NFL Draft 2012: Teams That Must Improve Their Secondary During the Draft

If a team doesn't have a solid secondary, then they can kiss their Super Bowl dreams goodbye.

Because of the importance of the quarterback in today's NFL, teams must have competent and athletic players in their secondary in order to contain guys like Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Tony Romo and Philip Rivers.

We saw during the Super Bowl a few months ago that the New England Patriots' weak secondary was exposed by Eli Manning late in the game, and they eventually ended up losing the game.

Luckily for teams like the Patriots who need secondary help, this year's draft class features several high-potential cornerbacks and safeties that can improve the back four immediately.

Here are five teams that will need to address their secondary this coming week during the draft.

New England Patriots

The Super Bowl wasn't the first time an NFL quarterback shred the Patriots secondary to pieces last season.

The Patriots allowed 294 passing yards per game, which was the second-highest average in the league. 

Although they were tied for second in the league in interceptions, the fact of the matter remained that the Patriots allowed way too many yards via the pass, and it eventually ended up costing them the Super Bowl. 

Drafting a guy like Janoris Jenkins in the first round will alleviate the Patriots' secondary problems. One thing is for sure, and that's that the Patriots must make the cornerback position their No. 1 priority. 

If a guy like Jenkins thrives with the Patriots, it could propel the team to another Super Bowl run next year because they'll finally have some defense to complement their explosive offense.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Any time Tim Tebow throws an 80-yard touchdown pass in overtime during a playoff game, it shows that the opposing team's secondary needs an overhaul.

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu isn't the problem. The issue here is the cornerback position. How many times was Ike Taylor burned last year? And is Curtis Brown really the solution on the other corner?

The answer to those questions are "many times" and "no," respectively.

It might not be their primary priority, but the Steelers definitely must use an early draft pick on a corner. A guy like Brandon Boykin or Trumaine Johnson in the second round can possibly be the solution for the Steelers.

Green Bay Packers

A year after winning the Super Bowl, the Green Bay Packers forgot how to play defense. Their secondary was a major problem, as they were last in the league in terms of passing yards allowed.

Aaron Rodgers essentially masked all of the team's defensive problems throughout the season. That is, until he struggled in the playoffs and the New York Giants blew the Packers secondary out of the water.

There's no question that Charles Woodson is aging at corner. They could also use some help at the safety position.

Perhaps drafting Josh Robinson in the first round or Trumaine Johnson in the second can alleviate their cornerback problems. Brandon Taylor from LSU could also fix their safety deficiencies.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys may have signed Brandon Carr to improve at the cornerback position, but they could still use plenty of help. 

Mike Jenkins hasn't exactly panned out into the guy the Cowboys thought he would be when they first drafted him a few years ago. After recording five interceptions in his rookie season, Jenkins has had just two in the last two seasons combined.

That's not the worst part of it. Quarterbacks have turned him inside-out at times, and Jenkins has looked like a rookie on numerous occasions on the field.

Perhaps drafting a cornerback in the first round like Dre Kirkpatrick will start a healthy competition for the second cornerback spot. This might motivate Jenkins to work harder and improve. Either way, the Cowboys will immediately gain depth and athleticism in a position that once was their biggest Achilles' heel.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings allowed the most passing touchdowns this past season (34) and recorded the fewest amount of interceptions (eight).

They definitely could use a major upgrade in their secondary. It might not be their main concern, but there's no doubt that drafting Morris Claiborne wouldn't be a mistake at No. 3 overall.

The team goes up against Aaron Rodgers and Matt Stafford four times a year. They need to be able to defend the aerial attack, and Claiborne could indubitably help them accomplish that feat.