NFL Draft 2012: 5 Positions That Saw Their Value Increase in the 2011 Season

The following five positions saw their draft value increase over the 2011 NFL season, and we should start to see some of the effects of that change this April during the 2012 NFL Draft.

Defensive line

Despite a record-breaking season for quarterbacks, the New York Giants did an admirable job of showing the rest of the NFL just how to combat the rise of passing offenses.

New York stockpiled versatile and talented players on the defensive line, then sent them loose after quarterbacks.

The constant pressure New York caused up front helped them win six straight games on their Super Bowl run, including wins over Tony Romo, Matt Ryan, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. 

The simple fact still remains true: No matter how good of an offense a team has, pressure on the quarterback changes everything.

No quarterback is immune to the problems that pressure (especially from just the front four) causes. 

I suspect teams will be trying to replicate what the Giants have through the draft, starting this April.  

Quarterback

This is kind of redundant, but the last five months again showed that having an elite quarterback makes all the difference.

Sure, you can get by with a caretaker at the position. But those teams might as well throw out the possibility of winning a championship.

It now takes an elite player at the quarterback position to bring home Lombardi trophies.

The draft still remains the best place to get a franchise-quality player to fill that role.  

Cornerback

Regardless of whether or not you can rush the passer, defenses now need at least three starting-quality cornerbacks on the roster.

Four might even be a safer number. 

With NFL offenses spreading the field more and more with three- and four-receiver sets, defenses had to learn to play with three or more cornerbacks on the field at a higher percentage in the 2011 season, more than any other season in NFL history.

My guess is that number will continue to rise, too.  

Receiver

If a team is going to throw the football 600-plus times a year, then it better have capable pass catchers to turn those targets into production.

Depth at the receiver position can make the entire offense more efficient. 

Take the Green Bay Packers, for example.

Despite having Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and Jordy Nelson atop its depth chart, Green Bay re-signed receiver James Jones and drafted Randall Cobb in the second round during the NFL's locked out offseason.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers then compiled one of the best regular seasons in quarterbacking history in 2011 by throwing for 45 touchdowns with an astonishing 122.5 passer rating. 

Rodgers is obviously very good, but no quarterback can do it alone.  

Right tackle

The value of a left tackle has been rising for years, and all teams value the position very highly.

But right tackles are also starting to gain value, as pass rushers are now found on both sides of the defensive line and teams are throwing more than ever.

Gone are the days when franchises plug in run maulers who can't pass block at right tackle. It's a more developed position in this age of the NFL, and teams are putting more emphasis on finding one early in the draft (See: Tyron Smith, Bryan Bulaga).