2012 NFL Mock Draft: 5 Teams Destined to Chase Stanford's Andrew Luck

When the "next Peyton Manning" comparison is being thrown everyone's ears perk up and they pay attention.

Well, Andrew Luck has had this comparison for almost all of two years now.

The Stanford quarterback is the consensus No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, and there is not another player even worth considering at this point.

North Carolina's Quinton Coples is an intriguing option for a team like the Carolina Panthers, but only because they have Cam "I'll throw for 5,000 yards and win three games this year" Newton.

And USC's Matt Kalil is an option for a team desperate for a franchise left tackle, but Luck is one of those players that doesn't come around very often.

His ability to read defenses, natural play-making skills and arm draw considerable comparisons to No. 18.

But, he's a better overall athlete than Manning and can do triple the amount of damage on the move as "Pocket Master" Manning.

He is, by all accounts, the most complete franchise quarterback prospect since Manning himself.

Six teams started the year 0-2 and have the current leg up on chasing down Andrew Luck. We will have a seventh 0-2 team following the Giants-Rams Monday Night Football matchup, but both teams are exempt from the chase due to the respective presence of Eli Manning and Sam Bradford.

Of those six, four are legitimate contenders for Luck in the draft. The two that are not - Carolina and Minnesota - both used first round picks on a quarterback this year.

This leaves Seattle, Miami, Indianapolis and Kansas City as the early favorites with one surprise 1-1 team on the list as well.

Here are the five favorites—in order—of chasing Andrew Luck this season.

Kansas City Chiefs

The 0-2 Chiefs lost their best two players on opposite sides of the ball in consecutive weeks. Safety Eric Berry and running back Jamaal Charles are two losses this team will not be able to overcome.

Offensively this team has looked last from the get go, and they are truly in trouble after dropping two games they should have won in Weeks 1 and 2. The loss of Charlie Weis may not only doom this team this year, but it could cost coach Todd Haley and quarterback Matt Cassel their jobs.

Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning's career ending was earmarked with the five-year deal signed earlier this summer. Now, following a number of neck injuries and endless speculation, the end may be closer than we ever expected.

Either way, whether he plays two more years or four more years, the Colts have to consider Luck an option should they stumble to the top of the draft. 

They will not come across another franchise quarterback of Luck's caliber—at least as we look at it now—and there is no telling what can happen.

Seattle Seahawks

This team is getting younger and more talented under coach Pete Carroll, but they have an awful offensive line, a questionable quarterback, running game issues and a mediocre defense at best.

Things will get better for this team, but a legitimate franchise quarterback is one of the missing pieces.

Much like the defending AFC West champion Chiefs, this division-defending champion has a lot of things to figure out before it can compete for the postseason again.

Luck would be the crowing jewel to this team's rebuilding phase.

Miami Dolphins

This is arguably the best team of the 0-2 teams, but their woes will continue. Coach Tony Sparano is all but fired already and needs a postseason appearance to even give him a chance at staying.

Miami is 1-9 in their last ten home games and that is not a statistic representative of a playoff team.

Quarterback Chad Henne looks better this year, but he is still Chad Henne.

The Dolphins may win some games on the road and get out of this chase, but they're going to start a new quarterback in 2012 regardless. Why can't it be Luck?

Denver Broncos

Forget about Kyle Orton, Brady Quinn and, most of all, Tim Tebow. If the Broncos are within spitting distance of Andrew Luck, I see nothing stopping John Elway from pulling out all the stops to land him.

This team has been doomed since they announced Kyle Orton as their starting quarterback and things aren't going to get much better. A home win over the lowly Bengals doesn't make this team any better than they were a year ago, and I see evidence of this team being competitive for the duration of the year.

If Tim Tebow isn't the answer in a rebuilding/transition year, he never will be.