NFL Draft 2012 Results: Bruce Irvin and Rookies Under Most Pressure to Succeed

When teams are counting on young players fresh out of college to make a profound impact at the NFL level right away, many rookies crumble under the pressure and expectations.

For players drafted high in the first round such as Andrew Luck, and players who many experts felt were taken to high, such as Bruce Irvin, the pressure to succeed in year one will be unlike any kind of pressure they experienced in college.

Let's look at three rookies under a ton of pressure to succeed.

Robert Griffin III, QB, Washington Redskins

The Redskins gave up multiple first-round picks to trade with the St. Louis Rams to select Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin No. 2 overall.

Based alone on the amount and quality of the draft picks given up to take him, Griffin will be under immense pressure to succeed right away and bring the Redskins consistent playoff success.

Washington hasn't had a franchise quarterback in many years, and their lack of productivity at the positioned has hurt them for two decades.

For Griffin to live up to the lofty expectations facing him, he has to play an exciting brand of football and win games, especially in January.

Quinton Coples, DE, New York Jets

Coples will try to become what the New York Jets thought Vernon Gholston would be when they picked him No. 6 overall out of Ohio State in 2008, and that's a top-tier pass-rusher.

Questions concerning Coples' work ethic may have caused him to slip to No. 16 where the Jets took him, but there's no doubting the fact he has a ton of talent.

The Jets have Super Bowl expectations and need their defense to improve or they won't reach their goals.

Coples will be under a lot of pressure to rush the quarterback effectively from Week 1, and help the Jets defense get back to the level it was at during the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Bruce Irvin, OLB, Seattle Seahawks

Many people consider Bruce Irvin's selection at No. 15 by the Seattle Seahawks as the biggest reach in the first round, maybe even the draft as a whole.

Irvin will help the Seahawks' weak pass rush from last season and will need to dominate as a rookie to justify his high draft position, but he certainly has confidence he can play well in the pros.

He told ESPN:

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"People say 15 was a reach. I don't think it was a reach. I didn't expect to go 15, I'm not going to like about that, but they felt different and I don't blame them for it," Irvin said. "I'm going to come in here and it's going to pay off for them."

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Irvin is a good player, but the spotlight will be on him because of the Seahawks taking him earlier than most expected him to go.

If he rushes the quarterback well, the Seahawks could be playoff contenders next season with an improved defense.

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