2012 NFL Draft AFC Breakdown & Rankings

Which teams got the best value? Who did the best job? CFN ranks and analyzes every draft class.

2012 NFL Draft

Draft Ranking & Analysis - AFC

2012 NFL Draft Team Analysis - AFC
EAST Buffalo | Miami | New England | NY Jets
WEST Denver | Kansas City | Oakland | San Diego
NORTH Baltimore | Cincinnati  Cleveland | Pittsburgh
SOUTH Houston | Indy | Jacksonville | Tennessee

2012 NFL Draft Team Analysis - NFC
EAST Dallas | NY Giants | Philadelphia | Washington
WEST Arizona | San Francisco | Seattle | St. Louis
NORTH Chicago | Detroit | Green Bay | Minnesota
SOUTH Atlanta | Carolina | New Orleans | Tampa Bay    

Round-By-Round Picks & Analysis Round 1 | Round 2
Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7  

Which teams had the best draft class?

Everyone seems to have an opinion on which teams got the most talented players, but who got the best value? Time will tell who got the stars and the difference-makers, but for now it's about value. Who got the best picks at the right times? Who got the steals? Who addressed their needs in the most efficient and effective way possible? Here's the CFN ranking of all the draft classes from 1 to 32 with 1 being the best. 

Click on each team for the breakdown and analysis on every team's pick.

NFL Draft Class Rankings & Breakdowns
AFC Teams | NFC Teams | Follow Us ... #ColFootballNews
  
EAST

Buffalo

The Draft Was ... Underwhelming. The Bills needed a corner, offensive tackle, and receiver, and that’s what they went after. However, Georgia’s Cordy Glenn is going to be a guard and NC State’s T.J. Graham isn’t exactly a well-rounded receiver. Stephon Gilmore was the high-rising corner prospect leading up to the draft, and he has to be a star from Day One or this draft class won’t work. There’s a chance that Zebrie Sanders in the fifth round could be a flat-out steal of a tackle.
Best Value Pick: OT Zebrie Sanders, Florida State, 5th round
Worst Value Pick: WR T.J. Graham, NC State, 3rd round
They Should've ... worked harder to move up in the third round and get UCF CB Josh Robinson. He was a steal for Minnesota at the 66, and the Bills took Graham three picks later.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 3
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 16

Miami

The Draft Was ... all about Ryan Tannehill. Considering what Washington paid to get Robert Griffin, Tannehill was a chance worth taking with the eighth overall pick. The rest of the draft seemed to be to upgrade the playmakers for the shiny new quarterback with OT Jonathan Martin in the second round – a total steal – to protect Tannehill, and with TE Michael Egnew in the third, RB Lamar Miller in the fourth, and a great late pick in Michigan State WR B.J. Cunningham in the sixth.
Best Value Pick: OT Jonathan Martin, Stanford, 2nd round
Worst Value Pick: QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M, 1st round
They Should've ... traded down to take a chance that Tannehill would fall. Opinions were split on Tannehill and others really, really like Brandon Weeden and Brock Osweiler. There’s a chance Arizona would’ve taken Tannehill at the 13, but no one else would’ve thought about it until Cleveland’s turn at the 22.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 2
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 14

New England

The Draft Was ... an acknowledgement that the defense needs a whole bunch of help. With the first six picks on defense, and WR Jeremy Ebert the only offensive pick – and he went in the seventh round – this was all about boosting up the weakness. However, the Pats got a slew of try-hard, fit-the-mold types rather than get any real value. Safeties Tavon Wilson in the second round and Nate Ebner in the sixth were horrendous reaches, but Bill Belichick made up for it by taking a chance on Alfonzo Dennard, a top 50 talent with off-the-field issues, in the seventh.
Best Value Pick: CB Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska, 7th round
Worst Value Pick: S Tavon Wilson, Illinois, 2nd round
They Should've ... traded down in the second round. There was no reason to take Wilson in the fifth round, much less the second, especially with DTs Kendall Reyes, Devon Still and Jerel Worthy there for the taking to boost up the mushy interior.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 4
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 24

New York Jets

The Draft Was ... so Rex Ryan. There’s plenty of attitude and lots and lots of bold moves looking to be great. DE Quinton Coples was a reasonable chance on greatness at the 16, and speedy WR Stephen Hill was a great pick at the right time in the second. There were several excellent shots for the stars in the late rounds. RB Terrance Ganaway could stick after a sixth round pick, and safety Antonio Allen and WR Jordan White are as good as seventh round fliers get.
Best Value Pick: RB Terrance Ganaway, Baylor, 6th round
Worst Value Pick: S Josh Bush, Wake Forest, 6th round
They Should've ... thought about OLB Sean Spence instead of Demario Davis in the second round. Davis is versatile and has the athleticism and tools, but Spence a fighter who seems more like the New York Jet type of linebacker. He was good enough for Pittsburgh to take with the 23rd pick in the second.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 1
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 11

WEST

Denver

The Draft Was ... strong, considering there wasn’t a first round pick. DT Derek Wolfe with the fourth pick in the second was a bit of a reach, but it’s a safe selection, while QB Brock Osweiler with the 57th pick overall was inspired. Speedy RB Ronnie Hillman will pay off much better in the third round than Knowshon Moreno did in the first. DE Malik Jackson in the fifth and LB Danny Trevathan in the sixth are ballers who’ll fight to make the roster.
Best Value Pick: QB Brock Osweiler, Arizona State, 2nd round
Worst Value Pick: DT Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati, 2nd round
They Should've ... taken the chance on corner Janoris Jenkins, a need pick. Considering the Broncos didn’t have a first-rounder, they could’ve made up for it by taking the troubled by talented corner instead of Wolfe in the second. Wolfe went with the 36th, and Jenkins slid to St. Louis at the 39.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 2
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 21

Kansas City

The Draft Was ... all about the lines, but there’s a chance the draft could be a total and complete waste of time. There isn’t one pick, including DT Dontari Poe at the 11, that’s a rock-solid sure thing to hit. OG Jeff Allen was a reach in the second round; Donald Stephenson is a guard and it seems like KC wants him as a tackle; and Devon Wylie is a cute pick in the fourth that a team with so many needs shouldn’t have taken.
Best Value Pick: RB Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M, 6th round
Worst Value Pick: OT Donald Stephenson, Oklahoma, 3rd round
They Should've ... gone after another defensive tackle in the second round instead of Allen. The Chiefs needed a nose tackle and got one in Poe, but they could’ve loaded up on the interior with Kendall Reyes, Jerel Worthy, or Devon Still.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 3
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 23

Oakland

The Draft Was ... Carson Palmer. LB Miles Burris fits the Oakland mold of athletic playmakers in the fourth, and DE Jack Crawford and WR Juron Criner were good prospects in the fifth, but considering the Raiders didn’t get a draft pick until the 95th overall selection, there’s a solid chance that none of the six picks will make a difference.
Best Value Pick: LB Miles Burris, San Diego State, 4th round
Worst Value Pick: OG Tony Bergstrom, Utah, 3rd round
They Should've ... taken WR Chris Givens or Travis Benjamin instead of Bergstrom. The Raiders need linebacker help and could’ve used more receivers, and instead they went after a mediocre jack-of-all-trades prospect for the line in Bergstrom. Oakland is known for going after difference makers, and it didn’t do it.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 4
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 31

San Diego

The Draft Was ... terrific. Everyone was looking for a hybrid pass rusher like Melvin Ingram, and the Chargers got him in a good spot in the first round. DT Kendall Reyes was a nice value selection in the second, while TE Ladarius Green was a steal – remember the name now, fantasy owners – in the fourth. C David Molk and RB Edwin Baker are excellent seventh round chances to take.
Best Value Pick: C David Molk, Michigan, 7th round
Worst Value Pick: S Brandon Taylor, LSU, 3rd round
They Should've ... addressed the offensive line earlier than the fifth round. Taylor was a reach in the third and passed on blot-out-the-sun guard Brandon Brooks, who went three picks later to Houston.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 1
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 2

NORTH

Baltimore

The Draft Was ... okay, but the Ravens didn’t get any great values. Courtney Upshaw is a Baltimore-like defensive end who should help out Terrell Suggs on the other side, while the offensive interior was addressed with Kelechi Osemele in the second and Gino Gradkowski in the fourth. RB Bernard Pierce was a great pick in the third to use as a part of a rotation, while lightning-fast WR Tommy Streeter was an interesting chance worth taking in the sixth.
Best Value Pick: WR Tommy Streeter, Miami, 7th round
Worst Value Pick: OG Gino Gradkowski, Delaware, 4th round
They Should've ... taken Ben Jones in the third. Fine, so Gradkowski was growing into a hot prospect, but the Ravens still paid a ton to get him iwht the 98th overall pick. Jones, a center out of Georgia, would’ve been a much safer, much more effective pick.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 4
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 8

Cincinnati

The Draft Was ... one of the best drafts in franchise history. It seemed like the Bengals always managed to get the right pick at the right time with few reaches early and excellent value late. TE Orson Charles was a phenomenal steal in the fourth round, as was DT Brandon Thompson late in the third. Wisconsin OG Kevin Zeitler is as safe a pick as they come late in the first round, and DT Devon Still should be called Devon Steal – really, really sorry about that – going with the 53rd overall selection. CB Shaun Prater and WR Marvin Jones are fifth-rounders who could stick, while S George Iloka was a fifth round pick who could’ve easily gone in the third.
Best Value Pick: DT Brandon Thompson, Clemson, 3rd round
Worst Value Pick: CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama, 1st round
They Should've ... sent a balloon bouquet to Oakland for the Carson Palmer trade. The Bengals made the most of their multiple picks and came up with a whopper of a draft. It’s nitpicking, but the line could’ve used some help on the end.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 1
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 1

Cleveland

The Draft Was ... a possible game-changer. Nothing shifts the momentum of a franchise faster than bringing in a key new skill position player, and the Browns got two with RB Trent Richardson and QB Brandon Weeden. However, the rest of the draft was mediocre. DT John Hughes was a puzzler in the third round, and LB Emmanuel Acho and DT Billy Winn were nice names but probably won’t do much from the sixth round. There are plenty of bodies, but the draft is all about what happens up top with Richardson and Weeden.
Best Value Pick: DT Billy Winn, Boise State, 6th round
Worst Value Pick: WR Travis Benjamin, Miami, 4th round
They Should've ... gone after a better wide receiver. Hughes doesn’t make a whole bunch of sense, especially in the third round, especially with Chris Givens still on the board. Instead, Givens went with the first pick in the first round and Cleveland took Benjamin four picks later.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 2
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 3

Pittsburgh

The Draft Was ... a typical Pittsburgh draft, taking the right players at the right time. Someone should be investigated for letting the Steelers improve their line instantly by stealing David DeCastro with the 24th overall pick, while OT Mike Adams was a terrific chance to take late in the second round. RB Chris Rainey should be a speedy playmaker in several ways, while fourth round DT pick Alameda Ta’amu should be a fixture in the interior.
Best Value Pick: OG David DeCastro, Stanford, 1st round
Worst Value Pick: LB Sean Spence, Miami, 3rd round
They Should've ... Spence wasn’t a bad pick in the third, but there several other players still on the board who could’ve fit. The D line was addressed with Ta’amu, but Brandon Thompson would’ve been a great pick in the third to help out with the interior. Instead he went to Cincinnati.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 3
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 6

SOUTH

Houston

The Draft Was ... potentially solid late. DE Whitney Mercilus is hardly a sure-thing safe bet at the end of the first round, and DeVier Posey, while a good No. 2 receiver prospect on the other side of Andre Johnson, is hardly a perfect pick. However, the Texans got massive OG Brandon Brooks for the running game in the third round; found its center in Ben Jones in the fourth; and took a solid returner/third wideout in Keshawn Martin late in the fourth. Jared Crick, f healthy could be a phenomenal steal with the 126th overall selection.
Best Value Pick: OG Brandon Brooks, Miami Univ., 3rd round
Worst Value Pick: WR DeVier Posey, Ohio State 3rd round
They Should've ... gone after a true outside linebacker. Mercilus is the pure pass rusher the defense needed, but linebacker was a hole that wasn’t filled. Instead of reaching with Posey, linebackers Sean Spence and Demario Davis were still on the board.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 2
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 20

Indianapolis

The Draft Was ... the first step. The demise of the Colts was more than just the loss of Peyton Manning, but the offense needed to quickly come up with a slew of new skill players to get the offense moving again. Andrew Luck was a no-brainer, and then Indy went New England by loading up at tight end taking Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen. Overall, the Colts went after as many live bodies as possible, and when it doubt they went offense. That included the Mr. Irrelevant pick, QB Chandler Harnish – don’t be shocked if he sticks.
Best Value Pick: DT Josh Chapman, Alabama, 5th round
Worst Value Pick: WR T.Y. Hilton, FIU, 3rd round
They Should've ... gone corner in the third round. After taking Fleener in the second, grabbing Allen was excessive considering the needs at corner. The next two picks after the Tiger tight end were corners Trumaine Johson and Josh Robinson.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 1
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 7

Jacksonville

The Draft Was ... fine until the Jaguars went silly. They did what they needed to do to move up to get Justin Blackmon, filling a massive hole, and got a nice hybrid pass rusher in Andre Branch, but for a team with so many problems, taking a punter early in the third was a luxury that couldn’t be afforded. The punting game was a disaster, but that’s what fifth and sixth round picks are for.
Best Value Pick: DE Andre Branch, Clemson, 2nd round
Worst Value Pick: P Bryan Anger, California, 3rd round
They Should've ... traded down to get the punter. Fine, so they wanted to address the problem, and Anger is a terrific prospect, but with few picks of substance left after the trade up for Blackmon, moving down should’ve been a priority.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 4
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 27

Tennessee

The Draft Was ... athletic. With WR Kendall Wright in the first and LB Zach Brown in the second the Titans got really fast, really quick. DT Mike Martin is the type of third round pick that makes GMs look smart, and then the draft went off the rails with CB Coty Sensabaugh in the fourth. S Markelle Martin was a fantastic value pick in the sixth, but other than Mike Martin there isn’t a sure-thing on the lot. That includes Wright.
Best Value Pick: S Markelle Martin, Oklahoma State, 6th round
Worst Value Pick: CB Coty Sensabaugh, Clemson, 4th round
They Should've ... gone after another good receiver instead of Sensabaugh. Nick Toon is the type of no-risk target who would’ve been a perfect complement to Wright to give the Titans their receiving corps for the next several years, but instead he ended up going to New Orleans.
Division Draft Ranking (out of 4 teams, 1 best - 4 worst): 3
Overall Draft Ranking (out of 32 teams, 1 best - 32 worst): 25

NFL Draft Class Rankings & Breakdowns
AFC Teams | NFC Teams