BY MIHIR BHAGAT (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons) After months of scouting reports and mock drafts, the 2012 NFL draft has come and gone. But it’s not over yet. Now, it’s time to evaluate the 253 picks made. ESPN’s Todd McShay says Browns running back Trent Richardson will make the biggest impact. “They were concerned about him going number three so they moved up one spot. I don’t care how much they gave away. They got a player that instantly turns around their offense and makes them a physical football team that they want to be.” The draft is supposed to be a chance for struggling teams to rebuild with stars such as Richardson and Andrew Luck. But NFL Network says the rich just got richer. “I thought the story of this draft was the bottom half teams did really well. The playoff teams got stronger. I think you saw that with New England, you saw it with Pittsburgh, you saw it with Cincinnati.” But for every genius selection, there’s one that leaves fans scratching their heads. For CBS Sports, it was Cal punter Bryan Anger. The Jaguars selected him 70th overall - the highest a punter’s been drafted since 1995. “Terrible pick. Here’s the deal with punters. You never pick them, okay. There’s so many of them out there, so many kickers out there, what are you picking a punter for? Then again, the way they played offense the last seven years, they need a punter.” The 1st round involved a lot of wheeling and dealing. Eight trades went down including seven in the Top 10 - the most in draft history. Sports Illustrated explains why we should expect more trades in the future with the rookie wage scale. "Oh, absolutely because teams can move around more confidently. They don’t take the big risks so you can fill your need. It’s probably going to make the first round a lot more efficient. I think we’ll see a few less busts because teams can afford to draft by need." Perhaps it’s seeing young men turn their dreams into realities. Sports fans love the NFL draft. In fact, some draft experts are feeding the craze and already looking into the 2015 class. But, let’s not get two steps ahead--first, of course, there’s 2013. After all the hype with Luck, FOX Sports tells us why we should look out for University of Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley next year. “Barkley, if he had left college last year his junior season at USC, I’m convinced he might’ve been the second quarterback taken in the draft over Robert Griffin III. Scouts are that enamored with him.” About 25.3 million people watched the first-round coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft.