In 2012, we saw players like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III hear their names echoed across the nation, live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Ten years later, we’re going to take a look back at the first ten picks from that class and evaluate just how successful those players turned out to be. The grading system will be on a scale from one star to five stars, with five stars being the most successful, and one star being the least successful. The grading system is based off of three factors: longevity, skill and accolades. With that out of the way, let’s get right down to it.

The First Ten Picks of the 2012 NFL Draft

1st Overall Selection: QB Andrew Luck (Colts)

Andrew Luck was the best thing to happen to Indianapolis since Peyton Manning. You could argue that Johnathan Taylor has been instrumental to the Colts offense, but he’s a lot younger and frankly hasn’t been around long enough to be on this list. A four time Pro Bowler in a seven year stint with the league, Luck made the pro bowl in more than 50% of all his seasons with Indianapolis. A franchise quarterback and a difference maker for a struggling franchise, Luck deserved every minute of his well earned retirement moving forward, regardless of how abrupt it was.

Rating: 4 Stars

2nd Overall Selection: QB Robert Griffin III (Washington)

When RG3 went down with a knee injury during a regular season game many years ago, many feared that that would be the end of his career. In terms of overall potential, they were right. The injury kept him sidelined, and when he returned, he re-injured it and from there on out he never was the same. He got released, bounced around a few teams, and also saw an early retirement. If he didn’t get injured, he very well could’ve become another franchise quarterback for Washington. He was very talented, but too injury prone. He won offensive rookie of the year, and made it to a pro bowl in 2012. If it wasn’t for his injury, he would have been rated way higher.

Rating: 3 Stars

3rd Overall Selection: HB Trent Richardson (Browns)

Trent Richardson, another successful Alabama running back under Nick Saban, had his work cut out for him from the moment he was drafted. Tasked with carrying an entire franchise on his back, Richardson actually had a decent rookie season. He ran for over 900 yards and found the end zone 11 times. It came as a shock to everyone when he was traded to the Colts for a first round pick, but in the end, it was obvious that Indianapolis won that trade hands down. He spiraled downward in stats, performance, and come 2016, he was out of the NFL. Definitely a bust.

Rating: 1 Star

4th Overall Selection: OT Matt Kalil (Vikings)

Matt Kalil, on the other hand, wasn’t a bust. But he wasn’t a home run pick either. He had a respectable seven year career, which is longer than most NFL players have. He ended up playing for the Vikings and Panthers and went to the Pro Bowl his rookie year. He was a solid pick, but definitely not someone that played out his career like a fourth overall pick.

Rating: 3 Stars

5th Overall Selection: WR Justin Blackmon (Jaguars)

Like Trent Richardson, Justin Blackmon had a really good rookie season, but never panned out after that. He got a DUI, and served his probation. The Jaguars released him, and that was pretty much the end of that. He only played two seasons in the NFL and so when you think about longevity, it comes out to an absolute zero in that department. Skill? Like I said, Blackmon had a great rookie season, but never got a chance to show what he could’ve become. Accolades? He made the all rookie team and won the Biletnikoff Award twice in college, but unfortunately, college won’t help you much on this list.

Rating: 1 Star