ASHBURN — There’s a strong chance that one day, a documentary will be made on the 2012 quarterback class — a group defined by its extraordinary talent and the compelling storylines that followed.
Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll this week recalled the interview process in the lead up to the 2012 draft, talking with Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson, back-to-back. The two face-off on Sunday.
“Both of those guys were really impressive,” Carroll said. “You knew that you had really good leaders and character guys, I just recall that really clearly, how impressive both those guys were. And it’s no doubt that these guys are doing well.”
Back then, the year’s top two picks, Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III looked like generational stars. They both had initial success, but Griffin is now out of the league and Luck will miss the entire 2017 season recovering from shoulder surgery. Luck, when healthy, is a top quarterback in the league.
But surprisingly, it’s Wilson, a third-round pick, and Cousins, a fourth-round pick, who have emerged as the group’s most consistent quarterbacks. With the Seahawks, Wilson has already won a Super Bowl.
“When I was drafted, I remember thinking, ’Boy, it’d be fun if that class was able to have a lot of production in the NFL,’” Cousins said. “We’ll see where we go from here, but I’m happy for [Wilson] and all the success he’s had and the way he’s been able to earn all those accomplishments and wins and a Super Bowl championship. … Hopefully we can contain him on Sunday, which very few teams are able to do.”
“I’d probably say you’ve got to be surprised a little bit because you don’t expect those type of draft picks to succeed,” Gruden said.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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