NFL Draft 2012: Teams That Can't Afford to Miss on First-Round Picks

The NFL Draft is not a game of Parcheesi.  Yes, Draft Day has winners and losers.  But unlike your favorite childhood board games, teams live and die by their draft choices. 

Scouts and coaches work for months weighing their options and figuring out what areas of the team need most improvement. 

It can be a day of new beginnings.  You can pick a Peyton Manning and revitalize a struggling franchise.  Or you can pick a Ryan Leaf and end your team’s playoff chances quicker than a Kim Kardashian marriage.  This year, the stakes are highest for these five teams:

St. Louis Rams: After putting all their eggs ($78 million) in the Sam Bradford basket, the Rams don’t have a big margin for error in this year’s draft.  The logical move would be to grab offensive lineman Matt Kalil.  The USC product’s 6’7” frame should at least keep the fragile Bradford (limited to 10 games in 2011) on the field more often next season.

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikes have some major decisions to make.  Is Christian Ponder the guy or should Minnesota look to the future and draft Robert Griffin III?  Is Adrian Peterson’s knee injury serious enough for the Vikings to consider drafting a running back (Trent Richardson will probably still be available)?  And if Kalil is still around at No. 3 should Minnesota go ahead and draft him? Maybe the Vikings are better off playing Parcheesi. 

Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars passing game was non-existent in 2011.  Can Jacksonville’s shrinking fanbase put up with another year of Blaine Gabbert, or do the Jags need to throw a Hail Mary and draft a new quarterback?  Picking OK State’s Justin Blackmon, the most NFL-ready receiver in the bunch, could serve as a middle ground for desperate Jacksonville fans.

New England Patriots: The AFC champs have two first-round picks and an awful defense.  Bill Belichick has a history of going wild and trading all his picks on Draft Day.  Bill’s best bet this year is to keep the picks and load up on defense.

Denver Broncos: April 26th will be judgment day for Tim Tebow.  Were his fourth-quarter comebacks enough to convince John Elway that Tebow is Denver’s QB of the future?  Or should he take a more conventional quarterback at No. 25?  It won’t be an easy decision.