2012 Fantasy Football: Ranking the Fantasy Impact of Each Team's Draft

Thirty-two general managers—along with a good thousand or so advisers—went to the NFL draft in New York with certain positions they needed to fill. Of course, none of these GMs were likely to have fantasy football on their minds as they called out the 253 different names that weekend, but many of us out here in the real world did.

Each draft pick—whether it was a highly-ranked running back, a franchise-saving quarterback or simply a fourth-round wide receiver—transforms the fantasy landscape for the year to come. The impact can range from having colossal fantasy implications to barely registering on the Richter scale, depending upon how many skill-position players were drafted and who was affected by those players on each team.

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***Fantasy Impact Rating Scale (1-10)—Based on the Combined Impact the Skill-Position Players a Team Drafted Will Have on the 2012 Fantasy World***

NFC EAST: Dallas Cowboys – Fantasy Impact: 3

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 0  WR – 1  TE – 1  K – 0

Dallas didn’t need much on the offensive side of the ball, but they still managed to grab a nice sleeper in the fifth-round in V-Tech WR Danny Coale. The kid has an Austin Collie-type role written all over him and could make up for the loss of Laurent Robinson as soon as Week 1.

What Robinson was able to do for the Cowboys last season is the reason I have the Fantasy Impact as a 3, because if Coale can fill that role, Dallas’ draft might produce an actual fantasy starter in some leagues.

The only other offensive player they selected was TE James Hanna in the sixth.

NFC EAST: New York Giants – Fantasy Impact: 6

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 1  WR – 1  TE – 1  K – 0

The Giants took players at three different fantasy positions during the draft (RB, WR and TE), though none of them will begin in a starting role unless injuries take a toll.

First-round selection RB David Wilson was a necessary pick with Brandon Jacobs gone and Ahmad Bradshaw as injury-prone as it gets. Even if Bradshaw somehow stays healthy, Wilson’s chances of putting up some decent fantasy numbers in 2012 are still pretty high because the only reason he WILL stay healthy is if the Giants work another back into the mix. Wilson should be that guy.

That being said, this is clearly Eli Manning’s team now, which means plenty of tossing the rock around. Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are still the main attractions, though Rueben Randle should get in on a bunch of three-receiver sets and do pretty well from a fantasy perspective. If either Nicks or Cruz get injured, Randle will become an immediate fantasy starter.

Tight End Adrien Robinson could start and be a nice contributor in 2013, but shouldn’t be much more than a project this season.

NFC EAST: Philadelphia Eagles – Fantasy Impact: 2

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 1  RB – 1  WR – 1  TE – 0  K – 0

Though it was an amazing overall draft for the Eagles, there were very few picks that will make a difference from a fantasy perspective.

QB Nick Noles was a solid third-round selection and could become Mike Vick’s back-up sometime in the near future (Mike Kafka and Trent Edwards are the only other QBs on the roster), but my guess is it would only happen in 2012 should both Vick get injured (a distinct possibility) and the Eagles find themselves out of the playoff race (highly unlikely IMO).

WR Marvin McNutt has an outside shot to grab Philly’s WR3 position this year while RB Bryce Brown may only have a 50-50 chance of making the team.

NFC EAST: Washington Redskins – Fantasy Impact: 8-9

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 2  RB – 1  WR – 0  TE – 0  K – 0

Trading away the farm to grab QB Robert Griffin III was a ballsy move worthy of the Redskins brass—and a risk that should pay off in spades amongst fantasy circles this season.

He’ll have plenty of weapons to play with in 2012 for sure, such as pass-catching RBs Roy Helu and (if they decide to re-sign him) Tim Hightower; WRs Pierre Garcon, Santana Moss, Leonard Hankerson, and Josh Morgan (amongst others); and up-and-coming stud TE Fred Davis (along with Chris Cooley if he’s willing to re-structure his contract).

Even without the surrounding talent, Griffin is dynamic enough to make things happen on his own and should really flourish in Shanahan’s system.

Sixth-round RB Alfred Morris has some solid power but won’t be much more than a third-stringer, while the “surprise pick of the draft”—fourth-rounder quarterback Kirk Cousins out of Michigan State—shouldn’t climb higher than third-string on the depth chart either.

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NFC NORTH: Chicago Bears – Fantasy Impact: 5

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 0  WR – 1  TE/H-Back – 1  K – 0

Even with the addition of Brandon Marshall this past off-season, Chicago still needed help at the wide receiver position…and they got it.

They didn’t trade up for Michael Floyd, jump on Kendall Wright or snag Stephen Hill (as many were predicting), but they did move up a handful of spots to snag Alshon Jeffery in the second-round.

Jeffery will immediately move into the starting role opposite Marshall and could have a nice fantasy impact seeing constant single-coverage because of it. His red-zone/chain-moving abilities will be a major asset, though in OC Mike Tice’s run-based offense, he might only end up as a flex-type fantasy player in 2012.

Fourth-round pick TE/H-Back Evan Rodriguez was a disappointing selection to Bears fans at the time, but he may end up becoming the second half of a Rob Gronkowski/Aaron Hernandez type of TE duo if the massive 6’7” Kellen Davis progresses during the off-season.

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NFC NORTH: Detroit Lions – Fantasy Impact: 3

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 0  WR – 1  TE – 0  K – 0

The Lions grabbed just one player on the offensive side of the ball, Oklahoma WR Ryan Broyles in the second round.

If he doesn’t end up on the PUP list and miss the first six games of 2012, I can easily see him taking over the slot-receiver position by mid-season and becoming a nice, steady target for Matthew Stafford by season’s end. Yes, Broyles tore his ACL towards the end of his senior year, but not before he broke the NCAA mark for receptions with 349 while averaging nearly 10 catches a game over his final two seasons.

In time, he has the make-up to become the next Wes Welker as long as Stafford continues to dominate.

NFC NORTH: Green Bay Packers – Fantasy Impact: 1

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 1  RB – 0  WR – 0  TE – 0  K – 0

As far as offense goes, the Packers did absolutely nothing during this draft until the end of the seventh-round—which they shouldn’t have considering how bad they were on defense last season.

With a compensatory pick in the seventh, they decided to grab strong-armed Chattanooga QB B.J. Coleman with the hopes they can turn him into the next Matt Flynn (also a seventh-round pick back in 2008).

NFC NORTH: Minnesota Vikings – Fantasy Impact: 5

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 1 (FB)  WR – 2  TE – 0  K – 1

The fourth-overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, tackle Matt Kalil, should help the entire Vikings offense in many ways. But unless they decide to give him some goal-line carries, he’s not quite fantasy-relevant.

The two receivers taken in the fourthround, Jarius Wright and Greg Childs, have potential to make immediate impacts for Minnesota but in two very different ways.

Wright is a smaller fella who has great quickness, hands and elusiveness and would look great lined up in the slot. However, putting him there would keep Harvin outside where he doesn’t get as many chances to do his thing.

Childs, on the other hand, is an absolute beast while still owning a little bit of speed. Watch a few YouTubes of the guy and you’ll see what I mean. With Jerome Simpson suspended for the first few games, he might just rip away that WR2 job and keep it for years to come. His red-zone prowess is something to watch for.

Oh, and the Vikings also drafted kicker Blair Walsh out of Georgia in the sixth round and could end up starting him from Day 1 after their release of Ryan Longwell.

NFC SOUTH: Atlanta Falcons – Fantasy Impact: 1

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 1 (FB)  WR – 0  TE – 0  K – 0

The Falcons drafted a couple of nice offensive line prospects in center Peter Konz and tackle Lamar Holmes in the second and third rounds, along with fullback Brady Ewing in the fifth, so their overall run-game may improve. That’s really it for fantasy purposes.

NFC SOUTH: Carolina Panthers – Fantasy Impact: 2-3

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 0  WR – 1  TE – 0  K – 0

The only fantasy prospect the Panthers picked up in the draft was WR Joe Adams in the fourth round.

He’s quick little bugger with home-run capabilities, but the chances he makes it through an entire 16-game season as the Panthers starter in the slot are pretty low, considering he’s only 180 pounds soaking wet.

He’s a gamer, though, so we’ll see.

NFC SOUTH: New Orleans Saints – Fantasy Impact: 3

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 0  WR – 1  TE – 0  K – 0

The only skill-position player the Saints took out of five draft selections was wide receiver Nick Toon, former New York Jets WR Al Toon’s son. Even though he likely won’t start in 2012, there are still a few reasons to like Toon this season.

First, when he does get on the field, he’ll be lining up as a wide receiver in the most prolific passing attack the NFL has—the New Orleans Saints offense.

Second, the Saints lost Robert Meachem, so somebody is going to have to step into his role.

Third, though very productive, Lance Moore has troubles staying healthy and can't really go outside to play that position, which makes Toon’s competition for the job that much easier.

Fourth, Devery Henderson IS his competition, but still isn’t much more than a burner with butterfingers.

Lastly, Adrian Arrington is, well, Adrian Arrington.

Toon has enough of a skill-set, particularly in the red zone, to sneak up on some people this year.

NFC SOUTH: Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Fantasy Impact: 8

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 2  WR – 0  TE – 1  K – 0

I have to admit, I was shocked to see the Buccaneers trade down from the No. 5-slot and miss an opportunity to draft a sure-thing in CB Morris Claiborne. However, after seeing them grab a top-flight talent like safety Mark Barron with the No. 7, then use the fourth-round pick (No. 101) they acquired in the trade to move up and grab RB Doug Martin at the end of the first-round made me see the light.

LeGarrette Blount should still get a decent amount of carries in 2012, but I’m betting the second-best RB in the draft (Martin) gets the starting nod in Week 1 and never looks back. He’s an every-down player who packs a huge punch for his size (5’9”, 223 pounds) and happens to do well in Blount’s two biggest problem areas—blocking and receiving.

The comparison I’m hearing for Martin right now is that he has Ray Rice-like capabilities, which are mighty strong words indeed and music to fantasy owners' ears.

Seventh-rounder RB Michael Smith is fast as hell and could see a few looks as a third-down back, but likely won’t have an impact this season unless injuries force him into action.

Seventh-round TE Drake Dunsmore isn't much more than a special-teamer.

NFC WEST: Arizona Cardinals – Fantasy Impact: 7-8

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 1  RB – 0  WR – 1  TE – 0  K – 0

When WR Michael Floyd fell into their laps at the 13-slot, the Cardinals simply had to accept the gift. I mean just the name “Michael Floyd” sounds like a NFL receiver's name.

All in all, Floyd should have no problem snagging the starting role opposite Larry Fitzgerald during training camp and make a name for himself in fantasy circles soon thereafter. Learning from Fitz on the job is an outstanding way to begin your career, but Floyd plans to go one step further by attending Larry’s Wide Receiver Camp up in Minnesota over the summer as well.

Being 6’3” and 220 pounds is nice, but running a 4.47 40-yard dash on top of that size is the bee’s knees. Kevin Kolb has to be shitting butterscotch sundaes right about now…which brings me to the other skill-position player the Cards drafted—QB Ryan Lindley out of San Diego State.

Lindley may not get a chance to do anything this season because Arizona really needs to know what they have in Kolb, but I’ll also say that if Kolb fails, Lindley will become their next starter sooner than later.

NFC WEST: San Francisco 49ers – Fantasy Impact: 3-4

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 1  WR – 1  TE – 0  K – 0

The 49ers went all-out in rounds one and two, grabbing a couple of big play-ability type guys in WR A.J. Jenkins out of Illinois and RB LaMichael James from Oregon.

My only problem with these picks is that the team is already stockpiled at each of those positions (RB and WR).

Sure, Randy Moss could fall back into bad habits and Mario Manningham might be overrated, but the 49ers will at least be giving them every chance in the world considering they were high-profile signings this past off-season.

As for running back, Frank Gore will still carry the mother-load while Brandon Jacobs brings the bulk. Kendall Hunter turned out to be no slouch either, so I guess what I’m asking here is: where does LaMichael James fit in? It can't just be in the return game, can it?

Both of these two guys are explosive enough to take a chance on in fantasy—I just won’t be the one doing it.

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NFC WEST: Seattle Seahawks – Fantasy Impact: 2

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 1  RB – 1  WR – 0  TE – 0  K – 0

Taking QB Russell Wilson in the third round was as confusing to me as any pick in the entire draft. He has the potential to be a decent quarterback, but at his size, I just can’t see him ever being great.

Regardless, they already signed their QB for the year in Matt Flynn, so I just didn’t see the point—especially when they could have had him at least a round later.

The next guy they took was RB Robert Turbin out of Utah State in the fourth. He’ll be good insurance on Marshawn Lynch should his new contract affect his motor/will to succeed this season. But if Lynch stays healthy, he’s no more than a guy who comes in from time to time to give Beast Mode a rest.

NFC WEST: St. Louis Rams – Fantasy Impact: 7

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 2  WR – 2  TE – 0  K – 1

In my opinion, the Rams had themselves a hell of a draft all the way around, including on the offensive side of the ball.

WR Brian Quick, the first player selected in the second round, will start right away and likely be a fantasy factor this season. His red zone capability alone at 6’4”, 220 pounds (with a bonus of some pretty good speed) could make him a low-end fantasy starter.

The other wide receiver they grabbed, Chris Givens out of Wake Forest, was a good find in the fourth round and could end up starting opposite Quick.

Running back Isaiah Pead was another nice second-round selection who will start off as Steven Jackson’s backup and eventually take over for him in the future. Jackson also has a lot of tread on his tires and if he finally breaks down this season, Pead could be looking at a pretty big load his rookie season. He’ll at least get a decent amount of carries in a change-of-pace/third-down role.

Lastly, the Rams nailed down their kicker of the future when they snagged Greg Zuerlein in the sixth. He was a perfect 9-9 in 50-yard field goals for Missouri Western last season and is as accurate as can be, so he might make a small splash in the fantasy world in 2012 if the Rams offense shows improvement.

AFC EAST: Buffalo Bills – Fantasy Impact: 3-4

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 0  WR – 1  TE – 0  K – 1

The Bills had nine picks in the 2012 draft, but used only two of them on fantasy-relevant players…and one of them was a seventh-round kicker who isn’t even likely to start.

That being said, the guy they DID end up grabbing in the third round, wide receiver T.J. Graham, could have an impact in his first year as a pro.

His below-average height and weight make him a better fit for the slot position, but his speed and big-play ability are off the charts. They might end up pushing him to the outside in order to stretch defenses a bit.

Donald Jones, David Nelson and the rest of the Bills WR corps (minus Stevie Johnson) shouldn’t be too tough to leap-frog on the depth chart for Graham, so don’t be shocked to see him out there starting at some point this season.

AFC EAST: Miami Dolphins – Fantasy Impact: 5-6

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 1  RB – 1  WR – 2  TE – 1  K – 0

The Dolphins ended up using over half their draft picks on the offensive side of the ball, but it’s iffy as to who will be able to contribute this upcoming season.

QB Ryan Tannehill has all the ability in the world to become a starter at the NFL level, but the chances of him getting an opportunity to do so before at least mid-season is close to nil. Even if he does, I’m not sure he’d do too much fantasy-wise due to Miami’s lack of wide receiver talent.

The next most intriguing prospect is RB Lamar Miller, who could have easily gone in the second as opposed to the fourth where the Dolphins got him. He was the fastest running back in the entire draft class and even has a little power to boot, but Reggie Bush is obviously the RB1 here, and you can’t forget about Daniel Thomas.

The talk is that the coaches may try him out at receiver just to get his speed on the field, but we’ll see.

Tight end Michael Egnew, who was taken in the third-round, is dynamic, highly-athleti, and could see playing time early on, especially in the red zone due to his 6’5” frame and great hands.

Considering their lack of talent at the wide receiver position, either one of the two receivers taken in the sixth and seventh rounds could end up contributing in one way or another. B.J. Cunningham is more of a possession/move-the-chains type of guy due to his sticky hands while Rishard Matthews is strong as an ox, though merely average in all other respects.

AFC EAST: New England Patriots – Fantasy Impact: 1

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 0  WR – 1  TE – 0  K – 0

The Patriots needed nearly their entire draft to address their 2011 defensive woes and did exactly that.

The only player they selected on offense was wide receiver Jeremy Ebert out of Northwestern, who, though tough in nature, is on the smallish side and not likely to make the team.

AFC EAST: New York Jets – Fantasy Impact: 5

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 1  WR – 2  TE – 0  K – 0

The Jets made it a point to grab a wide receiver in this draft to complement Santonio Holmes on the outside—and they did so in spades by trading up in the second round to snag Georgia Tech product, Stephen Hill.

The kid may not have done much in G-Tech’s crazy triple-option scheme, but his size and speed are Calvin Johnson-esque and could vault him up the fantasy ladder pretty darn quick.

The two drawbacks here, however, are that the Jets will be a run-first team and that QB Mark Sanchez still hasn’t quite figured it out. If Tim Tebow gets the starting nod at some point, he might target Hill the same way he targeted Demaryius Thomas over in Denver. If that happens, Hill could be a big-time fantasy starter by the end of the year.

The other two skill-position players the Jets selected were RB Terrance Ganaway from Baylor and WR Jordan White from Western Michigan.

Ganaway is a bit like Shonn Greene in that he’s really big (239 pounds) and can’t catch the ball, so he likely won’t be much more than an insurance policy his rookie season.

White is pretty average all the way around and probably no more than a fourth/fifth receiver on this team.

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AFC NORTH: Baltimore Ravens – Fantasy Impact: 3

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 1  WR – 1  TE – 0  K – 0

The Ravens picked up some great pieces in this draft, but just two in terms of skill-position players.

Running back Bernard Pierce was selected in the third round and will do well in taking over for departed backup Ricky Williams. He’s shown to have a nose for the endzone, scoring 54 touchdowns (53 rushing, one receiving) in just 34 college games (24 starts) at Temple.

However, he also only caught 19 passes in that time, so his role should be restricted to spelling Ray Rice from time to time on first and second downs with the possibility of a little goal-line duty mixed in.

Wide receiver Tommy Streeter is raw and unpolished to say the least, but he was well worth grabbing in the sixth round where the Ravens got him. You can’t teach size and speed, two things Streeter has in spades standing at 6’5”, 220 pounds to go along with 4.4 speed.

He’s a project that might take awhile though, so don’t expect much this season.

AFC NORTH: Cincinnati Bengals – Fantasy Impact: 6-7

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 1  WR – 2  TE – 1  K – 0

The Bengals hit home runs throughout the draft with a couple of them likely to produce decent fantasy numbers in their rookie seasons.

The first offensive fantasy talent they got was in the third round when they snatched up WR Mohamed Sanu from Rutgers. He’s a strong kid with good hands, but he’s not very fast and will have to start out his career competing with both Jordan Shipley for slot work and with fellow rookie Marvin Jones (fifth round) for work as the Bengals starter opposite A.J. Green.

Jones has the advantage in the speed department for sure, and is just as strong. Whoever is the winner for playing time could be in line for a nice fantasy season.

Cinci also grabbed a nice tight end in the fourth round named Orson Charles who could pair up with Jermaine Gresham and create mismatches all over the field. He has the look and feel of a young Vernon Davis, but without all the hype.

RB Dan Herron was taken with their final pick in the sixth round and probably isn’t much more than a special teams player, but the competition in front of him is pretty weak, so you never know.

AFC NORTH: Cleveland Browns – Fantasy Impact: 10

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 1  RB – 1  WR – 1  TE – 1  K – 0

Everyone knows the Browns needed some serious help on offense in this draft, and it looks like they made good to see it done.

Trent Richardson is one of the most complete backs we’ve seen come out of the college ranks in awhile and will be an every-down starter in Week 1. In fact, there’s no one else on the Browns roster better than him in any situation, so he might even approach 350 touches next season if his body can withstand NFL punishment for 16 games (which it can).

Simply put, the kid is going to be a lot of fun to watch this season and pretty much alone warrants a fantasy impact of 10.

However, the Browns then went on to draft the oldest player ever to be taken in an NFL Draft by selecting QB Brandon Weeden (28-years old, 29 in October). If he starts right away, which he is expected to do, he has the skills to at least be competitive from a fantasy standpoint. Not as a starter, but he could turn in deep-league backup numbers.

The Browns also added explosive slot receiver Travis Benjamin, but where he fits in with Josh Cribbs still on the roster is up in the air.

With their final pick in the seventh, they took a tight end with quite a fitting name for the Browns—Brad Smelley—who won’t be much more than a special teams guy.

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AFC NORTH: Pittsburgh Steelers – Fantasy Impact: 2

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 1  WR – 1  TE – 1  K – 0

The Steelers had a really nice draft, though not so much from a fantasy perspective.

Their fifth-round pick, Chris Rainey, is a tiny RB (5’8”, 180 pounds) who might actually see more time as a receiver, thus bringing even more speed to an already supersonic passing game.

He’ll also be a nice addition as a home-run threat on third downs out of the backfield.

Seventh-round WR Toney Clemons will be a practice squad player at best in 2012, while TE David Paulson, also a seventh-rounder, isn’t much more than a project at this point.

AFC SOUTH: Houston Texans – Fantasy Impact: 5

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 0  WR – 2  TE – 0  K – 1

The Texans have needed a wide receiver to complement Andre Johnson for some time now, so they grabbed two in this year’s draft.

The first was in the third round when they picked up DeVier Posey out of Ohio State. His measureables are pretty nice at 6’2”, 211 pounds and he’s got decent speed, but he’s relatively average in all other respects as a receiver.

They then drafted another Big Ten product in the fourth, speedster Keshawn Martin out of Michigan State. Martin can burn with the best of them and take it to the house on any given play, but like Posey, everything else seems to be a bit average.

The fact of the matter is that one of these two guys, if not both, will get a bunch of playing time this season with Jacoby Jones off the roster and aging Kevin Walter the only other obstacle. Don’t be surprised if Posey lines up opposite Andre as the WR2 and Martin takes on slot duties by Week 4.

The last piece to the fantasy puzzle is the addition of kicker Randy Bullock in the fifth round. With Neil Rackers gone, Bullock will be thrown into the fire and should do well, considering he was named the top placekicker in all of college football last season.

AFC SOUTH: Indianapolis Colts – Fantasy Impact: 5

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 2  RB – 1  WR – 2  TE – 2  K – 0

With the amount of offensive players the Colts grabbed in this draft, you’d expect there to be a high fantasy impact this season, but with a rookie QB at the helm and Indy being so bad last season they were almost painful to watch, I don’t expect more than one or two of the seven skill-position players to come up on the fantasy radar.

The first-overall pick in the draft, QB Andrew Luck, has an outside shot at being significant simply because he’ll have veterans like Reggie Wayne and Austin Collie to throw to, along with a familiar face in fellow Stanford rookie TE Coby Fleener. Rookie QBs, however, tend not to do much fantasy-wise in their first NFL seasons, so don’t expect more than backup numbers.

Either Coby Fleener or third-round pick, tight end Dwayne Allen, have a chance to make a little noise as they’re both skilled as receivers and could end up seeing a lot of check-down targets from the rookie QB.

Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton certainly has a chance to be a great slot receiver in the future but for now, he’ll have to deal with Austin Collie sitting ahead of him on the depth chart.

Fifth-round selection RB Vick Ballard is pretty average all the way around and won’t beat out either Donald Brown or Delone Carter for snaps in the backfield, but could see some playing time if one of them gets injured.

WR LaVon Brazill was taken in the sixth round and possesses great hands and speed, but is likely set for special teams/return duties in 2012.

QB Chandler Harnish, this year’s Mr. Irrelevant, is no more than a project at this point with Luck being The Man in Indy.

AFC SOUTH: Jacksonville Jaguars – Fantasy Impact: 5

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 0  WR – 1  TE – 0  K – 0

The Jaguars desperately needed help at wide receiver, and they got it by trading up for the best WR in the draft, Justin Blackmon.

The rest of their draft was iffy at best, but Blackmon could make it all worth it if he can help turn QB Blaine Gabbert into the stud Jacksonville management seems to think he is.

With last year’s biggest surprise explosion—wide receiver Laurent Robinson—lining up opposite Blackmon to start the season, the rookie might be able to put up some pretty good fantasy numbers as he’ll be looking at one-on-one coverage every week.

AFC SOUTH: Tennessee Titans – Fantasy Impact: 4

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 0  WR – 1  TE – 1  K – 0

The Titans were pretty psyched to see WR Kendall Wright on the board at No. 20 in the first round, even if the wide receiver position wasn’t their biggest need.

What they drafted, however, was one of the best playmakers in the draft who will stretch the defense and force teams into single-coverage all over the field. Because of this, Kenny Britt, Chris Johnson and whoever starts at QB will all be pretty happy having Wright out there.

Of course, he’ll still have to beat out Nate Washington for the outside position, but he’d be just as explosive, if not more so playing inside at the slot position.

My only problem with him fantasy-wise is that there are a ton of mouths to feed in the Titans offense, so his chances of putting up better than WR3 numbers aren’t very good.

Tennessee also grabbed tight end Taylor Thompson in the fifth round, a 6’6”, 282 pound freaky athlete who actually played defensive end in college. However, his size and athleticism make him especially intriguing as a tight end project, but that’s all he’ll be in 2012.

AFC WEST: Denver Broncos – Fantasy Impact: 2

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 1  RB – 1  WR – 0  TE – 0  K – 0

I would have loved to have seen the Broncos pick up a wide receiver to give Peyton Manning another weapon to throw to. Instead, they opted for one of the faster running backs in the draft, Ronnie Hillman, in the third.

The best-case fantasy scenario for Hillman is that he takes over for Knowshon Moreno in the third-down role and rips off some long ones with his above-average playmaking ability, but that probably won’t be enough to make much of a dent on the fantasy scene.

The Donkeys only other skill-position pick was QB Brock Osweiler in the second-round, but he won’t do more than ride pines in 2012 while learning from one of the best.

AFC WEST: Kansas City Chiefs – Fantasy Impact: 2

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 1  WR – 2  TE – 0  K – 0

I can’t say the Chiefs needed much on offense in this draft considering all the talent they have returning from injuries this year, but they decided to grab a couple of wide receivers and a running back anyway.

The first one was in the fourth round when they picked up mini-speedster Devon Wylie out of Fresno State. It will be intriguing to see how KC uses his sub-4.4 speed out of the slot, but he’ll have to earn the playing time first.

Running back Cyrus Gray was taken in the sixth, and though he has a nice combination of skills, he won’t get much of a chance unless either Jamaal Charles or Peyton Hillis gets injured.

WR Junior Hemmingway was one of the strongest receivers in the draft and was taken in the seventh. It’s tough to see him cracking the lineup this season, but he might pan out down the line.

AFC WEST: Oakland Raiders – Fantasy Impact: 1

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 0  WR – 1  TE – 0  K – 0

Oakland didn’t have a first- or second-round pick this season and didn’t grab a skill-position player until the fifth when they picked up WR Juron Criner out of Arizona.

He’s a big one, though, standing 6’2.5” while weighing 224 pounds, but with a bit of a logjam at the receiver position, he might not be able to use his red zone skills much this season.

AFC WEST: San Diego Chargers – Fantasy Impact: 4

Fantasy Players Drafted:  QB – 0  RB – 1  WR – 0  TE – 1  K – 0

The Chargers had a great draft on the defensive side of the ball and got great value on the two skill-position players they took later on as well.

Fourth-round selection, tight end Ladarius Green is a great height standing 6’6”, but he’s also on the far-too-thin side at 238 pounds. If he can bulk up, he has a chance to be the heir apparent to Antonio Gates down the line. His 4.5-speed and awesome hands make him dangerous all over the field, while 6’6” is always nice to have in the red zone.

If the Chargers can figure out some good two-tight end sets, Green has a bit of a chance to produce this season.

The other value guy they got was running back Edwin Baker late in the seventh round. His 4.45-speed is really nice, of course, but his strength for a guy at 5’8”, 204 pounds is what makes it strange that he lasted until the end of the draft. In fact, if Ryan Mathews happens to get injured this season, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the gutsy, hard-running Baker take on the starting role over Curtis Brinkley.

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