2012 NFL Mock Draft: 4 Teams That Need Young Blood on Defense

No matter how great a defense is and despite the fact that with age comes wisdom, at some point, younger players need to take over and begin to develop as a professional athlete.

At age 38, Denver Broncos safety Brian Dawkins continues to devour opposing offenses every week. He's been in the NFL since 1996, but can still lay the wood on any ball carrier in the game.

However, as much as we'd love to see a player like Dawkins last another six to eight years, it's just impossible for the body to manage that level of physicality with age.

Now, there are also other examples along with Dawkins. He just happens to be the oldest starting defensive player in the game (Ray Lewis is 36).

All that being said, here are four NFL defenses who need to get younger via draft.

Minnesota Vikings: Morris Claiborne, CB (LSU)

In addition to the Vikings having an incredibly weak pass defense, they also need to add some talented youth, especially in the secondary.

Currently, Minnesota has CB Antoine Winfield (34) and Benny Sapp (30) as their two oldest CBs. However, although everyone else is rather young, none have as much raw talent as LSU's Morris Claiborne, nor were they as highly touted when coming out of college.

Also, Winfield has only played in five games this season, so adding Claiborne can help with depth purposes as well.

Being in the NFC North means you have to shutdown some solid passing attacks, too. Green Bay and Detroit both love throwing the ball, and when healthy, Jay Cutler can be quite effective in Chicago.

Minnesota already has a great rush defense, but if they had any kind of consistent pass defense they'd be in the playoff hunt right now. Claiborne is that guy to get them back on the right path and into a rather quick rebuilding process.

Denver Broncos: Alfonzo Dennard, CB (Nebraska)

As mentioned in the intro, Denver safety Brian Dawkins is 38 years old. Well, Denver also has another guy in the secondary, Champ Bailey, who's 33 years old.

And with the Broncos having drafted both Von Miller and Rahim Moore last season, it's clear they are planning ahead of time for whenever both Dawkins and Bailey hang it up. Well, since Champ is a CB, Nebraska's Alfonzo Dennard is a great future replacement.

In 2010, Dennard was overlooked due to the dominance of Prince Amukamara. However, he's taken over this season and is the next shutdown CB in line coming from the 'Huskers.

Include Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil stopping the run and pressuring the QB, and Dennard will have a great time playing CB in the Mile High City.

Not to mention, he'll get to learn from two of the better secondary veterans in pro football. The Orange Crush defense was solidified in its return when Brian Dawkins joined Denver in 2009 to pair up with Champ Bailey.

Now, the future is being set with Miller, Moore and, potentially, Alfonzo Dennard—most definitely a solid core to build around.

New England Patriots: Cam Johnson, DE (Virginia)

If there's a defense that needs youth in the trenches, it's the New England Patriots. They have four D-linemen age 30-plus (Andre Carter, Shaun Ellis, Gerard Warren, Vince Wilfork), and the rest of the youngsters have been underperforming, as the Pats don't have much of a pass rush.

That said, it's part of the reason why Bill Belichick's defense ranks dead last in pass defense. You can't expect to stop any pass offense when you're not getting a pass rush. New England has a young secondary, but do need talent there as well.

However, drafting a DE such as Virginia's Cam Johnson will take a lot of pressure off the LBs and DBs. Johnson may not be nearly as productive as his 2010 campaign this season, but he's also seeing more double-teams and isn't playing with too much help around him (CB Chase Minnifield, but that's it).

In New England, Johnson would be the Pats' best pass-rusher, and in creating more pressure on the QB, that will allow Belichick to mix up some coverage packages to get his DBs in better turnover position.

As the NFL has become a passing league (outside of Denver), getting pressure on the QB becomes that much more important.

Baltimore Ravens: Luke Kuechly, LB (Boston College)

Sooner or later, Baltimore LB Ray Lewis has to hang up the cleats. And when he does, if the Ravens draft Luke Kuechly out of Boston College, they won't need to wait for the next big time replacement.

Now other than Lewis, Baltimore does have some decent young talent at the inside LB position. But, the reason why Jameel McClain has been solidly effective is because of Lewis' presence.

Whenever Lewis retires, if the Ravens want to remain a top defense, being able to refill that spot with some immediate high-level talent is a must.

That's where Kuechly comes in. Each of the last three seasons, Kuechly has recorded over 140 tackles (191 in 2011) and has six INTs over the last two years.

The young man has great instincts, and you don't make that many tackles without knowing how to constantly get off blocks quick, being a sure tackler and being a coachable player.

And whenever Lewis does retire, he should coach Kuechly because his potential is through the roof. Not to mention, he was the 2011 ACC Defensive Player of the Year.

2012 NFL First Round Mock Draft

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB (Stan.)	17. New York Jets: Riley Reiff, OT (Iowa)
2. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR (Okla. St.)	18. Denver Broncos: Alfonzo Dennard, CB (Neb.)
3. Minnesota Vikings: Morris Claiborne, DB, (LSU)	19. Tennessee Titans: Alshon Jeffery, WR (S. Car.)
4. Miami Dolphins: Matt Barkley, QB (USC)	20. Detroit Lions: Zach Brown, LB (UNC)
5. Carolina Panthers: Brandon Thompson, DT (Clem)	21. Cincinnati Bengals: David DeCastro, G (Stan.)
6. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Floyd, WR (ND)	22. Cleveland (From ATL): Jeff Fuller, WR (Tex. A&M)
7. Arizona Cardinals: Trent Richardson, RB (Ala.)	23. Cincinnati (From Oak): Jonathan Martin, OT (Stan.)
8. Seattle Seahawks: Matt Kalil, OT (USC)	24. Chicago Bears: Nick Toon, WR (Wisc.)
9. Cleveland Browns: Vontaze Burfict, LB (ASU)	25. Dallas Cowboys: Quinton Coples, DE (UNC)
10. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin, QB (Baylor)	26. Pittsburgh Steelers: Cordy Glenn, OG (Georgia)
11 .Philadelphia Eagles: Manti Te'o, LB (N.D.)	27. Houston Texans: Jerel Worthy, DT (Mich. St.)
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Devon Still, DT (Penn St.)	28. N.E. (From N.O): Cam Johnson, DE (Virginia)
13. San Diego Chargers: Courtney Upshaw, LB (Ala.)	29. New England Patriots: Mark Barron, S (Ala.)
14. Kansas City Chiefs: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB (Ala.)	30. San Francisco 49ers: Chase Minnifield, CB (UVA)
15. Buffalo Bills: Janoris Jenkins, CB (N. Ala.)	31. Baltimore Ravens: Luke Kuechly, LB (B.C.)
16. New York Giants: Mike Adams, OT (Ohio St.)	32. Green Bay Packers: Melvin Ingram, DE (S. Car.)

Follow John Rozum on Twitter @ Sportswriter27.