2012 NFL Mock Draft: Full 1st-Round Predictions Now That Playoffs Are Set

With the NFL playoffs set, the first half of the NFL draft order is just about set as well. That means it's officially NFL mock draft season!

While much will change in the upcoming weeks and months—the All-Star games and combine will shake up the big boards, and trades will shake up the order on draft day—it's always a good exercise to prognosticate what could be.

The Indianapolis Colts will be drafting first, and unless something drastic happens, their pick will be the worst kept secret in the history of the NFL draft.

1. Indianapolis Colts—Andrew Luck

We've been calling the draft the "Suck for Luck" sweepstakes. There's no reason the Colts shouldn't go here. Even if Peyton Manning is healthy, there's no reason not to take the best player and prepare for the post-Manning era.

2. St. Louis Rams—Justin Blackmon

Sam Bradford has had a sophomore slump, but a lot of that was due to injuries—both his and his teammates'. With Blackmon to throw to, it will increase Bradford's ability to take chances and improve his margin for error.
 

3. Minnesota Vikings—Matt Kalil

A lot of onlookers worried that the Vikings would win their way out of Kalil's services. Thanks to Adrian Peterson's injury, they didn't have that problem.

Kalil is just a little bit out of the Joe Thomas/Jake Long elite draft status, but he's closer than many tackles in recent years.

4. Cleveland Browns—Robert Griffin III

RGIII has more than played himself into top draft status. In fact, there could be a solid auction for his services as high as No. 2. The best NFL comparison is Vince Young without the attitude or drive concerns.

Griffin is an elite athlete, passer and leader. The Browns would be blessed.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Morris Claiborne

Tampa Bay could be in full-on rebuilding mode once April rolls around, and it's never good form to start a rebuild with a cornerback. But the Bucs are left without a choice in this scenario, as Claiborne is easily the best player available at a position they need.

6. Washington Redskins—Trent Richardson

Sure,  Mike Shanahan doesn't have to draft an elite running back, but the last time he did it (see: Clinton Portis) it worked out rather well.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars—Alshon Jeffrey

Like the Bucs, the Jaguars need to draft the best player available. Years of being cute with their draft picks and being unable to lure elite free agents have left the Jags bereft of talent.

Jeffrey is much better than any wideout on their roster and could keep Blaine Gabbert from busting as quickly as I suspect he might.

8. Carolina Panthers—Michael Floyd

The Panthers have bigger immediate needs. However, Steve Smith's age and the limitations of LaFell and Gettis leave the Panthers no other choice but to make sure Cam Newton has all the weapons he needs. 

9. Miami Dolphins—Jonathan Martin (OT Stanford)

Jake Long is still an elite player, but a torn bicep muscle puts a big question mark on the Dolphins' future plans.

Best case scenario: Martin and Long become the best bookends in the league by 2013. 

10. Buffalo Bills—Riley Reiff (OT Iowa)

As good as the Bills' interior line has been (at times) this season, they still need some help on the perimeter. While the Bills would love to have Kalil or Martin, Reiff will have to do here.

Thankfully, he's well equipped to protect Ryan Fitzpatrick and pave the way for Fred Jackson.

11. Kansas City Chiefs—Vontaze Burfict (LB AZ State)

The Chiefs defense is doing a lot of really good things under Romeo Crennel. One of the biggest improvements is the intensity that players like Tamba Hali bring to the table.

Burfict's only problem with intensity is controlling his abundance of it. Otherwise, he's a five-tool player.
 

12. Seattle Seahawks—Dre Kirkpatrick (CB Alabama)

As Brandon Browner grows up, he could be among the NFL's best cornerbacks. Pairing him with another elite cover man is a recipe for success. Suddenly, the Seahawks have one of the best pass defenses in the NFL.

13. Arizona Cardinals—Courtney Upshaw (LB Alabama)

With Kevin Kolb and Beanie Wells healthy, the Cardinals offense can put up numbers with the best of them.

While they would love some offensive line help, it just doesn't exist in this scenario, so the Cards have to go with the best player in the defensive front seven to stop guys like Frank Gore and Marshawn Lynch.

14. Philadelphia Eagles—Brandon Thompson (DT Clemson) 
 

While the Eagles added so much to the defensive backfield and to the pass rush, they let the interior of their defense wither a bit. Thompson adds a lot of interior pressure to force more errant passes toward Asante Samuel and Nnamdi Asomugha.

15. New York Jets—Nick Perry (DE USC)

Perry might be the best pure pass rusher in the draft and has plenty of room to improve. When all is said and done, he could go a lot higher.

Here, the Jets get to add even more pressure to AFC East quarterbacks.

16. Cincinnati Bengals (From OAK)—Lamar Miller (RB Miami)

With Cedric Benson an upcoming free agent, the Bengals need running back help. In a perfect world, they would re-sign Benson and draft Miller, who would fit perfectly in a two-back set and become a perfect safety valve for Andy Dalton.

17. San Diego Chargers—Devon Still (DT/DE Penn State)

The Chargers have been searching for the perfect fit in the defensive front seven for a long time, and the addition of an elite big body like Still could be the final piece of the puzzle. Still has room to grow, which should scare the rest of the AFC West.

18. Chicago Bears—Mike Adams (OT Ohio State)

This is a huge reach for Adams, whom I have as a fringe first-round prospect. Yet, the Bears are in desperate times when it comes to protecting Jay Cutler, and Adams could be a sneaky gamble. He moves well in space, which is a good fit for the Mike Martz offense.

19. Dallas Cowboys—Janoris Jenkins (CB N Alabama)

The Cowboys' last game of the season was an aerial beatdown by Eli Manning. While many will blame Tony Romo (as they are wont to do), the Cowboys need better pass coverage to succeed in the NFC East.

20. Tennessee Titans—Quinton Coples (DE UNC)

We've seen this trip to the well by the Titans before, and there's no real reason for them to stop now.

The Titans need to be able to thrive defensively while they figure out their offense, and the best pass rusher on the board is always a solid draft strategy.

21. Denver Broncos—David DeCastro (OG Stanford)

The Broncos appear ready to live and die by their new offensive strategy. If you're going to ground and pound with a modified option, you need big and quick fellas in the middle.

22. New York Giants—Luke Kuechly (LB Boston College)

Kuechly has some pretty big holes in his game, but he's a good athlete, and Tom Coughlin tends to like guys from Boston College.

Hopefully, Kuechly will be a quick learner when it comes to getting off blocks in the pros.

23. Cleveland (From ATL)—Zach Brown (LB North Carolina)

If a top offensive-skill talent falls here, the Browns would be wise to get RGIII a weapon. In fact, after drafting RGIII, Colt McCoy could become great trade bait to move up for a player like Michael Floyd (if he falls).

Here, the Browns get to add much needed athleticism to their front seven.

24. Cincinnati Bengals—Melvin Ingram (DE S. Carolina)

The Bengals don't really need another defensive end, but Ingram is the best player available, and some have him ranked even higher than I do (and above guys like Perry, Thompson and Still).

"Too many pass rushers" is not a phrase in Marvin Lewis' vocabulary.

25. Houston Texans—Mark Barron (S Alabama)

The Texans' defensive front seven is quickly joining the ranks of the NFL's best. Even better for the Texans, they finally have found their cornerback tandem of the future (100th time's the charm).

That just leaves the safety position, and Mark Barron is the best middle-man in this year's class.
 

26. Detroit Lions—Kelechi Osemele (OT/OG Iowa State)

Osemele isn't going to play left tackle for the pass-heavy Detroit Lions like he does for Iowa State, but he could be an immediate improvement at RG or RT for the Lions, who need to do a better job of creating rushing lanes.

27. Baltimore Ravens—Dont'a Hightower (ILB Alabama)

Depending on the team and the scheme, Hightower could end up a lot higher on draft day. A classic ILB with experience in Nick Saban's 3-4 scheme, Hightower will look awfully good next to (and learning from) Ray Lewis.

28. Pittsburgh Steelers—Whitney Mercilus (DE Illinois)

Pittsburgh, while one of the best teams in the NFL this year, was not as feared as it's been in years past. It's time to stop that downward trend.

"Merci-less" has the profile of a classic stand-up rusher, but he will need a year or two to mature in an NFL scheme.

29. San Francisco 49ers—Alfonzo Dennard (CB Nebraska)

Bringing in Carlos Rogers was an underrated storyline for the Niners this season. Putting a battery mate with him would solidify an already quickly improving defense. 

30. New England (From NO)—Chase Minnifield (CB Virginia)

Minnifield is a phenomenal athlete and cover corner who is being overlooked in the pre-draft process because teams (wisely) threw away from him this past season.

He could immediately start in the Patriots' porous defense.

31. New England Patriots—Nick Toon (WR Wisconsin)

Nick Toon isn't Randy Moss, but he's a lot closer to Moss than anyone currently on the Patriots roster. It's scary to think, but a big body that can stretch the field would actually make this offense better.

32. Green Bay Packers—Vinny Curry (DE/OLB Marshall)

For winning the Super Bowl, the Packers are given a replacement for the Frank Zombo/Erik Walden combo at OLB. Curry will take some time to transition, but the back-to-back champs won't mind.

Michael Schottey is an NFL Associate Editor for Bleacher Report and an award-winning member of the Pro Football Writers of America. He has professionally covered both the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions, as well as NFL events like the scouting combine and the Senior Bowl. Follow him on Twitter.