2012 NFL Draft Projections: Predicting Landing Spots for Draft's QBs

It's time to predict where each quarterback in the 2012 NFL draft class will land once the dust clears at the end of April.

Quarterbacks are the lifeblood of the NFL these days. Without a legitimate passing threat, teams perish.

As a result, quarterbacks are often taken earlier in the draft than they otherwise ought to be, and you never know when a team will take a giant leap to try to secure its "franchise quarterback."

There are still a handful of teams in the league right now that don't have a sure starter, and it will be interesting to see where they all end up after the draft.

Here are my projections for every quarterback coming out of this year's draft class.

Andrew Luck, Stanford

Projection: No. 1 Overall to the Indianapolis Colts

All signs point to Indy taking Andrew Luck with the first pick. He's the best quarterback in the draft, though some consider Robert Griffin III to have more upside.

Luck has the potential to make the loss of Peyton Manning nothing more than a bump in the road.

He is as polished and "NFL ready" as any quarterback since Manning and as athletic as Cam Newton.

Robert Griffin III, Baylor

Projection: No. 2 Overall to the Washington Redskins

Much like Andrew Luck to Indy, we've suspected for a while that Robert Griffin III will be wearing a Redskins uniform this upcoming fall.

Griffin's athletic prowess has Mike Shanahan drooling, and I'm expecting Griffin to perform better than Luck in 2012.

He will have a full complement of weapons on offense to work with and should have impressive numbers as a rookie—not to mention, the Redskins are loaded on defense.

Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M

Projection: No. 8 Overall to the Miami Dolphins

There have been rumors about the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns being open to trading their No. 3 (h/t CBS Sports) and No. 4 (h/t National Football Post) picks so that some team can snag Tannehill. 

In the end, they will have all been just rumors, as no team will be foolish enough to trade up for such an unproven commodity after seeing what happened to Mark Sanchez in New York.

Tannehill was a one-year starter for Texas A&M, and though he has an NFL arm as far as strength goes, he isn't the most accurate passer.

The Dolphins and Joe Philbin will hope they find lightning in a bottle and will select Tannehill with the eighth overall pick.

Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

Projection: No. 37 Overall to the Cleveland Browns

Mike Shanahan is reportedly waffling over whether or not Ryan Tannehill is franchise material, and in the end, he'll make the right choice and take Justin Blackmon instead.

He won't give up on trying to find a QB of his own, though, and Brandon Weeden might be just the guy he's been looking for.

Weeden has phenomenal abilities, and the biggest knock on him is that he's 28 years old. All that does for him as far as I'm concerned is give him a better head on his shoulders.

Weeden has all the tools to compete with Colt McCoy, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him become the Browns starting quarterback before the end of the 2012 season.

Kirk Cousins, Michigan State

Projection: No. 43 Overall to the Seattle Seahawks

Even after landing the most coveted quarterback prize in free agency not named Peyton Manning, Pete Carroll and the Seahawks are reportedly going into camp with an open competition at the quarterback position (h/t Pro Football Talk).

One of the reasons Carroll has been successful wherever he goes is that he loves competition. He'll bring in Kirk Cousins to nurture for a year or two and hope he rises up to the level of an NFL starter to take the reins away from either Matt Flynn or Tarvaris Jackson.

Cousins is more cerebral than most, and though he doesn't have the strongest arm in the draft, he is extremely accurate on short and intermediate passes—making him a perfect fit in Seattle.

Nick Foles, Arizona

Projection: No. 46 Overall to the Philadelphia Eagles

Per PhiladelphiaEagles.com, the Eagles are reportedly one of the teams interested in trading up for Ryan Tannehill.

The price tag is too rich, though, and Andy Reid will have to content himself with one of the second-tier guys instead.

Nick Foles could become either the next starting quarterback for Reid, or he could become the next Kevin Kolb. He is tall and athletic and can make all the throws on the field—though he's no Matthew Stafford when it comes to zip on the ball.

He isn't ready to start right away, but the Eagles don't need him to.

Russell Wilson, Wisconsin

Projection: No. 72 Overall to the Buffalo Bills

Per Twitter, Russell Wilson visited Buffalo recently. BuffaloBills.com also confirmed his visit.

If not for the fact that Wilson is 5'11", he'd be the third quarterback off the board. He has a cannon for an arm and is one of the most accurate passers in this year's draft class.

The closest player in the league that we have to compare Wilson to is Drew Brees. Brees is one inch taller but doesn't possess as strong of an arm. 

Wilson will find a way to be successful in the NFL. He is smart and will use anything and everything he has to his advantage.

Brock Osweiler, Arizona State

Projection: No. 75 Overall to the Kansas City Chiefs

After an impressive pro day, Brock Osweiler vaulted up draft boards. 

NFL.com's Gil Brandt went so far as to suggest that Osweiler had launched himself into the first round—a claim I certainly don't agree with. 

Nevertheless, Osweiler is an attractive prospect. He is a tall, athletic man who can make all the throws, but the knock on him is that he has limited experience, having only started 15 games at ASU.

The Chiefs haven't been satisfied with Matt Cassell and were one of the teams rumored to be interested in Ryan Tannehill, going so far as to attend his pro day (h/t NFL.com).

They will have to go in another direction, though, and Osweiler could be their man in the end.

Ryan Lindley, San Diego State

Projection: No. 89 Overall to the Denver Broncos

Ryan Lindley had an impressive pro day in front of scouts, and the Broncos have since invited him to come in for a private workout (h/t the Denver Post). 

They need to find Peyton Manning's replacement now, though the hope is obviously that Lindley—or any other quarterback, for that matter—would have a couple of years to learn under the master.

Lindley has a strong arm but needs work on his technique and accuracy. He will improve as long as he follows Manning's example, and in the end, he could become one of the steals of this year's draft.

B.J. Coleman, Chattanooga

Projection: No. 161 Overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers

B.J. Coleman is one of the most intriguing prospects in this year's draft class.

Coming out of Chattanooga, he is a three-year starter with a big arm. One of the knocks on him is that he looks a bit too thick.

Remind you of anyone?

Per CBSSports.com, the Steelers were one of 16 teams to attend Coleman's pro day. He performed well, completing 34 out of 43 passes—two of which were drops by receivers.

Coleman is the perfect player to sit behind Ben Roethlisberger. He should have at least two to three years before there's any chance the Steelers will be looking for him to start, barring injury.

Case Keenum, Houston

Projection: No. 179 Overall to the Arizona Cardinals

Case Keenum was a prolific passer at Houston and is the NCAA's all-time leader in total passing yards, touchdowns and completions (h/t UHCougars.com).

Per chron.com, he threw well at his pro day in front of scouts for at least 21 teams, one of which was the Cardinals. 

Arizona has a quarterback competition brewing already between Kevin Kolb and John Skelton, and I wouldn't put it past Ken Whisenhunt to bring in another talented passer to push the competition even further.

Aaron Corp, Richmond

Projection: No. 215 Overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

This is pure speculation on my part, but I expect the Bucs to draft insurance against the possibility that Josh Freeman's performance in 2011 was more than an aberration.

Aaron Corp could be a good pro. He is coming out of Richmond, but he went there by way of transfer out of USC.

He has the tools to become a serviceable passer in the NFL.

Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois

Projection: No. 220 Overall to the San Diego Chargers

Chandler Harnish will be the last quarterback taken in the 2012 NFL draft.

Norv Turner is fond of developing young quarterbacks, and Harnish possesses all the physical tools to become a good player in the NFL.

Harnish has elite natural athletic abilities. He has a big arm and shows flashes of becoming an accurate passer, and his mobility will allow him to run away from most linebackers and defensive linemen at the next level.

Kellen Moore, Boise State

Projection: Undrafted

Per BroncoSports.com, Kellen Moore is the NCAA's all-time winningest quarterback, having finished his college career with a record of 50-3.

Unfortunately for him, not only is he short—he measured 6'0" at the NFL combine—but he has an extremely weak arm. 

It's a pity, too. He has some of the best touch and anticipation I've ever seen.

Unfortunately, his inability to push the ball downfield will get him nothing but interceptions at the next level.

Austin Davis, Southern Mississippi

Projected: Undrafted

Austin Davis is a good athlete who's had success at the college level with little talent to work with. 

The problem is that he just doesn't possess an NFL arm.

He won't stretch the field, and he isn't a particularly accurate passer, making him a practice-squad player at best.

Patrick Witt, Yale

Projection: Undrafted

Patrick Witt is a big, smart quarterback with a quirky release and average arm strength.

That isn't a good combination, and he's going to be an undrafted free agent at best.

There is a slight chance that Witt will make an NFL roster, though it will likely be as a practice-squad member.

Darron Thomas, Oregon

Projection: Undrafted

Darron Thomas should have never declared for the NFL draft this year.

He's not even close to being polished enough as a quarterback to attempt this jump, and he should have stayed at Oregon.

He's a terrific athlete who can eventually become a dual-threat quarterback, but he is way too raw a prospect to make a roster in 2012. 

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