- Russell Wilson surges to the top of Round 1: The third-rounder overtakes Andrew Luck as the top pick in this 2012 redraft after his impressive 13 seasons in the NFL.
- From undrafted to a top-16 selection: Damon “Snacks” Harrison Sr. joins the first round of this redraft as one of the best run defenders in the PFF era.
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Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes
The NFL draft is a crapshoot.
While NFL teams do their best to forecast which prospects will translate best to the next level, the reality is that franchises rarely get a pick exactly right.
But what would a draft look like if teams had the benefit of hindsight? PFF has world-class data for every player on every play in every NFL game, dating back to the 2006 season. Knowing what we know now, here is how the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft could have looked.
Any trades made during the original draft were reversed, while trades made before the draft were kept in place.
Looking for more NFL redrafts? Click for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
1. Indianapolis Colts: QB Russell Wilson, Wisconsin (Round 3, Pick 75)
- Original Pick: QB Andrew Luck, Stanford
The Colts get their quarterback, but this time it's third-round pick Russell Wilson, who has played at a high level throughout his 13-year NFL career.
Wilson has slowed down a bit recently, but from 2012 to 2020, he compiled a 93.3 PFF passing grade that ranked fifth in the NFL. His 86.8 PFF rushing grade in that span ranked second among quarterbacks, and he led the position in rushing yards when including postseason play.
2. Washington: QB Kirk Cousins, Michigan State (Round 4, Pick 102)
- Original Pick: QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor
Cousins was Washington's second quarterback pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, landing in the fourth round after the team famously drafted Robert Griffin III at No. 2 overall.
In a redraft, Cousins goes ahead of Griffin at No. 2. In his 13-year career (and counting), Cousins has 11 times earned a single-season PFF passing grade above 70.0, and he has also racked up five single-season passing grades above 80.0. He has been a model of high-floor consistency for most of his time in the league.
Kirk Cousins' Career PFF Grades
3. Minnesota Vikings: LB Bobby Wagner, Utah State (Round 2, Pick 47)
- Original Pick: RB Trent Richardson, Alabama
Wagner parlayed his original second-round selection into a storied NFL career as one of the greatest linebackers of all time. The 10-time Pro Bowler and 11-time All-Pro has recorded an incredible 93.5 PFF overall grade so far in his career. He is still going strong deep into his 30s, ranking as the NFL’s third-highest-graded linebacker in 2024.
4. Cleveland Browns: QB Andrew Luck, Stanford (Round 1, Pick 1)
- Original Pick: T Matt Kalil, USC
Even knowing Luck played only six seasons, he belongs in the top five of a redraft. He recorded single-season PFF overall grades of 90.4 and 91.2 in his final two campaigns, making his retirement due to injuries all the more shocking.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M (Round 1, Pick 8)
- Original Pick: WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
The Buccaneers struggled with Josh Freeman as their quarterback, so they decide to dip into a terrific 2012 class in this redraft.
Tannehill didn’t quite pan out as the Miami Dolphins had hoped, but he was still a solid player, earning a 79.6 PFF passing grade over his first five NFL seasons. His career took off in Tennessee, where his 92.6 PFF overall grade across his first three seasons tied with Russell Wilson for third best in the NFL.
6. St. Louis Rams: DI Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State (Round 1, Pick 12)
- Original Pick: CB Morris Claiborne, LSU
Cox’s 12-year career featured a run from 2014 to 2019 where he earned six straight 80.0-plus single-season PFF overall grades. He even recorded elite PFF pass-rush grades in 2015, 2017 and 2018. He was a six-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro before retiring after the 2023 campaign.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: LB Luke Kuechly, Boston College (Round 1, Pick 9)
- Original Pick: S Mark Barron, Alabama
Regardless of the injuries that cut his career short, Kuechly was worth every bit of his top-10 selection.
Across his eight-year career, Kuechly earned an elite 94.0 PFF overall grade. That included a five-year stretch from 2014 to 2018 during which he earned at least a 90.0 PFF grade in each season. Though it was short-lived, Kuechly’s NFL career should earn him an eventual spot in the Hall of Fame.
8. Miami Dolphins: S Harrison Smith, Notre Dame (Round 1, Pick 29)
- Original Pick: QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M
Smith has played 13 years in the NFL and will be suiting up for his 14th in 2025. Aside from his 2013 campaign in which he started just seven games due to a foot injury, Smith didn’t record a season-long PFF overall grade below 70.0 for the first 10 years of his career. He’s had five seasons of 80.0-plus PFF overall grades as a true deep-coverage field general.
9. Carolina Panthers: LB Lavonte David, Nebraska (Round 2, Pick 58)
- Original Pick: LB Luke Kuechly, Boston College
Because he played on subpar teams early in his career, David continues to be one of the league’s most underrated players. Through 13 seasons, he has earned an elite 90.6 PFF overall grade, powered by an incredible 94.0 PFF coverage grade.
David’s durability and consistency have been on full display in Tampa Bay. He has played at least 800 snaps in every season of his career, and 2024 was the first time since 2016 that he didn’t earn at least a 72.0 PFF overall grade, though his 67.9 mark was still solid for a player of his age.
10. Buffalo Bills: CB Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina (Round 1, Pick 10)
- Original Pick: CB Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina
Gilmore’s 13-year career included five seasons with an 80.0-plus PFF coverage grade, including his 2019 season when he was named Defensive Player of the Year. From 2017 to 2019, he earned PFF coverage grades of 87.2, 90.8 and 85.4 while playing more than 1,000 defensive snaps in each season.
11. Kansas City Chiefs: LB Demario Davis, Arkansas State (Round 3, Pick 77)
- Original Pick: DI Dontari Poe, Memphis
Davis took some time and a few stops, including two in New York, to find his rhythm. When he did, he became one of the NFL’s best linebackers.
Since he arrived in New Orleans in 2018, Davis has earned an elite 91.4 PFF overall grade. There has been little variance in his play, as he has placed among the top 20 linebackers in PFF overall grade in each of the past eight seasons.
Highest-Graded NFL Linebackers in 2023
12. Seattle Seahawks: G Brandon Brooks, Miami (OH) (Round 3, Pick 76)
- Original Pick: DI Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State
Brooks made three Pro Bowls but never earned an All-Pro nod during his nine-year career — a surprise, given his consistency. He earned PFF pass-blocking grades above 80.0 in six of his nine seasons and posted an elite 91.2 PFF overall grade in 2019.
13. Arizona Cardinals: WR T.Y. Hilton, FIU (Round 3, Pick 92)
- Original Pick: WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame
Hilton burst onto the scene with Andrew Luck throwing him the ball in Indianapolis and built himself an excellent career as a third-round pick. From 2012 to 2018, Hilton amassed more than 8,000 regular-season receiving yards while earning a 90.1 PFF receiving grade that tied him for 13th among all wide receivers.
His statistics declined after Luck’s retirement, but Hilton’s peak was as good as almost any receiver during the past decade.
14. Dallas Cowboys: EDGE Chandler Jones, Syracuse (Round 1, Pick 21)
- Original Pick: DI Michael Brockers, LSU
Jones' 112 career sacks is a top-40 mark in NFL history. He earned 84.0-plus PFF pass-rush grades in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021. He also forced 34 fumbles (tied for 18th all time) and recorded 597 pressures in his career with three franchises (Cardinals, Patriots and Raiders).
15. Philadelphia Eagles: CB Casey Hayward Jr., Vanderbilt (Round 2, Pick 62)
- Original Pick: EDGE Bruce Irvin, West Virginia
Hayward was quietly one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL over a career that spanned 11 seasons and four teams. He made an immediate impact during his rookie season, ranking third in the NFL with a 91.6 PFF coverage grade. From 2012 to 2019, Hayward earned an outstanding 94.6 PFF coverage grade while picking off 22 passes and breaking up 65 more.
16. New York Jets: DI Damon Harrison Sr., William Penn (Undrafted)
- Original Pick: EDGE Quinton Coples, North Carolina
The 6-foot-3, 350-pound interior defender they call “Snacks” put together an incredible career after going undrafted in 2012.
He recorded 90.0-plus PFF run-defense grades in five of six seasons between 2013 and 2018. He was a pure nose tackle — and truly one of the best the league has seen since he entered the fray.
17. Cincinnati Bengals: G Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin (Round 1, Pick 27)
- Original Pick: CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
Entering his 14th NFL season in 2025, Zeitler has been one of the NFL’s best guards throughout his career. He has earned at least a 71.6 PFF overall grade in all but one season. In 2024, he recorded the second-best PFF overall grade of his career (86.5) while logging a career-best 87.2 PFF run-blocking grade.
Somehow, Zeitler's consistently stellar performances have earned him only one Pro-Bowl invite, but he deserves to be recognized as one of this generation’s best offensive linemen.
18. San Diego Chargers: EDGE Melvin Ingram III, South Carolina (Round 1, Pick 18)
- Original Pick: EDGE Melvin Ingram III, South Carolina
The Chargers desperately need pass-rush help in 2012 and made the right selection with edge defender Melvin Ingram III.
Ingram took a couple of years to get going, but from 2014 to 2022, he earned an elite 91.1 PFF pass rush grade that tied him for ninth among qualified edge defenders.
19. Chicago Bears: T Mitchell Schwartz, California (Round 2, Pick 37)
- Original Pick: EDGE Shea McClellin, Boise State
In dire need of help at right tackle at the time, the Bears would likely have gladly taken Mitchell Schwartz at this pick. During his nine seasons with the Browns and Chiefs, Schwartz was one of the best pass protectors in the NFL.
Schwartz’s 83.3 PFF pass-blocking grade from 2012 to 2020 was a top-20 mark among all tackles. That includes his legendary 2019 campaign, when he earned a career-high 89.3 PFF overall grade and didn't allow a sack during Kansas City’s first championship run with Patrick Mahomes.
20. Tennessee Titans: EDGE Olivier Vernon, Miami (FL) (Round 3, Pick 72)
- Original Pick: WR Kendall Wright, Baylor
Vernon was a highly underrated player who made just one Pro Bowl, but he enjoyed a productive career with the Dolphins, Giants and Browns. He earned a career-high 88.0 PFF pass-rush grade in 2015, ranking among qualified edge defenders. The next season, his first with the Giants, he compiled 88 pressures — the second most in the NFL, behind Khalil Mack.
All told, Vernon earned at least a 71.6 PFF pass-rush grade in six of his final seven NFL seasons.
Olivier Vernon's Career PFF Grades
21. Cincinnati Bengals: LB Dont'a Hightower, Alabama (Round 1, Pick 25)
- Original Pick: EDGE Chandler Jones, Syracuse
Hightower was a key piece of New England’s three Super Bowl runs over the past decade. Across his first five seasons, he earned an outstanding 87.5 PFF overall grade that tied for sixth among qualified linebackers. He was also an excellent postseason performer who earned a 79.6 career PFF overall grade in the playoffs.
22. Cleveland Browns: WR Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina (Round 2, Pick 45)
- Original Pick: QB Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State
Jeffery earned PFF receiving grades above 70.0 for seven straight seasons from 2013 to 2019, including an elite 92.1 mark in 2015. He was known as one of the best contested-catch receivers in the league, evidenced by an impressive 23 contested catches on 54 such targets in 2017.
23. Detroit Lions: DI Akiem Hicks, Regina (Round 3, Pick 89)
- Original Pick: T Riley Reiff, Iowa
Hicks wasn’t always one to post gaudy sack totals, though he did compile 47 of them in his 11 NFL seasons. He was one of the league's most consistent interior run defenders, particularly during his time in Chicago.
Hicks’ 91.5 PFF run-defense grade from 2016 to 2018 ranked fourth among qualified interior defenders, behind Damon Harrison Sr., Aaron Donald and Kawann Short.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: CB Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama (Round 2, Pick 39)
- Original Pick: G David DeCastro, Stanford
Jenkins was a solid starting cornerback across his first 10 NFL seasons. He played at least 900 snaps in eight of those campaigns while never seeing his PFF overall grade dip below 64.7. Jenkins' best year came in 2016, his first with the Giants, as he recorded an 83.2 PFF coverage grade with three interceptions and 10 pass breakups. That PFF coverage grade ranked ninth among qualified cornerbacks in 2016.
25. Denver Broncos: G David DeCastro, Stanford (Round 1, Pick 24)
- Original Pick: LB Dont'a Hightower, Alabama
DeCastro recorded a PFF pass-blocking grade above 80.0 in each season from 2014 to 2020, and he dipped below a 70.0 PFF overall grade in only his first and last NFL campaigns. His nine-year career with the Steelers was filled with consistent, solid play.
26. Houston Texans: QB Nick Foles, Arizona (Round 3, Pick 88)
- Original Pick: EDGE Whitney Mercilus, Illinois
Foles is one of the NFL's most accomplished “relief” quarterbacks over the past two decades. In 2013, in relief of Michael Vick, he led the NFL in touchdown-interception ratio (27-2). In 2017, in relief of Carson Wentz, he spearheaded the Eagles' run to their first Super Bowl in franchise history. Those two seasons yielded the highest PFF passing grades of his career (83.7 and 73.8).
27. New England Patriots: CB Josh Norman, Coastal Carolina (Round 5, Pick 143)
- Original Pick: G Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin
The Patriots originally came away with linebacker Dont'a Hightower in the first round of this draft, but he is off the board here, so Norman, a player who well outplayed his fifth-round draft selection, is the pick.
Between 2014 to 2018, Norman recorded 72.0-plus PFF coverage grades four times, including a career-high 89.9 mark in 2015 during Carolina’s run to the Super Bowl.
28. Green Bay Packers: DI Malik Jackson, Tennessee (Round 5, Pick 137)
- Original Pick: EDGE Nick Perry, USC
Jackson was a fifth-round draft choice back in 2012 and well outplayed that slot. He earned a 70.0-plus PFF overall grade in each season from 2013 to 2017 for two different teams — first the Broncos and then the Jaguars. He also recorded 34 sacks across that five-year stretch.
29. Baltimore Ravens: G Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State (Round 2, Pick 60)
- Original Pick: S Harrison Smith, Notre Dame
Osemele was a solid guard for the first six years of his career, first for the Ravens and then the Raiders. That included a four-year run of earning 70.0-plus PFF grades in pass blocking and run blocking.
30. San Francisco 49ers: WR Marvin Jones Jr., California (Round 5, Pick 166)
- Original Pick: WR A.J. Jenkins, Illinois
Fifth-round pick Marvin Jones Jr. carved out a nice career as a complementary receiving threat. He broke out in 2013 with a career-high 87.5 PFF receiving grade that ranked sixth among qualified wide receivers. He missed 2014 due to injury but rebounded to earn at least a 70.0 PFF receiving grade in each of the next seven seasons.
Marvin Jones Jr.'s 2013 Season by Target Depth
31. New England Patriots: DI Dontari Poe, Memphis (Round 1, Pick 11)
- Original Pick: RB Doug Martin, Boise State
Poe was a decent NFL player but didn’t live up to the billing of a top-12 overall pick. He earned PFF overall grades above 65.0 in five of his nine seasons, including 70.0-plus marks in four. Surprisingly, he recorded a PFF run-defense grade above 80.0 only once (2015).
Poe was a high-floor, low-ceiling player for the majority of his career.
32. New York Giants: EDGE Whitney Mercilus, Illinois (Round 1, Pick 26)
- Original Pick: RB David Wilson, Virginia Tech
Mercilus logged only three season-long 70.0-plus PFF overall grades in his 10-year career, but he hovered around 70.0 marks in tackling, pass rushing and run defense from 2012-2017 — just not always at the same time. He was a solid defensive lineman from this class.
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