As the 75th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, there’s no question that Russell Wilson has exceeded expectations in his career. He won a Super Bowl early in his career, nearly won another the following year, and has been a Pro Bowler in virtually every season. But what about the quarterbacks selected before him in the 2012 NFL Draft? You know, the ones who were supposedly better than Wilson coming out of college. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane at what happened to those five quarterbacks.
Andrew Luck
Even in retrospect, it’s hard to blame the Colts for drafting Luck first overall. He was considered a generational talent coming out of Stanford and did bring Indy back to life after their disastrous season the year Peyton Manning was sidelined.
Luck was a four-time Pro Bowler and got the Colts to the AFC Championship Game in 2014. But injuries got the best of him, forcing him to retire sooner than expected before he fully reached his potential.
Robert Griffin III
Injuries also played a role in RG3 failing to reach his potential. Remember that he was Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012 and led Washington to the playoffs. He eventually became a suitable backup late in his career before retiring and becoming a TV analyst.
But if not for the injuries, it’s possible that Griffin’s career could have been on the same path as quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray who came after him.
Ryan Tannehill
Nobody will argue that Tannehill has lived up to being the no. 8 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. However, after a series of mediocre years in Miami to start his career, Tannehill has found new life in Tennessee.
He was both a Pro Bowler and NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2019. While he hasn’t been the driving force, Tannehill has undoubtedly been a key ingredient in the Titans becoming the team at the top of the AFC South hierarchy, making him a slightly above-average quarterback.
Brandon Weeden
Weeden wasn’t exactly set up for success as a rookie with the Browns in 2012. But at the same time, he was never going to become Cleveland’s savior. He threw more interceptions than touchdowns in 20 starts for the Browns over two seasons before they gave up on him.
To his credit, he managed to become a halfway viable backup with the Cowboys and Texans for a few seasons, making five more starts and doing enough to finish his career with one more touchdown pass than interception. However, he was out of the league after 2018 and didn’t throw a pass after 2015.
Brock Osweiler
Osweiler is a little bit of a mixed bag. He spent his early years as a backup to Peyton Manning, and the Broncos might not win the Super Bowl if they don’t go 5-2 with him as a starter in 2015.
That gave Osweiler a chance to be the full-time starter with the Texans the following year. Of course, he was benched late in the season, only to start two playoff games because Tom Savage got hurt. A return to Denver and a stint in Miami failed to resurrect his career and Osweiler was out of the league after the 2018 season.