2012 NFL Draft Grades: Teams That Made the Biggest Offensive Overhauls
The 2012 NFL draft is now just a memory, and as the first five selections in this year's draft plainly demonstrate, the National Football League in the 21st century is driven by offense.
Here's a post-draft look back at a trio of NFL clubs that went on a spending spree to increase their offensive firepower—from a team with one of the league's most anemic offenses in 2011 to a squad that came on strong down the stretch to one that saw its offense let them down one game short of an appearance in Super Bowl XLVI.
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The Cleveland Browns weren't comfortable starting their remodel of an offense that ranked 29th in the NFL from the fourth overall spot, as the team gave up three draft choices to move up one spot and select the draft's top running back in Alabama's Trent Richardson, who topped 2,000 total yards for the Crimson Tide a year ago.
The Cleveland front office then seemingly brought an end to the Colt McCoy era in Cleveland, drafting 28-year-old Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden with the 22nd overall pick. You don't draft backup quarterbacks in the first round, and when your new rookie is closer to 30 than 20, there's even more impetus to get him on the field.
The team then addressed the hole on the right side of the offensive line and lack of receiving weapons, with two of their next three picks—selecting Cal offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz and Miami wide receiver Travis Benjamin in the second and fourth round, respectively.
There are bound to be growing pains, given all the young players who will probably be starting on offense next year, and the Browns aren't going to be confused with the New Orleans Saints anytime soon, except in that the two teams share suspended linebackers in common.
However, the rebuild in Cleveland had to start somewhere. If Weeden can acclimate quickly, the Browns will have made good use of their bevy of draft picks this year.
Overall Draft Grade: B-
Although the Arizona Cardinals got off to a woeful start in 2011, the team turned it on down the stretch, winning seven of their final nine games to finish the season at 8-8. A large part of the Redbirds' issues earlier in the season can be traced to an offense that was very inconsistent at times, and the team apparently decided that addressing the offensive front was a priority in this year's draft.
The Cardinals selected a trio of offensive tackles in this year's draft, beginning with an excellent value in offensive tackle Bobby Massie of Ole Miss in the fourth round. The 316-pound tackle was believed by many experts to be a second-round prospect, and Massie will challenge to start immediately on the right side of the Arizona line.
In the fifth round, the Cardinals added Iowa State tackle Senio Kelemete, who could become an excellent "swing" reserve tackle for the team. The selection of Boise State tackle Nate Potter provides additional depth along the offensive line that the team was sorely lacking a year ago.
The team didn't completely eschew the offensive skill positions in this year's draft. With the 13th overall selection in the first round, the Cardinals picked up 6'3" wide receiver Michael Floyd of Notre Dame, who caught 100 passes a season ago and should have the opportunity for big numbers early, playing next to Larry Fitzgerald in the desert.
Overall Draft Grade: A-
After San Francisco 49ers wide receivers caught all of one pass in last year's NFC Championship game loss, it was plainly evident that the team needed an upgrade badly at the position. Even after adding Mario Manningham and Randy Moss in free agency, the team chose to use their first-round pick on a wide receiver.
The selection of Illinois wide receiver A.J. Jenkins with the 30th overall selection came as a surprise to many, but as Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News reported after the draft, the 49ers apparently had their eyes on the 6'0" senior all along.
"Last week, Baalke gamely offered that the 49ers had one player circled for the pick.
And then this week…
"Trent Baalke put (Jenkins’) name in an envelope and said, 'This is who we’re going to pick,'" Harbaugh said Thursday night. And we all agreed on it, and it held true.
"That was the guy we wanted."
"
The 49ers followed up the selection of Jenkins by drafting Oregon running back LaMichael James in the second round. At only 5'8" and 194 pounds, James may be too diminutive for an every-down role in the NFL—but as his wildly productive collegiate career shows, James is capable of doing damage when he has the ball in his hands.
San Francisco then spent two picks on necessary upgrades to the interior of the offensive line, adding Wake Forest guard Joe Looney in the fourth round and Western Oregon center Jason Slowey in the sixth. The departure of Adam Snyder in free agency may thrust the 309-pound Looney into a prominent role early, while Slowey is a small-school "project" type who will likely be groomed for depth.
Overall Draft Grade: B
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