2012 NFL Mock Draft: Where Will Robert Griffin III and Heisman Finalists Land?

Only three of the five Heisman Trophy finalists—Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Trent Richardson—currently have their names in the 2012 NFL draft. Wisconsin's Montee Ball hasn't made a decision but appears set on going back to school. LSU's Honey Badger (also known as Tyrann Mathieu) will only be a junior next fall.

Where will the three other finalists go in the draft? All will be first round picks, but which team will pull the trigger? We break it down here: 

1.  Indianapolis Colts—Andrew Luck, QB Stanford

Barring any trade scenarios, few mock drafts between now and April will feature any player but Luck as the Colts' pick at No. 1 overall. Even a trade out of No. 1 is very unlikely for Indianapolis. They need a future at the quarterback position, and getting the top college quarterback prospect since Peyton Manning in 1998 isn't a curse—it's a Godsend. Luck will be the pick.  

2.  St. Louis Rams—Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State

3.  Minnesota Vikings—Matt Kalil, OT USC 

4.  Cleveland Browns—Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor

By the time April comes around, I expect the No. 2 overall pick to become a bidding war for the right to pick Baylor's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. He's an electric talent, complete with a strong arm and athleticism that most quarterbacks can only dream of. But Griffin isn't just a runner. In fact, he's pass-first quarterback that shows excellent touch and accuracy. If no bidding war does materialize, I doubt the Browns would let him get past No. 4.   

5.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Morris Claiborne, CB LSU 

6.  Washington Redskins—Alshon Jeffery, WR South Carolina

7.  Jacksonville Jaguars—Riley Reiff, OT Iowa 

8.  Carolina Panthers—Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame

9.  Miami Dolphins—Quinton Coples, DE North Carolina 

10.  Buffalo Bills—Courtney Upshaw, OLB Alabama

11.  Seattle Seahawks—Landry Jones, QB Oklahoma

12.  Kansas City Chiefs—Trent Richardson, RB Alabama

Most mock drafts will have Richardson considerably higher than No. 12. But which team is going to draft him if the Browns don't at No. 4? We've seen the devaluation of the running back position in recent years, so falling to No. 12 isn't a stretch.

If he does get to the Chiefs, however, they should pull the trigger. Kansas City was at its best in 2010 when the offense dominated by running the football with Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones. Charles is coming back from an ACL injury, but Jones is well into the twilight of his NFL career. Richardson would give the Chiefs an immediate and long-term upgrade over Jones.

13.  Arizona Cardinals—Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford

14.  Philadelphia Eagles—Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College

15.  New York Jets—Ronnell Lewis, LB Oklahoma

16.  Oakland Raiders—Zach Brown, LB North Carolina

17.  San Diego Chargers—David DeCastro, OG Stanford

18.  Chicago Bears—Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama

19.  Dallas Cowboys—Janoris Jenkins, CB North Alabama 

20.  Tennessee Titans—Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina

21.  Denver Broncos—Devon Still, DT Penn State

22.  New York Giants—Stephon Gilmore, CB South Carolina  

23.  Cincinnati Bengals—Kendall Wright, WR Baylor 

24.  Houston Texans—Dont'a Hightower, LB Alabama

25.  Cleveland Browns—Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

26.  Detroit Lions—Alfonzo Dennard, CB Nebraska

27.  Pittsburgh Steelers—Cordy Glenn, OL Georgia

28.  Baltimore Ravens—Vontaze Burfict, LB Arizona State

29.  New England Patriots—Peter Konz, C Wisconsin 

30.  San Francisco 49ers—Mohamed Sanu, WR Rutgers

31.  New England Patriots—Mark Barron, S Alabama

32.  Green Bay Packers—Nick Perry, OLB USC