2012 NFL Mock Draft: Projecting the Landing Spots for Top CBs

If anything was made evident by this year's offensive explosion it's that a number of teams have very serious needs in the secondary, primarily at cornerback. Luckily, there are a number of prospects who are worthy of first-round picks.

Here, I examine those top cornerbacks and project where they will ultimately land.

1. Indianapolis Colts (2-14), Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2. St. Louis Rams (2-14) Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

3. Minnesota Vikings (3-13) Matt Kalil, OT, USC

4. Cleveland Browns (4-12), Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12) Melvin Ingram, LB, South Carolina

6. Washington Redskins (5-11) Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

7. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11) Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

8. Carolina Panthers (6-10) Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU (coin flip)

When LSU junior Morris Claiborne's intention to forgo his senior year and entered the NFL draft became known, Claiborne's name flew up draft boards. Claiborne is the nation's top collegiate defensive back, with six interceptions (one returned for a score) in his 2011 season.

A former wide receiver, Claiborne has excellent hands and speed. He's also a great special teams player, averaging 25 yards on kick returns. While he needs to build some size, he's got all the attributes of a starting cornerback. The Panthers, weak on defense, could use his singular skills to elevate their struggling secondary.

9. Miami Dolphins (6-10) Reilly Reiff, OT, Iowa (coin flip)

10. Buffalo Bills (6-10) Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Much like LSU's Claiborne, when Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick announced he would be leaving school and entering the NFL draft, he immediately became a first-round lock. In his second year as a starter, Kirkpatrick had 30 tackles (four for a loss), two forced fumbles and nine pass breakups.

He's got the ideal size and strength for a top man corner in the NFL and is an asset in zone coverage as well. He's physical, but oftentimes pursues an interception rather than tackling a wide receiver, which is something he will need to improve upon.

Recent news that Kirkpatrick was arrested for marijuana possession could see his draft stock drop; he may also rescind his intention to declare and instead return to school. The deadline for him to do so is January 18th. If that is the case, then he'll need to rehabilitate his image during his senior year in order to regain his high draft stock.

11. Kansas City Chiefs (7-9) Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford (coin flip)

11. Seattle Seahawks (7-9) Nick Perry, DE, USC(coin flip)

13. Arizona Cardinals (8-8) David DeCastro, G, Stanford

14. Dallas Cowboys (8-8) Mark Barron, S, Alabama

15. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8) Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

16. New York Jets (8-8) Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State

17. Cincinnati Bengals (9-7) (traded from Oakland) LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

18. San Diego Chargers (8-8) Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama

19. Chicago Bears (8-8) Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

20. Tennessee Titans (9-7) Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama

21. Cincinnati Bengals (9-7) Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

Since losing cornerback Johnathan Joseph to free agency in the offseason, the Cincinnati Bengals' secondary hasn't been the same. They'll need to find an elite cornerback to truly replace him, and that's why I see them using the second of their two first-round picks on Nebraska corner Alfonzo Dennard.

Dennard is a shutdown corner who would also be valuable in zone coverage as well. He's physical and fast and makes up for his below-average height with a great vertical leaping ability. He's great at getting his hands on passes and he tackles well.

There may be some injury concerns with Dennard, who missed the first three games of the 2011 season with a torn quad, but his 18 solo tackles this year were still impressive and he should be a solid addition to a Bengals team that desperately needs help in the secondary.

22. Cleveland Browns (4-12) (traded from Atlanta) Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

23. Detroit Lions (10-6) Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

24. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia

25. Denver Broncos (8-8) Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State

26. Houston Texans (10-6) Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State

27. New England Patriots (13-3) (traded from New Orleans) Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois 

28. Green Bay Packers (15-1) Brandon Jenkins, DE, Florida State

29. New England Patriots (13-3) Janoris Jenkins, CB, N. Alabama

North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins has had multiple run-ins with the law during his collegiate career, and his second in a four-month span in 2010 saw him kicked off the Florida Gators squad and headed to a Division II school.

However, his skills are undeniable and he should be a late first-round pick for a New England Patriots squad with a serious need at the position and a general willingness to take on higher-risk players.

Jenkins had 53 tackles and two interceptions in 2011. He's a very aggressive player with good instincts and is well-suited for zone coverage. He's fast but undersized and needs to do a better job at tackling.

However, his ability to read quarterbacks and offensive formations is impressive and will likely catch the Patriots' eye in the months leading up to April's draft.

30. New York Giants (9-7) Zach Brown, LB, North Carolina

31. Baltimore Ravens (12-4) Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

32. San Francisco 49ers (13-3) Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers