2012 NFL Mock Draft: Grading Picks from Todd McShay's Latest List

Todd McShay of Scouts Inc. updated his draft board on January 18th, and now it's time to grade him on his projected top 10 picks of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Although McShay clearly considers himself to be the top NFL draft analyst in the world, I'm here to remind you that he is still the "little brother" to Mel Kiper—the hands down best NFL draft analyst on the planet.

I may even rank our very own Matt Miller ahead of Todd McShay when it comes to NFL Draft gurus.

Let's examine McShay's top 10 picks and grade him accordingly.

10. Luke Kuechly: Linebacker, Boston College

Whoa!  This is an absolutely awful projection by Todd McShay.

Yes, Kuechly was the most productive linebacker at the collegiate level; but last time we checked, NFL teams are drafting based on projected future production.

There are at least two linebackers I would rank ahead of Kuechly: Vontaze Burfict and Courtney Upshaw.

McShay's Grade: D

9. Dre Kirkpatrick: Cornerback, Alabama

McShay ranks Dre Kirkpatrick as his second-best cornerback in the 2012 NFL Draft and we wholeheartedly agree with him—no doubt about this one, folks.

McShay's Grade: A

8. Justin Blackmon: Wide Receiver, Oklahoma State

While we agree with McShay having Blackmon as his number one overall wide receiver on the board, we strongly disagree with the fact that he has him at number eight overall.

Blackmon is easily a top five pick this year, and he could go as high as number two overall in the 2012 NFL Draft.

McShay's Grade: C

7. Riley Reiff: Offensive Tackle, Iowa

McShay ranks Riley Reiff as the second-best offensive tackle in the 2012 NFL Draft and a projected top 10 pick overall.  No arguments here.

McShay's Grade: A

6. Morris Claiborne: Cornerback, LSU

Hands down the best cover cornerback in the 2012 NFL Draft, Morris Claiborne is a lock for the top six.

McShay's Grade: A

5. Quinton Coples: Defensive End, North Carolina

Quinton Coples is the best defensive end in this year's draft, and he should be drafted somewhere between five and 10 overall.  Nothing to argue here.

McShay's Grade: A

4. Trent Richardson: Running Back, Alabama

A rare combination of speed and power, Alabama's Trent Richardson is one of the best running back prospects we've seen over the last five years.

McShay's Grade: A

3. Robert Griffin III: Quarterback, Baylor

Todd McShay has Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III as the second-best quarterback in the 2012 NFL Draft. 

How can anyone argue with that?  This one is a no-brainer.

McShay's Grade: A

2. Matt Kalil: Offensive Tackle, USC

Although clearly the top offensive lineman in the nation, number two overall is a bit too high for Matt Kalil, and we believe that Justin Blackmon will end up in this spot.

McShay's Grade: B

1. Andrew Luck: Quarterback, Stanford

Anyone have any objections here?  Didn't think so.

McShay's Grade: A

Todd McShay's Final Scorecard

It's pretty tough to argue with most of Todd McShay's top 10 projected picks, as the majority of these players have clearly set themselves apart from the rest.

McShay's final tally goes as follows:

Seven A's, one B, one C and one D.

Not a bad report card to bring home to mom and dad.