2012 NFL Draft: First-Round Mock & Grading Picks for the Past Decade
With the NFL Draft less than a week away, I decided to take a look at the first round selections that every team has made over the past decade. The grades for each team were determined by the players entire careers and contributions, regardless of which team those contributions were made to, as I'm grading a team's ability to find first round talent, not their ability to retain players through free agency.
Additionally, I'll provide a 2012 First Round Mock, please leave your thoughts in the comments.
Arizona Cardinals
1 of 322002āWendell Bryant, DT (12)
2003āBryant Johnson, WR (17); Calvin Pace, DE/OLB (18)
2004āLarry Fitzgerald, WR (3)
2005āAntrel Rolle, CB/S (8)
2006āMatt Leinart, QB (10)
2007āLevi Brown, OT (5)
2008āDominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB (16)
2009āBeanie Wells, RB (31)
2010āDan Williams, DT (26)
2011āPatrick Peterson, CB (5)
The past decade has seen Arizona hit first-round home runs with Fitzgerald and Peterson, but they've also drafted some real duds, like Leinart, Brown and Bryant. Since 2008, though, things seem to be on an upswing.
Cardinals fans should hope the trend continues.Ā
First Round Grade: B-
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 13 Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
Atlanta Falcons
2 of 322002āT.J. Duckett, RB (18)
2003āNone
2004āDeAngelo Hall, CB (8); Michael Jenkins, WR (29)
2005āRoddy White, WR (27)
2006āNone
2007āJamaal Anderson, DE (8)
2008āMatt Ryan, QB (3); Sam Baker, OT (21)
2009āPeria Jerry, DT (24)
2010āSean Weatherspoon, LB (19)
2011āJulio Jones, WR (6)
Atlanta definitely has more hits (Duckett, Hall, White, Ryan, Weatherspoon and Jones) than misses, but they can't seem to draft and develop defensive linemen in the first round to save their lives.
With John Abraham expected to retire soon, and possibly as early as next season, the Falcons will hopefully buck that trend.
First-Round Grade: A
2012 First-Round Pick: None
Baltimore Ravens
3 of 322002āEd Reed, S (24)
2003āTerrell Suggs, OLB (10); Kyle Boller, QB (19)
2004āNone
2005āMark Clayton, WR (22)
2006āHaloti Ngata, DL (12)
2007āBen Grubbs, OG (29)
2008āJoe Flacco, QB (18)
2009āMichael Oher, OT (23)
2010āNone
2011āJimmy Smith, CB (27)
Where to start with Baltimore. In the past decade, they've drafted two guys who have won Defensive Player of the Year (Reed, Suggs) and another who might actually be the best player on defense (Ngata).
They seem to have found their franchise QB in Flacco, and two studs on the O-Line in Grubbs and Oher.
First-Round Grade: A+
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 29 Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
Buffalo Bills
4 of 322002āMike Williams, OT (4)
2003āWillis McGahee, RB (23)
2004āLee Evans, WR (13); J.P. Losman, QB (22)
2005āNone
2006āDonte Whitner, S (8); John McCargo, DT (26)
2007āMarshawn Lynch, RB (12)
2008āLeodis McKelvin, CB (11)
2009āAaron Maybin, DE/LB (11); Eric Wood, C (28)
2010āC.J. Spiller, RB (9)
2011āMarcell Dareus, DT/DE (3)
Buffalo has struggled with their picks in the first round. Mike Williams is widely considered to be one of the bigger draft busts in the past decade. Losman and Maybin were tremendous disappointments.
On the other hand, Lynch and McGahee have been pretty good backs in the NFL, just not for Buffalo. With the strong performance by Dareus last year and the emergence of Spiller as a playmaking threat after an awful rookie campaign, maybe Buffalo, like Arizona has turned it around.
First-Round Grade: C+
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 10 Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
Carolina Panthers
5 of 322002āJulius Peppers, DE (2)
2003āJordan Gross, OT (8)
2004āChris Gamble, CB (28)
2005āThomas Davis, LB (14)
2006āDeAngelo Williams, RB (27)
2007āJon Beason, LB (25)
2008āJonathan Stewart, RB (13); Jeff Otah, OT (19)
2009āNone
2010āCam Newton, QB (1)
The Panthers have done a tremendous job drafting in the first round. With two of the better linemen on either side of the ball with Peppers and Gross, solid players at RB and LB and a franchise QB who just won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, Carolina is doing just fine.
First-Round Grade: A
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 9 Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
Chicago Bears
6 of 322002āMarc Colombo, OT (29)
2003āMichael Haynes, DE (14); Rex Grossman, QB (22)
2004āTommie Harris, DT (14)
2005āCedric Benson, RB (4)
2006āNone
2007āGreg Olsen, TE (31)
2008āChris Williams, OT (14)
2009āNone
2010āNone
2011āGabe Carimi, OT (29)
Chicago's first-round picks have left a lot to be desired. In the past decade, their best first-round pick has been Tommie Harris. They've drafted an offensive tackle three times in the first, and they still have one of the worst offensive lines in all of football. Only last year's pick is still with the team.
First-Round Grade: D-
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 19 Whitney Mercilus, DE, IllinoisĀ
Cincinnati Bengals
7 of 322002āLevi Jones, OT (10)
2003āCarson Palmer, QB (1)
2004āChris Perry, RB (26)
2005āDavid Pollack, LB/DE (17)
2006āJohnathan Joseph, CB (24)
2007āLeon Hall, CB (18)
2008āKeith Rivers, LB (9)
2009āAndre Smith, OT (6)
2010āJermaine Gresham, TE (21)
2011āA.J. Green, WR (4)
Though Levi Jones and Chris Perry underperformed the expectations accompanying their draft slots, Cincinnati has had a solid decade drafting in the first. They've selected a franchise quarterback, an absolute stud at receiver, two legitimate No. 1 cornerbacks and a solid up-and-coming tight end.
2009 pick Andre Smith initially looked like a bust, but has turned it around and looks like a solid starter at RT.
First-Round Grade: A
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 17 Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor; No. 22 Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
Cleveland Browns
8 of 322002āWilliam Green, RB (16)
2003āJeff Faine, C (21)
2004āKellen Winslow, TE (6)
2005āBraylon Edwards, WR (3)
2006āKamerion Wimbley, LB/DE (13)
2007āJoe Thomas, OT (3); Brady Quinn, QB (22)
2008āNone
2009āAlex Mack, C (21)
2010āJoe Haden, CB (7)
2011āPhil Taylor, DT (21)
Winslow and Edwards were expected to take the Browns offense to the next level, but failed to do so. However, with the drafting of Thomas, Mack, Haden and Taylor, the Browns look to have made the right call with four of their last five draft picks, andĀ Cleveland seems to be bucking the trend of bad draft picks.Ā
First-Round Grade: B
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 4 Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama; No. 22 Nick Perry, DE, USCĀ
Dallas Cowboys
9 of 322002āRoy Williams, S (8)
2003āTerence Newman, CB (5)
2004āNone
2005āDeMarcus Ware, LB (11); Marcus Spears, DE (20)
2006āBobby Carpenter, LB (18)
2007āAnthony Spencer, LB (26)
2008āFelix Jones, RB (22); Mike Jenkins, CB (25)
2009āNone
2010āDez Bryant, WR (24)
2011āTyron Smith, OT (9)
Williams, Carpenter and Jones have been relative disappointments, and while Jenkins made the Pro Bowl as an alternate in 2009, he struggled in new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's scheme last year.
All things considered, the Cowboys have still done alright for themselves in the first round. Headlined by Ware, Newman, Bryant and last year's pick Tyron Smith, the Cowboys have been able to find stars on both sides of the ball.
First-Round Grade: B+
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 14 Mark Barron, S, Alabama
Denver Broncos
10 of 322002āAshley Lelie, WR (19)
2003āGeorge Foster, OT (20)
2004āD.J. Williams, LB (17)
2005āNone
2006āJay Cutler, QB (11)
2007āJarvis Moss, DE (17)
2008āRyan Clady, OT (12)
2009āKnowshon Moreno, RB (12); Robert Ayers, DE/LB (18)
2010āDemaryius Thomas, WR (22); Tim Tebow, QB (25)
2011āVon Miller, LB (2)
Excluding 2007, from 2004 on, the Broncos have had consistently solid first rounds. Lelie, Foster and Moss definitely were not as advertised, and due to injury, the jury's still out on Moreno, though he's been very inconsistent to this point in his career.Ā
When it's all said and done, though, the Broncos have drafted a franchise QB in Cutler, a franchise LT in Clady, a franchise pass-rusher in 2011 Defensive Rookie of the Year Von Miller and a receiver that most expect to explode next year with Peyton Manning throwing to him in Thomas. Those are four of the five most important positions on a team.
First-Round Grade: A-
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 25 Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
Detroit Lions
11 of 322002āJoey Harrington, QB (3)
2003āCharles Rogers, WR (2)
2004āRoy Williams, WR (7); Kevin Jones, RB (30)
2005āMike Williams, WR (10)
2006āErnie Sims, LB (9)
2007āCalvin Johnson Jr., WR (2)
2008āGosder Cherilus, OT (17)
2009āMatt Stafford, QB (1); Brandon Pettigrew, TE (20)
2010āNdamukong Suh, DT (2); Jahvid Best, RB (30)
2011āNick Fairley, DT (13)
From 2002 to 2006, the Lions were the laughingstock of the NFL draft. Taking a receiver in the first round for four of five years including three in a row just indicates how poorly they evaluated players.
While Gosder Cherlius could definitely be upgraded, as bad as the Lions were at drafting before 2007, they've been just as good since, landing the best receiver in the NFL, a franchise QB and one of the best defensive tackles in the league.
First-Round Grade: C+/B-
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 23Ā Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia
Green Bay Packers
12 of 322002āJavon Walker, WR (20)
2003āNick Barnett, LB (29)
2004āAhmad Carroll, CB (25)Ā
2005āAaron Rodgers, QB (24)
2006āA.J. Hawk, LB (5)
2007āJustin Harrell, DT (16)
2008āNone
2009āB.J. Raji, DT (9); Clay Matthews, LB (26)
2010āBryan Bulaga, OT (23)
2011āDerek Sherrod, OT (32)
Over the past decade, Green Bay has found themselves picking in the second half of the first round more often than not. And while only a few names on this list will be recognized by the average NFL fan, they've been able to identify and select solid starters at a variety of positions who have contributed to the team's success.
While Carroll and Harrell have been disappointments and Hawk hasn't lived up to his No. 5 selection, the Packers drafted the best player in the NFL with the 24th pick in 2005.
First-Round Grade: A
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 28 Shea McClellin, OLB, Boise State
Houston Texans
13 of 322002āDavid Carr, QB (1)
2003āAndre Johnson, WR (3)
2004āDunta Robinson, CB (10); Jason Babin, DE (27)
2005āTravis Johnson, DT (16)
2006āMario Williams, LB/DE (1)
2007āAmobi Okoye, DT (10)
2008āNone
2009āBrian Cushing, LB (15)
2010āKareem Jackson, CB (20)
2011āJ.J. Watt, DE (11)
First-round picks for the Texans have fallen on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. On the good end, you've got: Andre Johnson, Williams, Babin, Cushing and Watt. On the bad end: Carr, Travis Johnson and Okoye.
Additionally, Dunta Robinson has underperformed for a No. 10 selection, and Jackson struggled mightily in his rookie year, but had a solid sophomore campaign last season.
First-Round Grade: B
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 26 Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
Indianapolis Colts
14 of 322002āDwight Freeney, DE (11)
2003āDallas Clark, TE (24)
2004āNone
2005āMarlin Jackson, CB (29)
2006āJoseph Addai, RB (30)
2007āAnthony Gonzalez, WR (32)
2008āNone
2009āDonald Brown, RB (27)
2010āJerry Hughes, DE (31)
2011āAnthony Castonzo, OT (22)
For a team that most think of as successfully rebuilding through the draft, the Colts have done a pretty bad job drafting in the first round over the last decade.
Freeney and Clark have been key cogs to the success of the Colts, but since 2003, the list reads a lot like a list of underperformers and busts.
First-Round Grade: C-
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 1Ā Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Jacksonville Jaguars
15 of 322002āJohn Henderson, DT (9)
2003āByron Leftwich, QB (7)
2004āReggie Williams, WR (9)
2005āMatt Jones, WR (21)
2006āMarcedes Lewis, TE (28)
2007āReggie Nelson, S (21)
2008āDerrick Harvey, DE (8)
2009āEugene Monroe, OT (8)
2010āTyson Alualu, DT (10)
2011āBlaine Gabbert, QB (10)
All in all, the Jags have done a pretty bad job drafting in the first round. Henderson was a stud for most of his career, Lewis looked like a top-five tight end two years ago and Monroe is one of the better young tackles in the league.
Otherwise, Leftwich wasn't the franchise QB the Jags thought he was and Jones, Harvey and Nelson have been pretty terrible.
Blaine Gabbert looked downright awful at quarterback last year. As Gabbert goes, so too goes Jacksonville's grade. For the time being, it's looking pretty bleak.
First Round Grade: D+/C-
2012 First Round Pick: No. 7 Quinton Coples, DE, UNC
Kansas City Chiefs
16 of 322002āRyan Sims, DT (6)
2003āLarry Johnson, RB (27)
2004āNone
2005āDerrick Johnson, LB (15)
2006āTamba Hali, LB/DE (20)
2007āDwayne Bowe, WR (23)
2008āGlenn Dorsey, DT/DE (5); Brandon Albert, OT (15)
2009āTyson Jackson, DE (3)
2010āEric Berry, S (5)
2011āJonathan Baldwin, WR (26)
Excluding 2002 and 2009, the Chiefs have been very good at drafting players in the first round. Larry Johnson was at one point the best RB in the NFL. Johnson, Bowe and Hali have all been to the Pro Bowl.
Before tearing his ACL last year, Berry looked like the best young safety in the NFL, while Baldwin looks like he'll be able to take the Chiefs offense to the next level.
First-Round Grade: A
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 11 David DeCastro, G, Stanford
Miami Dolphins
17 of 322002āNone
2003āNone
2004āVernon Carey, OT (19)
2005āRonnie Brown, RB (2)
2006āJason Allen, CB/S (16)
2007āTed Ginn, Jr., WR (9)
2008āJake Long, OT (1)
2009āVontae Davis, CB (25)
2010āJared Odrick, DT (28)
2011āMike Pouncey, C (15)
Since taking Jake Long in 2008, the Dolphins have added some very good young players to their roster in the first round. That doesn't change the fact that they missed badly in 2006 and 2007.
Ted Ginn had no business being selected in the top 10, but the Dolphins have done a pretty good job otherwise.
First-Round Grade: B+
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 8 Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
Minnesota Vikings
18 of 322002āBryant McKinnie, OT (7)
2003āKevin Williams, DT (9)
2004āKenechi Udeze, DE (20)
2005āTroy Williamson, WR (7); Erasmus James, DE (18)
2006āChad Greenway, LB (17)
2007āAdrian Peterson, RB (7)
2008āNone
2009āPercy Harvin, WR (22)
2010āNone
2011āChristian Ponder, QB (12)
The Vikings have drafted five Pro Bowlers, including two All-Pro players in Peterson and Harvin. Many thought Ponder was a reach with the 12th pick last year, but he managed to show why he was taken so high and looks to be the QB of the future for the Vikes.
2005 was an awful draft, though, as both Williamson and James were huge busts. Kenechi Udeze had a solid rookie year for Minnesota, but struggled with injuries throughout his career and was ultimately forced to retire due to cancer and chemotherapy-related difficulties.
First-Round Grade: A
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 3Ā Matt Kalil, OT, USC
New England Patriots
19 of 322002āDaniel Graham, TE (21)
2003āTy Warren, DE (13)
2004āVince Wilfork, DT (21); Benjamin Watson, TE (32)
2005āLogan Mankins, OG (32)
2006āLaurence Maroney, RB (21)
2007āBrandon Meriweather, S (24)
2008āJerod Mayo, LB (10)
2009āNone
2010āDevin McCourty, CB (27)
2011āNate Solder, OT (17)
Belichick has done a very good job drafting in the first round, and the Pats' selections are highlighted by Wilfork, Mankins and Mayo. McCourty was second in the league in INTs his rookie year and was named to both the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro team.
Though he was a very productive college RB at Minnesota, Maroney was never able to achieve consistent success in the NFL
First-Round Grade: A-
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 27 Dont'a Higtower, LB, Alabama; No. 31 Vinny Curry, DE/OLB, Marshall
New Orleans Saints
20 of 322002āDonte Stallworth, WR (13); Charles Grant, DE (25)
2003āJonathan Sullivan, DT (6)
2004āWill Smith, DE (18)
2005āJammal Brown, OT (13)
2006āReggie Bush, RB (2)
2007āRobert Meachem, WR (27)
2008āSedrick Ellis, DT (7)
2009āMalcolm Jenkins, CB/S (14)
2010āPatrick Robinson, CB (32)
2011āCameron Jordan, DE (24); Mark Ingram, RB (28)
Like the Pats and Packers, the Saints have done a good job of adding solid players to their roster year after year. Brown has shown the ability to be an elite tackle at times, and Meachem was instrumental to New Orleans' prolific offense under Drew Brees.
Smith, Ellis and Jenkins have been solid on defense. However, Sullivan was a tremendous disappointment and Bush was not worthy of the No. 2 pick.Ā
First-Round Grade: B+
2012 First-Round Pick: None
New York Giants
21 of 322002āJeremy Shockey, TE (14)
2003āWilliam Joseph, DT (25)
2004āEli Manning, QB (1)
2005āNone
2006āMathias Kiwanuka, LB/DE (32)
2007āAaron Ross, CB (20)
2008āKenny Phillips, S (31)
2009āHakeem Nicks, WR (29)
2010āJason Pierre-Paul, DE (15)
2011āPrince Amukamara, CB (19)
Over the past decade, the Giants have acquired a franchise QB, a playmaking WR, two solid pass-rushers and a corner who could become among the league's best.
They missed badly with Joseph, while Ross and Shockey never became the players the Giants hoped they would.Ā
First-Round Grade: B+
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 32Ā Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
New York Jets
22 of 322002āBryan Thomas, DE/OLB (22)
2003āDewayne Robertson, DT (4)
2004āJonathan Vilma, LB (12)
2005āNone
2006āD'Brickashaw Ferguson, OT (4); Nick Mangold, C (29)
2007āDarrelle Revis, CB (14)
2008āVernon Gholston, DE/LB (6); Dustin Keller, TE (30)
2009āMark Sanchez, QB (5)
2010āKyle Wilson, CB (29)
2011āMuhammad Wilkerson, DE (30)
The Jets are another one of those teams that drafts either very well or very poorly in the first round. In 2006, they solidified the two most important positions on the offensive line by drafting very good players in Ferguson and Mangold, and followed that up by drafting the best corner in the NFL in 2007 (Revis).
However, Gholston is considered to be an all-time bust, and Robertson was incredibly disappointing as well. The jury is still out on Wilson and Wilkerson, and on whether or not Sanchez is the franchise QB that every team needs.
First-Round Grade: B
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 16 Courtney Upshaw, OLB, AlabamaĀ
Oakland Raiders
23 of 322002āPhillip Buchanon, CB (17); Napolean Harris, LB (23)
2003āNnamdi Asomugha, CB (31); Tyler Brayton, DE (32)
2004āRobert Gallery, OT (2)
2005āFabian Washington, CB (23)
2006āMichael Huff, S (7)
2007āJaMarcus Russell, QB (1)
2008āDarren McFadden, RB (4)
2009āDarrius Heyward-Bey, WR (7)
2010āRolando McClain (8)
If you took McFadden and Asomugha off of this list, this might read like an "all-time draft busts" list.
Russell is the biggest bust ever. Gallery has been pedestrian at the very best during his career. Huff, Washington, Buchanon, Heyward-Bey and McClain have all considerablyĀ underperformed their respective draft slots.Ā
First-Round Grade: F/D-
2012 First-Round Pick: NoneĀ
Philadelphia Eagles
24 of 322002āLito Sheppard, CB (26)
2003āJerome McDougle (15)
2004āShawn Andrews, OT (16)
2005āMike Patterson, DT (31)
2006āBrodrick Bunkley, DT (14)
2007āNone
2008āNone
2009āJeremy Maclin, WR (19)
2010āBrandon Graham, DE (13)
2011āDanny Watkins, OG (23)
The Eagles' first-round picks have left a lot to be desired. Sheppard is without question the best player on this list, making two Pro Bowls while also being named to the All-Pro team twice. McDougle and Andrews were plagued by injuries and other issues, and Patterson and Bunkley have been underachievers their entire careers.
Maclin looks like a nice young receiver, though, and Graham has shown his pass-rushing ability when healthy. Watkins looked good at times last year, and will hopefully benefit from a full offseason's worth of work.
First-Round Grade: C
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 15 Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston CollegeĀ
Pittsburgh Steelers
25 of 322002āKendall Simmons, OG (30)
2003āTroy Polamalu, S (16)
2004āBen Roethlisberger, QB (11)
2005āHeath Miller, TE (30)
2006āSantonio Holmes, WR (25)
2007āLawrence Timmons, LB (15)
2008āRashard Mendenhall, RB (23)
2009āZiggy Hood, DT/DE (32)
2010āMaurkice Pouncey, C (18)
2011āCameron Heyward, DE (31)
Like their AFC North counterpart Baltimore, the Steelers have done a very good job drafting in the first round. They've found Pro Bowlers (Polamalu, Roethlisberger, Pouncey and Miler) a couple of All-Pros (Polamalu and Pouncey), an Offensive ROY (Roethlisberger) and a Super Bowl MVP (Holmes).
Hood and Heyward should see an increase in playing time now that Aaron Smith has been released and Casey Hampton and Brett Keisel are getting up there in age.
First-Round Grade: A/A+
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 24 Dontari Poe, DT, MemphisĀ Ā
San Diego Chargers
26 of 322002āQuentin Jammer, CB (5)
2003āSammy Davis, CB (30)
2004āPhilip Rivers, QB (4)
2005āShawne Merriman, LB (12); Luis Castillo, DE (28)
2006āAntonio Cromartie, CB (19)
2007āBuster Davis, WR (30)
2008āAntoine Cason, CB (27)
2009āLarry English, DE/LB (16)
2010āRyan Mathews, RB (12)
2011āCorey Liuget, DT/DE (18)
The Chargers struck gold with Philip Rivers in 2004, and Jammer has been solid for San Diego at corner. Mathews had a pretty good sophomore year after a frustrating rookie season. Cromartie made a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2007 and was also named All-Pro.
Merriman was a beast for three seasons and made the Pro Bowl as well as the All-Pro team from 2005-2007, but he has completely fallen off the map since. English, the man drafted to replace Merriman, has done next to nothing.
Cason and Liuget both struggled last year, and both Buster and Sammy Davis didn't pan out.
First-Round Grade: B
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 18 Chandler Jones, DE/OLB, Syracuse
San Francisco 49ers
27 of 322002āMike Rumph, CB (27)
2003āKwame Harris, OT (26)
2004āRashaun Woods, WR (31)
2005āAlex Smith, QB (1)
2006āVernon Davis, TE (6); Manny Lawson LB/DE (22)
2007āPatrick Willis, LB (11); Joe Staley, OT (28)
2008āKentwan Balmer, DT (29)
2009āMichael Crabtree, WR (10)
2010āAnthony Davis, OT (11); Mike Iupati, OG (17)
2011āAldon Smith, LB (7)
Since 2005, the 49ers have done an excellent job of drafting in the first round, Balmer excluded. Staley, Davis and Iupati have made the 49ers O-Line one of the best in the NFL. Willis and Smith are two of the best linebackers playing the position, and Davis is perhaps the most athletic tight end ever.
Crabtree has been disappointing thus far, but has improved every season. Still, that doesn't change the fact that Rumph, Harris and especially Woods were all pretty big draft busts.
First-Round Grade: B
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 30 Amini Silatolu, G, Midwestern State
Seattle Seahawks
28 of 322002āJerramy Stevens, TE (28)
2003āMarcus Trufant, CB (11)
2004āMarcus Tubbs, DT (23)
2005āChris Spencer, C (26)
2006āKelly Jennings, CB (31)
2007āNone
2008āLawrence Jackson, DE (28)
2009āAaron Curry, LB (4)
2010āRussell Okung, OT (6); Earl Thomas, S (14)
2011āJames Carpenter, OT (25)
Seattle just hasn't done a good job of drafting in the first round. Excluding Trufant, Okung and Thomas, most of their picks have gone on to disappointing careers. Tubbs showed promise in his second season, but has missed considerable time to injury.
Stevens had a decent career, albeit with far too much baggage. Jennings was a solid bust, and Jackson, Curry and Spencer have all been traded. While they've found more success with their new teams, they haven't performed as expected.
Carpenter has potential and will benefit from a full offseason.
First-Round Grade: C
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 12 Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South CarolinaĀ
St. Louis Rams
29 of 322002āRobert Thomas, LB (31)
2003āJimmy Kennedy, DT (12)
2004āSteven Jackson, RB (24)
2005āAlex Barron, OT, (19)
2006āTye Hill, CB (15)
2007āAdam Carriker, DT (13)
2008āChris Long, DE (2)
2009āJason Smith, OT (2)
2010āSam Bradford, QB (1)
2011āRobert Quinn, DE (14)
The Rams struck gold with Steven Jackson in 2004, and they hope that they've found it again with Sam Bradford, who had a nice rookie season but was injured far too often during his sophomore campaign.
Long finally broke through last year, notching 13 sacks and if Quinn can parlay the full offseason into on-field success, he and Long could form one of the more dangerous end tandems in the league.
Thomas had a short and pedestrian career at linebacker, while Kennedy, Barron, Hill and Carriker left a lot to be desired.
First-Round Grade: B (will improve dramatically if Bradford can rebound and have a solid year in 2012)
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 6 Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30 of 322002āNone
2003āNone
2004āMichael Clayton, WR (15)
2005āCadillac Williams, RB (5)
2006āDavin Joseph, OG (23)
2007āGaines Adams, DE (4)
2008āAqib Talib, CB (20)
2009āJosh Freeman, QB (17)
2010āGerald McCoy, DT (3)
2011āAdrian Clayborn, DE (20)
If Williams could have stayed healthy, the Bucs grade would be a lot higher. After setting a rookie record for most rushing yards in the first three games of a running back's career, Williams has been absolutely decimated by injuries.
Joseph is a solid guard, and McCoy and Clayborn could develop into a solid tandem on the D-Line.
Freeman looked good as a rookie, but really turned in a disappointing year in 2011.
Talib has been a very good young corner, but his off-field issues threaten to derail his promising career.
First-Round Grade: C+
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 5 Morris Claiborne, CB, LSUĀ Ā
Tennessee Titans
31 of 322002āAlbert Haynesworth, DT (15)
2003āAndre Woolfolk, CB (28)
2004āNone
2005āPacman Jones, CB (6)
2006āVince Young, QB (3)
2007āMichael Griffin, S (19)
2008āChris Johnson, RB (24)
2009āKenny Britt, WR (30)
2010āDerrick Morgan, DE (16)
2011āJake Locker, QB (8)
The two highest-drafted players in the past decade saw off-field issues threaten their career on the field, and while Young might still have a chance to turn it around, Jones is on the shortest leash in the NFL.
Haynesworth had a chance to be an all-time great before becoming a "100 Million Dollar Man" and throwing out his work ethic. Johnson will look to return to 2009 form after a disappointing 2011 season. Morgan and Britt both looked good last year before tearing their ACLs, and hope to rebound this year.
Locker flashed potential when he was on the field last year, and could very well assume the starting role this season. Griffin is a top-10 free safety who has been to two Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro in 2010.
First-Round Grade: B+
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 20 Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
Washington Redskins
32 of 322002āPatrick Ramsey, QB (32)
2003āNone
2004āSean Taylor, S (5)
2005āCarlos Rogers, CB (9); Jason Campbell, QB (25)
2006āNone
2007āLaRon Landry, S (6)
2008āNone
2009āBrian Orakpo (13)
2010āTrent Williams, OT (4)
2011āRyan Kerrigan, LB (16)
Rest in Peace, Sean. "The Meast" was an absolute, well, beast in the secondary for Washington, and following the drafting of Landry in 2007, Redskins fans had high hopes for "Area 51." Instead, Taylor was taken far too soon and Landry is a physical specimen who has struggled in coverage.
Orakpo and Kerrigan have formed one of the best pass-rushing duos in the NFL, and Williams could easily make the Pro Bowl in 2012.
First-Round Grade: B
2012 First-Round Pick: No. 3 Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

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