Big Red
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- Mar 16, 2019
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The Cardinals hold the No. 1 overall pick for April’s NFL draft for the first time since 1958. As the day for the Cards to make their selection draws closer, azcardinals.com will take a look at the last 30 No. 1 overall selections and each player’s impact on the team and league.
NAME/YEAR: Andrew Luck/2012
TEAM: Indianapolis Colts
THE SITUATION: The Colts were a perennial contender with Peyton Manning at the helm, but a season-ending neck injury to the star quarterback resulted in a 2-14 season in 2011. There was enough doubt around Manning’s ability to return to form that the Colts decided to release him. It didn’t hurt that there was a standout signal-caller from Stanford entering the draft. The Colts chose Luck No. 1 overall, and while Manning went on to win another Super Bowl with the Broncos, the decision worked out for Indianapolis.
THE CAREER: Luck’s rookie season was up and down, but he quickly ascended to stardom. Luck has made the Pro Bowl four times and led the NFL with 40 touchdown passes in 2014. He missed the 2017 season with a shoulder injury and there was concern it could hamper his career, but Luck had the best passer rating of his career in 2018 and has rejoined the list of elite signal-callers in the NFL.
THE OTHER OPTIONS IN TOP FIVE: Robert Griffin III went directly after Luck to the Redskins, and after getting off to a fast start in his career, is now bouncing around the league as a backup. The rest of the top-5 didn’t fare much better, as No. 3 overall pick Trent Richardson and No. 5 pick Justin Blackmon are both out of the league, while No. 4 pick Matt Kalil made a Pro Bowl as a rookie but has otherwise not lived up to his draft placement.
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