As the 1st round of the 2012 NFL Draft is completed, there were some expected picks and surprising moves which benefited teams and other selections that could be considered to be poor or reaches. Let's review Round 1's action.
The first 2 picks went down as everyone expected them to, with
Andrew Luck going to the
Indianapolis Colts and Robert Griffin III going to the
Washington Redskins. Let's take a look at some other extents that teams went to in order to get the player that they wanted.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns picked up running back Trent Richardson out of Alabama, but decided to cough up a fourth, fifth and, seventh round pick to move up one spot to get him. The Browns didn't necessarily need to do this as Minnesota was going to choose offensive tackle Matt Kalil regardless.
Minnesota VikingsAfter getting an extra 4th round pick for basically nothing, the Vikes traded one of their 4th round picks and 2nd round pick to Baltimore in order to get the 29th pick in the 1st round. They chose safety Harrison Smith who will definitely help in their secondary. The Vikings definitely maximized where they were at and had a great day 1.
Jacksonville JaguarsThe Jags trade the number 7 spot in the 1st round and a 4th round pick to Tampa Bay for the 5th pick and got the best receiver in the draft in Justin Blackmon. This is an excellent move as the Jaguars get a top notch receiver and only have to sacrifice a 4th round pick.
Dallas CowboysThe Cowboys make the biggest move of day 1 as they trade away the number 14 pick in the 1st round and a 2nd round pick (number 45) to the St. Louis Rams to get the 6th pick. With Blackmon off the board, the Rams elected to make the moves and the Cowboys got their prize in the form of the best cornerback in Morris Claiborne. Claiborne has a high upside and will fit in with a high profile team such as Dallas. Jerry Jones has to be a happy man.
Miami DolphinsThe Dolphins were in one of the toughest spots as they were in need of a quarterback. They weren't able to allure Peyton Manning, so the Fins decided to go with quarterback Ryan Tannehill out of Texas A&M. In my opinion, it was a good pick, but without Brandon Marshall at wide receiver, the Dolphins desperately need to draft multiple wide receivers or they'll have a problem.
Other pickupsPhiladelphia Eagles- This team has a tough schedule ahead of them, and picking up defensive tackle Fletcher Cox will only help to build their defense. They moved up 3 spots to the 12th pick, and in return traded their 15th 1st round pick, a 4th round pick, and a 6th round pick to Seattle.
Arizona Cardinals- In one of my favorite picks, the Cardinals pickup wide receiver Michael Floyd out of Notre Dame at the 13th spot. A combination of Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald will be effective against opponents, as this will give Fitzgerald more opportunities.
St. Louis Rams- The Rams traded down and got defensive tackle Michael Brockers. A very solid move by the Rams in a trade that will benefit both teams greatly.
San Diego Chargers- Give this team an A+ for getting one of the best pass rushers in the draft in Melvin Ingram out of South Carolina. The Chargers defense is awful in general, and this addresses a need and a player that should've been taken a lot earlier. Excellent pick here at the 18th spot.
Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals got their man in cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick from the Crimson Tide, and also traded their other 1st round pick to the Patriots but got an extra 3rd round pick in return. With their 2nd 1st round pick, the Bengals picked up offensive guard Kevin Zeitler.
New England Patriots- This is a franchise that seems to do everything right except for beating the New York Giants. The Patriots have the
easiest schedule in the NFL and have now enhanced the quality of their football team by making trades.
As mentioned earlier, the Patriots traded the 27th pick and and 3rd round pick for Cincinnati's 21st pick. The Patriots picked up defensive end Chandler Jones and lose just a 3rd round pick as they can afford to do that with all of the picks that they have in the early rounds and they also trade the number 31 pick and a 4th round pick to Denver for Denver's 25th pick and selected linebacker Dont'a Hightower.
There's nobody better than New England in acquiring and maneuvering picks in getting desirable players. This is why they're a top contender each season along with number 12 and coach Belichick. Hightower is the best inside linebacker in the draft and is a proven winner.
New York Giants- The champs make an excellent move to solidify the running back position as they pickup running back David Wilson out of Virginia Tech. This Hokie ran for over 1700 yards last season and the Giants come out a winner at number 32 getting a quality runner.
The 1st round was exciting but the draft has just started. More key pickups and trades will surely be made. Thus far, this has been an entertaining draft and beneficial to a lot of teams that are looking to eventually win a Super Bowl. Stay tuned.