NFL Draft 2012 Results: 5 Safest Picks from the First Round

With the first round of the 2012 NFL draft in the books, we look back at the safest selections made during the first 32 picks:

Matt Kalil, LT, USC to Minnesota Vikings (No. 4)

Hard not to like how the Vikings handled their hold on the No. 3 overall pick. The Browns were spooked into moving up to get running back Trent Richardson, with Minnesota gladly moving back one spot and taking Kalil. 

While Morris Claiborne had some value for Minnesota in the pass-heavy NFC North, Kalil is the safer pick. Keep in mind that the division also features feared pass rushers in Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers and Cliff Avril, and the Green Bay Packers (Nick Perry) and Chicago Bears (Shea McClellin) both also added first-round edge rushers. 

Getting Kalil to keep quarterback Christian Ponder upright over the next 10 years made more sense than a cornerback that teams could simply avoid.

Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College to Carolina Panthers (No. 9)

Love the pick for the Panthers, who needed to look defense with this pick, after revolutionizing their offense last April with the selection of quarterback Cam Newton.

Kuechly gives Carolina a tackling machine who can play all three linebacker positions, and that's valuable for a team that plans to return two players (Thomas Davis, Jon Beason) from severe injuries.

I'm not sure Kuechly is going to turn the Panthers into a top-10 defense with a snap of his fingers. But he'll be one piece that can help get Carolina where it wants to be on that side of the ball. One hundred tackles isn't out of Kuechly's range as a rookie.

Riley Reiff, T, Iowa to Detroit Lions (No. 23)

The Lions had pass rushers available at No. 23, but Reiff may have more value to Detroit both in 2012 and beyond.

Reiff should be a plug-and-play right tackle for the Lions during his rookie season, with the potential down the road to slide over to left tackle when Jeff Backus retires or regresses. There's also the possibility of Reiff playing either guard spot if the Lions think he's a better fit inside as a rookie. 

Regardless of where Detroit plugs Reiff in, general manager Martin Mayhew got a fantastic value at this spot. The former Iowa tackle should help keep an emerging elite quarterback in Matthew Stafford upright.

David DeCastro, G, Stanford to Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 24)

I doubt the Steelers thought DeCastro would get all the way to No. 24, and there was little hesitation in pulling the trigger on the Stanford guard here. DeCastro should be an immediate starter for a team that needed the help up front. 

The Steelers still have to figure out the edges of the offensive line, but DeCastro should team with center Maurkice Pouncey to form a solid interior duo. No-brainer decision and one that should pay off immediately.

Doug Martin, RB, Boise State to Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 31)

The Bucs didn't get Trent Richardson in the top five, but new head coach Greg Schiano is still getting the three-down back he coveted after Tampa Bay moved back into the first round to snag Martin. 

Compared by many to Ray Rice, Martin should step right in as the Bucs' lead runner next season. If he stays healthy and receives enough touches, Martin could easily produce 1,500 total yards offensively during his rookie season.

Overall, this was smart trade-up and pick from Tampa Bay, who has quietly put together one of the NFL's finest offseasons.