Some Thoughts On the 2012 NFL Draft

I admit I've thought far too much, and far too often, about the upcoming NFL Draft. It's as pointless (no pun intended) as wondering which nail salon in town offers the best service. Nonetheless, I enjoy letting my thoughts wander to considering which scholar-athletes will win professional football's version of the lottery.

This season's draft's drama, if you can call it that, centers around possible trades. The NFL's salary structure now encourages draft pick swaps. The Washington Redskins took advantage of this trend earlier this year when they dealt a fistful of high draft picks for the rights to select RG3. However, it's not always the #1 draft pick that delivers the greatest impact to a team. Just ask Tom Brady, a former sixth-round pick.

Certain teams draft well, and some just flat out suck at picking talent. Who makes strong choices more often than not? In recent years, it's been Baltimore, Pittsburgh, New England, and Green Bay. The worst teams? Miami, Dallas, Chicago, St. Louis. All four clunkers have something in common: either meddlesome owners or a dreadful front office.

# 66 -- Peter Konz
(photo from Sports Illustrated)

I hope the players I'm partial to don't end up on bad teams. As a Wisconsin alum, I'm pulling for Badger players. Their center, Peter Konz, will be a very good pro; some have marked him for the Ravens. Outside of Madison and the Big Ten, I keep an eye on Alabama players. They tend to be NFL-ready. The Tide's running back Trent Richardson is very, very good, reminiscent of Emmitt Smith. Another 'Bama star with Pro Bowl potential is the safety Mark Barron. Don't be surprised if a team trades up to draft him. The third jewel in this crown is Dont'a Hightower, seemingly made to order for the Ravens, Steelers, or (surprise) the Bears. I believe this is Brian Urlacher's walk year in his contract.

Finally, this will be a fabulous year for those who played college ball on the West Coast. Nick Perry (USC) and David DeCastro (Stanford) are two that come to mind. Oh, yes, there's that Luck fellow who played for Stanford, too. We're told he's special. We'll see. Keep in mind that the team that plans to draft him, the Colts, is anything but special.