2012 NFL Mock Draft
This is how I see the first round shaping up with less than a month to go before the draft.
Pick No. 1 – Indianapolis Colts: With Peyton Manning no longer in Indy, the Colts need a franchise quarterback. I expect Stanford’s Andrew Luck to be their guy. A strong pro day dismissed any concerns about his arm strength, and there was never a doubt about his football IQ and leadership abilities. Baylor’s Robert Griffin III may have more upside because of his athleticism, but Luck is the more polished prospect.
Pick No. 2 – Washington Redskins: The Skins traded three first round picks and a second round selection in order to get Robert Griffin III. Only time will tell if he is worth the price. In the past, dual-threat quarterbacks have thrown up red flags. Cam Newton’s fantastic rookie season, however, did a lot to change the perception. Griffin is an elite athlete but was also a very accurate passer at the collegiate level. He completed 72.4 percent of his throws last season.
Pick No. 3 – Minnesota Vikings: Taking USC’s Matt Kalil here seems to be a no-brainer. He is an instant upgrade at left tackle and will be Christian Ponder’s blindside protector for years to come.
Pick No. 4 – Cleveland Browns: The Browns need more playmakers, and Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon has the potential to quickly develop into one of the best playmakers in the league. He can team with Greg Little to form a formidable one-two punch on the outside.
Pick No. 5 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs could take LSU’s Morris Claiborne here, but I believe they’ll go with Alabama running back Trent Richardson. He is a special player who should instantly improve a running game that ranked 30th in the NFL last season.
Pick No. 6 – St. Louis Rams: Morris Claiborne may have been licked by the Wonderlic, but the Rams won’t be foolish enough to pass on this talented cornerback. They need playmakers for Sam Bradford, but Claiborne is an excellent value in this position considering he is the best defensive player in the draft. The Rams could take Blackmon if he slips.
Pick No. 7 – Jacksonville Jaguars: Iowa tackle Riley Reiff would be a safe pick for the Jags as they seek extra protection for second-year QB Blaine Gabbert. Plus, he’ll also open up a few more holes for star tailback Maurice Jones-Drew.
Pick No. 8 – Miami Dolphins: Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill is a bit raw (just 19 starts at QB in college) but has major upside. Plus, Mike Sherman, the Dolphins new offensive coordinator, was Tannehill’s coach at A&M. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind working with a player he’s already familiar with.
Pick No. 9 – Carolina Panthers: Carolina’s offense came alive last season with Cam Newton under center. Now, it needs to do something about a defense that was among the worst in the league. Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe would be a great start. He has freakish athleticism for his size (6-foot-3½, 346 pounds).
Pick No. 10 – Buffalo Bills: The Bills filled a need at defensive end with the addition of Mario Williams, but they may not be able to pass up a player as talented North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples. He’s clearly the top 4-3 defensive end in the draft and would be a nice complement to Williams.
Pick No. 11 – Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
Pick No. 12 – Seattle Seahawks: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
Pick No. 13 – Arizona Cardinals: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
Pick No. 14 – Dallas Cowboys: Mark Barron, S, Alabama
Pick No. 15 – Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
Pick No. 16 – New York Jets: Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama
Pick No. 17 – Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
Pick No. 18 – San Diego Chargers: Cordy Glenn, OT/G, Georgia
Pick No. 19 – Chicago Bears: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
Pick No. 20 – Tennessee Titans: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
Pick No. 21 – Cincinnati Bengals: LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
Pick No. 22 – Cleveland Browns: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State
Pick No. 23 – Detroit Lions: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
Pick No. 24 – Pittsburgh Steelers: Dont’a Hightower, ILB, Alabama
Pick No. 25 – Denver Broncos: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
Pick No. 26 – Houston Texans: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
Pick No. 27 – New England Patriots: Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse
Pick No. 28 – Green Bay Packers: Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois
Pick No. 29 – Baltimore Ravens: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
Pick No. 30 – San Francisco 49ers: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
Pick No. 31 – New England Patriots: Kendall Reyes, DT, Connecticut
Pick No. 32 – New York Giants: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
