2012 NFL Mock Draft: First-Round Picks Who Are Future Pro Bowl Stars

Finding future stars in the first round of the NFL Draft is no easy task.

For every Peyton Manning that becomes an All-Pro and Super Bowl champion, there's an Akili Smith, Tim Couch and JaMarcus Russell that under performs and hurts franchises for years.

Last year, Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller was labelled by many as a Pro Bowl talent, and some people even thought he was Hall of Fame caliber. Miller impressed this season for the Denver Broncos, racking up 11.5 sacks in 14 games played.

As we get closer to the 2012 NFL Draft, general managers will be hard at work looking to find future Pro Bowl stars.

Let's look at who those players are from thus year's class.

* Denotes future Pro Bowl player

1) Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck*, QB, Stanford

Andrew Luck is the best quarterback in this draft class, and there's no question he will be a very good, possibly even great NFL player.

Luck has tremendous arm strength and is also an accurate passer. He has all the making of a Pro Bowl player and has shown the willingness to work hard and improve his passing skills during his fantastic career at Stanford.

Despite the Colts' still having Peyton Manning under contract for a few more years, Indianapolis has to draft Luck if it owns the No. 1 overall pick because players like him don't come around too often.

2) St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, OSU

Justin Blackmon has excelled for Oklahoma State this season and is the best wide receiver in this year's draft class. He doesn't have the highest ceiling, but he certainly will be able to step right into the NFL and perform right away.

The Rams desperately need another playmaking wide receiver for young quarterback Sam Bradford to use on offense.

3) Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Matt Kalil is the best left tackle in the 2012 draft class and will protect young Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder for many years.

The Vikings would be foolish to pass on a stud offensive lineman like Kalil.

4) Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson*, RB, ALA

Trent Richardson is the best running back prospect in this draft and has exceptional quickness and vision in the open field.

He's not blazing fast, but he runs very well between the tackles and can get to the outside with enough speed to rack up yards.

At Alabama Richardson helped the Crimson Tide earn a berth in the BCS national championship game against LSU and was the best player for the Crimson Tide in their November 5th game against the Tigers.

Richardson has all the making of a Pro Bowl running back, and if the Browns are smart enough to take him, he will excel from day one.

5) Jacksonville Jaguars: Morris Claiborne*, CB, LSU

Morris Claiborne is an elite cornerback prospect and has awesome coverage skills.

The LSU defensive star will be a shutdown NFL corner and help the underrated Jaguars defense become even stronger.

6) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Dre Kirkpatrick has been really important to the success this season of the Alabama defense, which is the No. 1 defense in the country.

He has good coverage skills and is a fantastic tackler.

7) Washington Redskins, Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

The Washington Redskins are hoping that the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from Baylor is still on the board at No. 7, and if he is, you can bet that Mike Shanahan won't hesitate to take him.

Griffin is a dynamic quarterback who can make plays with his arm and his legs. He threw the deep ball better than any other quarterback in the country this season and has more potential than almost any other player in this draft class.

The Redskins need a quarterback for the future, and Griffin is a good fit for them.

8) Miami Dolphins: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

The Notre Dame receiver is a fantastic player and exactly the type that the Miami Dolphins need on offense.

They don't have enough weapons on offense, and Floyd makes big catches and has tremendous strength.

9) Carolina Panthers: Quinton Coples, DE, UNC

Quinton Coples is a great pass-rusher and would really help the struggling Carolina Panthers defense rush the quarterback better, thereby easing the burden on their secondary.

The last time the Panthers took a defensive end from North Carolina, they selected Julius Peppers, and that worked out pretty well

10) Buffalo Bills, Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

Riley Reiff is one of the better offensive-line prospects in this draft class and will be a solid NFL players for many years.

The Buffalo Bills would be smart to draft an offensive tackle that can protect quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who signed a big contract extension earlier this season.

11) Philadelphia Eagles: Devon Still, DT, Penn State

Jason Babin has done well this year at defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles defense, leading the team in sacks.

The team would be smart to draft a stud defensive tackle like Devon Still to help the middle of the D-line.

12) Kansas City Chiefs: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

Matt Cassel needs a left tackle to protect him for years to come, and Stanford offensive lineman Jonathan Martin is the perfect man for that role.

13) Seattle Seahawks: Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

The Seattle Seahawks would be smart to trade up and draft a quarterback, but if they can't or choose not to, then selecting Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard would really help their defense.

14) San Diego Chargers: Vontaze Burfict*, LB, Arizona State

The Arizona State linebacker has had some maturity issues, and sometimes he's a lot to handle, but there's no doubting his talent.

Burfict plays with sensational intensity and passion, and his tackling skills are quite good. He's a wild card in the first round and has the potential to be either a star or a bust.

If he can play in the NFL as a professional, then he will have a fantastic career at the next level.

15) Arizona Cardinals: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

Finding centers who can be spectacular NFL players is difficult, but Wisconsin offensive lineman Peter Konz is a very good player who would really help the Arizona Cardinals in both pass protection and run blocking.

16) Tennessee Titans: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

The Tennessee Titans need more athleticism and skill in the secondary, and taking former Florida Gators cornerback Janoris Jenkins would be a smart move.

Jenkins has good coverage skills and is a smart football player.

17) Cincinnati Bengals (From Oakland Raiders): Lamar Miller, RB, Miami (Fla.)

Lamar Miller is a solid all-around running back who has the potential to be a very good NFL player for many seasons.

The Bengals need a running back for the future, and the Miami Hurricanes star is the right guy for that role.

18) Chicago Bears: Devin DeCastro*, OL, Stanford

It's no secret that the Chicago Bears have to upgrade their offensive line this offseason. It's a major weakness the team must improve to keep quarterback Jay Cutler healthy for an entire year.

Stanford offensive lineman Devin DeCastro is a fantastic player and has Pro Bowl-caliber talent.

The Bears would strike gold here by taking DeCastro, who protected Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck very well all season.

19) Cincinnati Bengals: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

Melvin Ingram has good speed and rushes the quarterback very well. He makes up for his lack of size with a tremendous work ethic.

The Bengals defense really improved this season, and Ingram would help the unit further its development.

20) Dallas Cowboys: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

Rob Ryan's Dallas Cowboys defense needs to get stronger and younger at linebacker, and Boston College star Luke Kuechly is a good all-around player who will add skill and intelligence to America's team.

21) Detroit Lions: Zach Brown, OLB, UNC

The Detroit Lions have to improve their defense this offseason, and the draft is a good place to start.

North Carolina outside linebacker Zach Brown is a fantastic player who would add pass-rushing skills to the Lions front seven.

22) New York Jets: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

Fletcher Cox is a tremendous defensive tackle who would really help the New York Jets defense get back to an elite level.

Cox would be able to clog up the middle of the line of scrimmage and demand double-teams.

23) Denver Broncos: Alshon Jeffery*, WR, South Carolina

Alshon Jeffery is one of the most talented players in the entire draft class and is a tremendous receiver destined to be a Pro Bowl-caliber player.

The Denver Broncos need a playmaking wide receiver for quarterback Tim Tebow to use on offense, and Jeffery would be a perfect player for that need.

24) New York Giants: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

The Alabama defense has defended the pass well this season, and one of the reasons why has been the spectacular performance of safety Mark Barron.

With all the injuries the New York Giants defense has gone through this season, especially in the secondary, Barron and the G-Men are a match made in heaven.

25) Houston Texans: Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama

With Houston Texans linebacker Mario Williams suffering from injuries over the past few seasons, the team would be wise to draft another talented linebacker.

Dont'a Hightower of Alabama is a talented pass-rusher who will add even more skill to an already talented defense.

26) Pittsburgh Steelers: Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia

The Pittsburgh Steelers don't have a strong offensive line, and selecting Cordy Glenn from Georgia would be a good idea.

Glenn is a very good guard with a lot of talent and would help protect Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

27) Cleveland Browns: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

The Cleveland Browns need offensive weapons to score more points and win games.

Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright would give the Browns a solid playmaker who could give Colt McCoy a dependable receiver to trust in late-game situations.

28) New England Patriots: Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

Courtney Upshaw is a player who can enter the NFL and impress New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick from day one, and that's exactly what this defense needs.

The Patriots have the lowest-ranked passing defense in the NFL, and to help that they need more pass-rushers like Upshaw.

29) Baltimore Ravens: Vinny Curry, OLB, Marshall

Ray Lewis isn't going to play forever, at least not at a high level.

Vinny Curry from Marshall is a talented linebacker who can give the Ravens pass-rushing ability at outside or inside linebacker.

30) San Francisco 49ers: Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia

The 49ers rush defense is the best in the NFL, but their pass defense could use a little bit of improvement. Drafting cornerback Chase Minnifield from Virginia late in the first round would give San Francisco a lot of value.

Minnifield has athleticism and strong coverage skills.

31) New England Patriots: Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC

Expect the Patriots to draft a lot of defensive players in 2012, and Nick Perry is a good pass-rusher that will help Belichick's defense by adding some speed and coverage skills to the team.

32) Green Bay Packers: Bruce Irvin, DE/OLB, West Virginia

The Green Bay Packers pass defense is the 31st-ranked unit in football, and it's an area of their team they have to address in the offseason.

Irvin is a good pass-rusher and adds versatility with his ability to play on the defensive line or as a linebacker.