2012 NFL Draft Grades: AFC Winners and Losers: Another NFL draft is in the books, and now it’s time to hand out report cards. In the AFC, it was mainly a case of the rich getting richer, as some of the top franchises showed why they have been able to stay on top for a long period of time. Meanwhile, some of the teams that have struggled in recent years were the ones that left everyone scratching their heads. It will ultimately take a few years to determine which team actually had the best draft, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few teams that didn’t stand out as soon as the final pick was in.
2012 NFL Draft Grades
Winners
New England Patriots: The Patriots made it all the way to the Super Bowl last season despite having a terrible defense. With Tom Brady and the main components of the high-powered offense still intact, New England used its stockpile of picks to trade up and reload its defense. Defensive end Chandler Jones should step in and immediately become the team’s best pass rusher, while versatile linebacker Dont’a Hightower has the playmaking ability the unit lacked last year. The Patriots have added a much-needed jolt of youth and athleticism to the front seven of their defense, and the rest of the NFL should be very worried.
Cincinnati Bengals: That’s right. The franchise known for its draft day blunders actually scored big this time around, taking full advantage of a pair of first-round picks. Cornerback Dre Kilpatrick will fill the void left when Johnathan Joseph left after the 2010 season, and guard Kevin Zeitler is an immediate upgrade for the offensive line. Nose tackle Devon Still should help solidify an already stout run defense, and Mohamed Sanu should fit perfectly as a possession receiver alongside the big play ability of A.J. Green. Even tight end Orson Charles could have a quick impact. Overall, Cincinnati addressed its weaknesses and added depth as well as any team in the draft.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Last year, Pittsburgh’s offensive line had trouble protecting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and was even worse at creating running lanes. After this draft, both problems should be corrected. The Steelers added the best guard in the draft in David DeCastro and picked up tackle Mike Adams at a discount price thanks to his issues off the field. Adams was easily a first-round talent, and adding him and DeCastro to a line with center Maurkice Pouncey should help revive the Steelers’ ground game. Picking up running back Chris Rainey to shoulder some of the load won’t hurt either.
Losers
Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars definitely needed a receiver, and they got one by trading up to nab Justin Blackmon. However, Jacksonville has plenty of other holes to fill and moving up to get Blackmon was costly. Not to mention that Blaine Gabbert is still a big question mark at QB, even with Blackmon to throw to. The Jaguars then compounded the problem by taking punter Bryan Anger in the third round. Are you serious, Jacksonville? Your offense is a complete joke, and you snag a punter in the third round. The Jaguars needed as many playmakers as they could get, and they opted instead for fewer picks and a punter.
Oakland Raiders: To be fair, Oakland never had a shot to have a decent draft. Trading for quarterback Carson Palmer and adding QB Terrelle Pryor in the supplemental draft left the Raiders without a pick in the first three rounds. Needless to say, it’s awfully tough to start a draft three rounds behind everyone else and still come away with a lot of quality picks. Overall, this was just a lost draft for the franchise.
Kansas City Chiefs: Basically, the Chiefs’ entire draft hinges on nose tackle Dontari Poe. The combine standout showed mediocre effort at best during his college career, and unless he provides the energy to match his athleticism, Poe could easily be a bust. Meanwhile, Kansas City followed by drafting a pair of solid but probably never dominant guards, along with a couple of long-term projects. Kansas City just didn’t add a lot of impact players in this draft, and Poe may have been the riskiest first-round pick.
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