Welcome back to our Glaring Team Needs series! Its the final weekend of the preseason, college football has already begun, and the NFL regular season gets started next Thursday. In a word, finally. No actual football games including preseason have been missed, but with the wild off-season it has felt as though it has been gone forever. As we continue to look at what might happen after the season, lets remember to enjoy whats coming up here in the more immediate future. Now, a look at the Rams, Panthers, an Bills and what they may be looking for in the 2012 draft.
Glaring NFL Team Needs
- Biggest Need: LB The Rams have collected a nice group of talent on offense and with their 2011 1st round pick of DE Robert Quinn, started working on the defense. While the starters at DT are older, there is some youth at the position and they have taken corner backs in the 3rd round in 2009 and 2010. Outside of
, however, they haven’t taken a linebacker before the 7th round since drafting
in the fourth round of the 2004 draft. 2012 Draft Pick: Zach Brown, OLB UNC Brown is an athletic do-it-all on the tremendously loaded UNC defense.
2. Carolina Panthers - Biggest Need: CB The Panthers are another team that has a lot of younger talent on offense and outside of Cam Newton, started using a lot of picks on defense. An area they may want to focus on early next year would be corner back. Chris Gamble is a good starter on one side, but Munnerlyn and recent 4th round pick Brandon Hogan may be better suited guarding the slot. Adding a top notch corner would get them three deep at CB for a defense that looks to be on the rise. 2012 Draft Pick: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama Kirkpatrick is similar to Gamble in size an would match up well with the big receivers the Panthers face in the NFC South.
3. Buffalo Bills - Biggest Need: OT I am sure many would expect this to be quarterback, but I'm thinking that if Chan Gailey thinks he can win with Ryan Fitzpatrick, I'm willing to give it a whole season. Even if Fitzpatrick truely is the guy to win it all for Buffalo he won't be able to o it behind their current offensive line and most likely no body else could either. 2011 4th round tackle Chris Hairston should get a chance at right tackle and OG/C Eric Wood are a place to start. Demetrius Bell started all 16 games at left tackle last season, even though he probably shouldn't have and everyone has for the most part, disappointed. Getting a top talent to play left tackle should be high on the to do list 2012 Draft Pick: Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford Andrew Luck's blindside helper has all the athleticism for the position in pass protection, but need to work on his footwork and defending double moves.
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