This passed weekend was the NFL draft. The draft is where teams build dynasties and stock up on draft picks for years to come. You will not know which teams had a successful draft for a few years because the players selected need a big enough sample size to produce. All that we can do until then is predict which teams we think have improved the NFL Draft.
Cincinnati Bengals
Last year the Bengals showed that draft picks can carry your team right away by selecting A.J. Green and Andy Dalton then going on to make the playoffs. Cincinnati went into this draft knowing what they had to do and they drafted great football players and guys that fit their system. The Bengals ended up two first round selections and used one on each side of the ball. With the 17th overall pick the Bengals chose CB Dre Kirkpatrick out of Alabama. Kirkpatrick is a great zone corner who will step up and make tackles in the run game as well. Cincinnati has Leon Hall coming off injury and they brought in Terrence Newman but they need to get younger at that position and Kirkpatrick is a guy that can immediately step in and have an impact. With their second first round selection (27 overall) Cincy chose G Kevin Zeitler out of Wisconsin. Zeitler is a hard-nosed offensive lineman that is terrific in the run game and he can take on virtually any interior rusher. Zeitler is a great fit for Cincy because they lost G Shaun Livings in free agency and they managed to bring in smash-mouth running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis. After making a splash in the first round, Cincinnati continued to have a successful draft. In the second round the Cardiac Cats selected DT Devon Still, he is an ideal NT in a 3-4 but they feel he can be a great DT in a 4-3 and he was one of the top players available. In the third round Mohamed Sanu was selected, a possession Wr out of Rutgers that will lineup opposite of A.J. Green. Sanu is not a speedster but he won’t have many drops and he is physical. The Bengals continued with this defense/offense draft pattern throughout this whole draft by selecting Brandon Thompson (DT-Clemson), Orson Charles (TE-Georgia), Shaun Prater (CB-Iowa), Marvin Jones (WR-Cal), George Iloka (S-Boise St.) and Dan “Boom” Herron (RB-Ohio St.). The Bengals had a ton of steals throughout this draft; Charles in the 4th and Iolka in the 5th are the two most notable. Orson Charles will not compete against Gresham for the starting TE spot but he is a gifted athlete that can come in on certain packages and stretch the defense. After cutting Chris Crocker, the Bengals created a whole at the safety position and managed to wait on George Iolka who many draft experts had him ranked as a top-3 safety. Iolka fits the Cincy defense by being able to go downfield and make plays but he can also step up in the run game and will make plays in the backfield. Even after the draft Mike Brown and the Bengals weren’t done. Right after the draft management went to work and signed ILB Vontaze Burfict (Arizona St.) who is one of the meanest guys in the game and WR Kashif Moore (Uconn). These are both guys that are very well capable of making the 53 man roster, Burfict has all the talent in the world, he just needs to get his head on straight. The Bengals went out and drafted a bunch of guys that are ready to start next year, this team is going to be scary a couple years down the road.
St. Louis Rams
The Rams were one of the worst teams last season but they used their #2 overall draft pick to their advantage and kept trading to create more picks. First the Rams traded out of their #2 spot with the Redskins receiving Washington’s first and second round picks for 2012 and first round picks for 2013 and 2014 as well. During the draft, St. Louis was sitting with the #6 pick and decided to trade back again; they ended up with the 14th pick and late round picks. When the Rams were finally on the clock, they selected DT Michael Brockers out of LSU; a guy that Jeff Fisher said they had contemplated taking at number six. Fisher is a defensive-minded coach and he wants to solidify that side of the ball just like he did in his tenure with Tennessee. Brockers is a young, raw DT that Fisher could turn into a pro-bowler. Brockers was their top pick but they were not done on defense. In the second round the Rams took UNA cornerback Janoris Jenkins. Jenkins is a top-10 talent in this year’s draft class but brings a ton of baggage to the team. Jeff Fisher has worked through these problems before but is Jenkins going to be a Cortland Finnegan or another Pacman Jones? In the third round the Rams went out and took another CB, Trumaine Johnson, Montana. It was surprising to see Johnson fall to the third round because there are a bunch of teams that were looking for CB’s. Getting Johnson 65th overall is a steal and Jeff Fisher already know how he plays not just form film but from his son; Fisher’s son played on the Montana team with Johnson. At 6’2 with great tackle skills, Johnson provides versatility to the Rams, they can choose to play him at CB or even move him back to FS. The Rams weren’t just making an impact on the defensive side of the ball though. With their second selection (33rd overall) they selected Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian St. Sam Bradford has potential to be a fantastic QB but he needs weapons; Quick is 6’4 with huge hands and is electric after the catch. Quick is that big, sure-handed target that Bradford has been looking for. After the Quick pick, the Rams went out and selected slot WR Chris Givens out of Wake Forest in the 4th round (96th overall), they also took: OG, Rakevious Watkins (South Carolina) in the 5th round (150th overall) and RB Isaiah Pead in the 2nd round (50th overall) out of Cincinnati. The Rams went out and drafted a bunch of playmakers on offense, Pead is the type of RB that Fisher likes (great hands & quick burst of speed), he will be great to compliment Steven Jackson. St. Louis finished out their draft by selecting Greg Zuerlein (K-Missouri Western), Aaron Brown (OLB-Hawaii) and Daryl Richardson (RB-Abilene Christian) all in the 7th round. They still have holes on their roster, but they have selected players that fit their system and athletes that will give them a chance to compete right away.
Honorable Mention-Indianapolis Colts
The Colts were horrendous last year and losing Peyton Manning was insult to injury for the Indy fans. With the first overall pick in the 2012 draft the Colts selected Andrew Luck who should be able to fill the void for Peyton Manning one day. Drafting a young QB can be scary so you need to try to ease him into the role and surround him with weapons. Like they say in the NFL, a tight end is a QB’s best friend. In the second and third rounds the Colts went out and addressed their losses of Dallas Clark and Jacob Tamme by taking Coby Fleener (Stanford) and Dwayne Allen (Clemson). Fleener was heavily used by Mr. Luck at Stanford and he has a great repertoire of tools to offer the Indy offense. Fleener is very similar to Greg Olson, he is tall, fast, can run any route and can make catches in traffic. Dwayne Allen was selected in the third round and he offers a different skill set. Allen will have an immediate impact in the blocking game (Fleener’s weakness) and he can also release and 
become a security-type receiver for Luck. With the Colts’ fourth selection (3rd round) they stayed on the offensive side of the ball and selected T.Y. Hilton (Florida International). Hilton is a slot receiver that can flat-out fly and create separation. Look for him to be used on bubble screens and a lot of crossing routes this year, he has big-play potential. The fifth round is where Ryan Grigson selected his first defensive player, Josh Chapman (DT/NT-Alabama). If Chapman had not missed the season due to a knee injury he could have gone in the first round. Chapman will help on the defensive line and take on blockers, allowing Mathis and Freeney to get to the quarterback. In the fifth round Vick Ballard would become the newest Colt. Ballard is a tough RB out of Miss. St. who will provide diversity to a Colts offense. He can run between the tackles and he can also go out and make some catches; he should be a nice compliment to Donald Brown. The Colts also chose LaVon Brazill (WR-Ohio) in the 6th and had three 7th round picks: Jusin Anderson (G-Georgia), Tim Fugger (DE- Vanderbilt) and Chandler Harnish (QB-Northern Illinois). After the draft the Colts also scrambled to get some of the top undrafted free agents. They made two key signings in Griff Whalen (WR-Stanford) and Micah Pellerin (CB-Hampton). Griff Whalen is another guy who will make Luck comfortable because he is familiar with Whalen; this was Luck’s go-to-guy on third down in college. Micah Pellerin fills a need for the Colts and has great potential. Pellerin is 6’0 with fluent hips and plays tight coverage. The Colts will still be picking top 10 next year but they have a bright future.
Other Notable Draft Winners
Pittsburgh Steelers
1 (24)-David DeCastro-G-Stanford
2 (56)-Mike Adams-OT-Ohio State
3 (86)-Sean Spence-ILB-Miami
4 (109)-Alameda Ta’amu-NT-Washington
5 (159)-Chris Rainey-RB-Florida
7 (231) Toney Clemons-WR-Colorado
7 (240) David Paulson-TE-Oregon
7 (246)-Terrence Frederick-CB-Texas A&M
7 (248)-Kelvin Beachum-G-SMU
Philadelphia Eagles
1 (12)-Fletcher Cox-DT-Mississippi St.
2 (46)-Mychal Kendricks-ILB-Calfiornia
2 (59)-Vinny Curry-DE-Marshall
3 (88)-Nick Foles-QB-Arizona
4 (123)-Brandon Boykin-CB-Georgia
5 (153)-Dennis Kelly-OT-Purdue
6 (194)-Marvin McNutt-WR-Iowa
6 (200)-Brandon Washington-G-Miami
7 (229)-Bryce Brown-RB-Kansas St.
Seattle Mariners– 
Los Angeles Angels– Mark Trumbo struggles to get implemented/ keep his spot in the lineup (1B, 3B, DH, OF). He won’t even hit 19 home runs and he won’t be able to keep his average above .240. On a positive note, Kendrys Morales will stay healthy for the most part and knock out 26 home runs while C.J. Wilson gets a team-high 24 wins.
Texas Rangers– Mike Napoli ends up getting moved, again, at the trade deadline. Neftali Feliz has an impressive 13-8 record as a starter. Joe Nathan gets hurt (not bold) and Alexei Ogando becomes the closer getting 33+ saves.
Oakland Athletics– Yoenis Cespedes scorches 37 doubles and leads the team with 22 home runs and 89 RBI. Pitcher, Brandon McCarthy, makes the All-Star team and finished the season with 14 wins and a 2.96 ERA with a sub-1 WHIP. Manny Ramirez also takes the DH spot from Jonny Gomes after serving his 50-game suspension and he hits 13 dingers.
Detroit Tigers– Alex Avila struggles on offense while the rest of the Tigers do not. Austin Jackson finally proves that the Tigers made the right choice in trading Curtis Granderson for him and company. Jackson steals 34 bases and hits a career-high .294.
Cleveland Indians– Josh Tomlin leads this team in wins with only 12. Travis Hafner and Grady Sizemore miss over a combined 210 games. Ubaldo Jimenez still can’t find his groove in Cleveland.
Minnesota Twins– Bottom-dwellers of the AL Central and the league for that matter, which ends up being the worst division in the MLB. Mauer does play, and hits .318, but it doesn’t help the team. Ben Revere ends up taking Denard Span’s CF spot and steals 51 bases.
Kansas City Royals– Royals finish second in division with 88 wins. Eric Hosmer wins the AL MVP despite not making the playoffs. He bats: .330, 29 long-balls and 117 RBI. Mike Moustakas hits 26 home runs and Tim Collins makes the All-Star team as a setup man.
Chicago White Sox– Jake Peavy finally makes a comeback, dealing out a team-leading 14 wins. Matt Thornton finishes the season as the closer but not a good one and Konerko is the only player on the team to bat over .300.
Boston Red Sox (World Series Champs)– Mark Melancon was brought in to be a setup man but he ends up leading the club in saves (28). 
New York Yankees– Ivan Nova becomes the most consistent pitcher. Curtis “The Grandy Man” Granderson hits 
Toronto Blue Jays– 
Tampa Bay Rays– Ben Zobrist hits 24 home runs while snatching 26 bases and he will start games at 2B, 1B, LF, RF and DH. Desmond Jennings hits a shocking 26 HR and B.J. Upton gets traded to Houston.
Baltimore Orioles– Mark Reynolds moves to 1B, Brian Roberts comes back and Robert Andino plays most of the year at 3B. Jake Arietta wins only 9 games but has a 3.20 ERA. Adam Jones gets traded so Baltimore can stockpile on prospects… I don’t know why they want to though.
Arizona Diamondbacks (Lose in World Series)– Trevor Cahill shows he misses pitching at the Coliseum and gets rocked. Ian Kennedy doesn not have the same type of season as last year. 
San Francisco Giants– Freddy Sanchez hits only .263, no one on the team hits over 23 home runs and Lincecum has a 3.49 ERA. Brian Wilson is lights out this year but he will have no save opportunities, only gets 31 saves.
Colorado Rockies– Dexter Fowler becomes a superstar. Jamie Moyer gets 13 wins, Tulowitzki wins NL MVP and Jordan Pacheco hits 24 home runs from the hot corner. Helton and Giambi both announce they will retire at end of season, freeing up first base for 3B prospect Nolan Arenado who will move to 1B.
San Diego Padres– Carlos Quentin hits only 16 home runs. Cameron Maybin leads the team with 26 bombs and 38 steals. Edinson Volquez and Corey Luebke both tie with 15 wins but the Padres still struggle.
Los Angeles Dodgers– Dee Gordon hits well over .300 but Andre Ethier becomes the team’s MVP. Ethier his .328 and knocks in 108 runs while Kemp struggles to hit 25 home runs and doesn’t even reach 100 RBI. Kershaw wins Cy Young by a landslide.
Houston Astros– Jordan Lyles leads the team in wins with 13 and Jordan Schafer robs 23 bases. Unfortunately, a bunch of prospects get called up too early and end up having terrible numbers.
Chicago Cubs– Anthony Rizzo is a disappointment, hitting less than five home runs. Marmol gets traded along with Matt Garza (separate deals), leaving Jeff Samardzija to have the best season as a Cubs pitcher in 2012.
Cincinnati Reds– Aroldis Chapman eventually becomes the closer and strikes out over 100 as a reliever. Votto has a bad year after signing a monster contract, 20 HR and bats only .289. Chris Heisey leads the team as a platoon OF with 27 HR.
Milwaukee Brewers– Mat Gamel provides some pop with Prince Fielder gone. Braun has another 30/30 season, K-Rod gets traded and George Kottaras becomes everyday starting catcher.
Pittsburgh Pirates– McCutchen becomes elite, hitting 31 home runs and getting 34 steals, he earns the highest WAR (Wins Above Replacement). Erik Bedard doesn’t even start 21 games and James McDonald gets 197 K’s.
St. Louis Cardinals– Jon Jay has a breakout season and Wainwright gets 18 wins. David Freese loses his spot in the lineup and Matt Holliday only hits 18 homers. Jason Motte blows a bunch of saves and Fernando Salas takes over.
New York Mets– Jason Bay is back and hits 22 home runs. David Wright knocks 19 out of the park before getting traded to the Chi-Sox in exchange for Gavin Floyd and Alexei Ramirez.
Atlanta Braves– Michael Bourn hits an abysmal .268 but still steals 59 bases and scores 99 runs. Jason Heyward stays healthy all season and knocks out 38 home runs and wins the Home Run Derby.
Miami Marlins– Hanley Ramirez is runner-up for the NL MVP Award, hitting 33 home runs and knocking in 114. Ricky Nolasco rings up 132 batters and gets 16 wins. Miami Marlins win the division. Oh yeah, Giancarlo (formerly Mike) Stanton leads the MLB with home runs, dropping 48.
Philadelphia Phillies– As Chase Utley comes back, Jimmy Rollins gets hurt, leaving Freddy Galvis in the lineup and moving him back to his natural shortstop position. Hunter Pence is the unsung hero and hits a quiet 30 home runs.
Washington Nationals– 
AlexFarnworth 