2012 NFL Draft Projections: 3 Players Teams Could Change Their Scheme For

Projecting the NFL Draft is about as easy as hugging a frightened porcupine. There are always so many different scenarios for each team that almost anything is possible. The 2012 Draft is no different.

Instead of playing Nostradamus, B/R puts away the crystal ball and looks at a few players who are so coveted, a team would go so far as to change its very playbook just to fit him into its scheme.

You don’t have to look very far into the past to find the last time a team successfully changed schemes to accommodate a player. In fact, we all were just witnesses to the transformation.

The Carolina Panthers’ offense was not anything close to resembling its normal look after Cam Newton arrived in town. They went from an abysmal mess of a pro-style system to the zone-read/spread offense—and with some degree of success. So much success, in fact, that Newton was voted the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year.

We should not expect a polarizing change like that in 2012, but a select few may have the privilege of helping a team turn their fortunes around—and doing it their way.

Robert Griffin III, Quarterback, Baylor

Despite showing a mix of Newton and Michael Vick in his running style, the 2012 Heisman Trophy Award winner is much more than a running quarterback.

Griffin can get the ball down the field as deep as needed from anywhere, be it standing in the pocket or escaping the rush outside the tackle box. His game-winning touchdown pass to Terrence Williams with just eight seconds remaining against Oklahoma is proof of that.

What’s certain is that he will be a high draft selection on April 26 (the day of the first round). What’s even more certain is that whichever team takes him will need to redo the offense.

Whether it’s Cleveland at No. 4, Washington at No. 6, or anywhere in the top 10, the offense he will command is going to need some degree of overhauling. Not as drastically as Carolina had with Newton, as Griffin can make the majority of throws. However, most systems in the NFL don’t cater to athletic quarterbacks.

Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan on the NFL Network had this to say about quarterbacks:

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You can adjust your system to a quarterback, so if you see somebody that does something extremely well, you want to have the flexibility in your offense, to run an offense that suits that quarterback. I think everybody’s looking for that franchise quarterback, and if you don’t have one, you’re trying to find that guy.

"

With Washington in considerable need of an offensive leader, they may trade up just to get Griffin.

No matter where he ends up, his offense could be similar to Newton’s, with a greater emphasis on the passing game.

But don’t fall asleep on him; he was once a track star in high school.

Quinton Coples, Defensive End, North Carolina

Another UNC DE set to dominate the NFL, Coples should be a solid top 10 pick. He’s strong and has long arms with which he punishes offensive linemen.

He will be a 4-3 DE on Sundays, so it would make sense for a team that runs the 4-3 to pick him. If, by chance, a club that employs the 3-4 takes him, they would be wise to flip their scheme.

He is so much of an asset it would be worth it in the end to make the switch and suffer through the initial bumps and bruises that go with making a major scheme change.

Coples is a backfield disruptor who can play anywhere on the 4-3 front. In 2010, he moved to defensive tackle because of a team need. He played well, looked like a natural, and routinely ate up double-teams from interior linemen.

His versatility could make him as high as a top five pick.

There isn’t much on him dropping into pass coverage, so it is kind of an unknown whether he can do it at the next level. That’s why experts believe 4-3 DE is the right spot for him.

With his athleticism, he could possibly make a move in the future to a 3-4 outside linebacker (see Mario Williams). For now, though, he needs to have his hand in the dirt along with three other big men next to him.

Trent Richardson, Running Back, Alabama

By far the best back in the draft, Richardson will make an immediate impact for the team that takes him. Because of the demand for other positions in the top half of the first round, there are no guarantees he will be a top 10 pick.

What is a guarantee is that he will be around in the league for a long time, any injuries that may derail his career notwithstanding.

A message to the organization that drafts Richardson: Run the ball.

Short and simple, it is a message that may get lost in the pass-happy world that is the modern-day NFL. Richardson is powerful, explosive and shows the ability to make defenders miss. Give him a lead blocker and watch him work.

He had a light workload in college, so there isn’t much wear-and-tear on his body.

Before 2011, he was the backup to former Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram. In his first two years, Richardson totaled 257 carries for 1,451 yards (5.7 YPC) and 14 TD.

During Alabama’s title run this season, he carried the ball 283 times for 1,679 yards (5.9 YPC) and 21 TD.

He comes into the league equipped with an NFL-ready frame. At 5’11” and 224 lbs, he doesn’t need to add any muscle mass; he is ready to dominate.