The first bloom of the new year. The smell of fresh-cut grass. The sounds of nature's rebirth. Ah, yes, the wonderful sounds and smells of April ... or April in the real world.

April in the NFL? It's a much different landscape.

The smell of flowers is replaced by the stench of a college prospect sweating profusely as the first day of the draft ends. The sounds of nature are drowned out by those of an angry GM who just lost out on a can't-miss prospect. Then there are the last-minute plane rides and rental car miles logged to check out kids who will soon be asked to save a franchise. Yesterday's nobodies will soon be April's household names.

Oh yeah, the sounds and smells of an NFL April.

The entire league's landscape changes for this magical month. NFL Draft picks are to NFL teams what wooden beams are to Bob Villa -- an absolute staple to building a stable structure.

That said, following is the first installment of an eight-part series that will dissect, poke, prod, analyze and predict what each team in each division needs to accomplish, hopes to accomplish and probably will accomplish when NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue stands in front of a group of strangers to announce David Carr as the Houston Texans' first pick of the 2002 Annual Amateur Selection Draft.

Houston Texans

Some teams draft for need, others draft to upgrade their rosters by nabbing the best available player on the board. The Houston Texans are one of the rare teams that can kill two birds with each pick.

David Carr will be headed to the Texans. (AP)

They have needs at nearly every position and thus, even if they go with top talent on their board, they will likely satisfy a glaring need.

"We'll go best available player and then we'll trade for need and fill in other spots with veterans (after June 1)," said Houston general manager Charley Casserly, the man in charge of playing architect for Texans owner Bob McNair. "Sometimes, you are put into a position where you subconsciously grade a guy higher because you want to fill in that need. That won't be us."

Another luxury Casserly and coach Dom Capers will have is drafting for long-range building rather than a short-term fixer-upper.

"Our goal is to get quality guys who will start at some point and play for us, but they don't have to come in and start on opening day," Casserly said. "We're looking at a long-range view. Clearly some guys will start, but one of our goals is to head into the draft with an experienced player at every position and build on top of them."

Houston has been awarded the first and 18th picks in Rounds 2 through 7 as well as the 34th pick of the final round.

Needs: QB, OG, RB, FB, WE, TE, S, NT, DE, ILB, OLB.

"We obviously have a lot of needs," said Casserly. "We need another defensive lineman, help at linebacker, we have two safeties who didn't play last season and on offense, we could use another receiver, fullback, tight end and interior offensive line."

So where will the Texans go? They will use their first overall selection on franchise quarterback Carr and have already met with Carr's agent, Michael Sullivan, to discuss parameters of a deal. Offensive coordinator Chris Palmer has kept in constant contact with the Fresno State star. They believe Carr is their Starr, but where do they go after that? Some needs are more pressing than others.

"Tight end, one of our inside backer positions, running back and fullback," Casserly said.

Casserly would like to walk away with a solid fullback but admits such a talent can be had in the draft's latter rounds.

Running a 3-4 defense, expect the Texans to go linebacker heavy. They would love to find themselves this year's version of the Steelers super rookie inside LB, Kendrell Bell, and at the same time provide depth and future starters. Although they signed former Viking Kailee Wong to play pass-rushing backer, Houston won't be able to pass up a solid rusher in the John Abraham/Peter Boulware/Joey Porter mode if he's sitting there in the second or third round.

Also, while they signed James Allen, the Texans are seeking their running back of the future. Solid runners have often been produced in Rounds 2 through 4 (or the sixth round, if he's from Georgia).

Tennessee Titans

Heading into last year's draft, the Titans seemed to be a team destined for New Orleans. They were about as deep as a team could possibly be. So how did they go from Super Bowl-bound to wounded and weary in such a short period of time? The answer -- age and injuries -- is common to most plagued franchises. The Rx -- draft picks -- depends upon a team's scouting department.

If Tennessee is to rebound into the rock solid team it was two and three years ago, the Titans must come out of this year's draft with at least two bona fide starters.

Needs: CB, S, DT, LB, RB, OG, C.

Cornerback DeRon Jenkins is gon, which means the Titans are in the market for someone to pair with former Pro Bowler Samari Rolle. In addition, their 46 defense has lost Blaine Bishop and suffered major problems at safety in general last year. Their secondary had been one of the staples of a feared Titans defense. Now, it becomes a place they would love to be able to grab one and possibly two highly rated players to step right in and start.

The Titans planned to bring 49ers safety Lance Shulters to Tennessee later this week. If they can sign him, that eliminates a dire need.

One thing the Titans don't want to do is reach with the 14th pick in the draft. While they desperately need a starting corner and safety, they won't grab a guy and force him into a value worthy of such a high pick. As a result, they are working overtime evaluating a slew of defensive linemen in case safety Roy Williams of Oklahoma, and corners Quentin Jammer of Texas and Phillip Buchanon of Miami are off the board.

While coaches say that the secondary is the team's No. 1 need, they preparing as if the best value will be elsewhere.

Tennessee has already brought in top defensive line prospects Albert Haynesworth and John Henderson of Tennessee along with Wisconsin defensive lineman Wendell Bryant and had a visit scheduled with North Carolina DT Ryan Sims. A player like Sims would be a solid value at this position.

On the offensive side of the ball, Tennessee has a target that has been largely hush-hush to this point.

"We all think Eddie (George) will be back, but until we see him on that field, healthy game after game, do you really know?" asked one team source. "We are looking for a guy to back him up and take over if he can't play. If we can get a solid guy who can play special teams in the third or fourth round, we'd strongly consider that. We're very seriously considering using a high or mid-round pick if there's a solid kid there."

Jacksonville Jaguars

Needs: LT, DT, WR, OG, LB, CB.

As of Monday, the team's No. 1 need was on the offensive line, most notably a tackle to replace departed Tony Boselli -- grabbed by the Texans in the expansion draft. In addition, starting guard Zach Wiegert is holding out for more money. The team also lost Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gary Walker (considered a beast by fellow NFL players) and fellow starting DT Seth Payne via expansion. Because they are waving goodbye to the Hardy boys (Nickerson and Kevin), linebacker will also be a priority.

The Jags' draft day focus will shift depending upon what moves they can make between now and April 20. If they can resolve some of their offensive line problems, they will shift to defensive tackle in the first round to pair him with last year's No. 1 pick, Marcus Stroud. Should they not re-sign a reliable lineman such as Todd Fordham and continue to have problems with Wiegert, they could use the draft's ninth pick there if one of the top two tackles somehow falls to them, though that's highly unlikely.

Jacksonville believes a starting guard will not come in the first round but believes it can grab one in the second or third. Considering the Jags still have a solid QB in Mark Brunell and a potentially dangerous runner in Fred Taylor, re-building their offensive line is a top priority.

One other option for the team is to trade out of the slot. There has been talk recently that this option will come into play, and it would be the Jags' best move considering the holes they need to fill.

They signed Patrick Johnson to replace Keenan McCardell, who will be a June 1 cut, but have little glitter at the position aside from Pro Bowl player Jimmy Smith. Plus, a reliable replacement for the oft-injured Taylor is also a target.

Indianapolis Colts

Tony Dungy's offense is fine. Tony Dungy's defense is not.

Big-play safety Roy Williams might be irresistable to the Colts. (AP)

If GM Bill Polian has a draft like those that made him famous on the East Coast during the last decade and a half, the 6-10 Colts might be able to rebound to their pre-2001 form and even think about ... hold your tongue Jim Mora ... "Playoffs? Playoffs?" With the Colts offense still a potent weapon, Dungy's defensive mind needs some toys to play with.

Needs: DT, DE, LG, return specialist, TE.

Dungy's philosophy has long been defense first. Luckily, this fits perfectly with the Colts' primary need. The Colts defense needs to add serious help up front, and Polian has publicly decreed that they need to add size to their run defense.

Don't be surprised to see the Colts grab multiple players for their defensive line. You know the old saying: "If it's broke, fix it." While the offense needs some patchwork, the defense is in dire need of major reconstruction.

Considering the Colts have the 11h pick of the first round, they will have an opportunity to grab a big, strong interior lineman such as Sims, Henderson, Haynesworth or Bryant. Either way, odds are that an upgrade is in their future.

They appear to be set at linebacker, but injuries in the past have proved they can never have enough depth inside or outside. Depending upon how the first day's selections progress, Polian will likely grab a linebacker either late the first day or early second.

Indy went safety heavy in last year's draft and has David Macklin and Walt Harris slated to start at the cornerback slot. But remember, the Colts are shifting to the Bucs' style of defense and could grab a secondary man who they believe will better fit Dungy's system. Oklahoma's Roy Williams is Dungy's type of player. The question they have to ask is if they feel his talent is greater than their need for one of the DTs.

On offense, they can use a third-, fourth- or fifth-rounder to nab a guard to compete with Rick DeMulling, a promising seventh-rounder from last year's draft, for the starting left guard slot. Considering they have the top young quarterback in the game, drafting another protective block to place in front of him is never a bad idea.

Although they are set at wideout with Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne (last year's top pick) and recent signee Qadry Ismail, they need a return specialist to replace free agent Terence Wilkens. Thus, they can grab a wideout or DB project who doubles as a pure return maven.

Finally, with Pro Bowl player Ken Dilger gone, the Colts need to add another tight end. They have had tremendous success using "12 personnel" or a two-tight end, single-back formation. Marcus Pollard has proved to be one of the league's best, but they need another decent receiving tight end to pair with him.