While the draft is meant to improve the NFL teams, plenty of teams are not in a position where they can really get better. Fortunately, that's what we're here for, taking a look at reasonable trades that need to happen for some struggling teams to get back on track.
1. Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
A great question still looms about Peyton Manning and his availability, but the Colts have no choice but to go with Luck. At his best, Manning has roughly three years left, and the Colts need more than that from this position.
Luck is a franchise player to build on. At Stanford, he showed a complete game that few quarterbacks in the NFL have. Anything other than drafting Luck and playing him immediately would be a mistake.
2. Washington Redskins (via trade with St. Louis Rams), Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
Wes Bunting of National Football Post suggested that this move would happen. Ideally, the Redskins wouldn't need to make this trade, but too many teams are in need of a quarterback for Washington to plan on RG3 making it to No. 6.
Washington needs a quarterback. They haven't had a franchise signal-caller for a long time, and they will never compete in the NFC East until they get one. Griffin is the man to change that funk.
3. Minnesota Vikings, Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
With Blackmon, Percy Harvin and Adrian Peterson (when he returns from injury), the Vikings would have the talent around Christian Ponder to help the young quarterback succeed.
4. Cleveland Browns, Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Daniel Wolf of National Football Authority suggested that the Browns may make a move for Griffin, but that makes no sense. They need offensive talent around the quarterback. That starts with a strong running game. No back is better than Richardson.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
Tampa Bay needs help on the defensive side of the ball. They allowed more points per game than any team in the league.
6. St. Louis Rams (via trade with Washington Redskins), Matt Kalil, OT, USC
Part of the aforementioned trade with the Redskins.
For the Rams, it's simple. Keep Sam Bradford upright and give him time, and the playoffs are a possibility. Fail to do so, and be doomed to the early part of the first round.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars, Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
The Jaguars are not unlike the Buccaneers. They need secondary help in a bad way, or they will never compete.
8. Carolina Panthers, Devon Still, DT, Penn State*
The Panthers defense was too easy to run on last year. That needs to change if Cam Newton is ever going to get to the playoffs.
9. Miami Dolphins, David DeCastro, OG, Stanford*
If the Dolphins run the ball effectively next season, they will be a dark-horse playoff contender. DeCastro will give them a great chance at doing that.
10. Buffalo Bills, Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
The Bills have to find a way to get to the quarterback better, as they recorded fewer sacks than any team in the league in 2011.
11. San Diego Chargers (via trade with Kansas City Chiefs), Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa*
San Diego had offensive line flaws exposed all year. Picking at No. 18, they won't have a good enough chance to improve that.
According to Walters Football's Draft Chart, the Chargers would need to give up their No. 18 pick and something in the ballpark of a third-rounder to get to No. 11. This is a Super Bowl contender if they make the move, so they have to come through and make it happen.
12. Seattle Seahawks, Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama*
The Seahawks were burned by the deep ball last season. With a quality corner, they are, at worst, a wild-card contender.
13. Arizona Cardinals, Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
If you trade for Kevin Kolb, you have to find a way to protect him. The Cardinals made the trade for Kolb last year—now they need to bring in players to keep him upright.
14. Dallas Cowboys, Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
How many big games did the Cowboys lose last year because they were burned on a deep route? Too many. If that is going to change, they need to bring in good secondary players, and they need to do that immediately.
15. Philadelphia Eagles, Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State
With a secondary in place and good linemen, Burfict would be a great fit on Philadelphia's defense.
16. New York Jets, Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia
The holes weren't there up front for the Jets all year. As a result, their offense was inconsistent and they missed the playoffs.
17. Cincinnati Bengals (via Oakland Raiders), Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina
The combination of A.J. Green and Jeffery would be too much for opposing defenses to handle. With it, the Bengals would have the tools needed to compete in a division that had three of the NFL's four best passing defenses.
18. Kansas City Chiefs, Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
Part of the aforementioned trade with the Chargers.
With Dwayne Bowe in free agency, the Chiefs are going to have to make their receiving corps more dangerous. Floyd is a good red-zone option and capable of breaking big plays.
19. Chicago Bears, Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama*
The Bears need to make their defense younger, as their best players are going to be retiring in the near future. Upshaw is a strong edge-rusher. Playing in a division with Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford, that is a necessity.
20. Tennessee Titans, Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
With the likely departure of Cortland Finnegan, the Titans will need to make their secondary better. Gilmore went against some of the best receivers in the country in the SEC and did fine.
21. Cincinnati Bengals, Lamar Miller, RB, Miami
Cedric Benson is not a long-term option for the Bengals. They will need a person to take carries from Benson (if he comes back). Miller is a quality option for that.
22. Cleveland Browns (via Atlanta Falcons), Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
With Wright, the Browns would have a legitimate downfield weapon. That would give Colt McCoy a real chance to succeed. It will allow them the chance to see if McCoy really is a long-term option.
23. Detroit Lions, Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
The Wide-9 defense that the Lions run requires better coverage in the middle. Without it, the Lions will be easy to run on again in 2012.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers, Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama
Hightower is a raw talent that can be eased into action with the Steelers defense. By the end of the year, he will be an impact player and the old defense will be fresh.
25. Denver Broncos, Mark Barron, S, Alabama
Barron is an all-around stud in the secondary. He can plug the run and defend the pass. With him, Denver's defense will be close to a lock-down unit.
26. Houston Texans, Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
On the other side of Andre Johnson, the Texans have very little. Sanu would change that and open up the field for the rest of the team's playmakers.
27. New England Patriots (via New Orleans Saints), Jamell Fleming, CB, Oklahoma
The Patriots will need to defend the pass better if they hope to get back to the Super Bowl. Fleming gives them a solid man on the corner to go with a returning Ras-I Dowling.
28. Green Bay Packers, Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
Without a good pass rush, the Packers will have a similar season in 2012. Their regular season will be fine, but they won't pressure the quarterback well enough to win in the playoffs.
29. Baltimore Ravens, Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
Konz is ready to go in the NFL. A team that relies heavily on the run will do well to bring in that kind of player.
30. San Francisco 49ers, Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State
After losing to the Giants, it was clear that the 49ers need to protect Alex Smith (or whoever the QB is) better. Bringing Adams in would allow them to move Anthony Davis to guard, which seems to be a position better suited for him.
31. New York Giants, Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech**
The Giants will need to defend the pass better. Even the improved Giants got torched twice deep by Vernon Davis. Their pass rush doesn't do any good once the ball is released.
32. New England Patriots, Zach Brown, OLB North Carolina**
Brown would help the Patriots have a defense to complement the offense. With that, this will be a hard team to beat in 2012.
* Picks 8/9 and 11/12 will be decided by coin toss.
** Picks 31 and 32 will be decided in the Super Bowl. The loser will get No. 31, the winner No. 32.
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