NFL Draft 2012: Every NFC Team's Biggest Need and Player to Fill It

With the NFL scouting combine less than two weeks away, teams across the National Football League are poring over their rosters, looking at free agents that might potentially depart and examining areas of weakness they may look to bolster in April's NFL draft.

There isn't a team in the league that doesn't have a hole somewhere, so much like with my piece on the AFC from a couple days ago, here's a look at each NFC team's biggest area of need and a player that would be a good fit in filling that gap.

Dallas Cowboys

Biggest Need: Cornerback

The Dallas Cowboys' season ended in large part due to New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning shredding a mediocre Dallas secondary in the regular-season finale, and reports seem to indicate that addressing the defensive backfield is Jerry Jones' top priority in the draft.

Good Fit: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

New York Giants

Biggest Need: Linebacker

Hey, even Super Bowl champions have holes to plug.

If there's one glaring hole on the New York Giants, it's the middle of the defense as the G-Men were forced to use a menagerie of players at MLB after starter (and impending free agent) Jonathan Goff went down with an injury.

Luke-ly for the Giants there's a player that could be available at the end of the first round that would fill that need quite nicely.

Good Fit: Luke Kuechly, MLB, Boston College

Philadelphia Eagles

Biggest Need: Linebacker

Much like with the Giants, the Eagles used a patchwork group of players at middle linebacker in 2011, and their run defense between the tackles suffered for it.

Kuechly would be something of a reach for the Eagles with the 15th pick of the first round, so the Eagles would be better served to bide their time, grab the best player available and look to address MLB in the second or third round.

Good Fit: Audie Cole, MLB, North Carolina State

Washington Redskins

Biggest Need: Quarterback

Like I needed to tell you that.

Assuming the Redskins don't trade up for Robert Griffin III of Baylor or acquire a signal-caller like Matt Flynn in free agency (one of which will almost certainly happen), Washington's best play would be to address the offensive line with its first pick or trade down.

The Redskins can then possibly look to grab a "project" signal-caller later on, hoping they can stumble on a diamond in the rough.

Good Fit: Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State

Chicago Bears

Biggest Need: Wide Receiver

For what has seemed like an eternity, the Chicago Bears have been lacking a big target at wide receiver, and with any luck at all one of two players will be available in the first round of the 2012 draft to give the Bears that red-zone target Jay Cutler covets.

Good Fit: Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

Detroit Lions

Biggest Need: Cornerback

The Detroit Lions defense allowed approximately 13,000 passing yards in their last two games in 2011, making upgrading their secondary a priority.

However, any sort of early run on cornerbacks could leave the Lions "stuck" between tiers at the position in the first round, although a certain cornerback with recent legal issues would be a gift pick too good to pass up.

Good Fit: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Green Bay Packers

Biggest Need: Outside Linebacker

The Green Bay Packers had the worst pass defense in the National Football League in 2011, allowing nearly 300 yards a game.

However, much of that can be attributed to a woeful pass rush that ranked 27th in the NFL in sacks, and the Packers badly need a complement to Clay Matthews, who was double-teamed into irrelevance last year.

Good Fit: Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC

Minnesota Vikings

Biggest Need: Offensive Tackle

It's very possible the Minnesota Vikings will be the sellers in the Robert Griffin III sweepstakes, but if they're not they could certainly use an upgrade at left tackle, as it will be much easier for young quarterback Christian Ponder to develop if he's standing up.

Good Fit: Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Atlanta Falcons

Biggest Need: Tight End

This one may not be as much a matter of biggest need so much as biggest need the Falcons can realistically address early in the draft.

Offensive line is another priority for the Falcons, but with Tony Gonzalez very near the end of the line it's time to start looking for his replacement.

Atlanta has no first-round pick to address the former, but with its second-round selection it should be able to accomplish the latter.

Good Fit: Orson Charles, TE, Georgia

Carolina Panthers

Biggest Need: Defensive Line

If the Carolina Panthers are going to continue to improve they're going to have to work on the defensive side of the ball, which was a liability for the team all season.

Carolina was 25th in the NFL in both run defense and sacks in 2011, so an upgrade to the team's defensive front would seem to be a logical place to start the overhaul.

Good Fit: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

New Orleans Saints

Biggest Need: Defensive Line

The Saints have no first-round selection in April's NFL draft, but when they finally do pick late in the second round it's a good bet the Saints will look to address a defensive line that struggled last year, forcing the team to blitz almost constantly to generate pressure on the quarterback.

Good Fit: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Biggest Need: Cornerback

Cornerback Ronde Barber has had a great NFL career but looked his age last season, and with fellow starter Aqib Talib perpetually half a step this side of doing something dumb, the new regime in Tampa Bay should made addressing the defensive backfield a priority.

Good Fit: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

Arizona Cardinals

Biggest Need: Offensive Tackle

After investing $63 million in quarterback Kevin Kolb (why, I have no earthly idea) the Arizona Cardinals badly need to improve an offensive line that allowed the second-most sacks in the NFL last year and has perhaps the worst starting left tackle in the NFL in Levi Brown.

However, unless the Redbirds reach for Mike Adams they would be well advised to hold off on drafting a tackle in the first round, instead pursuing some help at outside linebacker and then following that up with an offensive lineman.

Good Fit: Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State

San Francisco 49ers

Biggest Need: Wide Receiver

After San Francisco 49ers wide receivers caught all of one pass in the NFC Championship Game, it became rather apparent that San Francisco might just need some improvement at that position.

There is a group of solid wide receivers that will be available towards the end of Round 1, and choosing one of them should provide that improvement.

Good Fit: Marvin McNutt, WR, Iowa

15. Seattle Seahawks

Biggest Need: Linebacker

The offensive and defensive fronts could both use a boost in the Emerald City, but with both middle linebacker David Hawthorne and outside linebacker Leroy Hill set to hit free agency the Seattle Seahawks could very easily be looking at a glaring hole at the position come April.

Luckily for the Seahawks (especially if it's Hill that leaves), there should be a player available to them in the first round that's both a solid value and who would solidify their linebacking corps.

Good Fit: Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina

St. Louis Rams

Biggest Need: Offensive Tackle

Since I already mentioned Kalil, we'll, for the sake of argument, say the Rams deal this pick to one of the many teams salivating over Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III.

After trading the pick, the Rams' most pressing need will be no different, that being keeping quarterback Sam Bradford from developing PTSD (post-traumatic sack disorder) by improving an offensive line that allowed the most sacks in the NFL in 2011.

Good Fit: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford