NFL Draft 2012 Results: Most Improved Teams Heading into 2012 Season

It is much, much easier for bad teams to improve during the NFL draft.

For starters, they have higher draft selections and therefore a better chance to select elite talent. Second, in most cases, bad teams are bad for the simple reason of not having enough good players. There also isn't a ton of competition when top draft picks join bad teams.

But there are good teams that find ways to improve their squads as well.

The 2012 draft had a combination of good, bad and up-and-down teams improving their rosters. Here is a look at the ones who have improved the most.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals entered this draft with two first-round picks on the heels of their third postseason berth in the last decade. Andy Dalton was fantastic as a rookie, and they have a lot of great building blocks.

But this is an organization that has had back-to-back winning seasons less than a handful of times in its history.

In the 2012 draft, the Bengals landed as many as six players in the first four rounds—CB Dre Kirkpatrick, OG Kevin Zeitler, DT Devon Still, WR Mohamed Sanu, DT Brandon Thompson and TE Orson Charles—who can instantly contribute.

And their other four picks—CB Shaun Prater, WR Marvin Jones, S George Iloka, RB Dan Herron—could all contribute eventually, but add solid depth to the entire roster for now.

This team got help at almost every position of need.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

One of the more disappointing teams in the league last season and now under new leadership, Tampa Bay came out of this draft with a number of instant contributors at positions of need.

Its first three picks—S Mark Barron, RB Doug Martin and LB Lavonte David—are guaranteed starters in the team's system.

The other four picks are lackluster—LB Najee Goode, CB Keith Tandy, RB Michael Smith and TE Drake Dunsmore—but no team landed more instant-impact starters in this draft.

All three players happen to play important positions for coach Greg Schiano as well.

Minnesota Vikings

Damaged by injuries and a lack of elite talent at key positions, the Vikes fell hard in 2011 and landed a top-five draft pick because of it.

But Minnesota made the most of that pick and turned it into two first-round picks by trading around.

The Vikings landed a franchise left tackle in Matt Kalil, a potentially dependable starter safety in Harrison Smith (they've struggled to find starters at the position) and two speedsters in cornerback Josh Robinson and WR Jarius Wright.

Leslie Frazier's team also added depth throughout the remainder of the draft and has a few other potential sleepers to develop as well.

Pittsburgh Steelers

And finally, the Steelers are a perennial playoff contender, but they haven't been without flaws in the past few seasons.

One of their major problems has been protecting QB Ben Roethlisberger, and they hit the jackpot in boosting that area this year.

David DeCastro fell down to No. 24, and the Steelers quickly scooped him up. In the second round, they were fortunate enough to see Mike Adams still on the board and quickly scooped him up too.

Essentially, the Steelers snagged two decade-long starters at guard and right tackle while picking at the bottom of the draft.

Other notable players who bring added dimensions and depth include LB Sean Spence, DT Alameda Ta'amu, RB Chris Rainey and TE David Paulson.

It wouldn't be surprising at all to see WR Toney Clemons, CB Terrence Frederick or OT Kelvin Beachum stick, either.