Robert Griffin III is the name most Washington fans remember when discussing the 2012 NFL draft. Griffin would have one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history, leading Washington to an NFC East championship.
That momentum didn’t last, as the 2012 campaign would go down as Griffin’s one shining NFL moment.
It turns out Washington did leave that 2012 draft with two other offensive stalwarts: Quarterback Kirk Cousins and running back Alfred Morris. Cousins would eventually overtake Griffin as Washington’s quarterback and has the two most prolific passing seasons in franchise history.
Morris was as critical to that 2012 playoff run as Griffin and would enjoy 1,000-yard rushing seasons the first three years of his career.
Not bad for fourth-round (Cousins) and sixth-round (Morris) selections.
While that draft stands out for Washington due to the lower-round selections, the team has actually been pretty good over the last decade. ESPN recently conducted a study of the past 10 NFL drafts dating back to 2012, and Washington is ranked No. 10 in having received the best value during that period.
Per ESPN, this is how they graded all 32 teams:
How we rank: To evaluate the players taken in each of the past 10 NFL drafts (2012-2021), we used Approximate Value (AV) — Pro Football Reference’s method of measuring the performance of every NFL player. We took each player’s career AV and measured it against a value based on where that player was taken in the NFL draft — we’re calling it Career Approximate Value Over Expected (CAVOE).
The No. 10 ranking for Washington is third among NFC East teams and is for the entire draft. The Commanders really shine in day-three selections (rounds 4-7). Cousins and Morris are the most significant contributors, but Washington has landed other stalwarts from day three.
Recent examples of Washington doing impressive work on day three are linebacker Cole Holcomb (fifth round) and safety Kam Curl (seventh round). Holcomb is an every-down linebacker, while Curl looks like a future Pro Bowler.
The Commanders have also had plenty of success in the third round recently with Terry McLaurin (2019) and Antonio Gibson (2020). Jordan Reed was a third-round pick in 2013.
The ESPN study ranks Washington as No. 4 in receiving the most value from day-three picks, behind the Packers, Patriots and Ravens. That’s pretty good company.
Other outstanding picks from Washington over the last decade are Matt Ioannidis (fifth round, 2016), fourth-round picks Jamison Crowder (2015), Bashaud Breeland (2014) and sixth-rounder Chase Roullier (2017).
Best class from 2012-2021 drafts: 2020. This class produced quality starters in defensive end Chase Young, running back Antonio Gibson and safety Kam Curl — all of whom are capable of high-level performance. If Young reaches his potential, he can be an All-Pro performer. There’s still hope that offensive lineman Saahdiq Charles becomes a starter, but he’s a decent backup if nothing else, as is end James Smith-Williams. The other part: Washington’s previous drafts had way too many misses. This one did not. — John Keim
CAVOE from Day 3 draft picks (Rounds 4-7): 109.7, fourth
Best Day 3 steal? QB Kirk Cousins, fourth round, 2012. Cousins was the second quarterback taken by the team in that class, along with No. 2 overall pick Robert Griffin III. Now in his 11th year, Cousins has gone on to have a solid career (59-59-2 career record as a starter) and turned into a top-12 quarterback in the league.
With such outstanding draft value over the years, why hasn’t Washington been a consistent winner? That’s easy. The quarterback position. Cousins was no star but that situation unraveled long before he ever left Washington and the team has been unable to replace his production.
The Commanders will again start a new quarterback in 2022. It will be the sixth consecutive season that Washington starts a different quarterback in Week 1. That’s not a recipe for success.
However, the good news is you can expect Washington to find some talent on day three.
