2012 NFL Draft Order: 3 Early Projections Now That the Table Is Set

Now that the first 20 picks have been set in the 2012 NFL order, we can make the following three projections:

1. Andrew Luck will go No. 1

Now that the Indianapolis Colts have secured the No. 1 pick, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck looks like a lock to go first overall. The Colts need a future at the quarterback position, and having the potential for a transition from Peyton Manning to Luck is too much to pass up.

2. Expect a trade in the top five

With two teams set at quarterback behind the Colts, the possibility of a trade down from those spots is high. You'd have to assume that both the Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Rams would look into moving down, and especially the Rams. A team that wants to secure Robert Griffin III could make a trade into the top five to draft the Heisman Trophy winner. 

3. Trent Richardson falls out of top 10  

Unless the Cleveland Browns make a move down, I don't see a team that can take Alabama running back Trent Richardson in the top 10. The Kansas City Chiefs might be an option at No. 12, but even the top 15 might now be a stretch. The value in running backs continues to drop season after season, so it's more than possible that Richardson falls into the late teens or early 20s.

2012 NFL draft order

1.	Indianapolis Colts
2.	St. Louis Rams
3.	Minnesota Vikings
4.	Cleveland Browns
5.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6.	Washington Redskins
7.	Jacksonville Jaguars
8.	Carolina Panthers
9.	Miami Dolphins
10.	Buffalo Bills
11.	Seattle Seahawks
12.	Kansas City Chiefs
13.	Arizona Cardinals
14.	Dallas Cowboys
15.	Philadelphia Eagles
16.	New York Jets
17.	Cincinnati Bengals (from Raiders)
18.	San Diego Chargers
19.	Chicago Bears
20.	Tennessee Titans
21.	Denver Broncos
22.	New York Giants
23.	Cincinnati Bengals
24.	Detroit Lions
25.	Cleveland Browns (from Falcons)
26.	Houston Texans
27.	Pittsburgh Steelers
28.	New England Patriots (from Saints)
29.	Baltimore Ravens
30.	San Francisco 49ers
31.	New England Patriots
32.	Green Bay Packers

*Picks 21-32 determined on playoff results