2012 NFL Draft Grades: Teams That Failed Their Fans with Early-Round Duds

The Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars all failed their fans with horrible picks in the early rounds on the 2012 NFL draft.

The later rounds are where teams can find some nice developmental players and add depth to their lineup, but it's the first three rounds where teams can make immediate improvements for now and for the future.

These three teams failed to make good picks, and they will all receive failing grades.

Here are the picks that will have fans shaking their heads for years to come.

8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

Ryan Tannehill will not achieve much success in the NFL, and the Dolphins set their organization back years by making this pick.

There's very little about Tannehill that would lead you to believe he can be a star, and believe you me, except for a few very rare cases, you need a star at quarterback to win the Super Bowl in today's NFL.

He'll be a decent quarterback, but do you really draft a decent quarterback at No. 8 overall to lead your franchise? Maybe if you're intent on selling the idea of a franchise quarterback, but not if you're trying to win Super Bowls.

Tannehill did throw 29 touchdowns in 2011, but he also threw 15 interceptions. He also had three-interception games three times this season. Consequently, they were against A&M's three best opponents: Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Texas.

This is your quarterback of the future, Miami? Good luck.

15. Seattle Seahawks: Bruce Irvin, OLB, West Virginia

I understand Seattle felt Irvin was an excellent pass-rushing specialist, but to take him at 15 overall is absurd.

Most draft minds had Irvin going in the third or fourth rounds, so Seattle is really going to have to strike gold here or it will look pretty silly.

Irvin may be a great pass-rusher, but consider the fact that the Seahawks passed up on this list of players that are also good pass-rushers, and graded out as first-round talents: Quinton Coples, Melvin Ingram, Shea McClellin, Chandler Jones, Whitney Mercilus, Nick Perry and Courtney Upshaw.

I'm not sure what the Seahawks were thinking with this pick. In fact, here's a tweet I sent out that will accurately describe what I felt about the Seahawks' drafting strategy as a whole.

Have fun with that pick, Seahawks fans.

70. Jacksonville Jaguars: Bryan Anger, PT, California

The Jaguars are not in the position to take luxury picks in the NFL draft, so it's absolutely mind-boggling that they felt the third round was a great time to take a punter of all positions. 

Meanwhile, they are a team that can't get people to come to their games and play in a division with a stacked Houston Texans team, the dangerous Titans and now Andrew Luck.

I understand that field position is important, but a punter in the third round?

If you can explain this to me, by all means go ahead, but for all intents and purposes this is a travesty of a pick.