NFL Draft 2012 Results: Indianapolis Colts and Biggest Winners Across the Board

The dust is settling after a great NFL draft.

Guys like Mel Kiper Jr. and Chris Berman are finally getting some shut-eye while NFL teams can sit back and make plans for all their shiny new toys. 

However, when some GMs and head coaches slide back into their La-Z-Boys and take a gander at what they have done, they will be even more giddy than others.

One of those teams happens to be the Indianapolis Colts. After a putrid season gifted them Andrew Luck to replace Peyton Manning, the Colts would have to have a solid draft outside of round one as well. Luck wouldn't be enough to turn this team around by himself, especially after the housecleaning they undertook this offseason.

Indianapolis will still need some of their new QB's surname to become a serious contender again, but they did what they needed to and brought Luck some pieces. 

Indianapolis used seven of their ten picks on offensive players, including the first four. After Luck was secured, they smartly used their next two picks on big tight ends. First they grabbed Luck's favorite Stanford target Coby Fleener, helping to assure Luck's comfort in Indianapolis. Then they took Dwayne Allen from Clemson in the third round.

Tight end is often a safety-valve for young quarterbacks who are still trying to get their NFL legs under them. The Colts were wise in picking up these two players to fill Dallas Clark's void.

Next the Colts continued fortifying Luck's arsenal by nabbing WR Ty Hilton out of Florida International. Hilton is a burner and could develop into a decent deep threat for the young QB.

Indianapolis also grabbed Levon Brazill, another WR out of Ohio and running back Vick Ballard from Mississippi State. The offensive focus of Indianapolis' draft was very promising for the future of the organization.

Another team with a great draft was the Bengals, who seemed to get a first or second round talent with each pick. Cincinnati went with mostly big-name draftees and they'll need that to pay off—it doesn't appear that either Pittsburgh or Baltimore got any worse, so it is paramount that the Bengals continue their hot drafting streak.

Getting Dre Kirkpatrick and Shaun Prater makes a sneaky-good defense legitimately scary. CB is going to be a very important position for the Bengals in the near future because of the talented young pass catchers in the AFC North.

I also like that they took two fliers on guys to become a secondary receiver to AJ Green. Taking Mohamed Sanu out of Rutgers in Round 3 could pay off big, as well as grabbing Cal's Marvin Jones later in the draft. They also got Georgia tight end Orson Charles in the fourth for good value.

Like Indianapolis, the St. Louis Rams were a team with an anemic offense last season. In the 2012 Draft, they needed to bolster the skill positions surrounding Sam Bradford.

Using some nifty trades, they were able to stockpile picks while also getting first-round talent with their top three picks.

The Rams drafted Brian Quick out of Appalachian State early on and he will immediately give Bradford a tall and speedy target for seemingly the first time in his career. The Rams were also able to fill their need for cornerbacks by drafting two, even though they had to give up Morris Claiborne. Janoris Jenkins represents excellent value in the second round.

With their third pick in the second round, the Rams picked up a perfect compliment back to Stephen Jackson. Isaiah Pead out of Cincinnati was a great choice here.

Across the board the Rams took players with high potential like Chris Givens, a WR out of Wake Forest and Aaron Brown from Hawaii, an explosive outside pass-rusher. To top things off, the Rams added first round picks the next two years. This is a franchise on the rise. 

The Green Bay Packers were a bit surprising on my list of winners. A team that admittedly didn't need much came out of the draft smelling like roses. 

The Packers started hot with the selection of LB Nick Perry. Perry will compliment Clay Matthews and take on blockers that would otherwise be used to double up the star pass-rusher. 

Then Green Bay added serious depth at two positions where injuries have hampered them in recent years. You have to like Casey Hayward late in the second round and UMaine safety Jerron McMillian in the fourth creating great competition among DBs in training camp.

They also took a flier on Matt Flynn's replacement, albeit later than expected. Coming out of the University of Tennessee-Chatanooga, BJ Coleman is just as unknown as Flynn was when he was taking in the seventh round in 2008.