2012 NFL Draft Grades: Power Ranking Every Team by Draft Weekend Performance

Now that the NFL draft is over, it’s time to seriously reflect on how each team fared. A great way to do that would be the time-tested method of power ranking.

Typically, power ranking is used to place teams in order based on performance, but now would be a good time to apply that to NFL draft results.

Some teams did an impressive job of finding value at each pick while filling needs. Other teams managed to reach for players or simply whiff on addressing important holes on their roster.

The rankings here will reflect how well each team did at finding value at the majority of their selections while filling needs. If a team reached for a player or missed an important need, don’t be surprised to see them at the bottom of the barrel.

Likewise, teams that filled most of their needs and found great value at the majority of their selections will receive a high ranking.

There’s no exact science to the NFL draft, and there’s no exact science to power ranking. However, it’s a great way to see how teams did compared to each other now that the dust has settled.

Here are power rankings for every team by draft weekend performance:

32. Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are simply not on the same page as the rest of the NFL. At fifteenth overall, they elected to pick a situational player in linebacker Bruce Irvin, with plenty of better prospects still on the board.

They also managed to draft a quarterback in the third round despite landing Matt Flynn in free agency. Not only did they waste picks, they took situation players where other teams would have found every-down starters.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to select wide receiver Justin Blackmon. He’s good, but not top-ten worthy. Trading down might have been a better option.

Defensive end Andre Branch was a solid pick in the second, but the team then followed that up by taking a punter in the third round.

A punter.

30. San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers were intent on finding quarterback Alex Smith a consistent deep threat. With that in mind, they selected receiver A.J. Jenkins in the first round despite the fact he would have easily fallen to the late second round. A much better option, value- and talent-wise, would have been Stephen Hill.

In the second, they selected running back LaMichael James, who will be a situational player at best. The later rounds were a bit better, but not by much.

29. Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders didn’t have much to work with going into the draft, thanks to horrendous trades made previously. Their first selection didn’t come until the third round, when they selected offensive tackle Tony Bergstrom.

The Raiders didn’t make much of an impact having so few picks, and the picks they did make didn’t drastically upgrade the team.

28. New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints were similar to the Oakland Raiders in that they didn’t have much to work with, thanks to trades and a well-known scandal. Wide receiver Nick Toon was a great value in the fourth round, but that’s about it.

The other late-round selections were simply depth picks, which is fine, but they didn’t do anything worthy of a higher spot on this list.

27. Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos made their first pick of the draft in the second round by selecting defensive tackle Derek Wolfe. The pick was mediocre value considering other players still available.

Taking quarterback Brock Osweiler in the second was a good way to have an insurance policy should Peyton Manning get hurt.

After the second round, the Broncos continuously reached for players instead of finding the correct value for where they selected. A good example would be running back Ronnie Hillman over someone like Lamar Miller.

26. Cleveland Browns

The Cleveland Browns made the obvious selection at third overall with running back Trent Richardson. After that, they seemed to lose track of what was important.

Taking quarterback Brandon Weeden in the first, even though he's 28 years old and they already have a starting quarterback, is dumbfounding. They needed a wide receiver but reached in the fourth round for Travis Benjamin with better players on the board.

Finally, the Browns completely neglected to address the safety position and waited too long to adequately upgrade the cornerback position.

25. Houston Texans

The Houston Texans seemed to have their priorities backwards once the draft officially kicked off. They selected Whitney Mercilus in the first round despite the roster already being littered with good outside linebackers.

Houston managed to get some solid depth pieces later in the draft, but overall it was a mediocre showing given what they could have done. Trading out of the second round was likely a mistake.

24. Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions entered the draft looking for help at guard and tackle and decided to take Riley Reiff instead of Cordy Glenn. Reiff is a short-armed guard that could struggle in the NFL, while Glenn looks to have an easy transition.

Detroit also took receiver Ryan Broyles in the second despite the presence of better options, and taking small-school corner Dwight Bentley in the third was questionable.

The selections by Detroit have a chance of developing, but once again it’s a case of better players available.

23. Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs reached in a big way for defensive tackle Dontari Poe in the first round. Poe is a workout warrior who impressed at the scouting combine but had little in the way of production while at a small school like Memphis.

The Chiefs hit needs across the board, so it wasn’t a horrendous weekend for the club, but they could have strayed away from developmental players a bit.

Kansas City had the chance to land some impact players to join the plethora of great players already on the roster returning from injury. Instead, they leaned toward developmental depth picks, with the exception being the first round.

22. New York Jets

It’s never a good idea to waste a first-round pick on a player with motivational issues swirling around his stock, but that’s exactly what the New York Jets did in the first round when they selected defensive end Quinton Coples.

In the second round, the Jets decided to trade up for an extremely raw receiver in Stephen Hill. He can run fast in a straight line but has a limited route-tree, and the Jets lack a quarterback that can actually get him the ball deep.

The Jets failed to adequately fill their roster with depth and instead gave up picks by trading around. The team has a lot of holes, and some went untouched on draft day.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers reached massively in the first round for strong safety Mark Barron. He’s got a serious injury history. A better option would have been addressing the cornerback position with someone like Stephon Gilmore.

Also in the first round, the Bucs got great value by taking running back Doug Martin. The rest of the draft was solid depth-wise, but it’s hard to justify the complete whiff when taking Barron in the top ten.

20. Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins had a solid draft besides reaching drastically for quarterback Ryan Tannehill at eighth overall. He’s a very raw quarterback, and Miami could have traded back and still picked him in the late first to early second.

Jonathan Martin was a great pick in the second that should solve the issue at right tackle, as was defensive end Oliver Vernon in the third.

The Dolphins also managed to get what many consider a steal in the fourth round with running back Lamar Miller. It could turn out to be a risk given his injury history, but it’s a great risk/reward pick.

19. Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins made the second easiest pick in the draft by taking quarterback Robert Griffin III at second overall. However, they made one of the worst picks in the draft when taking quarterback Kirk Cousins in the fourth.

The Redskins could have picked up more quality depth at another position or a potential starter, but instead they decided to take a quarterback who will never see the light of day.

It’s hard to justify the selection, and no, the whole “he could net us a high draft pick in a few years!” argument doesn’t work here.

18. Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears picked up one of the better outside linebackers in the class in the first round with Shea McClellin but followed it up with a questionable decision in the second round with wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.

There have been concerns about Jeffery’s work ethic and conditioning, and that’s never a good thing. He’s also not that different from Brandon Marshall, so the receiving core could be lacking in the way of variety.

Other than that, it was a pretty solid outing for the Bears, resulting in more depth.

17. Carolina Panthers

In Carolina, the Panthers were in desperate need of a defensive lineman in the first round but went with inside linebacker Luke Kuechly instead. Kuechley is a great player that can move around to any linebacker spot and is highly productive.

The Panthers didn’t address the defensive line until the fourth round, which is an issue. They did manage to land one of the most underrated prospects in the draft in the second round by selecting offensive guard Amini Silatolu.

The first two rounds were a great way to build toward the future in Carolina, but the rest of the draft was a bit shaky.

16. Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons did an outstanding job in this draft despite what they had to work with. In the second round they managed to land offensive guard Peter Konz, which is an impressive upgrade to the line.

In the third round the Falcons did it again by grabbing offensive tackle Lamar Holmes. In what may be the sleeper pick of the draft, they nabbed the criminally underrated defensive end Jonathan Massaquoi in the fifth round.

15. Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals did a great job of finding impressive value at the majority of the picks, beginning in the first round with wide receiver Michael Floyd. He could turn out to be the best receiver in the class, and playing with Larry Fitzgerald will only further his chances.

In the third the Cardinals scooped up a solid cornerback in Jamell Fleming and followed that up by taking the free-falling offensive tackle Bobby Massie in the fourth.

The value at each pick is a good sign for the future in Arizona. If that trend continues, they will be competing for their division for years to come.

14. New York Giants

Being the Super Bowl champs means the New York Giants could make luxury pick after luxury pick. That started in the first round with an impressive addition to the running back spot with David Wilson.

The rest of the picks for the Giants followed the same trend with receiver Rueben Randle in the second and corner Jayron Hosley in the third.

The rich got richer in New York as the Giants peppered some additional quality depth onto their already formidable roster.

13. Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings made the obvious choice at fourth overall with offensive tackle Matt Kalil. He’ll be a starter on the offensive line for a decade or more.

The Vikings then traded back up into the first round to address another major hole on the roster by taking the second best safety in the class in Harrison Smith. In the third round Minnesota even managed to land one of the better corners in the draft, Josh Robinson.

The Vikings has a huge amount of holes to fill and did an amazing job at filling what they could. Things are starting to look up in Minnesota.

12. Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts made the no-brainer decision with the first overall pick by selecting quarterback Andrew Luck. He’s the best quarterback to enter the draft since John Elway and should be able to take over for Peyton Manning effectively.

The second and third rounds saw the Colts attempt to make sure Luck has a smooth transition by taking tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen, the first and second best at the position respectively.

Defensive tackle Josh Chapman in the fourth was not only a great fit but a ridiculous steal. The draft class for the Colts is impressive, but they’re still a few years off from being a solid team.

11. Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers found impeccable value at the first six picks in the draft, which is ridiculously hard to do. Outside linebacker Nick Perry will give the Pack an unfair pass rush when teamed with Clay Matthews.

Defensive end Jerel Worthy is an amazing fit and need in the second, as is cornerback Casey Hayward. Outside linebacker Terrell Manning is an absolute steal in the fifth round and could develop into a solid rotational player.

The Packers filled needs with literally every pick, which is something most teams struggle with for whatever reason. The 2012 Packers draft class will ensure Green Bay is contending for a long time.

10. Tennessee Titans

The Tennessee Titans managed to hit major needs at the majority of their picks. Each pick was also a high character player that was extremely productive while in college.

Guys like wide receiver Kendall Wright, linebacker Zach Brown, defensive end Mike Martin and cornerback Coty Sensabaugh will all not only contribute immediately but also further reinforce the impressive culture that is being created in Tennessee.

The Titans may not have had the draft class with the biggest names, but they will looking back in a few years.

9. Baltimore Ravens

Ozzie Newsome strikes again. The Baltimore Ravens reel in another ridiculously good draft class, starting with a trade down into the second round to take a perfect fit in the form of outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw.

Also in the second, the Ravens managed to make up for the loss of guard Ben Grubbs by taking Kelechi Osemele. The rest of the picks hit major needs depth-wise and are all players that could eventually develop into a starting-caliber talent.

Newsome is one of the best when it comes to the draft today, and he flexed his muscles yet again this year.

8. Dallas Cowboys

The best move of the draft may just go to the Dallas Cowboys. Entering the draft, cornerback was arguably the weakest position on the roster. When Dallas realized the best cornerback in the draft was slightly slipping down the board, they pounced.

Landing corner Morris Claiborne is the type of move that turns a franchise around quickly. Filling needs smartly in the later rounds, with defensive end Tyrone Crawford and linebacker Kyle Wilber, helps as well.

The Cowboys won big on draft day, which is what matters most. This is the type of draft class that a team like Dallas can build something special around.

7. St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams did a good job of hitting a need in the first round with defensive tackle Michael Brockers. The second round is what made this a truly special draft class for the Rams.

The second round saw St. Louis hit three major needs with elite prospects. Wide receiver Brian Quick finally gives quarterback Matthew Stafford a legitimate wide receiver, cornerback Janoris Jenkins joins Cortland Finnegan in what could be an elite secondary and running back Isaiah Pead joins Steven Jackson to form what could be the best rushing attack in the NFL.

Even the later rounds filled needs adequately. All things considered, the Rams have an A-plus draft on their hands.

6. New England Patriots

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are notorious for trading down on draft day, but they completely flipped the script this year and ended up with one of the best classes.

Defensive end Chandler Jones and linebacker Dont’a Hightower could turn the mediocre defensive unit around in a hurry, while cornerback Alfonzo Dennard in the seventh round could be one of the bigger steals of the draft.

It was odd to see the Patriots move up, but the end result was impressive. Not a bad haul for a team coming off of a Super Bowl appearance.

5. Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills were the big winners in free agency by landing Mario Williams and were very close to taking home the prize in the draft as well.

The Bills managed to land the second best corner in the draft when they selected Stephon Gilmore in the first round. They also managed to grab the third best offensive lineman in the early second round when they took Cordy Glenn.

The rest of the selections after that were littered with quality picks that fit needs. The culture is changing in Buffalo quickly, and this amazing draft class will only accelerate the process.

4. San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers were fortunate enough to have the best outside linebacker in the draft fall to them in the first round. Taking Melvin Ingram will give the Chargers defense a presence they have been missing since the downfall of Shawne Merriman.

The second round only furthered the excellence of the draft when the Chargers managed to land Kendall Reyes, the versatile defensive lineman.  Even the later round picks were simply amazing, with safety Brandon Taylor in the third and tight end Ladarius Green in the fourth.

The Chargers had absolutely outstanding value at each pick to the point where it’s almost unfair. The team just ensured they’ll be playing for division titles for a long time.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers effectively reload through the draft again by having a jaw-dropping first four selections.

Things started off with a bang as the best guard in the draft, David DeCastro, fell to them in the mid-first round. Then the Steelers landed a starting offensive tackle in the second round in Mike Adams and a great rotational linebacker in the third round in the form of Sean Spence.

Finally, in the fourth round, Pittsburgh filled a huge need by selecting defensive tackle Alameda Ta’amu, who fell for some reason.

This draft class is very indicative of why the Steelers compete each and every year. This is a model every team in the NFL should try to mimic when it comes to draft day.

2. Cincinnati Bengals

In what is becoming a recurring trend, the Cincinnati Bengals had yet another stellar draft class, finding unmatched value at each pick.

Corner Dre Kirkpatrick and guard Kevin Zeitler were stout selection in the first, as was defensive tackle Devon Still in the second. Somehow, landing receiver Mohamed Sanu and defensive tackle Brandon Thompson in the third was even better.

Finding a tight end like Orson Charles in the fourth round and a receiver like Marvin Jones in the fifth is absolutely ridiculous.

The Bengals made the playoffs last season, and it’s hard to imagine they won’t make a repeat appearance this year. Cincinnati is one of the younger teams in the league that looks to only be progressing toward the path of legitimate contender in the next few years.

1. Philadelphia Eagles

Literally every single pick the Philadelphia Eagles made was a great selection. In the first round they managed to land the best defensive tackle in the draft in Fletcher Cox, and that was just the beginning.

In the second round Philadelphia filled a massive hole by taking outside linebacker Mychal Kendricks and followed it up with another second-round selection in the form of defensive end Vinny Curry. In the third round they found Michael Vick’s successor by taking quarterback Nick Foles.

But it didn’t stop there. In the fourth round the Eagles found the perfect nickel corner in Brandon Boykin. The sixth round added a dynamic receiver in Marvin McNutt and a criminally underrated guard in Brandon Washington.

After a draft class like this, the Eagles might just be the so-called “Dream Team.” This is an outstanding class that will withstand the test of time and allow Philadelphia to compete for championships for quite some time.

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