Re-Drafting the Quarterbacks From the 2012 NFL Draft Using Advanced Analytics

3. Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins is the rising dark horse of the class. Heading into the draft, he picked up steam but was considered a second- or third-round pick, at best. But, after all was said and done, the Redskins -- who already selected Robert Griffin III in the first round -- picked Cousins with the seventh pick of the fourth round.

In year one, Cousins backed up RG3, appearing in three games, including one start. Then, in year two, with Griffin injured, Cousins struggled in three starts and five total appearances, with an NEP of -40.52. The next year, he started twice and had one more appearance before taking over as the full-time starter in 2015-16.

As the franchise turned their focus toward Cousins and eventually shipped RG3 out, he showed signs of improvement with 146.01 NEP a year ago. This year, that number's up to 149.31 through 12 contests.

As of right now, with a career NEP of 293.05, he should be the third quarterback selected in a hypothetical redraft. However, whether you like that or not, he's working his way up the ladder year-by-year and could find himself among the likes of Luck and Wilson in both on-field play and off-the-field pay.