2012 NFL Draft Order: How High Should Robert Griffin III Go?

Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III is one of the hottest names involved with the 2012 NFL draft.

With his formal declaration to enter the NFL coming on Wednesday afternoon, the speculation regarding which team will land him will be one of the more dominant storylines of this year's draft.

There are a number of teams that would love to have a ready-to-start rookie quarterback like Griffin on their rosters, and there's little chance he will still be on the board after the first 10 picks.

In fact, I don't see him being available after the sixth pick, which belongs to the Washington Redskins.

With the Indianapolis Colts likely drafting Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck No. 1 overall, there aren't any other teams with such a serious need to draft a starting passer in the intervening picks.

At No. 2 are the St. Louis Rams, who ostensibly met their long-term needs at quarterback when they drafted Sam Bradford No. 1 overall in 2010.

The No. 3 pick goes to the Minnesota Vikings. While 2011 draft pick Christian Ponder didn't perform as well as hoped in his rookie season, the Vikings have other, greater needs than quarterback this year and will likely stick with Ponder and backup Joe Webb in 2012.

The Cleveland Browns have the fourth overall pick in the draft this year and represent a wild card of sorts when it comes to the Griffin sweepstakes. Colt McCoy has quickly proven not to be a long-term solution at quarterback, and the Browns have lacked stability at the position for well over a decade.

A sure-thing starter like Griffin, who is likely to have a long and fruitful professional career, could serve to shore up a glaring deficiency the Browns have been struggling with for a long time.

It depends on whether the Browns think they have a greater need at another position that will determine if Griffin heads to Cleveland.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pick fifth in this year's NFL draft, and they certainly don't need a quarterback. Though Josh Freeman looked more like he did in his 2009 rookie season than the 2010 iteration that saw him throw 25 touchdowns to just six picks, his job is likely safe for at least one more season.

The only thing that would make the Bucs turn to Griffin is their new head coach. They're on an extensive coaching search at the moment and are looking into candidates who have had extensive experience at the helm of NFL teams.

If that coach is ultimately not sold on Freeman, he might push for snagging Griffin should he fall to them, but it doesn't seem likely the Buccaneers as an organization would hire a new head coach who doesn't believe Freeman is worth starting in 2012.

The Redskins just seem to make the most sense. They forewent drafting a quarterback in 2011, preferring instead to stick with the two they already had, John Beck and Rex Grossman.

Both men were disappointing this season, making clear that if there's anything the Redskins need to become competitive in 2012 and remain that way for some time, it's a bona fide franchise quarterback.

If Washington foolishly passes on Griffin if he's still available when they pick, then the next most likely team to take him is the Miami Dolphins.

Similarly to the Redskins, the Dolphins desperately need a long-term solution to their quarterback problems. Matt Moore, who started through most of 2011, is not going to help the Dolphins compete in a difficult AFC East division that is usually dominated by the New England Patriots.

But I don't see Griffin available beyond that pick. He's got such a glut of talent, is versatile and explosive and would be an immediate upgrade to any offense of which he is a part.

With the right team and the right weapons around him, Griffin should have an extremely successful professional career.

Hopefully, whichever team selects him can provide him with the supporting cast to make that happen.

2012 NFL Draft Order (Picks 25-32, estimated)

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