Former Rams first-round pick retires from NFL after 11 seasons

Whenever a player is selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, they are typically given significantly high expectations. This makes sense, however, since first-round picks are reserved for the incoming prospects with the highest potential to make an impact in the league.

Back in 2012, the Rams, who were still located in St. Louis at the time, decided to use one of their first-round draft selections (14th overall) on former LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers.

Well, after 11 years in the league, Brockers has announced that he has retired from the NFL. The former Rams and Detriot Lions defensive tackle shared his announcement with a recent post on his personal Instagram account.

In his first season with the Rams, Brockers made an immediate difference in the middle of the team's defensive line. With the help of their top rookie, the Rams were able to see their run defense improve from 31st in the NFL in 2011 to 15th in the league in 2012.

During his first year with the franchise, Brockers finished with 31 tackles (seven for a loss), four sacks, and one forced fumble in 13 appearances. In 2013, he followed up his rookie campaign with 46 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and one forced fumble.

After his first two years in the league, it seemed like Brockers was on his way to possibly living up to the expectations that were handed to him when he was selected in the opening round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Brockers never ended up turning into one of the league's superstars, but his career with the Rams and Lions was still very respectable.

In seven of his 11 seasons in the NFL, he appeared in at least 16 games. From 2017 to 2021, he finished each year with at least 50 tackles and one sack. He was just a very solid piece of a Rams defense that featured a ton of playmakers during his tenure, including Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, Marcus Peters, Robert Quinn and Leonard Floyd.

Brockers last appearance in an NFL game took place during Week 11 of the 2022 season when he was on the field for 12 defensive snaps as a member of the Lions. Shortly after the 2022 campaign came to a close, Detroit decided to release the veteran defensive lineman.

A few months after parting with the Lions, Brockers reportedly had a workout with the Tennessee Titans, but it didn't result in him earning a contract.

So, now, instead of making any additional attempts to extend his career in the NFL, the 33-year-old has decided to hang up his cleats after a very respectable tenure in the league.