2012 NFL Draft Grades: NFC Winners and Losers: The NFC certainly made some headlines during this year’s draft, starting with Washington’s bold move to trade up and draft Robert Griffin III with the second pick. St. Louis, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Minnesota all made moves in the first round, as well, leaving little doubt that the upcoming season should be another competitive one for the conference.
2012 NFL Draft Grades
Winners
Philadelphia Eagles: For all the talent and speed on both sides of the ball, the Eagles lack of size and power came back to bite them last season. Philadelphia took a big step to correcting the issue during the draft, trading up to add the most-proven and most-NFL-ready defensive tackle in Fletcher Cox. The Eagles followed it up by adding inside linebacker Mychal Kendricks and pass rusher Vinny Curry. With some much-needed bulk added to the front seven, Philadelphia took a big step to becoming the “Dream Team” they were supposed to be last season.
Green Bay Packers: The Packers’ high-powered offense was ultimately undermined by its porous defense last season, and the Green Bay front office made sure to address the issue during the draft. Nick Perry is a versatile pass rusher that can play outside linebacker or defensive end, and he should take some pressure of Clay Mathews. The Packers scooped up massive defensive tackle Jerel Worthy next, and he and nose tackle B.J. Raji should form a human brick wall at the point of attack. Throw in a couple of prospects in the secondary, and there is little doubt that Green Bay’s defense will improve next season.
New York Giants: For having the final pick in the first round, the Giants filled several big needs in the draft. Running back David Wilson was probably the most complete back in the ACC, and he will become the new tag team partner of Ahmad Bradshaw with Brandon Jacobs now in San Francisco. New York also grabbed receiver Reuben Randle, and considering his size and blocking ability, he was a steal late in the second round. Even the team’s third-round pick Jayron Hosley should be an instant contributor. The guy was a playmaker in the return game at Virginia Tech and led the country in interceptions two years ago. The defending champs got a nice haul.
Losers
New Orleans Saints: Has anything been going New Orleans’ way this offseason? Trading for Mark Ingram last season left the Saints without a first-round pick and bounty gate left them without a second-round pick. Basically, defensive tackle Akiem Hicks and receiver Nick Toon are the only players that have a shot at contributing this year, and neither players addresses an urgent need for New Orleans, especially in the wake of Jonathan Vilma’s suspension.
Seattle Seahawks: It’s tough to explain, but somehow Seattle made linebacker Bruce Irvin a first-round pick when no other team planned on drafting him until at least the second round. The Seahawks later added quarterback Russell Wilson in the third round, despite his lack of size and the team’s offseason signing of Matt Flynn. Seattle has been throwing darts and hoping to hit a QB since Pete Carroll arrived, and this draft did little to solidify the offense.
Chicago Bears: Sure, Shea McClellin is a versatile prospect for the defense, but it’s not like the Bears are hurting on defense. Protecting QB Jay Cutler was the team’s biggest issue last year, and Chicago didn’t draft a single offensive lineman in the draft. The Bears did grab Cutler a new target in receiver Alshon Jeffery, but they already traded for Brandon Marshall in the offseason, and all the receivers in the world won’t help if Cutler is running for his life. Chicago’s picks just didn’t seem to address the team’s needs.
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