Andrew Luck Sweepstakes: Which Teams Are the Current Front-Runners?

After tonight's matchup between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, we will be done with six weeks of NFL action and already several teams have separated themselves in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. 

The Indianapolis Colts (0-6) and St. Louis Rams (0-5) are both winless right now, but I don't believe either team would draft the Stanford quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

The Colts feel like injured signal-caller Peyton Manning has several good years left in him, and it would be a waste to draft Luck, pay him a ton of cash and have him sit for at least three seasons. Meanwhile, the Rams already have invested in a franchise quarterback with Sam Bradford, and he is hardly the reason their season has gone into the tank this early. 

If either the Colts or the Rams end up with the top overall selection in April's draft, it is likely they would just auction off the pick, and the right to select Luck, to the highest bidder. Even if that meant actually taking Luck on draft day before turning around and shipping him somewhere else. 

The Miami Dolphins (0-4) are the lone winless team with a need at quarterback. The Fins opened the season with Chad Henne under center and have since lost him to season-ending shoulder surgery. Luck would be an immediate fit in Miami if the team ends up with the pick, and outside of the Denver Broncos, none of the bottom eight teams in my power rankings have a pressing need at the quarterback position.

The Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers all spent first-round picks on quarterbacks in the 2011 draft, and the Arizona Cardinals paid a hefty price to acquire Kevin Kolb, then handed him a six-year, $65 million contract.

That leaves the Dolphins as a team desperately in need of quarterback help and in the perfect position to select Luck. Right now they have to be considered the favorites to land him in April's draft.

NFL Power Rankings, Week 7*
 
1. Green Bay Packers (6-0)
2. New England Patriots (5-1) 
3. Baltimore Ravens (4-1)
4. San Francisco 49ers (5-1)
5. Oakland Raiders (4-2)
6. New Orleans Saints (4-2)
7. Detroit Lions (5-1)
8. San Diego Chargers (4-1)
9. Buffalo Bills (4-2)
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)
11. Houston Texans (3-3)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2)
13. Atlanta Falcons (3-3)
14. Tennessee Titans (3-2)
15. New York Giants (4-2)
16. New York Jets (2-3)
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2)
18. Chicago Bears (3-3)
19. Dallas Cowboys (2-3)
20. Philadelphia Eagles (2-4)
21. Cleveland Browns (2-3)
22. Kansas City Chiefs (2-3)
23. Washington Redskins (3-2)
24. Seattle Seahawks (2-3)
25. Carolina Panthers (1-5)
26. Denver Broncos (1-4)
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5)
28. Arizona Cardinals (1-4)
29. Minnesota Vikings (1-5)
30. Indianapolis Colts (0-6)
31. Miami Dolphins (0-4)
32. St. Louis Rams (0-5)

*Rankings will be updated after Jets-Dolphins game tonight.