2012 NFL Draft: How Each First-Round Pick Affects the Buffalo Bills

As the years go on, the stories about the NFL draft can be quite repetitive. Many analyze each pick, and many others try to project how successful each player will be.

I think at this point it is pointless to do so. Although it can be fun and entertaining to do so, for every projected success, there is a real-life flop and vice versa. Many folks thought Cam Newton would be horrible, for example; I must admit I had my own questions about his fit into Carolina's team.

This year, however, we will look at how each pick affects the Bills in the draft and the coming year.

1st Overall Andrew Luck

With the first pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Indianapolis Colts selected Andrew Luck.

This pick, while anticipated for a great period of time, means that the Bills have no shot at securing a franchise quarterback in this year's draft.

Perhaps if Indianapolis, a team that already had a franchise quarterback, had won a few more games, a team like Buffalo could have had a shot at Luck or Griffin. This situation, coupled with the refusal of USC's Eric Barkley, means that the Bills will have to wait another year to solidify the signal-calling position long term.

2nd Overall Robert Griffin III

With the second pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Washington Redskins selected Robert Griffin III.

This pick officially ends any hope of Buffalo snagging a franchise quarterback in this draft, as at this point the only signal-callers remaining are developmental prospects.

Sadly, Buddy Nix was against an aggressive move similar to the one the Redskins made to get RG3, but that doesn't take away his acumen as a general manager. One can only wait to see how this big of a gamble pays off in Washington, ironically a city quite familiar with big gambles.

The saving grace for the Bills is that with the first two picks in the draft, the two potential franchise-defining players didn't ended up in the same division.

3rd Overall Trent Richardson

With the third pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns selected Trent Richardson.

This pick is one that Bills fans should appreciate, if for no other reason than the fact that it would be hard for the Bills to pass on this guy. I get it, the Bills have two talented backs, but one is over 30 and coming off an injury.

So with that being said, it is a truly good thing for Cleveland to get a guy that can pound the rock and also not select a pass catcher that Buffalo still has a shot at.

4th Overall Matt Kalil

With the fourth pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Matt Kalil.

This pick hurts a bit as far as the Bills are concerned.

If by some stretch of luck the Vikings had selected Morris Claiborne, then maybe just maybe the Bills could have snatch Kalil for a reasonable price. With a pick like this, the Bills could and probably should move down.

5th Overall Justin Blackmon

With the fifth pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select Justin Blackmon .

This pick hurts in a similar way as the Bills have four teams between them and the No. 10 pick and one less receiver and one less tackle to consider.

This pick gives the Jaguars another receiving option for Gabbert/Henne and makes another AFC team more talented.

6th Overall Morris Claiborne

With the sixth pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Morris Claiborne.

This pick helped the Bills in several ways, despite taking an awesome cornerback off the market, which is hard to fathom. The trades in the first round happened so quickly that it is hard to assess the collateral damage.

However, this move means for sure that one of the two remaining tackles will be available, and also it increases the possibility that a Michael Floyd, Mark Barron or Luke Kuechly will be available. The patience that Buddy Nix has during this draft should pay off for the Bills.

7th Overall Mark Barron

With the seventh pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Mark Barron

The Bills fans that were hoping for Barron to slip down to them as a dark horse is shot. While there was some skepticism as to how Barron would fit into a talented Bills safety core, it does stand to be something the Bills wish they had to think about.

It also means that Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez will not face an increased challenge from last year.

8th Overall Ryan Tannehill

With the eighth pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins selected Ryan Tannehill.

This is another pick that many Bills fans are happy they didn't have to choose between.

Many scouts are up and down on Tannehill. Is he a NFL QB? What will he look like in the Dolphins depleted offense? Is he better than Matt Moore?

This move was predicated by the Fins missing on Manning, Flynn and many others in free agency. Thankfully, the Bills will get to try their revamped pass rush out on a rookie QB sometime next year.

However, if this guy becomes what the Dolphins hope he can be, it will be painful to know Buffalo had a chance at him and didn't take it.

9th Overall Luke Kuechly

With the ninth pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins selected Luke Kuechly.

This is another guy that the Bills probably would have considered at the No. 10 spot. The way this affects the Bills the most is that it takes any hope of covering NE tight ends out of the picture.

10th Overall Stephon Gilmore

With the 10th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Buffalo Bills selected Stephon Gilmore

This was a rumored pick and while it isn't a position of need and certainly isn't a flashy one, it will hopefully help the Bills' secondary become more talented and healthy. This likely means that Leodis McKelvin or Terrance McGee will not make the Bills' opening day roster.

However, it makes you wonder why the Bills didn't trade down, as it is likely Gilmore would have been around later. The draft plan for the Bills for the past two years has surely focused on stocking up the secondary. We will see how this all pays off.

11th Overall Dontari Poe

With the 11th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Dontari Poe.

This pick means the Bills' cross-country rivals have invested as much in questionable defensive-line picks, as they themselves have invested in questionable secondary picks.

12th Overall Fletcher Cox

With the 12th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Fletcher Cox.

This is a bold move for the Eagles, who will probably have a much better season this coming year than last year. Cox looks like a beast and is probably a better fit for them than Dontari Poe was for the Chiefs.

A move like this helps to shake up the order and could push another key prospect down to the Bills' second-round pick.

13th Overall Michael Floyd

With the 13th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Arizona Cardinals selected Michael Floyd .

This is the pick I believe the Bills should have made. This is a good fit for Michael Floyd and also the Arizona Cardinals.

This pick means that the Bills cannot trade back into the first round for him. However, it could mean that a guy like Stephen Hill could be there in the second round.

14th Overall Michael Brockers

With the 14th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams selected Michael Brockers.

This stout defensive standout is showing that a run stuffer and inside pressure is more needed early in the draft than outside pass-rushers. To this point, none of the top pass-rushers have even been sniffed at.

This could mean the Bills can fortify their pass rush later in this draft, or it could mean that we will see a run on rushers in the later parts of the first round.

15th Overall Bruce Irvin

With the 15th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected Bruce Irvin .

This is easily the most surprising pick in the first round. He has major off-the-field issues; however, he causes major on-the-field issues for opposing offenses.

This guy can flat-out get after the quarterback. He is not an every-down player. This sets the Jets up to be able to draft a solid pass-rusher as well.

16th Overall Quinton Coples

With the 16th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the New York Jets select Quinton Coples .

If there were one guy that could motivate Quinton Coples you have to think that Rex Ryan could. This is a move that Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tom Brady are wondering about. If this guy comes out swinging, they will be worried. If not, phew!

17th Overall Dre Kirkpatrick

With the 17th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Dre Kirkpatrick.

Dre Kirkpatrick is the third cornerback drafted in Round 1. However, some like Bucky Brooks feel that he is the second best corner after Morris Claiborne and ahead of Bills draftee Stephon Gilmore. Let's hope Buddy is right, and Bucky is wrong.

18th Overall Melvin Ingram

With the 18th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the San Diego Chargers selected Melvin Ingram.

This sparks the beginning of a run on pass-rushers. Which means that for the Bills in the second round, there should be some players at the offensive line and wide receiver position that they may be able to grab.

It is good to see that Ingram will be playing on the other side of the country because a guy like this could cause havoc in the Bills' backfield.

19th Overall Shea McClellin

With the 19th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Chicago Bears selected Shea McClellin .

This pick is a tremendous surprise as I am sure no one saw him flying off the board in the first round, much less before Nick Perry or other big name pass-rushers.

This pick continues to improve the chances that an offensive tackle will be there in the second round very early, as the defensive end run looks to continue.

20th Overall Kendall Wright

With the 20th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Tennessee Titans selected Kendall Wright .

With the AFC South's rising and the Titans selecting this blur out of Baylor, it is likely that the Bills have less options for a wideout early in the second round. Perhaps this means they pick one there as the pickings are getting slim.

21st Overall Chandler Jones

With the 21st pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the New England Patriots selected Chandler Jones.

Based on the picks that have happened in the first round, it seems like the AFC East is becoming an arms race. This guy will more than replace Mark Anderson, who they lost to the Bills, and shows that Ryan Fitzpatrick will be playing some chuck and duck if the Bills don't shore up the offensive line.

22nd Overall Brandon Weeden

With the 22nd pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns selected Brandon Weeden .

This move means the Bills should start putting out feelers for Colt McCoy, who could be a decent back-up for Ryan Fitzpatrick and perhaps push him. It's that simple: If you draft a quarterback this old (28) in the first round, you expect him to be the starter from the first practice on.

23rd Overall Riley Reiff

With the 23rd pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions selected Riley Reiff .

This validates the Bills passing on Martin or Reiff at No. 10 and shows that it is possible for an offensive lineman to be there early in the second round.

24th Overall David DeCastro

With the 24th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected David DeCastro.

This takes a great guard off the market for the Bills to choose from, but every pick spent on a non-offensive tackle or a non wideout means that the Bills will have more options on Friday.

25th Overall Dont'a Hightower

With the 25th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the New England Patriots selected Dont'a Hightower.

This is painful as the Patriots aggressively went up twice in this draft to get guys that will be getting after the Bills and making their defense more difficult to play against. However, with all the trades, the Patriots will only bring in four players in this draft class unless they trade down on Friday.

26th Overall Whitney Mercilus

With the 26th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Houston Texans selected Whitney Mercilus.

This is a guy the Texans will use to try and replace the loss of Mario Williams to the Bills. While this is good for them to try to do, it shows that the defensive-line market will be all but gone by the time the Bills get to pick again.

27th Overall Kevin Zeitler

With the 27th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Kevin Zeitler.

This means that the Bengals really wanted a guy like David DeCastro, but they missed out on him. Knowing that the Bills didn't need a guard, this move will have little impact on the Bills.

28th Overall Nick Perry

With the 28th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers selected Nick Perry.

This pass-rusher rush means that the Bills' pre-emptive move to sign two defensive ends in free agency was good planning. This usually happens every year at one of the line positions, and this year it is defensive end.

It is almost painful to see this many guys going away so early in the draft. At least this guy is not going to a divisional foe.

29th Overall Harrison Smith

With the 29th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Minnesota Vikings selected Harrison Smith.

This all but eliminates a safety early in the draft for the Bills, and with this year's crop, it is unlikely the Bills will reach for one.

However, this move opens things up for the Bills to have a lineman or wideout. I know it sounds like a broken record at this point, but they have to get one of those positions in the second round.

30th Overall A.J. Jenkins

With the 30th pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected A.J. Jenkins.

This selection means that the wideouts in San Francisco will be hard to cover. Jenkins is somebody that the Bills weren't likely to draft, but the speedy wideout is one that could take options away from the Bills in the second round.

31st Overall Doug Martin

With the 31st pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected  Doug Martin.

This pick could turn out to remind a lot of people of Fred Jackson in a few years as Martin certainly has a lot of similarities to Jackson. He is much shorter and a little heavier, but the type of games they play is similar.

It is probably not a good thing he didn't drop into the second round, as it means other positions could get depleted in the early second round.

32nd Overall David Wilson

With the 32nd pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the New York Giants selected David Wilson.

This means that the stock for second-round running backs, save for Lamar Miller, is drastically dwindled. It could mean a team looking for a back will strike early in the second round to make sure that they get Lamar Miller, leaving more players at positions of need.