NFL Draft Order 2012: Teams in Premier Position to Land a Day-One Starter

A few teams in the 2012 NFL draft are in just the right spot to land an excellent player at a position they desperately need. 

They will draft their guy and then ink his name into the starting lineup. Instant starters await these next three teams.

No. 1: Indianapolis Colts

The Colts didn't let Peyton Manning walk to have Andrew Luck sit behind Dan Orlovsky. They will take Luck, and he will start right away. 

This is something Luck is supremely ready for. He has been playing, and dominating, in a pro-style offense. He is ready to start in the NFL. 

The problem for Luck is going to be the players around him. He is not going to be surrounded by talent. He will take his lumps, but he will be just fine. 

No. 9: Carolina Panthers

The Panthers have to go defense here. Their inability to stop anyone doomed them last year, and those struggles began on the defensive line. 

They have not done anything to improve this area in free agency, and they are dangerously thin at defensive tackle. They have to go for the best DT with this pick, and lucky for them they will have their pick of DTs here. 

Carolina will have to choose between Dontari Poe, Fletcher Cox and Devon Still. This is a good position for them to be in, and whomever they choose will be an instant starter. 

No. 27: New England Patriots

It is still shocking to me that the Patriots were able to make the Super Bowl with their patchwork defense.

At different points last season they had an undrafted free agent starting at safety (Sterling Moore), their struggling corner (Devin McCourty) starting at safety and a college QB-turned-NFL receiver (Julian Edelman) playing nickel corner. 

Things aren't a whole lot better with the front seven, either. New England must add some talent to this defense, and it can do that at almost any position and that person will be starting in Week 1. 

2012 NFL First-Round Draft Order 

1. Indianapolis Colts

2. Washington Redskins via St. Louis

3. Minnesota Vikings

4. Cleveland Browns

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

6. St. Louis Rams via Washington

7. Jacksonville Jaguars

8. Miami Dolphins

9. Carolina Panthers

10. Buffalo Bills

11. Kansas City Chiefs

12. Seattle Seahawks

13. Arizona Cardinals

14. Dallas Cowboys

15. Philadelphia Eagles

16. New York Jets

17. Cincinnati Bengals via Oakland

18. San Diego Chargers

19. Chicago Bears

20. Tennessee Titans

21. Cincinnati Bengals

22. Cleveland Browns via Atlanta

23. Detroit Lions

24. Pittsburgh Steelers

25. Denver Broncos

26. Houston Texans

27. New England Patriots via New Orleans

28. Green Bay Packers

29. Baltimore Ravens

30. San Francisco 49ers

31. New England Patriots

32. New York Giants