NFL Free Agency 2012: Ranking the Top 10 Young Players

If teams want to build a franchise capable of winning a Super Bowl, they should go after these 10 young studs in the 2012 NFL free agency.

With the older free agents like Peyton Manning and Vincent Jackson attracting so much attention, teams should look at the younger lions that will most likely dominate the game for a longer period of time.

When it comes to young players, I've consider the age of 27 as the cutoff.

With that in mind, these are the best young players on the market.

10. Jared Gaither, OT

Age: 25

Status: Still Raw, but Very Physical

Jared Gaither is a big boy.

At 6'9" and 340 pounds, Gaither is one of the most imposing figures in the league, and he's not afraid to get physical with any defensive end.

Gaither may be a long ways away from claiming to be the best offensive tackle in the NFL, but his size gives him an edge when it comes to blocking for the quarterback.

Gaither is lacking in experience with only 33 career starts, but if his talent can ever match his size, he will be hell on wheels.

9. Manny Lawson, LB

Age: 27

Status: Ready to Break Out

Since tearing his ACL in 2007 with the San Francisco 49ers, Manny Lawson has certainly turned up his production.

He's totaled 224 tackles since the 2008 season, and he's had 13.5 sacks to go along with it.

Lawson has played six seasons in the NFL, so he has the experience to learn quickly and fit right into the system. For teams that are lacking a solid linebacker, Lawson would be a great pickup this offseason.

8. David Hawthorne, LB

Age: 26

Status: On Verge of Prime

David Hawthorne is the complete package at linebacker.

Hawthorne can make the tackle, force fumbles and intercept the ball. He can come up and make the big hit, and he can drop back in coverage and use his hands to either bat down the pass or make the interception.

In four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, he's accounted for 350 tackles, five forced fumbles and grabbed seven interceptions.

After making 115 tackles and three interceptions last season, it's safe to say that Hawthorne is entering the prime of his career.

7. Brandon Carr, CB

Age: 25

Status: Up-and-comer

Through four years of playing experience, Brandon Carr has shown that he has the ability to hold down the corner position in the NFL.

Not only can he handle his man on the outside very well, but he's shown that he can come up and make the tackle on opposing running backs.

In his short career in the league, Carr has 237 tackles, one forced fumble and eight interceptions. And of those 237 tackles, 211 have been solo tackles.

Carr's really starting to put his skills together; his four interceptions last season prove it.

6. Matt Flynn, QB

Age: 26

Status: Lacking Experience, but has Ability to Succeed

Although Matt Flynn hasn't done it on a consistent basis, he's wowed Green Bay Packer fans when given the chance.

On two different occasions, Flynn has started for the Packers and really impressed. The first was when he made his first start of his career against the New England Patriots in 2010 and threw three touchdown passes.

And the other, of course, was his last start against the Detroit Lions, where he set a franchise record by throwing for 480 yards and six touchdowns in the 45-41 victory.

If Flynn matches up with his old coach Joe Philbin in Miami, the Dolphins could see something that they haven't seen in a very long time: good quarterback play.

5. Alex Smith, QB

Age: 27

Status: Still Developing

Alex Smith silenced all of the haters in the second round of the playoffs against the New Orleans Saints and is no longer the scapegoat in San Francisco.

Through the course of the season, Smith raised his quarterback rating from 82.1 to 90.7, threw five fewer interceptions and three more touchdown passes than he did in 2010

I wouldn't say Smith is all of a sudden one of the elite quarterbacks in the game, but he showed that he's capable of winning games late like he did against the Saints with that gorgeous game-winning touchdown pass to Vernon Davis.

Smith is still developing, but with the right system, he is capable of leading your franchise to victory.

4. Lardarius Webb, CB

Age: 26

Status: On the Verge of Prime

Lardarius Webb is a versatile, explosive player that has the ability to make things happen.

Whether he's returning a punt or snatching the football away from the defender, Webb has made quite a name for himself in just three seasons in the NFL.

Webb's a name that Tom Brady was likely cursing after Webb picked him off in the AFC Championship Game in January. He had three interceptions in the postseason.

With Webb getting ready to put it all together and become one of the more dynamic defensive backs in the league, he's a young talent that teams simply can't pass up.

3. Mike Wallace, WR

Age: 25

Status: At the Brink of His Prime

If I'm the Pittsburgh Steelers, I do everything in my power to sign Mike Wallace to a long-term deal.

Even though Wallace has had back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons with the Steelers, he still has yet to reach his full potential.

In just three seasons in the NFL, Wallace has gathered in 3,206 receiving yards and 24 touchdown receptions.

With the speed he possesses, teams can't afford to leave him one-on-one on the outside without getting burned, and a quality like that is going to see Wallace getting paid mega-millions this summer.

2. Carl Nicks, OG

Age: 26

Status: In Prime of Career

It is truly scary that Carl Nicks is so young and so good.

At 26, Nicks is the best guard in the league. If he continues to produce the same way he did in New Orleans with the Saints, he could become the greatest guard of all time.

In 700 passing plays last season, Nicks only allowed 12 pressures, and his run-blocking is just as good as his pass protection.

Nicks has a good 10 more years left in him, and he's going to give one fortunate team a longevity of powerful blocking and impenetrable protection upfront.

1. Mario Williams, DE

Age: 27

Status: In Prime of Career

Even with Peyton Manning on the market, Mario Williams just might be the best free agent available.

Williams is a game-changing defensive end that has the ability to get to the quarterback. In a league in which it is so beneficial to have a franchise quarterback, it's that much more crucial to have a guy at defensive end that can disrupt the flow and rhythm of the Aaron Rodgers' and Drew Brees' of the NFL.

Even though he only played five games last season, Williams was still able to manage five sacks. He has 53 sacks in his six-year career.

There's no doubt that the dominance of the NFL will tilt when Manning signs to play for a new team, but a Williams signing by another team could balance that tilt out.