25 most sought after NFL quarterback draft prospects of all time
By Zach Bigalke
Entering the 2012 NFL Draft, it was pretty much a given that Andrew Luck was going to go No. 1 overall to the Indianapolis Colts. Luck looked every bit the part of the heir apparent to Peyton Manning for the Colts. Twice the Heisman runner-up, the Cardinal maestro showed at the draft with a storied resume at Stanford and all the measurables that make scouts salivate.
But perhaps even more coveted was Robert Griffin III, the Heisman Trophy winner out of Baylor who ended up in Washington thanks to a king’s ransom. The then-St. Louis Rams had the No. 2 pick behind Indianapolis. To pry the pick away, Washington gave up first-round selections in 2012, 2013 and 2014, along with a second-rounder in 2012.
What made Griffin so special was the success he generated at historical afterthought Baylor. In his first season in 2008, Griffin started 11 games and earned Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors.
The following year, an ACL injury limited Griffin to only three games. Returning in 2010, Griffin threw for 3,500 yards and ran for more than 600 yards. In leading the Bears to their first bowl appearance in 16 years, the quarterback proved he was once again healthy.
In his senior year, Griffin improved on his junior campaign with 4,200 passing yards, 37 touchdowns through the air and just six interceptions. The Baylor star ran for nearly 700 yards and added 10 more scores on the ground. It was enough to convince Washington to hand over massive draft capital to St. Louis in order to land his rights.
Griffin looked like a surefire star out of the gate in the NFL, beating New Orleans as the immediate starter, as he threw for 320 yards and two scores on 19-of-26 passing. By the end of the year, Griffin earned AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and led Washington to the postseason for the first time in five years.
But a reaggravated knee injury in the NFC Wild Card loss to Seattle prevented Griffin from ever replicating that early success, though he remains in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, as he plays out what has turned into a journeyman career.