2012 Mock Draft

Mock drafts used to be done by a handful of experts in the draft world. Now, everyone has a mock draft. It is like every waiter in Hollywood has a script in their back pocket. Last year, I did my first ever mock draft for the first round. My results were similar to a lot of other mocks that you see this time of the year. There were some hits and plenty of misses, but it was a lot of fun, and I really enjoyed doing it. The fun part about making a mock draft is creating draft day trades. Who the hell knows if they trades would ever be made, but it is certainly part of the fun to try and come up with something different. Without further ado, here is the 2012 Mock Draft:

Round 1

1) Indianapolis Colts select Andrew Luck- QB Stanford.
-The Colts land the best QB prospect to come out since Peyton Manning. Mark it down: Luck is the real deal. He will throw for 30 touchdowns and 4,000 yards every season. The only question is going to be this: Can he win 12-13 games a year like Manning did. If he does, then they might be building another statue in Indy alongside Manning's.

2) Washington Redskins select Robert Griffin III- QB Baylor
-The Redskins and Mike Shanahan get their franchise QB in RG III. RG III has the possibility of becoming one of the most exciting players in all of the NFL. He also brings some credibility and hype back to the struggling Redskins franchise. Luck and RG III will be linked forever, and both might turn out to be franchise level players.

3) Minnesota Vikings TRADE pick to St. Louis Rams. Vikings swap 1st round picks, and the Vikings receive the Rams 3rd round pick (#66 overall.)

St. Louis Rams select Justin Blackmon- WR Oklahoma St
-The Rams move up three picks, and get one of the top blue-chip players on the offensive side of the ball. St. Louis can pair Blackmon with Sam Bradford and give the Rams some young offensive weapons to build this team back up.

4) Cleveland Browns select Trent Richardson- RB Alabama
-The Browns take the next best offensive skill player available in Richardson. They lost Peyton Hillis, and with two first round picks, the Browns can use this pick on giving their offense a much needed spark. Richardson fills in nicely for the departed Peyton Hillis. Plus, when you are the Browns you need any kind of offensive spark.

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Morris Claiborne- CB LSU
-Greg Schiano was a DB coach at Penn State before he ended up at Rutgers. He knows defensive talent when he sees it. Another blue-chip player goes off the board, and the Bucs add real talent to their secondary.

6) Minnesota Vikings select Matt Kalil- OT USC
-The Vikings trade back a few picks, get the guy they want, and pick up an extra third rounder to accumulate some other players in this draft. They get a tackle that they can use right away, protect their quarterback, and enhance their team overall.

7) Jacksonville Jaguars select Michael Floyd- WR Notre Dame
-The Jags go against the grain and get Floyd high in this draft. They desperately need some help at wideout, and Floyd brings some instant impact. He will step in right away to help the Jaguar offense.

8) Miami Dolphins TRADE with Kansas City. Miami swaps first round picks with KC, and Miami receives KC's 2nd round pick (44th overall.)

Kansas City Chiefs select Melvin Ingram- OLB South Carolina
-The Chiefs make a big trade up to nab the talent Ingram. KC quietly is building a solid team and making a move for Ingram gives their young defense another playmaker. When a defensive lineman/outside linebacker runs the ball on a fake punt, then you know the kid is a freak. I can see Ingram having a Jevon Kearse type of impact his rookie year.

9) Carolina Panthers select Quinton Coples- DE North Carolina
-Many draft experts are questioning Coples motivation and play, but he is a true pass rushing talent. The Panthers look to turn back the clock and find the next Julius Peppers. Say what you want about Coples, but if he plays to his potential, he could be a very good pass rusher in the league.

10) Buffalo Bills select Reilly Reiff- OT- Iowa
-My friend Scott, a diehard Bills fan, says that Bills GM Buddy Nix loves players from the SEC and the ACC. With that said the Bills have abandoned their offensive line too many times in the past. They need a tackle badly, and Reiff is a guy you can plug in for the next 10 years.

11) Miami Dolphins select Ryan Tannehill- QB Texas A&M
-The Dolphins desperately need something to energize their fanbase. It was reported that they are having trouble holding onto the commitments from their season ticket holders. Like Jake Locker and Christian Ponder, Tannehill probably shouldn't go in the top 15, but this pick makes too much sense for Miami. Tannehill gets reunited with his former college coach Mike Sherman, who is now the OC for the Dolphins.

12) Seattle Seahawks select Fletcher Cox- DT Mississippi St
-Cox has risen up the draft boards the past few months. Seattle gets the next best defensive lineman left on the board, and you can never have enough quality defensive linemen, so this pick could pay huge dividends.

13) Arizona Cardinals TRADE with the New York Jets. Arizona swaps first round picks with the Jets and they also pick up the Jets 2nd round pick (44th overall.)

New York Jets select Mark Barron- S Alabama
-The Jets jump in front of the Cowboys to get Barron. The Jets need to make a splash in this draft because the following reasons:
1-They need to do something to somehow combat the Patriots offense-especially those two TEs
2-They are in dire need of help of some type of impact player in this draft.
3-The only thing they have done so far this offseason is sign Laron Landry and trade for Tim Tebow. They haven't exactly closed the gap on New England or even separated themselves from the Bills.
This would be a fantastic move for the Jets, and it makes too much sense for them to not go up and get Barron.

14) Dallas Cowboys select Stephon Gilmore- CB South Carolina
-After failing to get Barron, the Cowboys still upgrade their secondary with the addition of Gilmore. The Cowboys have needed help in their secondary for a few years now, and Gilmore looks like the perfect fit for them.

15) Philadelphia Eagles select Luke Kuechly- ILB Boston College
-For some reason teams just don't value the inside linebacker position anymore. It is a shame because the best way to stop the run comes from having solid linebackers in your front seven. You can get away with rotational guys at defensive tackle, but you need a stud in the middle. Kuechly looks like he can be  that guy.

16) Arizona Cardinals select David DeCastro- OG Stanford
-The Cards would have loved to pair Larry Fitzgerald with Michael Floyd, but with Floyd off the board, they trade down and add one of the best interior line prospects to come out in the draft in a few years.

17) Cincinnati Bengals select Dre Kirkpatrick- CB Alabama
-Kirkpatrick got busted for pot a few months ago, so he will fit right in with the Bengals. Cincy can't pass up this talent though. He steps at cornerback from day one, and if he keeps his off the field problems away, he will be a very solid pick.

18) San Diego Chargers select Courtney Upshaw-DE Alabama
-The Chargers need help on the pass rush, and Upshaw falls to them at 18. They are going to need to improve in that area because Peyton Manning just waltzed into their division.

19) Chicago Bears select Dontari Poe- DT Memphis
-The Bears also need to upgrade their defensive front, and Poe wowed everyone at the combine. He doesn't have to get a lot of sacks to be a solid player in Chicago. All he has to do is clog things up, take on double teams and let Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher go to work. The Bears added Brandon Marshall this offseason, so they took care of their need at wide receiver.

20) Tennessee Titans TRADE with the New England Patriots. The Titans swap first round picks with New England and they receive one of the Pats 2nd round picks (48th overall.)

New England selects Whitney Mercilus- DE Illinois
-The Pats use their ammunition to trade up and get a pass rusher. The Pats have been dying for a bonafide pass rusher, and Mercilus may be their guy. I'm sure the Pats will make a million trades on draft day, but I think this is the year they finally trade up and grab someone who can make a real impact on the defensive line.

21) Cincinnati Bengals select Kendall Wright- WR Baylor
-The Bengals use their second pick of the night to go get themselves some help at receiver. Now, they can pair Wright and A.J. Green together and give Andy Dalton some real explosive players on offense. Wright can function as a returner too, but let's hope the NFL doesn't do away with all kick returns for the 2012 season.

22) Cleveland Browns select Brandon Weeden- QB Oklahoma St
-You can smell this pick coming from a mile away. If Weeden wasn't 28, then he would be a top 10 pick. Scouts say that he is the second best passer in the draft next to Andrew Luck. If Colt McCoy struggles early, then the Browns can go with Weeden. Hell, he might even beat McCoy out in training camp.

23) Detroit Lions select Cordy Glenn- G/T Georgia
-I love offensive lineman that have the flexibility to play both guard and tackle. I can't wait for NFL Network's Mike Mayock to say "You can kick him inside" about 1,000 times when describing Glenn on draft night. When Matt Stafford is ready to make the jump to the next level, you have to invest in offensive linemen to protect him.

24) Pittsburgh Steelers select Michael Brockers- DT LSU
-The Steelers need to add youth to their defensive front seven. All you have to do is watch the film from last year's playoff loss to the Broncos. They will be delighted that Brockers falls to them.

25) Denver Broncos select Dont'a Hightower- ILB Alabama
-Forget about 3-4 and 4-3 schemes when projecting players. Hightower immediately helps out the Broncos defense. Everyone thinks the Broncos will be going defensive line with their pick, but if they really want to improve their run defense, then they take Hightower. The last time the Broncos were good at stopping the run was in 2005. Ironically, that was the last full season played by MLB Al Wilson. Hightower helps them out right away, and they need linebacker help since D.J. Williams is suspended for the first six games next year. I have a feeling the Broncos don't really need a big time defensive tackle in their minds, and they can always stockpile some of those players later on.

26) Houston Texans select Stephen Hill- WR Georgia Tech
-The Texans have some holes on the defensive side of the ball, but remember they did okay without Mario Williams for much of the season anyway. I suspect they go get themselves another receiver to pair with Andrew Johnson. Gary Kubiak would love to add more depth at wideout, and give the Texans more ammunition for Matt Schaub.

27) Tennessee Titans select Jerel Worthy- DT Michigan State
-It just seems that the Titans are always getting really solid defensive lineman. Add another one in Worthy after the Titans trade back. Don't get too caught up in 4-3 and 3-4 schemes. Most teams in the NFL play a lot of nickel fronts anyway. Worthy was a frontrunner to be a top 10 pick just a few months ago.

28) Green Bay Packers select Shea McClellin- DE/OLB Boise St
-The Packers always do a great job with their draft, and there aren't too many holes to fill on a 15-1 team. Look for McClellin to add some help along their defensive line.

29) Baltimore Ravens select Alshon Jeffrey- WR South Carolina
-This may be one of the surprise moves in the first round, but it makes sense to me. Think about it: Anquan Boldin isn't getting any younger, Lee Evans would have sent the Ravens to the Super Bowl if he held on the ball against the Patriots at the end of the AFC Championship Game, and it gives Joe Flacco another weapon to go with Torrey Smith. The Ravens always make smart moves in the draft, and Jeffrey was a consensus top 15 pick before the combine.

30) San Francisco 49ers select Doug Martin- Boise St
-Martin sneaks his way back up into the first round. The 49ers have built themselves on defense, forcing turnovers, special teams play, running the ball, and letting Alex Smith manage the game. I know they have Frank Gore, but you need to have two solid running backs in the NFL. The Niners get a guy who can really add to their offensive philosophy.

31) New England Patriots TRADE with Indianapolis Colts. New England receives Indy's 2nd round pick (34th overall.)

Indianpolis Colts select Jonathan Martin- OT Stanford
-How about the Jedi Master Bill Belichick? The Pats get their second 2nd round pick back, and don't be surprised if the Pats use that pick on Janoris Jenkins. The Colts trade back into the first round to get a tackle to pair with Andrew Luck. Martin is considered a very solid prospect, and the Colts don't want the Giants to get Martin with the last pick in the first round. Plus, Martin reunites with Andrew Luck to give the Colts that precious QB/T combination that a  young team desperately needs. It kind of reminds me of when the Browns got Joe Thomas and Brady Quinn together in the first round. The only difference is that Brady Quinn sucks, and Andrew Luck is pretty damn good.

32) New York Giants select Coby Fleener- TE Stanford
-Certain teams always seem to get guys to fall to them every single year. The Ravens, Patriots, and Packers come to mind. Also, the Giants always seem to be lucky enough to get a certain player that they could use fall to them. Last year, it was Prince Amukamara. This year it will be Fleener. The Giants will add to their running back depth later on in the draft, and they have a legitimate need at TE. Fleener steps right in and adds some more help for Eli Manning and that Giant offense. The Super Bowl Champs get a real solid pick here with Fleener at #32.

*A few last items:

1) It is very hard to predict trades in the draft, but I really wanted to make a trade that saw the Saints getting back into the first round. I think that will be the surprise of the night. Somehow I see the Saints making a move and making a pick in the first round. The problem is that they lost so many picks this year and next year, that it is hard to predict how they are going to do that. We'll see what happens, but don't be surprised if the Saints find their way into the mix on the first night of the draft.

2) It sounds like the Eagles are willing to deal Asante Samuel during the draft weekend. Denver has been rumored to been in the mix, so a Samuel-to-Denver deal could very well happen.

3) It wouldn't shock me to see the Steelers dangle Mike Wallace out there either. Wallace has been very reluctant to sign his Restricted Free Agent tender, and the Steelers are smart with these kind of moves. I would say that it probably won't happen, but there is always the possibility.

4) Another receiver that could be dealt is Santonio Holmes. I don't know who would want him, but I wouldn't be shocked if the Jets did move him for the right deal. It feels like the Jets are going to make a splash at this draft.

5) Finally, I think the Broncos will address the defensive line and wide receiver in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. I would love to see them add a receiver like Joe Adams from Arkansas to replace the departed Eddie Royal, and they certainly could add someone like Brandon Thompson from Clemson to their defensive line on day two. The Broncos like to weal and deal on the second day of the draft, and don't be surprised if they use their two 4th round picks to get back into the third round and add another player. A lot of people see Denver going with a running back in the 2nd or 3rd round, but I am not buying it. They have Willis McGahee, Lance Ball, Knowshon Moreno (Coming back from injury), and Mario Fannin. Fannin was the buzz in training camp last year until he hurt his ankle and was put on Injured Reserve before the season started.