NFL Draft 2012: 3 Prospects That Can Turn a Franchise Around

Sometimes draft picks are simply luxury pieces that can take a team from good to great. Other times, they become the base of a franchise. 

Let's look at the players that have instant impact potential and have the ability to turn a club around. 

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor 

Andrew Luck is obviously a franchise signal-caller, but it will be extremely difficult for him to turn around a Indianapolis Colts team with many holes on the roster.

RG3's playmaking ability can have a Cam Newton-type effect on a club. The Panthers won five more games in 2011 than they did in 2010. 

Griffin III is deadly accurate, especially down the field, and his world-class speed makes him a difference maker at the next level. 

His best attribute may be his intelligence. The junior demonstrated a NFL-like ability to read defenses and work through his progressions. 

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama 

While many teams have shied away from drafting a running back in the first round because of the production they can get from more unheralded guys, Richardson is the type of player you can build a franchise around. 

He's an ideal between-the-tackles runner at 5'11'' and 225 pounds, and although he doesn't possess Adrian Peterson-esque breakaway speed, he can hit the big play anytime he touches the ball. 

The 1,500-yard rusher welcomes contact, but is shifty enough to make defenders miss in the open field. 

The team that selects him will receive an instant upgrade to the run game.

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State 

As we've seen over the last two years, the NFL is most certainly a passing league. Quarterbacks and wide receivers rule the game. 

Blackmon would have been a top-20 pick in the 2011 draft, and he could be a top-five pick this year. 

At 6'1'' and a sculpted 215 pounds, there's no receiver with a more NFL-ready body and I'm not sure any pass-catcher plays "angrier" than the Oklahoma State star. 

He has great hands, runs decent routes and wins almost every battle for the football. 

Blackmon is open even when he's not open. 

A great addition to any offense. 

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