What Would a Draft be Without Surprises?

The 2012 NFL draft has come and gone. The nights we have all been waiting for are over. There is no longer a need to create the most accurate mock draft; the NFL franchises have made their decisions and picked their teams.

It was no surprise that Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck was chosen first overall by the Indianapolis Colts. This visionary quarterback will help boost the Colts’ offense and might get this program back to the elite status it used to be. Then the vibrant Heisman trophy winner, Robert Griffin III, was selected No. 2 overall by the Washington Redskins. However, who are the players that were surprises?

April 26 was the first round of the NFL draft. There were a few pleasant surprises such as one of the best cover corners, Morris Claiborne from LSU, going to the Dallas Cowboys. This team has weapons such as quarterback Tony Romo, but they need to dramatically improve their offensive line if they want to be more than just an average team. The Cowboys made a bold move on Monday night. They struck a deal with St. Louis Rams to move up to No. 6 where they received their new prize position, cornerback Morris Claiborne.

The draft was not full of just pleasant surprises. After all, what would a draft be without those unexpected twists? One of the surprises was when the 49ers selected Illinois’ wide receiver A.J. Jenkins in the first round. Unfortunately, he was not at the Radio City Music Hall to celebrate. Jenkins received the phone call from the 49ers at his home in Jacksonville where he got to celebrate being the 30th pick in the first round with his family.

Another player that broke fans’ mock drafts was West Virginia’s Bruce Irvin, when Seattle Seahawks took him the with the No. 15 overall pick. Many experts were convinced that the Seahawks were going to take Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones. So, why Bruce Irvin? Could it be his lightning speed and his hunger to take down any quarterback? Even though he is a player with complete raw talent, many saw a red flag due to his delinquent background. Bruce Irvin’s trouble past concealed his real potential.

Even though Bruce Irvin has always been known as a troublemaker, he made a positive name for himself at West Virginia. He tallied 22.5 sacks in just two seasons of being a Mountaineer. What frightens coaches about this speedy pass-rusher is that right after Irvin’s pro day in March, he was arrested again for destruction of property and disorderly conduct. Irvin went to court and got the misdemeanor charges dismissed.

The draft fun is not over yet. Now it is time to see how these twists and turns play out.