2012 NFL Draft
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|
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | April 26–28, 2012 |
| Time | 8:00 pm EDT (April 26) 7:00 pm EDT (April 27) Noon EDT (April 28) |
| Location |
Radio City Music Hall in New York City, NY |
| TV coverage (US) | ESPN, NFL Network |
| Overview | |
| 253 total selections in 7 rounds | |
| First selection |
Andrew Luck, QB Indianapolis Colts |
| Mr. Irrelevant |
Chandler Harnish, QB Indianapolis Colts |
| Most selections (11) | Cleveland Browns |
| Fewest selections (5) | New Orleans Saints |
The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City from April 26–28. The Indianapolis Colts, who compiled the league's worst record in the 2011 season with a 2–14 record, had the right to the first selection.
On April 24, Indianapolis general manager Ryan Grigson announced that the team would take Andrew Luck as their first pick, saying it was "the right thing to do" in anticipation of the "media gauntlet" Luck would face in the days leading up to the draft. Luck, being highly regarded as one of the best quarterback prospects in years, had been the subject of the "Suck for Luck" campaigns by fans hoping their teams would end up with the worst record in the 2011 season so they would have the chance to draft Luck. Something rare occurred when the first and last picks in the draft were quarterbacks taken by the same team.
Even at a relatively early stage, the strength of the quarterbacks in the 2012 class had been noted. For the first time since the 1970 merger, five rookie quarterbacks would start during opening week – first-round draft picks Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, and Brandon Weeden, as well as third-rounder Russell Wilson. By season's end, three more rookie quarterbacks would start their first games – third-round draft pick Nick Foles, fourth-rounder Kirk Cousins, and sixth-rounder Ryan Lindley. Undrafted quarterbacks Austin Davis, Case Keenum, and Kellen Moore, who were each signed to teams following the draft, as well as second-round draft pick Brock Osweiler, would each eventually win starting quarterback positions during later seasons. Luck, Griffin, and Wilson would be named to the Pro Bowl following the conclusion of the regular season, while Foles would be recognized a season later.
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