2012 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1

With the final games of the 2011 regular season wrapping up today, the 2012 draft order is starting to take shape.  

Here are early projections for the draft. These picks are in the event that no one trades picks, which is highly unlikely.

1. Indianapolis Colts—Andrew Luck, quarterback

Peyton Manning or not, the Colts will not pass up drafting quarterback Andrew Luck.  What is yet to be determined is whether they will keep Luck and sit him behind Manning, trade him or trade Manning. 

2. St. Louis Rams—Matt Kalil, left tackle

The St. Louis Rams and quarterback Sam Bradford have been playing behind a bad and beat-up offensive line all season, and the damage has been apparent.

USC's Matt Kalil plays the most important position on the offensive line and is one of the the best left tackles to come out in a long time.

3. Minnesota Vikings—Morris Claiborne, cornerback

The Minnesota Vikings have a number of needs to address, from offensive line to receivers to the secondary. There are few things they may do with this third pick.  Should they miss out on Kalil and Griffin comes out, they may look to trade down for multiple picks.

If not, look for the Vikings to take LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne.  Claiborne has been locking down receivers for the undefeated Tigers all season.

4. Cleveland Browns—Robert Griffin III, quarterback

There is a good chance that the Heisman Trophy winner could end up in Cleveland. With Colt McCoy not getting the job done and taking quite a bit of time to develop, Griffin could be the quarterback Cleveland needs to prepare for the future.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Justin Blackmon, wide receiver

The Bucs seem to think that the ceiling for quarterback Josh Freeman is high, but he is just lacking the necessary parts to help him reach it.

Freeman's offensive line and receiving corps both need work, but getting him a high-caliber receiver with the talent of Justin Blackmon could make this offense whole lot better.

6. Washington Redskins—Luke Kuechly, linebacker

While the Redskins' first priority may be a quarterback, if they are unable to snag Luck or Griffin, then going for anyone else this early would be a reach.

With that said, they could use a  good young addition to the linebacker squad. Kuechly was the Butkus Award winner this season and is a draft-eligible underclassman.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars—Dre Kirkpatrick, cornerback

The Jacksonville Jaguars is another team that needs revamping in a number of areas, most notably at offensive line, wide receiver and all over the defense.

Gabbert is not cut out to be a starting quarterback in the NFL and could use all the help he can get, but if Griffin and Blackmon are already off the board, the Jaguars will likely look for a defensive improvement. Adding an elite corner like Dre Kirkpatrick could give a boost to their secondary, which has struggled all season.

There is a chance, though, that the team will have trouble passing on Quinton Coples.

8. Miami Dolphins—Jonthan Martin, offensive tackle

The Miami Dolphins is another team that could be looking for a quarterback, but without a chance to get one of the top guys, they will either wait until a later pick or look for someone in free agency.

Instead, look for the Dolphins to address their offensive line. Stanford right tackle Jonathan Martin is a top prospect and could be a nice asset to left tackle Jake Long. 

9. Carolina Panthers—Quinton Coples, defensive end

Rookie quarterback Cam Newton had a fantastic year for Carolina, and the offense didn't fare too badly.

However, the Panthers defense struggled terribly and could definitely use some help. Coples is one of the top five prospects in the draft and is an aggressive pass-rusher who would definitely help this defense.

10. Kansas City Chiefs—Reily Reiff, offensive tackle

The Chiefs need to improve their offensive line, and left tackle Reily Reiff will likely be the top prospect available by this pick.  Reiff is a smart player that would certainly help this line get better.

11. Buffalo Bills—Courtney Upshaw, linebacker

The Buffalo Bills ranked second to last in sacks this season and could definitely use an improvement to their pass-rush game. Upshaw is a highly ranked prospect with good pass-rush skills.

12. Arizona Cardinals—David DeCastro, guard

The Arizona Cardinals offensive line is one of their top concerns right now and has been for some time.

If Martin and Reiff are off the board at this point, look for them to go for Stanford guard David DeCastro.

13. Philadelphia Eagles—Michael Floyd, wide receiver

The Ealges struggled this season, but they do not have a lot of gaping holes.  They do, however, need help at the weak-side linebacker position, but a prospect worthy of this spot may not be available for them.  

With DeSean Jackson's contract expiring and his status up in the air and Steve Smith not panning out, the Eagles could look to add a playmaker here and pick up Michael Floyd.

14. Seattle Seahawks—Melvin Ingram, defensive end

The Seahawks could look to add a pass-rusher, and South Carolina's Melvin Ingram would be a good addition for them, because he is a defensive end with linebacking ability, which is something they could use.

Ingram is one of the best available prospects, and he recorded 13.5 sacks between his junior and senior seasons.

15. San Diego Chargers—Vontaze Burfict, linebacker

The Chargers probably need help on their offensive line first, but if a worthy prospect is not available, then they may use a boost at the linebacker position.

Arizona State inside linebacker Vontaze Burfict is an underclassmen that may need work but has huge upside.

16. Chicago Bears—Alshon Jeffrey, wide receiver

The Bears need help at offensive tackle and on the line, but they could also afford to add depth at wide receiver.

Next season, the Bears' top receiver Johnny Knox will be coming off a serious back injury and surgery, Hester has yet to prove himself as an elite receiver and Roy Williams is depleting with each passing day.

Alshon Jeffrey would give the Bears a young playmaker to work with, with the potential to be a top receiver.

17. Tennessee Titans—Andre Branch, defensive end

The Titans need to add to their pass-rushing game and could use some speed on the defensive line.  Branch is not the quickest but displays good closing speed.

18. New York Jets—Trent Richardson, running back

The Jets have a few needs they could address with their pick, but this could be where running back Trent Richardson finally goes.

Richardson has had a great career at Alabama, and the Jets needs some help at this position. Starting running back Shonn Greene finished 14th in the league for rushing yards and with just six rushing touchdowns, and LaDainian Tomlinson is on the verge of retiring.

19. Dallas Cowboys—Alfonzo Dennard, cornerback

The Dallas Cowboys defense as a whole was a weakness for the team this season. They could add a linebacker, defensive lineman or safety, but if Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard is available, he could be a good pickup. Dennard is a shutdown corner with the ability to step in immediately.

20. Cincinnati Bengals—Mark Barron, safety

The Bengals secondary is a big weakness for the team, and they could really use a talented safety addition. Alabama safety Mark Barron is the best available and has the potential to be great at his position in the NFL.

21. Denver Broncos—Montee Ball, running back

Two needs the Broncos should address is running back and cornerback. At this point in the draft, elite first-round cornerbacks may all be selected, leaving running back as their best option.

Should Wisconsin running back Montee Ball declare for the draft, he would be a good pick for Denver. If he doesn't declare, the next obvious choice would be Miami's Lamar Miller.

22. New York Giants—Dont'a Hightower, linebacker

The Giants run a 4-3 system and could afford to add depth in a few positions at linebacker.  They could fill an inside linebacker need with Alabama's Dont'a Hightower who has 4-3 experience.

23. Cleveland Browns—Kendall Wright, wide receiver 

If the Browns are successful in getting Robert Griffin with their first pick, they may look to add offensive weapons to aid him.  

Who would be a better choice than a guy Griffin already has chemistry with in Baylor's Kendall Wright? Wright would complement last year's receiver pick, Greg Little, nicely.

24. Houston Texans—Dontari Poe, nose tackle

For a unit that was knocked early on, the Texans defense actually fared quite well.

Houston was injury-ridden and made do with what they had. While this may be early to select a nose tackle, Dontari Poe is a huge 6'5", 350-pound nose tackle whose stock continues to rise.

25. Cincinnati Bengals—Lamar Miller, running back

Bengals' running back Cedric Benson is on an expiring contract after signing a one-year deal with the team for this season. Not only that, Benson will be 30 next season and in his eighth year in the league.

Even if the team does re-sign Benson, they'll still need to add some youth.

26. Detroit Lions—Peter Konz, center

The Detroit Lions offensive line has a few positions which need filling or replacement, but the choices will be slim come their time to pick.  

Peter Konz may be the most talented and best available at this point, and with Lions center Dominic Raiola going on his 12th season, this would be a good selection.

27. Pittsburgh Steelers—Audie Cole, linebacker

The top need the Steelers defense must address is at the linebacker position. While this may be an early stretch for Cole, Cole is a good fit for the Steelers—he is versatile and has played in both a 3-4 and a 4-3.

28. Baltimore Ravens—Zebrie Sanders, offensive tackle

The Ravens offensive line could use help, and the addition of Sanders at the tackle position would aid in this need.  Sanders will be one of the top prospects available at this point.

29. New England Patriots—Fletcher Cox, Defensive Tackle

If underclassman Fletcher Cox decides to enter the draft, he will be a highly touted defensive tackle with tremendous upside.  The Patriots could take him to help improve the defensive line.

30. San Francisco 49ers—Dwight Jones, wide receiver 

With a late-first-round pick, the 49ers could address their lack of depth at the wide receiver position. Dwight Jones is an offensive weapon who could give them size at wide receiver.

31. Green Bay Packers—Nick Perry, linebacker

USC underclassmen Nick Perry declared for the NFL draft and has a draft stock that is rapidly rising.  A strong pass-rusher, Perry is a defensive end but could also make a great linebacker.  He is the type of pass-rusher the Packers could use.

32. New England Patriots—Chase Minnifield, cornerback

The Patriots secondary could afford to add to its arsenal, and Minnifield is a more mature player as a fifth year senior out of Virginia.  

He has good ball skills and coverage skills and was an All-American last season.  Minnifield could sneak in as the last player selected in the first round.