2012 Quarterback Class Making an Impact

The stock of the quarterback class from the 2012 NFL Draft could really take off this season. Just two weeks into the season we’ve already seen some great performances from several quarterbacks taken in that draft.

Nick Foles – Philadelphia Eagles (88^th overall): Foles ranks second in passing yards after the first two weeks with 653. He’s led the Eagles to a pair of come-from-behind victories with his team trailing by 14 or more in both games. This comes on the heels of an impressive 2013 season that saw him take the starting job in Philly midway through the year and led the Eagles back to the postseason. With the rest of the NFC East off to shaky starts, Foles and the Eagles look like the early favorites to win the division.

Russell Wilson – Seattle Seahawks (75^th overall): Wilson set the tone for the 2014 season with a convincing win over the Packers in the Thursday night season opener. He had a solid performance in Week 2 despite being tripped up by the Chargers. Wilson managed to throw for over 200 yards and two touchdowns despite having the ball for only 17:45. Wilson will likely have another shootout for the NFC West with Colin Kapernick of the 49ers and, possibly, Carson Palmer and the Cardinals. Even though he was the sixth QB taken in 2012, Wilson has become the standout of the group with his performance in last year’s run to the Super Bowl championship.

Andrew Luck – Indianapolis Colts (1^st overall): Luck has been on the losing end of a couple shootouts to start the season. He led a second half rally against Peyton Manning and the Broncos in Week 1 but couldn’t fully overcome a 24-point deficit. Luck threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another. He had a 14-point lead on Nick Foles and the Eagles in Week 2 but his defense couldn’t stop the Eagles in the second half. Luck threw for three touchdowns in the Monday night defeat. The AFC South looks a little tougher for Luck and the Colts than it did at the start of the year but if they can rack up some divisional wins they should be good.

Ryan Tannehill – Miami Dolphins (8^th overall): Tannehill and the Dolphins have split divisional games to open the 2014 season. They pulled off an upset of the Patriots in Week 1 and then lost on the road to the Bills. Tannehill got some big help in the offseason with signing of Mike Wallace. They’ve already connected 12 times in the first two games including two touchdowns. The AFC East could be the closest division in the NFL this season. If Tannehill and Wallace can continue to produce this season they will have a shot at the postseason.

Robert Griffin III & Kirk Cousins (2^nd & 102^nd overall): It was Griffin that looked to be the breakout star of the class in his rookie season, but things have gone downhill from there. Injuries have hobbled the former Baylor star including this past week when he went down with an ankle injury. All is not lost in our nation’s capital as Cousins looked comfortable under center in Griffin’s absence in the 41-10 crushing of Jacksonville. If Cousins continues to play well he could make it hard for Jay Gruden to go back to Griffin when he’s healthy.

With the profile of these quarterbacks continuing to rise now is a good time to go back and take a look at some of the 2012 football products still available.