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With the exception of Cleveland's Brandon Weeden, the "big five" have seldom disappointed in 2012. Indianapolis' wunderkind quarterback Andrew Luck--the No. 1 overall selection last spring, and the most ballyhooed QB prospect since, well, no one, with the exception of maybe John Elway--overcame a rough opening game against Chicago to put together a quality half of a season, including a signature comeback win over Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers last month (let's just omit the whuppin' he put on Miami's secondary yesterday, m'kay?). It would be wrong (yet unfair) to say that Luck has lived up to the enormous expectations that arose during his time at Stanford, but it would be ridiculous to suggest that Luck won't eventually live up to said expectations. He's the real deal.
Luck's draft counterpart Robert Griffin III has been the biggest story of any big five quarterback this season, shredding the toothless New Orleans Saints on opening weekend and building his brand with a signature victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4 and a so-good-you-won't-believe-it touchdown run against the Minnesota Vikings three weeks ago. While Luck is comfortably above the Mendoza Line in terms of satisfying expectations, Griffin has outright blown league and fan expectations out of the water this season. Questions regarding his slender frame persist, but Washington has to be ecstatic to see such a gamble pay off.
Then there is Miami's Ryan Tannehill--the guy who wasn't supposed to see the field for a season or two; the guy who was a wide receiver for much of his time at Texas A&M. What about Tannehill? Has his ability to overcome a lame receiver corps this season validated Miami's decision to draft him eighth overall last April? If you consider upside, is Tannehill as valuable as Luck or Griffin III?
Weeden has turned it around in Cleveland, and Wilson has battled like a champ in Seattle, overcoming height concerns and Matt Flynn's looming chin to put together a quality half season in 2012.