Even though it may seem irrelevant, good players do come from the fourth through seventh rounds of the NFL draft. Great players like Tom Brady, Matt Hasselbeck, Marques Colston, Donald Driver, Terrell Davis, and Shannon Sharpe were all late round steals in drafts of the past. No doubt that at least a few players called in the 4th – 7th rounds this year will go on to make their names ring out in the annals of NFL history. That’s why even the last day of the draft is certainly worth watching; even if it’s not the must-see-TV that the first round brought.
It certainly isn’t irrelevant for the young men being picked, as their lives are changed in an instant. Players like Southern Cal Tight End Rhett Ellison, who was taken by the Vikings 128th overall. He was not expecting to be picked so soon and broke down crying when the Vikings called. He told his jubilant family, friends and fans, “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
While the players that were picked had good news to spread, not everyone had a productive day. Strangely, the Redskins opted to draft Kirk Cousins in the 4th round with the 103rd pick in the draft. This is no knock on Cousins, who was expected to go in the 3rd or 4th round; however, the Redskins have a serious need at wide receiver and you have to wonder what Robert Griffin is thinking at the moment. He is going to be thrown into the fire next year and he has very few weapons to throw the ball to. Santana Moss and Fred Davis are solid but they need more pieces to put around RG3 to ensure he has a successful transition to the NFL.
The biggest steal of the late rounds in 2012 was Miami Running Back Lamar Miller who was picked by the Miami Dolphins. He was projected to be a late first round talent and Pro Player Insiders was very surprised to see him fall so far. The Dolphins are going to get a young runner with lots of tread on the tires, who has the top-end speed to run away from defenders at the next level.
Overall the last three days have been a great experience for all involved; thanks to all the fans for following our coverage of the 2012 NFL draft.