2012 NFL Draft Order: Patriots Must Package 1st-Rounders for Shutdown Corner

When the Patriots pick in April's NFL draft, they will need a cornerback. Right now, their picks will be too low for any real impact corner to come in and immediately make the team better.

Fortunately, they own two first-round picks. With that comes the ability to move and draft one of those corners.

Morris Claiborne would be ideal, but that would likely cost the Patriots a little too much. The Patriots have the Saints' No. 27 pick, and then somewhere between 29 and 32, so they wouldn't get enough else in return to be in position to draft Claiborne.

But if we're talking about Dre Kirkpatrick, the Patriots should be able to land a sweet deal, moving up in the first and possibly adding some late-round picks. 

That would put the Patriots in position to get the man that's probably the draft's best corner (much of Claiborne's high stock comes from returning) but also to add some depth. If Bill Belichick has that opportunity, history shows that he won't let that go. 

If you look at the NFL Draft Value Chart at Walterfootball.com, you will get an idea as to what the Patriots need to do. If they win the Super Bowl, their two draft picks are worth 1,270 points. Those two picks bring better value than any pick not in the Top 10. 

Of course, everything at this point is purely speculative. The Patriots are concerned on winning the AFC Championship Game and then the Super Bowl. But they are here in spite of the fact that their pass defense was abysmal. 

The Patriots were 15th in scoring defense in the NFL and 31st in pass defense. If injuries hadn't hit some of the AFC's best teams (Texans, Steelers, even Colts with Peyton Manning), it's hard to imagine that the Patriots would have been 13-3 and on the brink of the Super Bowl. 

New England needs a stabilizing force in their secondary. Kirkpatrick is the ideal fit, but Steve Wyche of NFL.com has projected Claiborne, Kirkpatrick, Stephon Gilmore and Alfonzo Dennard to all be taken before the best pick the Patriots could possibly land. 

Throw in Janoris Jenkins, who was kicked off of Florida's team for a series of drug related arrests, but does not lack talent, and you could easily have five corners go before the Patriots pick. 

A team with two first-round picks that was abysmal against the pass all season can't let that happen. They need to put a trade together, that will put them in position to draft one of those five guys.

If they don't, then the Patriots' 2012 season will be similar to the 2011 campaign. The Patriots will score a lot of points and have a good record, but their defense will be a liability. With a corner that can take away half of the field, the Patriots are at worst easily the best team in the AFC. 

Draft order through Divisional Round of NFL Playoffs:

1.	Indianapolis Colts
2.	St. Louis Rams
3.	Minnesota Vikings
4.	Cleveland Browns
5.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
6.	Washington Redskins
7.	Jacksonville Jaguars
8/9.*	Carolina Panthers
8/9.*	Miami Dolphins
10.	Buffalo Bills
11/12*	Kansas City Chiefs
11/12*	Seattle Seahawks
13.	Arizona Cardinals
14.	Dallas Cowboys
15.	Philadelphia Eagles
16.	New York Jets
17.	Cincinnati Bengals (via Oakland Raiders)
18.	San Diego Chargers
19.	Chicago Bears
20.	Tennessee Titans
21.	Cincinnati Bengals
22.	Cleveland Browns (via Atlanta Falcons)
23.	Detroit Lions
24.	Pittsburgh Steelers
25.	Denver Broncos
26.	Houston Texans
27.	New England Patriots (via New Orleans Saints)
28.	Green Bay Packers
29-32**	New York Giants (9-7)
29-32**	Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
29-39**	San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
29-32**	New England Patriots (13-3)

* - Picks 8/9 and 11/12 will be determined by coin toss

** - Picks 29-32 will be determined by the conference championship games and Super Bowl XLVI.

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