2012 NFL Draft Order: Draft Strategies for Conference Championship Losers

This time yesterday, the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers were eyeing a trip to the Super Bowl. But alas, both of them fell short in their respective conference games. Both teams can blame goats for their losses, but all of us know that they're not about to do that.

What both the Ravens and 49ers will do now is look forward. The 2012 regular season will be here in no time, and the time to retool and reload is now. 

The 2012 NFL draft looms large in the process. Both teams will head into the draft with plenty of needs to fill, and both of them are going to need to devise a sound draft strategy.

Let's discuss what both of them need to do.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens have needs up and down their roster, but the one area that is more in need of help than any other is their offensive line.

Credit where credit is due, Baltimore's offensive line was not as bad as it should have been during the regular season. Despite the fact his O-line consisted of spare and moving parts, Joe Flacco only got sacked 31 times, which is not bad at all when you consider how he was sacked 40 times in 2010.

But Baltimore's O-line crumbled against teams with strong pass rushes, and we saw it get dominated by a single man (Vince Wilfork) in the AFC Championship Game.

The trouble is that the Ravens aren't going to be able to get their hands on any of the top offensive linemen in the draft, so they need to be smart by not reaching for a player thinking they're going to land a starter. They're better off drafting for depth, which is something they can do throughout the draft. They don't need to use their first-round pick on a lineman.

Instead, the Ravens should just draft the best player available, hopefully one that will fill one of their needs. I could see them taking a high-ceiling tight end if they want to draft offense, but they could also shore up their defense by adding an additional pass-rushing linebacker. There's a bit too much pressure on Terrell Suggs to get it done on his own.

The Ravens also need to consider finding an heir apparent for Ray Lewis. He said after the AFC Championship Game (via ESPN.com) that he is not retiring, but the writing is on the wall. If the Ravens see an inside linebacker to their liking late in the first round, they shouldn't hesitate to jump on him.

Lastly, I'll point out that I'm assuming that the Ravens are going to re-sign Ray Rice, so I won't entertain the idea of them going for a No. 1 running back. They also won't need a backup, as they have Ricky Williams signed for another season.

All told, the Ravens are in a pretty good place. They have nagging issues they need to fix, but let's keep in mind that this is a team that crashed out of the conference championship game because of a missed field goal. It's not like they embarrassed themselves, a la the Green Bay Packers.

San Francisco 49ers

If one thing became clear in the 49ers' loss in the NFC Championship Game, it's that they truly do need some help at wide receiver. Alex Smith only completed one pass to a wide receiver the whole game, and you can only blame him for that so much.

Besides which, both Tedd Ginn and Josh Morgan are free agents. At the very least, the 49ers are going to need some bodies for their receiving corps.

The 49ers aren't going to find any stars waiting for them at the end of the first round, but the good news for them is that they don't really need a star. What they need is somebody they can rely on, and there will be receivers like that on the board when they're on the clock.

If the 49ers feel like filling their receiver need via trade or free agency, their next priority is upgrading their secondary. Even if they re-sign Carlos Rogers, they could use another cornerback, and they may have to add a free safety if Dashon Goldson walks as a free agent.

Either way, depth at both positions is a must, so expect the 49ers to do some secondary shopping in the draft.

Elsewhere, you might see the 49ers add another linebacker. Their linebacking corps is strong, but that doesn't mean the 49ers can't make it stronger. 

In case you feel like entertaining the notion, 2011 was not a fluke. The 49ers are going to head into the draft as a strong team, and they are going to exit the draft as a strong team. They'll be back in 2012.

2012 NFL Draft Order

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, pending coin flip with Miami))
9. Miami Dolphins (6-10, pending coin flip with Carolina)
10. Buffalo Bills (6-10)
11. Kansas City (7-9, pending coin flip with Seattle)
12. Seattle (7-9, pending coin flip with Kansas City)
13. Arizona Cardinals (8-8)
14. Dallas Cowboys (8-8)
15. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8)
16. New York Jets (8-8)
17. Cincinnati Bengals (from 8-8 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 (from 10-6 Atlanta Falcons)
23. Detroit Lions (10-6)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)
25. Denver Broncos (8-8)
26. Houston Texans (10-6)
27. New England Patriots (from 13-3 New Orleans Saints)
28. Green Bay Packers (15-1)
29. Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
30. San Francisco 49ers (13-3)
31. New York Giants* (9-7)
32. New England Patriots* (13-3)