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NFL 2012: a banner year for rookie quarterbacks

Encouraged by the success of Carolina’s Cam Newton and Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton last season, five teams hand the offensive controls to five players fresh out of the college ranks.

8. Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins

Nick Wass/AP
Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (12) looks to pass during the first half of an NFL preseason football game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, in Landover, Md.

  • By Ross Atkin Staff

Drafted: #102 overall (in fourth round)

Pro status: 3rd string

College: Michigan State 

6 ft.3 in., 209 lbs.

Hometown: Holland, Mich.

QB rating in the preseason: 84.3

Rarely does a team select two quarterbacks in the same draft, but the Redskins couldn’t resist taking Cousins in the fourth round after already taking Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III with the second overall choice. Their scouts said he was just too talented to pass up, so now Washington has two rookies sandwiching old hand Rex Grossman on the depth chart. The team’s surprise pick appeared to be a stroke of genius during one particular preseason game against the Bears in which Cousins had a passer rating of 154.1 out of a possible 158.3. His 18-for-23, three TD performance was worthy of an Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, or Peyton Manning. Here again is a rookie that brings both a football IQ and general smarts to the table. At Michigan State, Cousins had a 3.68 GPA while majoring in kinesiology, and earned Academic All-Big Ten Conference honors all four seasons.

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Mark Sappenfield
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