Andrew Luck’s stunning retirement put another dent in an already damaged top of the 2012 NFL Draft. The Colts got a brilliant quarterback and field general from Stanford with the top pick. However, he missed one season and now exits without earning a ring. Others chosen near the top iin 2012 were far more dismal.
Robert Griffin III
The Redskins moved many picks to put themselves in position to draft the Heisman winner out of Baylor second overall. It looked smart … for a season. Since, he has become a journeyman with stints in Cleveland and now backing up Lamar Jackson in Baltimore.
Trent Richardson
The Browns drafted the running back from Alabama. After a solid first season, they sent him to Indy, oh, where Andrew Luck was. Richardson’s career collapsed. He has played in multiple other leagues, succeeding in none.
Matt Kalil
Justin Blackmon
The Jaguars were looking for a franchise receiver when they grabbed Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State. They wound up with perhaps the ultimate problem child. Abuse, arrests, suspensions equal a huge bust.
Morris Claiborne
Dallas drafted the Jim Thorpe Award winner out of LSU. He did not turn into the shutdown corner they hoped for, sidetracked by injuries and seemingly always in a battle for a starting spot. Not what Jerry Jones wanted when he traded up to the sixth pick. In five seasons with the Cowboys, Claiborne had 151 tackles, four fumble recoveries, and four interceptions, never recording more than one interception per season and only played in 47 games out of a possible total of 80. He moved on to the Jets and is now a Chief.
Mark Barron
The Bucs drafted Mark Barron seventh. He has had a decent NFL career but was out of Tampa Bay in 2014 and on to the Rams. He is currently on his third team, the Steelers.
Ryan Tannehill
Drafted out of Texas A&M, Ryan Tannehill was another stop on the Miami merry-go-round at quarterback. He was injured and ordinary and now is a backup in Tennessee.
The rest
The first round did deliver some stars as Luke Kuechly went to Carolina at 10. However, there were plenty of misses up top n one of the more peculiar opening round.
