Entering the NFL Draft this past April, everyone in the NFL knew that the Indianapolis Colts would take Andrew Luck with the number one pick and that the Washington Redskins would select Heisman winner Robert Griffin III.
What no one could predict at the time was that along with Russell Wilson, who was selected in the third round by the Seattle Seahawks, the two would combine for the best rookie draft class in the history of the NFL.
The 1983 class of quarterbacks is considered the best, with Dan Marino, John Elway and Jim Kelly, with the 2004 class of Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers and Matt Schaub also thought of very highly.
But depending on how you look at things, the current group may be the best rookie class because of what they actually are doing during their rookie seasons. The other classes of 1983 and 2004 are all considered great, but mainly because of what the quarterbacks have done throughout their careers. This crop is starting off better than both of those classes and have shattered rookie statistics in numerous categories.
In the 1983 class, only Marino took his team to the playoffs, while Elway threw for 14 interceptions while completing less than 50 percent of his passes. Kelly was drafted by the Bills, but played in the USFL first before coming to the NFL in 1986.
"But they've been trying to compare us (with other rookie classes) for, what, almost 30 years? The way I look at it is this: Compare us when these guys have been in the league for 12 to 15 years - then you can say something about it," Kelly said to USA Today. "For now, it looks good on paper (because) they've started out well."
Luck, Griffin and Wilson are the most notable three of the class, but Cleveland's Brandon Weeden, Philadelphia's Nick Foles, Washington's Kirk Cousins and Miami's Ryan Tannehill have also shown that they are ready for the NFL. According to USA Today, "the class of '12 includes a record eight rookie signal-callers who have started and won at least one game."
While those other quarterbacks have been solid for their teams, it's the three at the top that are making people turn their heads.
Luck and Wilson have already clinched playoff spots, while Griffin and the Redskins are circling around an NFC East division title. If all three make the playoffs, it would set a record for the amount of NFL teams going to the postseason with rookie quarterbacks.
Being No. 1-overall pick, Luck has already broken some records himself. He has established the record for wins in his rookie season as that high of a pick and set the new rookie record for passing yards in a season on Sunday, breaking Cam Newton's mark from one year ago.
What Luck has done is nothing short of amazing. The Colts were just 2-14 last year and looked as if they would be stuck in the bottom of the AFC South for at least a few years. Instead, Luck has taken the league by storm, propelling the Colts to comeback victories and a Wild Card spot, making them the only team to make the playoffs in the AFC that didn't make it the previous season.
The 23-year-old has passed for a rookie-record 4,183 yards and 21 touchdowns while completing over 54 percent of his passes. Although he has 18 interceptions, Luck has been as good as any quarterback in the lague, bringing a team that was one of the worst last year into a playoff spot this season.
Luck sits behind Russell Wilson's 25 touchdowns for the rookie lead, while Peyton Manning holds the all-time record of 26. Wilson could break the record next week against the St. Louis Rams. Luck has also led six game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime, which is the most for any rookie quarterback in over 40 years.
The former Stanford star threw for a career-high four touchdowns against the Lions in a 35-33 win four weeks ago and passed for 433 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-20 win over Miami on Nov. 4. The Colts have won three of the past four games and eight of the last ten overall.
Griffin has been just as impressive, helping lead the Redskins back from a 3-6 record to take control of the NFC East. He has passed for 3,100 yards and 20 touchdowns with just five interceptions, while completing over 66 percent of his passes.
The 22-year-old has rushed for 752 yards and six touchdowns while missing one game with a knee injury and currently has a chance to set the record for passer rating as a rookie with 104.2, which would beat Ben Roethlisberger's mark of 98.1.
Griffin reached 20 touchdowns this past Sunday to join Wilson (21) and Luck (20) as the only rookie trio to ever reach that milestone.
Wilson has been the biggest surprise of the rookie bunch.
When head coach Pete Carroll named Wilson the starter in the preseason, many in the league were scratching their heads since the team signed veteran Matt Flynn to a big contract in the offseason. But Carroll saw something in Wilson that no one else could see. He had "it".
Wilson has led the Seahawks to a 10-5 record and a possible chance at an NFC West division title. On Sunday night against the 49ers, Wilson threw for a career-high four touchdown passes as the Seahawks clinched a playoff spot. The team is 7-0 this season and Wilson is now ranked second place all-time for most touchdown passes by a rookie.
At just 5-11, Wilson is smaller than most NFL quarterbacks, but has been as impressive as any of the rookies in the league. He has passed for 2,868 yards and 25 touchdowns with just 10 interceptions. He is one score away from the rookie passing touchdown record and has proven to be the spark that the Seahawks have been looking for.
As a group, the rookies have been more impressive than any other first-year class in history. Along with the big three, Weeden, Foles, Cousins and Arizona's Ryan Lindley have combined for 39 wins, 18,220 yards passing, 92 TD passes and 1,531 completions, all of which are rookie records.
The battle for offensive rookie of the year will be the closest its been in ages. For a while it looked as if Griffin would take home the award, but after leading their teams to the playoffs, Wilson and Luck have just as good a shot at it. Voters simply can't go wrong for this award.
