2012 NFL Draft Grades: Teams That Failed to Make Necessary Upgrades

The competitive balance throughout the NFL has reached a point where teams can't afford to swing and miss during the draft. When a team fails to upgrade its roster, it has a major impact on not only next season, but a few more years after that.

Let's take a look at three teams that didn't make the most of their picks and will now need to spend more time attempting to address holes in the roster.

Seattle Seahawks

Taking Bruce Irvin in the first round was a mistake. He'll develop into a solid situational pass-rusher, but that's the description of a mid-round pick. While it's not impossible to bounce back from one bad pick, the Seahawks seemed to compound their errors.

It seems like every player they selected was a round or two too early. Whether it was Bobby Wagner in Round 2 or Russell Wilson in Round 3, Seattle went out on a limb far too often, and at least a couple of those limbs are going to snap.

The key to the draft is getting the most value as possible. The Seahawks got very little, increasing the amount of bust potential on every player by taking them too early.

Grade: D

Miami Dolphins

If Ryan Tannehill turns into the franchise quarterback Miami spent all offseason trying to find, the class will be saved. That's certainly not a guarantee, though. The lack of QB depth in the class allowed his stock to overshoot his current ability.

After Tannehill and Jonathan Martin, things started to go downhill for the Dolphins. The most surprising pick of all was Lamar Miller in the fourth round. The team already has two running backs, including Reggie Bush, who has a very similar style to Miller. The Dolphins also spent two late picks on wide receivers with limited upside in B.J. Cunningham and Rishard Matthews.

They are betting heavily on Tannehill, and that's risky.

Grade: C

Chicago Bears

The Bears were nearly a playoff team last season, so a strong draft would have vaulted them into a legitimate contender, but they came up short. Starting with Shea McClellin the Bears attempted to fill needs, but they ultimately reached too far to do so.

While Alshon Jeffery was the best pick they made, giving Brandon Marshall a little support, even he comes with his fair share of risks after a shaky career at South Carolina. There's a better chance that Chicago's class will produce no impact players than multiple key players.

If they bounce back to make the playoffs next season, it will be because they had better luck in terms of injuries. It won't be due to a strong draft class.

Grade: C+