2012 Pre-Season Superlatives

Yahoo has their own "predictions" for what the final standings will look like, which can be seen in the below image.  However, everyone knows the excitement of the NFL can be attributed to its unmatched parody.  Injuries, breakouts, and a variety of contributing factors  skew the initial outlook into a newly shaped league year to year.
Anyone can analyze a draft in terms of steals, reaches, successes and lack-thereof.  So prior to the season start, here are my initial superlatives for the 2012 Draft.  These will be reassessed after Week 17 of the season, and although I have the utmost confidence in the predictions, history shows you just never know....

• Biggest Reach - RB Fred Jackson taken by Graham - Round 2, Pick 17
• There are a few contributing factors here.  The first is that there were a plethora of running backs available at this point with a higher ceiling than Jackson.  Adrian Peterson, Steven Jackson, Michael Turner, Jamaal Charles, Ryan Mathews, Ahmad Bradshaw, Frank Gore, Doug Martin, Stevan Ridley, and Beanie Wells are a few names that come to mind.  There are arguments for and against every player, such as S-Jax and Turner being on a decline, or AP coming off ACL surgery.  But Fred Jackson is also returning after missing the final 6 games in 2011 with a broken leg, and is actually older then every one of the previously listed RB's.  Another common argument against backs like Jamaal Charles, Frank Gore, or Stevan Ridley are the "shared duty" roles.  However, C.J. Spiller played extremely well in Jackson's absence last year, and will certainly get more touches in 2012.  Already in a division with opponents that are very good against the run (Miami was 3rd in the NFL in 2011, and the Jets were 13th), they also face extremely staunch run defenses to the likes of San Francisco, Houston, Seattle, and Jacksonville.  The Bills have just 24 COMBINED rushing touchdown's in the past three seasons, and there is no reason to expect a sudden surge.  A healthy Jackson will be good for 1000 yards on the ground, but I don't expect close to double digit touchdowns for him.  

• Biggest Steal - QB Ben Roethlisberger taken by Brett - Round 12, Pick 134
• You can judge the man for his past mistakes and injuries all you want, but statistically he was a top-10 quarterback in 2011.  When healthy, he has one of the best arms in the game, not to mention a supporting cast of Pro Bowl receivers.  His 4077 passing yards in 2011 were 9th best in the NFL, and Pittsburgh's weakened offensive line and running game will provide ample opportunity for a fun-n-gun offense in 2012.  Big Ben has won two Super Bowls in his short career, and the bottom line is that he's a winner, and winners find a way to get it done.  It is no fault of his own that all four teams in the AFC North finished in the top 9 against the pass in 2011, and in 2012 don't expect the same success from Cleveland or Cincinnati.  Even Baltimore's defense could be considered weaker, as the entire unit will suffer with Terrell Suggs missing at least half, if not all, of the 2012 season.  The Steelers certainly don't have a cupcake schedule, but Roethlisberger has the weapons, experience, and skill set to put him in position to thrive in 2012.

• Most Likely To Be Dropped - WR Reuben Randle taken by Jon - Round 12, Pick 142
• Mike Tolbert would've been the choice here, as Hopkins took him in round 7 unaware that he is now buried on the depth chart in Carolina, instead of backing up Ryan Mathews.  But he was dropped before this was written, so the nomination goes to the rookie WR on the Giants.  Randle is a talented player taken in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft out of LSU, but he is buried in the depth chart of New York's offense.  He currently is listed as the team's fifth WR, behind Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, Domenik Hixon, and Jerrel Jernigan.  Eli Manning also has Cowboy-castoff TE Martellus Bennett and Bear Pascoe amongst his weapons, leaving Randle on the outside looking in.  At 6'4, the big-bodied receiver reminds Giant fans of former Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress, but Randle isn't likely to get opportunities to succeed this season.  In the Giants' loss to Dallas on opening night, Randle saw very limited play time, and wasn't targeted once when he was on the field.  Don't expect Randle to surpass 25 receptions this season, as his depth chart status is not conducive to contributing unlike fellow rookie WR's Justin Blackmon, Kendall Wright, Alshon Jeffery, or Stephen Hill.

• NFL Team with Least Amount of Fantasy Players to Start - N.Y. Jets
• QB Mark Sanchez, TE Dustin Keller, RB Joe McKnight, K Nick Folk, and WR's Stephen Hill, Chaz Schilens, and Jeremy Kerley all went undrafted.  The only Jets taken in the 180-player draft were RB Shonn Greene (Round 7, Pick 80) and WR Santonio Holmes (Round 9, Pick 108).  The league's 25th ranked offense in 2011 failed to improve almost all of their offensive positions coming into this season.  They have one of the least talented WR groups in the NFL, and even though Shonn Greene should reach 1000 yards, he has recorded just ten touchdowns in 45 career games.  Nine different players ran for 10 or more touchdowns LAST SEASON, let alone over a 45 game career.  Holmes is the only player that truly has a nose for the end zone, but his production has suffered since joining the Jets in 2010.  New York traded for Tim Tebow in the off-season, but the acquisition simply was to generate a buzz and faux-QB controversy.  The truth is that the Jets have a collection of should-be backups on their starting offense, and only their defensive unit is close to a weekly lock to start for any fantasy team.

• Highest Scoring Player - RB LeSean McCoy taken by Sean - Round 1, Pick 4
• He was fifth overall in 2011, using the 4-point passing TD system.  Ray Rice was the only RB to finish with more points, as well as QB's Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, and Drew Brees.  However, McCoy ran for just 55 less yards than Rice in 2011, mostly because he saw less playing time once the Eagles were eliminated from playoff contention.  Philly should at least snag a wild card this season, and McCoy will be heavily relied upon in both the passing and running games.  Cam Newton won't be able to sneak past any teams' game plan in his sophomore season, and it will be nearly impossible to duplicate his rookie numbers.  Outside of RB's, only the four elite QB's will come close to the points McCoy will accumulate.  But 1500 rushing yards will earn 150 points; a feat that would require 7500 passing yards to equal.  Expect a tight race, but the edge goes to the true workhorses in the backfield, and McCoy should prevail.