2012 NFL Mock Draft: Which Teams Will Be the Biggest Winners on Draft Day?

Now that the regular season is over, the 20 teams that missed the playoffs can now focus all of their attention on the draft, and how to improve their team. That's what we're doing here. 

But not every player will be an unqualified success. Some will be picked, but not succeed. So, let's take a look at who's going where, and see how they'll do.

    

1. Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Luck

Luck is the clear No. 1 pick of the draft. While his arm strength leaves a little to be desired, his accuracy and intelligence leaves nothing to be desired. 

While I never like teams losing games for draft picks, the Colts' loss to the Jaguars in Week 17 will end up being a good thing for them. They will now have the guy to take the team from Peyton Manning.

Grade: A

2. St. Louis Rams, Matt Kalil

The Rams need to figure out how to do one thing. Keep Sam Bradford on the field. Giving him a nice left tackle to work with will go a long way towards helping that happen. 

Grade: B+

3. Minnesota Vikings, Justin Blackmon

Blackmon is a specimen. He's not the biggest receiver in the world, but certainly has the size to dominate. His speed speaks for itself. The Vikings need to bring in other weapons to place around Percy Harvin, and an injury plagued Adrian Peterson.

Grade: A-

4. Cleveland Browns, Trent Richardson

While the Browns could use a receiver, they won't be in position to get one here. There best plan would be to trade up for Justin Blackmon. But if that's not possible, Richardson is a fine option. 

As a back, Richardson is dominant. He has tremendous size and speed, and will be a dominant player. The Browns need a stable running attack if their offense is going to improve. 

Grade: B

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dre Kirkpatrick

Like the Browns, the Buccaneers could use some offensive help. But this is not the spot to get it. They can also use some defensive help. That's Kirkpatrick. He's a big defensive back that would instantly make the Buccaneers' defense better.

Grade: B-

6. Washington Redskins, Robert Griffin III

The Redskins aren't going to make any progress in the NFC East with their current quarterbacks. Griffin is a great option for them. He can run, but also throw extremely well. 

Grade: B+

7. Jacksonville Jaguars, Morris Claiborne

If Jacksonville is going to make progress, they will need a lot of help. But the ultimate need for them is in the defensive backfield, where they had a hard time even filling out a roster at the end of the season. 

Grade: B+

8. Carolina Panthers, Vontaze Burfict*

The Panthers will not go anywhere until they learn how to defend. That will start with a good middle linebacker to plug the run. Burfict is easily the best available, and belongs here. 

Grade: B

9. Miami Dolphins, Landry Jones*

It's hard to see the Dolphins doing anything other than quarterback hunting in the draft. Luck and Griffin will not be available this late, and Jones is the next best option. He'll be perfect for a grooming situation.

Grade: C+

10. Buffalo Bills, Jonathan Martin

If we're really going to see how good Ryan Fitzpatrick is, he'll need time to throw the ball. Martin provided that for Andrew Luck, and will do the same in the NFL. 

Grade: B

11. Kansas City Chiefs, Riley Reiff*

Just like the Bills, the Chiefs will need a man to keep their quarterback upright. Reiff is a good option to be that man. 

Grade: B

12. Seattle Seahawks, Alshon Jeffery*

Jeffery didn't have a great season, but is an athletic marvel. He's got phenomenal speed and size, and that's not something the Seahawks can pass on.

Grade: B-

13. Arizona Cardinals, David DeCastro

The Cardinals must find consistent offensive play if they're going to challenge the 49ers next year. That starts up front, as the pieces are in place for this to be a dangerous team.

Grade: B

14. Dallas Cowboys, Alfonzo Dennard

If the Cowboys don't get defensive help, then they're not paying attention. It's too easy to pass on this team.

Grade: A-

15. Philadelphia Eagles, Zach Brown

The Eagles have a good enough pass rush to focus on Brown's ability to defend the run. But it's nice to know that he's capable of rushing the passer if he has to. 

Grade: B+

16. New York Jets, Cordy Glenn

The Jets were too reliant on Mark Sanchez this year. Their offensive line didn't open enough holes for the Jets' running game, which is a direct reason they missed the playoffs. That needs to change. 

Grade: B

17. Cincinnati Bengals (via Oakland Raiders), Michael Floyd

Floyd is a good receiver to line up on the other end of A.J. Green. He's got big play ability, and his size makes him a threat in the red zone. 

Grade: B

18. San Diego Chargers, Zebrie Sanders

At this moment, this is a reach. But the Chargers have no choice but to improve their line. This team is terrible up front. They won't contend until it changes.

Grade: C

19. Chicago Bears, Dont'a Hightower

As great as they have been, the Bears' defense is getting older. They need to start bringing in guys to make the defense younger and viable in future seasons.

Grade: C+

20. Tennessee Titans, Mohamed Sanu

The Titans' offense doesn't feature a lot of variety. Sanu has the size to attract defenders. When that happens, holes will open for Chris Johnson, and a returning Kenny Britt will make more big plays.

Grade: B+

21. Denver Broncos, Devon Still

The Broncos' defense has gotten better, but they still have holes. Still would complete their defensive line, making it exceptionally hard to score points.

Grade: B

22. New York Giants, Mark Barron

The Giants secondary needs help. The Giants need to defend the run better. What better way to kill two birds with one stone than to bring in a hard-hitting safety to do both?

Grade: A-

23. Houston Texans, Fletcher Cox

The Texans have very few holes on the roster. Still, I like them drafting a big man in the middle, making it even harder to score points on them. Houston has the team to groom a player.

Grade: B

24. Detroit Lions, Luke Kuechly

Kuechly is a rock. He generally doesn't miss tackles, and defends the run at an exceptionally high level. The Lions need someone that does that if they're going to go from good to great. 

Grade: B+

25. Cincinnati Bengals, Lamar Miller

What the Bengals have lacked this year has been a solid offense. Miller will make a huge impact on that, and they have the other backs to ease him into action. 

Grade: B

26. Cleveland Browns (via Atlanta Falcons), Kendall Wright

This is the second thing the Browns need. They don't have any receiving threats to note. That's where Wright would step in. He's got the speed to be an instant big play man.

Grade: A-

27. Pittsburgh Steelers, Courtney Upshaw

The Steelers will need to get their defense younger. Upshaw is a raw talent. He'll give the Steelers a solid foundation to build on. 

Grade: B-

28. New England Patriots (via New Orleans Saints), Janoris Jenkins

The Patriots need a little bit of help in the secondary. Jenkins has some character issues, but Bill Belichick thrives with those kinds of players. Jenkins also has a ton of talent.

Grade: A

29. Baltimore Ravens, Peter Konz

The Ravens still play a nasty style. I would love to see them get a receiver, but that's not going to happen here. So, they need to draft to improve their offensive line.

Grade: B+

30. San Francisco 49ers, Stephon Gilmore

The 49ers' defense has been stellar, but the secondary has been burned at times. They also might lose Carlos Rogers, who is a free agent. Gilmore would make a big impact on them, and bring a big play element that they sometimes lack.

Grade: B

31. New England Patriots, Jared Crick

This is another player that will make the Patriots' defense instantly better. They need to do more on defense to win championships. Crick would be an end in the Patriots' scheme, and is a fantastic player. 

Grade: B-

32. Green Bay Packers, Melvin Ingram

Give the Packers a good pass rush, and this team is going to be even better. That's hard to believe, but it's true. Ingram would be a good rusher, and would also allow other players to step into more familiar roles.

Grade: A-

Order of picks 1-20 are found here. Picks 21-32 will be officially determined by playoff finish.

*denotes that a coin flip will be used to determine the order of picking.  

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