2012 Pre-NFL Draft Rookie Ranking 1-10

Posted by Andy Miley on 04/22/2012 | 0 Comments

Tags: 2012 NFL rookie dynasty football rankings, 2012 dynasty football, 2012 NFL rookies, rookies, Trent Richardson, Robert Griffin III, Justin Blackmon, Andrew Luck, Doug Martin, Lamar Miller, Michael Floyd, Kendall Wright, David Wilson, Ryan Tannehill

For every dynasty owner, the last few days before the draft is extremely exciting.  With the workouts done and game tape dissected, we just sit and wait for each players NFL destinations to be determined.  I keep on preaching that talent is more important than scheme; however it cannot be the only consideration.  Since this is my pre-draft evaluation, the analysis is strictly based on talent.  I am breaking down my top 50 dynasty rookie fantasy players and I am continuing with my top 1-10:

1. RB Trent Richardson - He is the best fantasy rookie running back to come out since Adrian Peterson with his power, vision, hands, and speed.  Richardson can handle 25+ touches a game and has played well despite not having much of a threat in the passing game.  Yes, Mark Ingram owners try to push down his value, but remember Richardson started during Ingram's senior year at Alabama.  If you have the 1.1 in a rookie draft and don't take him, you either have a huge need at quarterback or you are holding two of the three of Ray Rice, LeSean McCoy, and Arian Foster.  The other top three running backs are nice, but Trent Richardson is the "big papa."

2. QB Robert Griffin III - He is an amazing athletic quarterback in the mold of Steve Young, Randall Cunningham, and Michael Vick.  Griffin has a good feel of the pocket, has a cannon of an arm, and will take off running at a moments notice.  He isn't that strong analyzing defenses yet, has issues being patient in the pocket, and tends to take a lot of unnecessary physical punishment.  Other than his athletic gifts, Griffin will be successful in the NFL leading men, because he is a very grounded person due to his parents military background.  The "un-named scout report" that stated he is a me-first quarterback is the reason I want him on my team as he will do anything in his power to win games.  Baylor was an unsuccessful football program for many years and RGIII helped make that team a winner, so I believe he can make your dynasty team better for many years to come.

3. WR Justin Blackmon - He is not the biggest, nor the fastest wide receiver in this year's draft.  Blackmon is the best play maker of the group despite his measurables.  He has tremendous hands, this class' best body control to contort to the ball, and can gain separation against defensive backs.  Blackmon isn't a physical wide receiver and can be out-muscled by more imposing defensive backs.  Despite the concerns, I believe Blackmon will be a #1 fantasy wide receiver for many years to come.

4. QB Andrew Luck - It might be surprising to some people that I have him ranked below RGIII.  Luck is not the same two-way threat that RGIII is and may be hampered by Bruce Arians' offensive play calling (he didn't make Ben Roethlisberger a top 5 fantasy performer), and his defensive minded HC Chuck Pagano.  Talent-wise, he is the most physically ready quarterback to play the position since Peyton Manning and John Elway.  Luck has great ball placement, good down-field vision, and can slide around in the pocket.  He has made the most of the receivers he had at his disposal, which were mostly tight ends and full backs.  If Luck has any downside, it is that he hasn't been challenged much in college and he doesn't have the deep ball accuracy that RGIII does.  If you prefer the more traditional quarterback, Luck should be an outstanding fantasy producer for many years to come.

5. RB Doug Martin - He gets small, makes defenders miss, and keeps on churning his feet.  Martin isn't the physical force that Trent Richardson is, but he is willing and able to run both inside and outside, catches the ball well, and is one of the best pass protectors in this class.  He is a high effort kid who can also return punts/kickoffs.  The Buffalo Bills running back, Fred Jackson, is much taller than Martin, but they have the same slippery running and receiving style and I would be excited to get Martin in any league I couldn't get Richardson.

6. RB Lamar Miller - He needs to be on a zone blocking team to get to his full potential as he does better with a clear running lane.  Miller has good agility and speed which are magnified by his ability to read blocks down the field.  His ability to start and stop on a dime is fantastic, but he can be bottled up at the line of scrimmage before he really gets started.  Miller has soft hands so he can play all three downs, but has not been a very durable back.  Talent-wise, Lamar Miller might be better than Doug Martin, but he has a bit more downside to his game.

7. WR Michael Floyd - He becomes much prettier to us fantasy players every day.  Floyd demonstrated better speed at the combine than was originally thought.  He does a great job catching the ball at its highest point, gets enough separation to make clutch receptions, and uses the sidelines well.  Floyd is a big, physical receiver that runs crisp routes, and is also a good run blocker.  Hopefully, he can stay healthy and control his personal demons.  If he does, Floyd could end up as the best wide receiver of this class.

8. WR Kendall Wright - He is slowly, but surely dropping out of the NFL first round talks, but don't let him fall out of your fantasy first round.  Wright has excellent hands, good agility, sets up his would be tacklers, and uses his very quick feet.  He uses his size and strength well to out-muscle his coverage and break tackles despite being only 5' 10" 190 lbs.  Kendall Wright is clearly the #3 wide receiver in his class behind Blackmon and Floyd, but he is well ahead of the rest of the upcoming rookie receivers.

9. RB David Wilson - He is the biggest boom or bust pick of the top four running backs which is why he ranks fourth.  Wilson has amazing burst, can find a seam, and run to daylight.  He has good hands and can also be used to return kicks and punts.  Wilson tends to go for the big run instead of taking what the defense gives him.  He has issues with ball security and tends to take his runs to the perimeter instead of running inside.  I would like to see him paired up with a power back to limit his workload at least until he gets used to the NFL.

10. QB Ryan Tannehill - He seems to be the most polarizing of the quarterbacks in this year's fantasy rookie drafts.  Tannehill has that dreaded upside stigma to him.  Yes, he is a very athletic quarterback with good pocket presence and is fairly accurate with the ball within 15 yards of the line of scrimmage.  Tannehill is raw after playing less than two seasons as a starting quarterback, but he was a converted wide receiver so he understands route running and can help his receivers get open.  I think he has that Aaron Rodgers' upside to his game, but he needs to learn on the sidelines for at least a year.  If a team rushes him to play like Cleveland or Miami, Tannehill might be a wasted pick or be a guy that bounces around the league like Rich Gannon, who eventually found a fit.  I would like him to end up in Kansas City, Seattle, or Philadelphia where he wouldn't be starting day one.  Tannehill's ranking is very dependent on where he lands.

Andy Miley is the host of Dynasty Blitz Podcast on Blog Talk Radio, Dynasty/Keeper Football Staff Writer at Fantasy Alarm and can be found on twitter @AndrewMiley