Debunking the Biggest Myths of the 2012 NFL Draft

When thinking of myths, the first that come to mind are Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, the Bermuda Triangle and John Clayton's ponytail.

Heck, you could throw in the Bogeyman, Chuck Norris and Duke Silver, too.

These myths are some of the greatest of our time--things we believe in, even though we cannot always see them, hear them or even prove they exist.

The 2012 NFL draft kicks off tonight and has a few myths of its own. But unlike the legends listed above, we're going to debunk the biggest fish in the draft myth lake right now.

Because unlike the aforementioned myths, these five things aren't real.

Mark Barron Is the Only Elite Safety in the 2012 Class

Easy, easy, Mark Barron is the best safety in this class and arguably the only one who deserves to be selected in Round 1, but he's not elite either.

Barron enters this draft a consensus All-American with a ridiculous amount of experience in Nick Saban's NFL-style defense.

With all the improvements in today's passing game, and the rule changes favoring it, Barron's value has skyrocketed to potential top-10 status, and that is far too high.

The Crimson Tide star will be a starter in this league for a very long time, but he's not an elite prospect and will get picked on if ever matched in man-to-man coverage.

He can make plays around the ball and is a solid tackler coming downhill, but he struggles to deal with better athletes and is far from a solid cover guy in the deep half or even the deep third.

Expect to see him come off the board early, but don't be surprised if he never lives up to the hype. He's not the only elite safety in this class because there is no elite safety in this class.

Robert Griffin III Is a Sure-Fire Hit

Folks, the last time No. 1 and No. 2 overall QBs hit was the 1971 draft with some guys named Manning, Archie, and Plunkett, Jim.

It simply isn't a common occurrence, and history is squarely against the 2012 class.

That said, records—in this case trends—were made to be broken, but we must roll with a bit of caution.

RGIII's ascent to the top of the draft was hardly a surprise—his statistics were astounding and his upside through the roof.

But while Cam Newton put the running, athletic quarterback back in favor, it is a trend that hasn't lasted.

RGIII is not a true running quarterback; he can run, but he'd rather beat you with his arm. That said, he still has a huge transition to make entering the NFL, and he's going to be thrown to the wolves immediately in the NFC East.

Coach Mike Shanahan and GM Bruce Allen had their backs against the wall to land a QB, and they've done just that. But don't color me surprised if he doesn't live up to expectations at the next level.

He has a huge transition to undergo, and he won't be given time to ease it into it.

Justin Blackmon Isn't the Best Wide Receiver in the 2012 Class

While many people have Blackmon projected as the first receiver off the board, a number of others say he's not even the best receiver in the draft.

That is a terrible mistake and words they'll be eating in due time.

The Oklahoma State wide receiver might not be the prospect Calvin Johnson, A.J. Green or even Julio Jones were coming out in years past, but he's a dominating football player who has a mix of Terrell Owens and Anquan Boldin in him.

He's ridiculously strong on the field, and he has football speed, not timed speed, but football speed. There is a huge difference with being fast and playing fast—Blackmon plays fast.

The two-time Biletnikoff Award winner can turn short routes in long touchdowns and has the toughness, tenacity and skills to make plays over the middle and deep downfield.

Michael Floyd is a great player and will make plays, but he's not the football player Justin Blackmon is.

Running Backs Aren't Worth a Top-5 Pick

It is proven that you can find a running back anywhere in the NFL. Just off the top of the head we can name Arian Foster (undrafted), Ahmad Bradshaw (seventh round), Fred Jackson (undrafted), Tashard Choice (third round), Roy Helu (fourth round), James Stark (sixth round), Michael Turner (fifth round) and LeGarrette Blount (undrafted) as starters taken third round or later.

And, most teams use running back duos or even committees in today's NFL.

We have to understand one thing, though: Trent Richardson is the best running back to come out since Adrian Peterson in 2007. 

The Crimson Tide star isn't just a running back or even an all-purpose running back, he's a dynamic offensive weapon who can change things for an entire team.

He can carry the load, block, catch and doesn't even fumble. He, like Peterson, can put a team on his back if necessary and take over games in more ways than one.

Undervalue running backs in terms of need all you want, but don't undervalue a guy who is the best player not named Luck in the 2012 draft class.

New England Patriots Will Trade Out of the First Round

We know the Patriots love to trade out of the first round and acquire more picks, but that philosophy only works when you finally cash in on those extra picks.

New England has four selections in the top 62 picks and has a number of glaring needs they can fill immediately.

Last year we saw Belichick and company address their offensive worries, but this year everything is centered on the defensive side of the ball.

Teams will come calling, but the Patriots have to make use of their extra picks at some point.