2012 NFL Mock Draft: Which Teams Will Have to Get Creative with Their Picks?

The formula for the NFL Draft is quite simple: teams have needs, and teams fill these needs with draft picks.

The trouble is that it's never this simple. There are plenty of teams every year that pass on filling a need to take a player with a high ceiling. Other teams are unable to fill needs because players who can fill them have already been taken.

I'm definitely oversimplifying things, but the point is simple. The NFL Draft is the wild west, and being able to improvise is key.

In the 2012 draft, I have a feeling that the five teams listed below are going to have to improvise. Allow me to explain why in further detail.

Dallas Cowboys Draft Nebraska DE Jared Crick

The Cowboys are a team that is going to have all sorts of options when they're on the clock on draft day. Above all, I think they would be best suited addressing the interior of their offensive line. Beyond that, they could also stand to add a body to their linebacking corps.

The problem is that I have the Cowboys picking in the mid-20s, where pickings could be pretty slim. Offensive linemen are going to be at a premium, and this is a draft class that could see a whole bunch of linebackers go early in the draft, leaving needy teams like the Cowboys to weigh their options.

One thing the Cowboys could do is draft a defensive end. This is something that I thought they were going to do in the first round in the 2011 draft, but they went with Tryon Smith instead. A good pick, to be sure, but they would be wise to go for a defensive end this year.

When the Cowboys are picking, the best option will be Nebraska's Jared Crick. He should go much higher based on talent alone, but the torn pectoral muscle he suffered earlier this season is going to cost him. But if he lasts to the Cowboys, he'll be a great pick.

Cincinnati Bengals Draft Washington RB Chris Polk

The Bengals are going to have two first-round picks on draft day, and they are going to have a couple priorities. Cornerback is one need, and I have them filling that by taking South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore with the first of their first-rounders.

After that, the Bengals are going to have to address their running back situation. Cedric Benson is a free agent after the season, and I highly doubt the Bengals are going to bring him back.

However, Trent Richardson and Lamar Miller are both going to be long gone. If the Bengals want a running back, they're going to have to reach into second-round territory.

Washington's Chris Polk is a good pick. He's not as highly-touted as Richardson or Miller, but he's had a very productive career as a Huskie. He's topped 1,000 yards in three straight seasons, and has developed into a dangerous pass-catcher as well.

Drafting Polk will constitute a reach, but it would be a good one.

New York Giants Draft Oklahoma DE/OLB Ronnell Lewis

Honestly, there's really no telling what the Giants are going to do in the first round on draft day. They have needs up and down their roster, chief among them being offensive line and linebacker. I also think they might want to draft a wide receiver.

If no offensive line help is available, my best guess is that the Giants will start weighing their linebacker options. One of the more intriguing players on the board will be Oklahoma's Ronnell Lewis.

Technically, Lewis is a defensive end, but it's more adequate to describe him as a hybrid. He can play down on the line and behind it. Obviously, he's a pretty good athlete.

The Giants could use a guy like this. Lewis would be a welcome addition to their linebacking corps, and he could also be used on the line if need be.

And who knows? Maybe the Giants could groom him to be Osi Umenyiora's replacement when he walks after the 2013 season.

Buffalo Bills Draft North Carolina DE Quinton Coples

The Bills are pretty well set on the offensive side of the ball, but they could use some help at offensive tackle.

Unfortunately, they won't have a shot at getting one of the draft's top offensive tackles. Instead, I'm thinking the next-best thing for the Bills to do would be to add another piece to their front seven, which got a big upgrade when they drafted Marcell Dareus in 2011.

One guy that would be a good fit is North Carolina's Quinton Coples. He's a defensive end by trade, but he's yet another player that could play off the defensive line as well. Much like Robert Quinn before him, Coples is an impressive athlete.

Seeing as how Chan Gailey runs a hybrid 3-4 that occasionally uses 4-3 looks, Coples would be an ideal fit.

Arizona Cardinals Draft Arizona State LB Vontaze Burfict

Last but not least, we have the Cardinals. Naturally, they are another team that needs offensive line help, especially seeing as how it's in their interest to make sure Kevin Kolb stays in one piece.

The Cardinals could very well be in position to take one of this year's top tackles, but they're going to play some winnable games down the stretch this season. They could easily win a couple, thus moving down the draft order a few spots.

If they do, they may end up missing out on one of the top tackles and will have to look at other options. 

Arizona State's Vontaze Burfict would be a good pick. The Cardinals could use another pass rusher, and Burfict is arguably the best this draft class has to offer. As a total package, he's a menace of a player and one that the Cardinals could build their defense around.

Assuming Patrick Peterson continues to develop, Arizona's defense could be dangerous a few years down the road.

Note: Draft order is a version of my Week 13 NFL Power Rankings, adjusted to account for playoff projections.

Pick	Team	Player
1	Indianapolis Colts	Andrew Luck, QB (Stanford)
2	St. Louis Rams	Alshon Jeffery, WR (South Carolina)
3	Minnesota Vikings	Matt Kalil, OT (USC)
4	Jacksonville Jaguars	Justin Blackmon, WR (Oklahoma State)
5	Miami Dolphins	Robert Griffin III, QB (Baylor)
6	Cleveland Browns	Trent Richardson, RB (Alabama)
7	Kansas City Chiefs	Jonathan Martin, OT (Stanford)
8	San Diego Chargers	Riley Reiff, OT (Iowa)
9	Carolina Panthers	Morris Claiborne, CB (LSU)
10	Arizona Cardinals	Vontaze Burfict, LB (Arizona State)
11	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Dre Kirkpatrick, CB (Alabama)
12	Seattle Seahawks	Matt Barkley, QB (USC)
13	Washington Redskins	Landry Jones, QB (Oklahoma)
14	Philadelphia Eagles	Manti Te'o, LB (Notre Dame)
15	Buffalo Bills	Quinton Coples, DE (North Carolina)
16	Tennessee Titans	David DeCastro, G (Stanford)
17	New York Jets	Courtney Upshaw, LB (Alabama)
18	New York Giants	Ronnell Lewis, LB (Oklahoma)
19	Denver Broncos	Lamar Miller, RB (Miami)
20	Detroit Lions	Alfonzo Dennard, CB (Nebraska)
21	Cincinnati Bengals	Stephon Gilmore, CB (South Carolina)
22	Cleveland Browns (via Atlanta Falcons)	Melvin Ingram, DE (South Carolina)
23	Cincinnati Bengals (via Oakland Raiders)	Chris Polk, RB (Washington)
24	Dallas Cowboys	Jared Crick, DE (Nebraska)
25	Houston Texans	Michael Floyd, WR (Notre Dame)
26	Chicago Bears	Cordy Glenn, G (Georgia)
27	New England Patriots	Mark Barron, S (Alabama)
28	New England Patriots (via New Orleans Saints)	Devon Still, DT (Penn State)
29	Pittsburgh Steelers	Janoris Jenkins, CB (North Alabama)
30	San Francisco 49ers	Nick Toon, WR (Wisconsin)
31	Baltimore Ravens	Luke Kuechly, LB (Boston College)
32	Green Bay Packers	Brandon Thompson, DT (Clemson)