2012 NFL Draft: Philadelphia Eagles and 3 Teams That Need a Great Draft

When it comes to the 2012 NFL Draft, all eyes in Philadelphia are on Boston College linebacker Luke Kuechly—and rightfully so.

As head coach Andy Reid heads into his 14th season at the helm of the Eagles, his mission is clear: Select starters who can step in immediately and fill holes that were exposed last season, particularly on defense. Philly doesn't need to rebuild its roster; it just needs to incorporate some NFL-ready pieces from this year's draft into its current starting lineup.

To that end, Reid needs a linebacker, first and foremost, and then a defensive tackle.

With the No. 15 overall pick, the Eagles are likely praying that Kuechly—the consensus best-available linebacker—is still on the board when their selection rolls around. The NFL-ready junior led the nation in tackles for the last two seasons en route to racking up a slew of awards, including the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, the Dick Butkus Award and an All-American selection.

With a few key improvements, the Eagles can make a run at the NFC East title, which was up for grabs until the very end of the 2011 season and could have fallen to Philadelphia, had it not been for some crucial defensive lapses. There wasn't much standing between the Eagles and the postseason (minus, you know, the eventual Super Bowl champions), and a good draft in 2012 could be the key to a playoff spot.

The Eagles have 10 picks in this year's draft, and aside from choosing wisely with their first-round selection, they can trade their two second-round picks (14th and 19th) to move up the board and select a defensive tackle who can also step into action immediately.

Aside from Philly, here are some other teams that need great drafts to succeed in 2012 and beyond.

Indianapolis Colts

Well, this is an easy one. The Team That Peyton Manning Built is, by all indications, moving into a new era with Andrew Luck—a move that had better pay off, or else. At Stanford in 2011, Luck led the Pac-12 in completion percentage (71.3), finishing the year with over 3,500 yards and 37 touchdowns.

There's no doubt that Luck is the best quarterback available, but even the best of the collegiate ranks often fall when they reach the bright lights of the NFL. And if Luck fails, so help Jim Irsay.

New York Jets

After the epic failure otherwise known as the 2011 season, the Jets have their work cut out for them in this year's draft. They need a pass-rusher who can deal with Tom Brady, a younger wide receiving corps and a quarterback they can start to develop, just in case this whole Mark Sanchez thing doesn't work out.

With the 16th overall pick, they need to focus on snagging a top linebacker, then use their later-round picks to select young offensive talent they can develop and, somewhere down the line, use to challenge the perennial front-runners in AFC East.