2012 NFL Draft: Ranking the Most Perfect Team-Player Fits in Top 10

The approach teams take to the NFL draft is not complicated. It's all about finding talented players to fill in where a given team happens to need talented players.

If a team is lucky, it will find the perfect player. And when I say perfect, I mean perfect. 

When we're talking about perfect players in conjunction with the draft, we're talking about players who will step in and contribute right away. They're a natural fit on their new teams.

We're going to see some teams make perfect picks at the top of the draft this year. Here are five that I'm looking forward to.

5. Justin Blackmon to St. Louis Rams at No. 6

The Rams selected Sam Bradford with the No. 1 overall pick in 2010, but they haven't done a great job of surrounding him with top-flight talent. More than anything, what Bradford needs is a stud wide receiver.

So if Justin Blackmon is available when the Rams are on the clock with the No. 6 overall pick, you better believe they're going to give him a look. He's the best wide receiver in the 2012 draft class, and his talents will blend well with Bradford's.

Blackmon is not a speed-burner. For that matter, I wouldn't even call him an elite athlete. Blackmon is successful because he just has a knack for getting open. Bradford hasn't had the luxury of throwing to a receiver like that, so he and Blackmon would undoubtedly gel right away.

The only issue I have with the Rams taking Blackmon is that there are going to be numerous other options for them on draft day. If they don't trade the No. 6 pick, they could just as easily go for an offense tackle or a defensive tackle, and they could also go for Morris Claiborne if he is still available.

So Blackmon isn't the only great pick the Rams can make. He represents one of many.

4. Robert Griffin III to Washington Redskins at No. 2

Donovan McNabb made headlines a little while ago when he declared that Robert Griffin III is not a good fit for the Washington Redskins.

McNabb is wrong. 

His gripe was that Griffin is sure to be ruined by head coach Mike Shanahan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. The two of them ruined McNabb, so they'll surely ruin RG3 too. They'll force him to play in their system, and that system won't necessarily take advantage of RG3's strengths.

McNabb should have given Griffin a little more credit. In addition to being a freakish athlete with a strong and uncannily accurate arm, Griffin is a very, very smart player. If he fails in Washington, it won't be for lack of trying.

My issue with Griffin and the Redskins isn't whether or not he fits with the coaching staff, it's whether this team is ready for him.

The Redskins don't have a lot of talent at the skill positions, so RG3 is going to be asked to do a lot if the Redskins do indeed take him with the No. 2 overall pick. I won't be at all surprised if his career gets off to a slow start.

3. Trent Richardson to Cleveland Browns at No. 4

There are differing opinions about what the Browns should do with the No. 4 overall pick. Some think they should take a wide receiver like Blackmon. Others think they should draft Ryan Tannehill. A few others still think they should trade the pick.

However, as far back as I can remember, Trent Richardson has always been mentioned as the best possible pick for the Browns.

That's because he is. The Browns don't have a starting running back now that Peyton Hillis is in Kansas City, so drafting Richardson is a chance for them to fill a glaring hole.

It's in Cleveland's interest to have an outstanding rushing attack led by an outstanding running back. The Browns enjoyed some nice success when their offense revolved around the run in 2010, and a good rushing attack will make things easier for Colt McCoy.

Besides which, Richardson has it in him to be a perennial Pro Bowler. His combination of size, speed and versatility is rare among running backs, and these things will make him an instant threat in the NFL.

2. Matt Kalil to Minnesota Vikings at No. 3

Just as Richardson has long been mentioned as a perfect fit for the Browns, Matt Kalil has long been mentioned as a perfect fit for the Vikings.

This is because Kalil and the Vikings are a natural fit for one another. The Vikings jettisoned Bryant McKinnie before the 2011 season, leaving them without a franchise left tackle. Kalil projects as a franchise left tackle.

Round peg, round hole.

And make no mistake, the Vikings need a franchise left tackle. They're committed to Christian Ponder for the long haul, so making sure he stays healthy is of the utmost importance. And remember, Ponder had trouble staying healthy in college, so the Vikings need to go out of their way to protect him.

Kalil is not coming off the board before No. 3. Unless the Vikings get a monster trade offer, I don't think there's any way Kalil is not in a Vikings uniform this fall.

1. Andrew Luck to Indianapolis Colts at No. 1

Andrew Luck has been mentioned as being the next Peyton Manning.

Come draft day, he will be replacing Peyton Manning.

The Colts have undergone a lot of changes over the last couple months, but essentially what they're going to be doing in the short and long term is replacing old players with young players. The actual organizational philosophy isn't going to change.

The Colts made a dynasty by drafting a developing an elite talent in Manning. They're going to do it again with Luck, a player who is very similar to Manning in many respects.

It's been speculated that the Colts will take RG3 instead of Manning, but that's hard to imagine knowing that RG3 declined an invitation to work out for the team, which was reported by team owner Jim Irsay on Twitter.

It wouldn't have mattered anyway. Luck's the man for the Colts.