No shortage of talent in 2012 draft
Monday, 12 March 2012 15:17
Now that the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine has ended, teams are evaluating players and gearing towards the 2012 NFL Draft.
The NFL Draft is important for many reasons. For fans, it’s exciting because it gives them insight about their favorite team and what moves they’ll make to improve for the future. The draft is particularly important to owners and GM’s, because the players that they draft can either hurt or help their team’s success.
No other position in this year’s draft is more important than the quarterback position. Drafting the right quarterback can be a franchise-changing move.
It’s becoming more and more obvious that today’s NFL is transitioning into a passing league.
Last season displayed some of the highest levels of quarterback play in NFL history, with three quarterbacks finishing the season with over 5,000 passing yards and three quarterbacks passing for more than 40 touchdowns.
With stats like that being the direction that the NFL is headed, it’s no question as to why college standouts like Stanford’s Andrew Luck and Baylor’s Robert Griffin III are on the top of certain teams’ wish lists for this year’s draft.
Griffin III is just as good, if not better than Luck. He’s faster, more athletic, just as accurate, and has a stronger arm. With dual-threat quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton and Michael Vick being the future of the NFL, Griffin III would no doubt be my number one choice with the first pick of the draft.
To counter the NFL’s high powered passing attacks, defensive backs like LSU’s Morris Claiborne and Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick will be in high demand during the first round. Claiborne is a game changer, and he has all of the tools to be a Pro Bowl cornerback. His talents were on display at the combine, as he showed scouts that he could have an instant impact in pass coverage.
Durable running backs are also something teams are searching for, and powerful backs like Alabama’s Trent Richardson are rare. With most offenses being so pass-oriented and one dimensional, it’s important to draft a back like Richardson to help balance out an offensive attack.
There’s no shortage of talent in this year’s draft, and very few players are risky picks. However, you can be sure that players from these positions won’t be around very long in the earlier rounds.
Written by LeeQuinton Blackmon | Sports Columnist
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