NFL Draft 2012: Predicting Which Franchises Will Trade Up in Round 1

In every NFL Draft trades are bound to happen, and 2012 is no exception.

After all, with 32 franchises having different strategies, needs and prospective rankings, it's about finding that right guy who will make a big impact when the opportunity arises.

Obviously some teams are better positioned than others to make moves, so, here are some that will likely trade up in late April.

Washington Redskins

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the St. Louis Rams appear willing to trade down from the No. 2 overall spot:

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Multiple teams already have had preliminary discussions with St. Louis about the possibility of trading for the Rams' second overall pick, according to league sources.

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And with one of those franchises expected to be the Washington Redskins, this is all about making a move for Robert Griffin III.

That is, unless football fans in general are okay with watching Rex Grossman and/or John Beck lead the Redskins in 2012, which would delight any Eagles, Giants or Cowboys fans.

The obvious question here is; what could the Redskins give up? Well, obviously swapping first-round picks with the Rams will happen but then some added incentives. If anything, adding one player such as cornerback DeAngelo Hall would work but linebacker Brian Orakpo is a stretch.

Regardless, the Rams will likely be looking for defense but then again, a receiver like Jabar Gaffney (along with Hall) could suffice as the No. 2 target along with Brandon Lloyd (certainly not the best of receiving duos but not the worst either).

Washington simply needs to make this happen, otherwise look into the middle rounds or free agency.

Cincinnati Bengals

In an article by Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Bengals running back Cedric Benson has yet to hear about re-signing:

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With less than three weeks until the start of free agency, Cedric Benson has not heard from the Bengals about re-signing.

Said Benson on Sirius NFL Radio’s Late Hits program about where things stand: “I’m not sure. We haven’t had any talks about a new deal.”

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Although this may seem surprising at first, it really is not.

Despite Benson gaining over 1,000 rushing yards each of the past three seasons with the Bengals, he has yet to make a Pro Bowl or All-Pro roster and averaged under four yards per carry the past two seasons.

Currently 29 years old, Benson is toward the end of his prime, not to mention Cincy still averaged only 111 rush yards per game in 2011 (ranked No. 19).

And with two first-round picks, courtesy of the Oakland Raiders for the second one, Cincinnati has some ammo to trade up for Alabama running back Trent Richardson. Although Richardson is a top 10 prospect, few teams in that spot could use him.

Here, trading with Tampa Bay at No. 5 works since the Bucs need help on defense. Aside from swapping picks, adding their second-rounder along with a guy like Keith Rivers and/or Leon Hall would be appealing.

Green Bay Packers

What the Green Bay Packers need to do is get the man pictured (Clay Matthews) some edge-pressure help.

Currently sitting in the No. 28 spot, the Packers may have finished the regular season 15-1 but had the NFL's worst defense. In 2011, Titletown's defense allowed 411.6 total yards per game and ranked not only dead last overall, but dead last against the pass and No. 26 in allowing 4.7 rush yards per carry.

Now yes, improving the pass defense is a concern but the Packers led the league with 31 interceptions and were No. 3 with 99 defended passes. Obviously these numbers are also inflated because the cheese had the most passes attempted against them with 637.

 This goes without saying, however, the defense significantly struggled because it had a virtually non-existent pass rush.

When the Packers won it all in 2010, they finished the regular season with 47 sacks (ranked No. 2). In 2011 though, Green Bay recorded just 29 sacks and ranked No. 27. Therefore, getting a complement to Matthews is needed, so trading up for a prospect like Quinton Coples or Melvin Ingram must happen.

As for the trade, the New York Jets are in a good spot at No. 16. Green Bay could try higher but other teams like Dallas, Philadelphia, Arizona and Seattle don't need Ingram or Coples nearly as much.

Moving up 12 spots and offering their second, third and 2013 first-round pick is appealing. Veteran receiver Donald Driver may suffice as well but he's well past his prime.

New England Patriots

The Patriots have done this before with Bill Belichick calling the shots and it will happen again before he's no longer roaming the sidelines.

Since Belichick's been New England's head coach, making strategic trades and signings has been the norm, just like division titles and AFC Championships. Obviously he's managed to get the philosophy to work and the preparation for the 2012 season is no different.

This draft the Pats have two late first-rounders at No. 27 and No. 31. Belichick definitely needs to improve his pass defense and the Arizona Cardinals at No. 13 are a good candidate.

Here, New England can swap their No. 27 pick and then add in both of its second-round picks and/or a player such as offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer or guard Brian Waters. Arizona desperately needs to improve pass protection (gave up 54 sacks in 2011, ranked No. 2) and it's a rather deep draft for tackles.

The Patriots can then look at potential defensive backs like Alabama corner Dre Kirkpatrick, safety Mark Barron or Northern Alabama's Janoris Jenkins.

Considering that they still have another first and second-rounder, that can replenish the depth along the offensive line as well as select a potentially dominant pass rusher.

John Rozum on Twitter.