2012 NFL Draft Projections: Predicting Which QBs Will Follow Luck and RG3

Andrew Luck is going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, and Robert Griffin III will follow shortly after at No. 2.

After those two are off the board, the quarterback picture is a little fuzzy. They're the only clear stars to be had in the 2012 draft class. All other quarterbacks are either developmental players or career backups. Upside is hard to come by.

Looking to know which quarterbacks are going to follow Luck and RG3 in the draft? Here are my projections.

Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M

When it comes to Ryan Tannehill, it's all about his tools. He's relatively new to the quarterback position and he wasn't tremendously productive in college, but he has the tools to be a solid starter in the NFL.

I don't see it. For that matter, a lot of people don't see it. Tannehill needs a lot of work before he's ready to start, and I find it alarming that scouts are gushing over him because of what he did after the college season and not during it.

Nonetheless, Tannehill is going to be drafted in the first round. There's a train of thought out there that he could slide down the draft, a la Aaron Rodgers or Brady Quinn, but I don't see that happening.

If a team in the top 10, such as the Miami Dolphins at No. 8, doesn't take Tannehill, some team will trade up to get him.

Projection: Top 10

Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

If Brandon Weeden was 22 years old, we'd probably be talking about him as an early first-round pick. There's not a whole lot to complain about as far as his game is concerned.

But Weeden's not 22. He's 28, and that means he's not worth an early first-round investment. Weeden's just not going to be around very long, and his ceiling isn't that high.

There's some buzz about Weeden being a late first-round pick, and the team he's most commonly linked to is the Cleveland Browns. Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network thinks the Browns may even try to acquire a third first-round pick just so they can get Weeden.

I'll agree that the Browns are a great fit for Weeden, but I think they'll be able to get him at No. 37 in the second round.

Projection: Early second

Kirk Cousins, Michigan State

If Weeden wasn't in the picture, we'd probably be talking about Kirk Cousins as a late-first-round option.

Cousins is a very intriguing player. He doesn't really jump out at you as a special NFL talent, but he's an accurate, efficient passer who can run a pro-style offense. That's more than you can say about a lot of incoming rookies.

Cousins is going to draw looks in the second round. He's a sleeper who could step into a nice backup role right away, and he could be fit for starting duty a year or two down the line. 

The big thing standing in Cousins' way is the sheer amount of depth at other positions in this year's draft. Teams will be looking to stock up on them, rather than taking players from a pretty shallow quarterback class.

Projection: Early third

Brock Osweiler, Arizona State

Brock Osweiler's claim to fame is his height. He's typically listed at 6'8," but he was revealed at the combine to actually be shorter than 6'7." 

Still, that's pretty tall.

Osweiler isn't a bad passer. He's especially good with short passes, and he's very good at leading his receivers. That makes him a perfect fit for a West Coast system.

Osweiler's ceiling isn't tremendously high, but he projects as a very solid backup, and he may work his way in as a starter in the right system.

Projection: Middle third

Nick Foles, Arizona

After the four quarterbacks listed above come off the board, there's no telling which quarterback will be next. Like I said, it's not a deep class, and it features a lot of guys who are hard to evaluate.

Nick Foles is my pick to follow Osweiler off the board. He's got NFL size at 6'5" and roughly 240 pounds, and he's got a good arm. He doesn't have any trouble throwing from the pocket, and he goes through his progressions well.

Foles' biggest problem is inconsistency. He could be great one moment, and terrible the next. The fact that he threw 24 interceptions in his last two years at Arizona doesn't bode well.

Nonetheless, Foles is very much worth a gamble.

Projection: Early fourth