2012 NFL Mock Draft: Projecting the Best Underclassmen

Being that college players become eligible for the NFL once they're three years out of high school, the draft is typically filled with an insane amount of underclassmen talent.

Literally all 10 top prospects are underclassmen.

NFL franchises are looking to quickly transform these early-20s young men into pros. Following are five of those underclassmen and where they're likely to end up.

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts

I cannot imagine how much the football world would shake if Andrew Luck were to return to Stanford for one more year.

That Luck could have been the top pick in 2011 is really saying something about how legit of a player he is. To that end, everyone is expecting the Indianapolis Colts to take him No. 1 overall in late April.

Regardless of Peyton Manning's situation, it's the correct decision.

The Colts have a solid offensive line, receiving corps and the run game is effective when set up by the pass. Include Luck's ability to scramble and Indianapolis has their next franchise QB.

Luck's football IQ is obviously his dominant asset, however, his athleticism goes underrated.

With a 6'4", 230-pound frame, Luck is literally Peyton Manning-esque in size and much, much more mobile. If given the proper time to develop, he can be just as effective in the pocket.

The last thing Indy needs is to pass up on the nation's top player, especially if he was that in 2011 as well.

Justin Blackmon, St. Louis Rams

As if there's any other evidence than his Fiesta Bowl performance, Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon is a receiving force to be reckon with.

His 6'2", 220-pound frame is the ideal weapon the St. Louis Rams need to propel their offense in 2012.

Blackmon can stretch and widen the field, is obviously sure-handed and despite being zeroed-in on for most of the season, he nearly replicated the 2010 campaign of 1,782 yards with 1,522 in 2011.

Not to mention he accounted for 18 TDs compared to 21 total from 2010. The two-time Fred Biletnikoff Award winner, Blackmon will draw a lot of attention from NFL defenses as part of the Rams offense.

With that, his presence will take pressure off Sam Bradford under center and running back Steven Jackson. In turn, this creates a more balanced offense for St. Louis and also allows Brandon Lloyd to see more single coverage, which he's quite capable of beating more often than not.

Think about it: How awesome of a QB-to-WR connection would Bradford-to-Blackmon be?

Sam's got a strong and accurate arm and provided that he can stay healthy, the Rams become one dangerous offense.

Matt Kalil, Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota has their long-term QB in Christian Ponder.

What's missing is a pass defense and pass protection. Well, with Ponder's ability to buy time already, providing him with excellent blindside protection allows him to make the Vikings receivers much better.

Enter USC's Matt Kalil.

The man is 6'6", 295 pounds and moves with fluidity. Whether backwards or laterally in pass protection or with quickness and reaction in run-blocking, Kalil will be a great complement for the Vikings offensive line.

Minnesota is still a run-first team regardless of Adrian Peterson's health, because Toby Gerhart is a beast. In addition, Kalil's presence will allow the running backs to seek elsewhere for pass protection.

Don't expect too many blitzes coming from that side and in turn, Ponder will recognize the blitz before it happens, therefore calling an audible and adjusting the snap count accordingly.

It may not seem like it because Kalil is an offensive tackle, but a guy such as this creates game-planning problems for a defense. 

Morris Claiborne, Cleveland Browns

Unless the Rams do not take Justin Blackmon, LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne needs to be their guy.

Yes, Robert Griffin would make Cleveland better, however, as they do on offense the Browns need to vastly improve on defense.

They may have ranked No. 2 against the pass, but that is vehemently deceiving because the Browns also had just 469 attempts against them all season. That ranking is a staggering No. 31 for most attempts against any one team.

Only Kansas City had fewer attempts against them and by comparison, the Green Bay Packers had 637 passes attempted against them (the No. 1 passes against ranking).

Now include Cleveland's No. 30-ranked rush defense that allowed almost 150 yards per game and anything on defense will help this team win.

Getting back to Claiborne, can you imagine how much more suffocating and dominant their pass defense becomes with him opposite Joe Haden? That will free up the front seven to barely worry about defending the pass and focus more on shutting down the run.

In 2011, Morris has picked off six passes (bowl game yet to play) and has returned them for 173 total yards. In 2010 he had five picks returned for 101 yards, so his ability to change the field position will give Cleveland a major advantage.

Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins

With just Kendall Wright as his most reliable target, who he made into a potential first-round pick, Baylor's Robert Griffin will be just fine in our nation's capital.

Griffin not only won the Heisman Trophy, but accounted for almost 5,000 total yards and 47 total TDs in 2011 (almost 4,300 passing). He finished with a 72.4 completion percentage and never threw more than eight interceptions in a season throughout his college career.

With his ability to buy time in and out of the pocket combined with a strong arm and spot-on marksmanship to anywhere on the field, Griffin immediately makes Washington a playoff contender.

At Baylor, he didn't get any help from an extremely weak defense.

Well, the Redskins have tough, solid defense that will give him numerous possessions per game to put up points. Griffin's football IQ is arguably his best attribute, because you don't throw 78 TDs and rush for another 33 TDs while only throwing 17 career picks without knowing exactly what to do on every play.

Add in coach Mike Shanahan, who is one of the better offensive minds in football, and the Redskins have a great match to get back atop the NFC East.

2012 First-Round NFL Mock Draft

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB (Stanford)	17. Cincinnati (From OAK): Riley Reiff, OT (Iowa)
2. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR (Oklahoma State)	18. San Diego Chargers: Courtney Upshaw, LB (Alabama)
3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT (USC)	19. Chicago Bears: Nick Toon, WR (Wisconsin)
4. Cleveland Browns: Morris Claiborne, CB (LSU)	20. Tennessee Titans: Alshon Jeffery, WR (South Carolina)
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Trent Richardson, RB (Alabama)	21. Cincinnati Bengals: Cordy Glenn, OG (Georgia)
6. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin, QB (Baylor)	22. Detroit Lions: Zach Brown, LB (UNC)
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Floyd, WR (Notre Dame)	23. Cleveland (From ATL): Vontaze Burfict, LB (ASU)
8. Miami Dolphins: Kendall Wright, WR (Baylor)	24. Denver Broncos: Chase Minnifield, CB (Virginia)
9. Carolina Panthers: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB (Alabama)	25. New York Giants: Devon Still, DT (Penn State)
10. Buffalo Bills: Alfonzo Dennard, CB (Nebraska)	26. Houston Texans: Jerel Worthy, DT (Michigan State)
11. Kansas City Chiefs: David DeCastro, G (Stanford)	27. San Francisco 49ers: Mark Barron, S (Alabama)
12. Seattle Seahawks: Quinton Coples, DE (UNC)	28. Baltimore Ravens: Dont'a Hightower, LB (Alabama)
13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT (Stanford)	29. Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Adams, OT (Ohio State)
14. Dallas Cowboys: Janoris Jenkins, CB (North Alabama)	30. New England Patriots (From NO): Stephon Gilmore, CB (South Carolina)
15. Philadelphia Eagles: Luke Kuechly, LB (Boston College)	31. New England Patriots: Cam Johnson, DE (UVA)
16. New York Jets: Brandon Thompson, DE (Clemson)	32. Green Bay Packers: Melvin Ingram, DE (South Carolina)

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