order was after the trades. I'll assume the latter, so...

Luck still goes 1 and RGIII still goes 2. Not because one is better than the other, but because both are the right fits for the teams they went to. The Colts are a better fit for Luck because they run more of a pro style with two TEs while the Redskins use RGIII's athleticism to their advantage with read options, etc. Sure, those teams could adapt for the other one, but they both feel like the right pick.

As for #3, if we're going just based on this season, I'd have to think it has to be Russel Wilson. The only real reason this guy wasn't a first rounder was because he is 5' 11" not 6' 3". Brandon Weeden is already older than some SB winning QBs and they'll likely have to start over again. While Richardson wasn't a bad pick for Cleveland, franchise QB > franchise RB.

Minny needed a LT for the future and as far as I know Kalil hasn't been bad and has been regarded as one of the best LT prospects. Gotta protect the Franchise. No change here.

The Jags are a mess on both sides of the field, so BPA would be the best choice for them. Any one of Kuechly, Claiborne, Bruce Irvin, or even Janoris Jenkins (who had first round talent but bad character issues) would fit, but I'll go with Claiborne since they do have Pozluzny at MLB and you can never have enough good DBs.

 

[Slyfox696]

I guess it depends if we're going with the original order or what the order was after the trades. I'll assume the latter, so...

I intended it to be the original order, before the Redskins traded with the Rams. Would that change your post?

 

[Big Sexy]

I'm going to keep the original draft order rather than include the Washington, Cleveland, and Jacksonville trades:

1. Indianapolis
2. St. Louis
3. Minnesota
4. Cleveland
5. Tampa Bay

1. Andrew Luck- We can debate RGIII and Andrew Luck all day but the fact is, both of these guys are franchise quarterbacks with extremely bright futures. Luck fits the Colts personnel better so he would still be the top pick.

2. Matt Kalil- Sam Bradford is a former number one pick who has actually had a good start to his career and is still more then capable of being a franchise quarterback. The two biggest things the Rams need are an offensive line to protect him and some receivers for him to throw to. Even as a rookie Matt Kalil has been a pro bowl caliber left tackle and without any elite receivers from this draft class, Kalil is the way to go.

3. Robert Griffin III- Christian Ponder is clearly not the answer in Minnesota. If you give RGIII the best running back in the NFL and a playmaker like Percy Harvin on the outside then his production would likely be even better then it is in Washington and the Vikings would be a guaranteed playoff team.

4. Trent Richardson- The Browns have a great talent in Trent Richardson. The rest of their team isn't very good but Richardson has been impressive and has shown he can be a top 5 running back in this league in the future.

5. Morris Claiborne- The Buccaneers have one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL and Mark Barron (their original pick) hasn't done much this year. Morris Claiborne has been somewhat disappointing as well but he has shown flashes and has really started to play well late in the season. With Ronde Barber their as a mentor he would be a great fit.

 

[Megatron]

I intended it to be the original order, before the Redskins traded with the Rams. Would that change your post?

Yeah, because RGIII isn't going to Stl with Bradford and all the money tied up to him. With the original order, I'd still have Luck 1. Rams could go Kalil or defense, I'd probably say Claiborne. They went DB later with Jenkins, and Claiborne has been pretty good for a rookie DB. Vikes still go Kalil to, again, protect the franchise. RGIII goes to Cleveland and they rejoice. I'd say Richardson to Tampa because, as with the Rams, they went for that position later in the draft with Martin. They'd grab the best RB prospect. He's also a receiving threat out of the backfield and something that Schiano likes.

And the Redskins at #6 would grab Wilson since they need a QB and he has some mobility.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

If the draft order had not changed, here's how things would have gone:

1) Colts, Andrew Luck QB: This pick was a no-brainer as Luck was touted as the greatest college prospect since John Elway. I don't buy into they hype that much as I think he's just going to be an Eli Manning 2.0. He's clutch in close games, but he's going to have a high amount of turnovers throughout his career and, given how horrible Indy's front office is, he won't have nearly as good of a supporting cast as the man in New York.

2) Rams, Matt Kalil LT: This guy's a beast and he would have easily gone number one in any year without Luck or RG3. Bradford still needs a franchise LT if he's going to realize his potential.

3) Vikings, Justin Blackmon WR: Even with a bust and an inconsistent backup Blackmon has put up very good rookie numbers this year. Percy Harvin gets injured too often and is a better kick returner than wide receiver. I don't even want to imagine how scary the Vikings would be if they got Blackmon.

4) Browns, Robert Griffin III QB: They originally wanted him but wouldn't cough up what the 'Skins were willing to give.

5) Tampa Bay, Morris Claiborne CB: The Bucs badly needed secondary help this past off-season and they ended up taking Mark Barron too high on the draft board. I don't think they counted on Dallas leapfrogging them for Claiborne and thus didn't mind trading down two spots with Jacksonville for an extra fourth.

 

[Harthan]

So the original order, no trades, and full information about what happened in 2012?

1. Indianapolis - Robert Griffin III

Because he's a better quarterback. He was then, he is now, and he probably will be for a while.

2. St. Louis - Matt Kalil

Sam Bradford isn't done showing his cards yet, as he took strides forward in his game this year. Andrew Luck will probably be better, and I know the argument goes that you need an elite QB to win the Superbowl, but I think an improvement on the offensive line would have gone a long way for them. Though, it's worth noting, the trade they made with Washington is probably better for them long term than this pick would have been.

3. Minnesota - Andrew Luck

Andrew Luck > Christian Ponder.

4. Cleveland - Trent Richardson

The Browns had, and have, like a billion holes to fill. Drafting a franchise running back is still a good decision.

5. Tampa Bay - Morris Claiborne

The Bucs were last in the league in passing yards allowed. A new cornerback would have been helpful in that regard.