Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning is gone, so the Colts are starting over. Andrew Luck will obviously be the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, so Indianapolis needs to build around him. Early selections should be spent on a receiver, a tight end and an offensive lineman. The Colts also need 3-4 personnel because they are moving to that scheme. They've addressed some of those areas in free agency (though a nose tackle is still needed), so their efforts must be spent on constructing a strong supporting cast to help Luck become the perennial Pro Bowler everyone expects him to be.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. Andrew Luck, QB

2. Coby Fleener, TE

3. Alameda Ta'amu, NT

4. Juron Criner, WR





Washington Redskins

The Redskins are in the same position as the Colts, only with a better defense and running game. Robert Griffin will the choice at No. 2, so Washington needs to provide him with a target and protection. The Redskins have the personnel to contend for a playoff spot with quality quarterbacking, so they must do everything in their power to make Griffin's transition to the NFL as smooth as possible. The secondary must also be addressed.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. Robert Griffin, QB

3. Casey Hayward, CB

4. Tommy Streeter, WR

4. Nate Potter, OT



Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota has so many needs, but the front office has to prioritize acquiring support for Christian Ponder. The No. 12 overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft has absolutely nothing to work with outside of Percy Harvin, an injured Adrian Peterson and a raw Kyle Rudolph. The offensive line is in shambles, and it must be addressed immediately. The secondary is also a mess.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. Matt Kalil, OT

2. Harrison Smith, SS

3. Brandon Boykin, CB

4. Marvin McNutt, WR

4. Jaye Howard, DT

4. Shaun Prater, CB



Cleveland Browns

No one wants to play for the Browns, per certain reports. Whether you believe them or not, there's no denying that this Cleveland team doesn't appear as though it's going anywhere. There's no franchise quarterback, while the offense as a whole lacks play-makers. The 2012 NFL Draft will be all about bolstering the scoring unit.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. Trent Richardson, RB

1. Kendall Wright, WR

2. Mike Adams, OT

3. Brock Osweiler, QB

4. Chase Minnifield, CB

4. Travis Lewis, OLB







Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Raheem Morris said it before he was fired - the offense lacks play-makers. Josh Freeman really struggled in 2012 for various reasons, one of which was a miserable supporting cast. Vincent Jackson was added in free agency, but he's not enough. The back seven of the defense also needs to be fixed.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. Morris Claiborne, CB

2. Doug Martin, RB

3. Tank Carder, LB



St. Louis Rams

The Rams are in the same exact position as the Vikings: They have tons of holes and a young quarterback with a terrible supporting cast. Jeff Fisher must help Sam Bradford to prevent the Oklahoma product from becoming the next David Carr. I've seen some mocks project Fletcher Cox to St. Louis at No. 6 overall, but selecting a defensive tackle over Justin Blackmon would be disastrous.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. Justin Blackmon, WR

2. Mike Adams, OT

2. Kendall Reyes, DT

3. LaMichael James, RB

4. Marvin McNutt, WR



Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville has a playoff-caliber defense and running game. It's just too bad that its quarterback situation is so miserable. If Blaine Gabbert continues to struggle, Gene Smith will be fired because he traded up for him last April. The smart move would have been to admit the mistake and attempt to move up for Robert Griffin, but that ship has sailed. Thus, Smith's only move is to give Gabbert the best supporting cast possible.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. Michael Floyd, WR

2. Kevin Zeitler, G

3. Cam Johnson, DE

4. Joe Adams, WR



Miami Dolphins

Just like no one wants to play for the Browns, NFL players are avoiding the Dolphins. The owner is not a football guy, while the general manager asks prospects if their mother is a whore. This Miami franchise is in complete disarray and needs help everywhere, particularly on offense. Improving the pass rush is also a must.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. Michael Floyd, WR

2. Vinny Curry, DE/OLB

3. Marvin Jones, WR

3. James Brown, OT

4. Ryan Lindley, TE







Carolina Panthers

The Panthers have their franchise quarterback in place. Now, they have to build around him and improve their defense. Upgrades can be acquired at almost every position on the stop unit.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. Michael Floyd, WR

2. Kendall Reyes, DT

4. Josh Norman, CB



Buffalo Bills

Buffalo spent a ton of money this offseason revamping the defensive line. It also gave lots of cash to Ryan Fitzpatrick during the 2011 campaign. Upgrading Fitzpatrick's supporting cast is crucial at this point, especially considering that his left tackle recently signed with the Eagles. The cornerback position must also be addressed.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. Riley Reiff, OT

2. Josh Robinson, CB

3. Marvin McNutt, WR

4. Ryan Lindley, QB

4. T.Y. Hilton, WR



Kansas City Chiefs

Excluding the obvious hole at quarterback, the Chiefs have two positions of weakness: interior offensive line and nose tackle. Luckily for them, they may have a choice between David DeCastro and Dontari Poe at No. 11. There are also second-round prospects at those positions (Kevin Zeitler, Alameda Ta'amu) who could be available.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. David DeCastro, G

2. Alameda Ta'amu, NT

3. Dwight Bentley, CB

4. Josh Kaddu, DE/OLB



Seattle Seahawks

Seattle filled its need at quarterback by signing Matt Flynn, so the front office can now concentrate on upgrading the front seven. The pass rush is lacking, while the linebacking corps is in shambles. Like the Chiefs, the Seahawks can upgrade both areas in the first two rounds because there will be prospects at those positions available at both selections.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. Luke Kuechly, ILB

2. Vinny Curry, DE

3. Chris Polk, RB

4. Tony Bergstrom, OT-G







Arizona Cardinals

Upgrading the quarterback position is out of the question because the Cardinals just paid Kevin Kolb's $7 million option bonus. They'll have to bolster his offensive line and receiving corps instead. A pass-rusher is also needed across from Sam Acho.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. David DeCastro, G

3. Jeff Allen, OT

4. Josh Kaddu, DE/OLB



Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones said that he's done upgrading the offense after signing Nate Livings and Mackenzy Bernadeau. The thing is, neither Livings nor Bernadeau is a legitimate starter in the NFL, so maybe Jones will still select David DeCastro if he's available at No. 14. I don't see him being there anyway, so Dallas will likely focus on improving its porous defense.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. Dontari Poe, NT

2. Ronnell Lewis, DE/OLB

3. Jamell Fleming, CB

4. Philip Blake, C



Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles don't really have many needs, so they can afford to take the best player available at almost every pick. Areas that still need to be upgraded are strongside linebacker, strong safety and cornerback depth. A big receiver and a successor for the current starting quarterback should also be considered.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. Fletcher Cox, DT

2. Bobby Wagner, OLB

2. Juron Criner, WR

3. Brock Osweiler, QB

4. Ryan Steed, CB



New York Jets

The Jets have lackluster play-makers on offense and a declining defense featuring very few players who can get to the quarterback consistently. Rex Ryan can only pray that Michael Floyd falls to him so he can obtain a No. 1 receiver for Tim Tebow, but he'll likely have to spend his first few selections on upgrades for his stop unit.



Ideal 2012 NFL Draft (First Four Rounds):

1. Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB

2. Harrison Smith, SS

3. Marvin Jones, WR





Go to 2012 NFL Draft Goals: Picks 17-32



Sorry for cutting this into two halves; I've received complaints about load times and putting the mock draft on two pages saves bandwidth.









NFL Draft Links:

Posted April 10, 2012.Follow me @walterfootball for updates.What does every team need to accomplish in the 2012 NFL Draft? We'll look at each team's goals on this page, as well as possible selections for each squad. Also see how the goals are being addressed in the 2012 NFL Mock Draft (will be updated tomorrow).