NFL Draft 2012: New England Patriots Lead Winners from Day One

Day one of the 2012 NFL Draft consisted of a record amount of trades within the first round, with the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots making the most out of the opportunity.

There were plenty of teams who used the draft to fill needs that were not filled in the free agency period.

While teams made great trades to select quality players, other teams were fortunate to have very talented prospects fall to them in the first round.

Here are the biggest winners from the first round of the NFL Draft.

Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns made a splash on the offensive side of the football with their two first round picks.

Trent Richardson, regarded as the best offensive prospect in the draft, will replacement Peyton Hillis and create plenty of obstacles for the strong defenses in the AFC North.

The era of Colt McCoy as a starter appears to have concluded as well. Quarterback Brandon Weeden was selected 22nd overall, and will step in right away. He will need some coaching up early on, but has the tools to become a successful quarterback.

There was no guarantee that the two prospects the Browns wanted most would have been available to them. Their smartest move was trading up to ensure Richardson and also drafting Weeden once Kendall Wright came off the board.

It's only a matter of time until the Browns compete for the AFC North crown.

Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals wanted to add another weapon across Larry Fitzgerald in order to become a force in the NFC West again.

With the addition of Michael Floyd, they did just that.

Floyd is faster and more physical than Justin Blackmon, who went to the Jaguars with the 5th overall pick.

His ability to be a consistent target in the red zone will make a huge difference in the Cardinals offense.

Overall, it was a great value pick for a Cardinals team that could have went in multiple directions.

San Diego Chargers

AJ Smith has dealt with his fair share of bashing from the media due to poor drafting and bad free agent signings.

After Thursday's first round, he appears to be proving the doubters wrong. The San Diego Chargers found great value in the middle of the first round with the selection of defensive end Melvin Ingram.

Projected as a potential top ten pick, Ingram could potentially fill the void of a pass rusher that was once occupied by Shawn Merriman.

The Denver Broncos will have competition at the top of that division.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been consistent contenders in the AFC for the past decade. They have shown commitment to building through the draft as opposed to free agency.

This year, it's no different. David DeCastro, the best guard prospect in the draft, fell to the Steelers at 24th overall.

He will provide instant improvement in the run blockign scheme, and he will have no trouble providing better protection for Ben Roethlisberger.

After all, he had no trouble protecting quarterback Andrew Luck.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys were rumored to be preparing to make a splash by trading into the top ten.

However, it was a surprise in itself that Morris Claiborne fell to the sixth overall pick.

Jerry Jones moved up eight spots in the draft to select the corner back out of LSU and now has built one of the better secondaries in football.

Rob Ryan's defense will have a very different outlook next season. This has put the NFC East on notice.

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots have once again potentially set themselves very nicely on defense for the forseeable future.

First, they drafted defensive end Chandler Jones from Syracuse. Mike Mayock believes Jones will be the best defensive player out of this draft in five years.

That didn't stop Bill Belichick from trading up in the first round to select Alabama line backer Dont'a Hightower.

Certainly, there are questions about both prospects. Jones is a boom or bust prospect, while Hightower will have to adjust a bit under the Patriots' defensive scheme.

However, both of these prospects can become All-Pros at their position and anchor this Patriots defense for years to come.

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