2012 NFL Mock Draft: Robert Griffin III and High-Ceiling Studs Who'll Wow Scouts

When talking about a high-ceiling in regards to an athlete, it’s a compliment that means the potential to be a star is there.

You hear the term all the time when reading about the NFL draft for players that project to be a strong contributor in the NFL for not just a year or two, but for the next decade.

Here are six players sure to be dubbed with the “high-ceiling” label as we take a look at my latest mock draft (selections highlighted in italics).

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

No need to go too far in-depth here. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year, you're aware that Luck is the best pro prospect since John Elway in the 80’s.

Not only is he 6’4", 235 pounds, he has an extremely strong and accurate arm that is capable of making every throw a professional quarterback has to make.  

His ceiling is sky-high, but that's a no-brainer so he isn't included in my group of six. 

2. St. Louis Rams: Matt Kalil, OT, USC

As the Rams learned during their colossal step-back year in 2011, protecting your quarterback is everything in the NFL and they owe Sam Bradford the top tackle in the draft to fix one of the worst O-Lines in the league. His health is vital to their ’12 success.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

The Vikings have a glaring hole at the position and need to give second-year QB Christian Ponder help. Blackmon is the top play-maker available in the entire draft.

4. Cleveland Browns: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor 

The Browns must realize Colt McCoy isn’t their guy and looking towards the future must happen now. RGIII is far from a sure thing, but it’s the sort of risk the Browns have to make.

RGIII may not be a dominate player from Day 1, but his ceiling is almost as high as Luck’s.

Griffin made enormous strides in his final season at Baylor with his accuracy—particularly on his deep throws. He single-handedly has helped teammate Kendall Wright become a borderline first-round pick.  His pocket presence and ability to run make him as deadly as Cam Newton in the open-field.

What gives him such a high-ceiling are not his physical attributes, but his personality and leadership abilities. He can command the respect of a locker room with his authenticity and that will go a long way towards his success. It’s tough not to like the Heisman trophy winner that has such a strong personality.

 He has the ceiling of a Super Bowl winning quarterback.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

The marijuana possession charge will be a distant memory by the time April rolls around. After he shows his absurd athletic attributes at the NFL combine, all will be forgotten. The Bucs have to go defense with their first pick.

6. Washington Redskins: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

The 5’11", 225 pound back is a physical specimen that hasn’t been seen coming out of the draft since Adrian Peterson.  

There is little doubt he’ll be able to handle a 16-game schedule and Richardson already has two games of championship experience under his belt.

What gives him the ceiling of becoming the best running back in football is his ability to explode after being hit. Most players’ go down after a defender strikes, Richardson bounces off them and explodes. How is this possible? He isn’t incredibly tall, but has a wide frame that gives him a ton of power, meaning he has a low center of gravity and can hide behind the giant O-Linemen.  

Don’t forget he caught 29 passes for 338 yards and three TDs as a receiver, too. He is the complete package and would be a top fantasy draft pick if he lands in the run-heavy Redskins offense that is predicated on a strong running back. This guy has the potential to win a MVP award.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

The Jags need a playmaker urgently on offense, but decide to go with the best available pick with Claiborne still on the board. Claiborne may have not gotten the headlines of Tyrann Mathieu, but he had just as good of a season for the No. 2 ranked defense in the country.

8. Carolina Panthers* (subject to coin flip): Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

The Panthers defense was one of the worst in the league in 2011. Ingram can bring solid pressure on a team that ranked 23^rd in the NFL in sack percentage.

9. Miami Dolphins*: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

The Dolphins have a quietly strong defense, but lack several pieces on offense to become a contender. Landing Reiff produces constancy on the line and the sort of work ethic that can rub off on his teammates. His experience allows him to start from Day 1.

10. Buffalo Bills: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

One of the riskier picks in the draft, few players have the size of Coples. His reach at 6’6" allows him to shove opponents away impeding his path to the QB. If the Bills can convince him to play hard every down, their D-Line will be set for years after drafting Marcell Dareus No. 3 overall a season ago.

11. Kansas City Chiefs* (subject to coin flip): Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

The Chiefs must shore up their O-Line and Martin did a remarkable job of protecting Luck in college.

12. Seattle Seahawks*: Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

Jeffery could go in the top 10 or not even in the first round. The fight which led to an ejection in his final college game is still fresh on the minds of scouts—but so is his talent.

At 6'4", 230 pounds, Jeffery has the sort of size and raw athletic ability that are so coveted at the professional level. I think his stock is only going to rise as the draft process moves forward.

13. Arizona Cardinals: David DeCastro, G, Stanford

The best interior lineman in the draft should help clear up the unpredictability of the Cardinals' running game.

14. Dallas Cowboys: Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama 

The Cowboys defense is what needs the most changes and the pass rush was one of the main culprits for the problem. The 6'2", 265-pound pass-rusher can team up with DeMarcus Ware to form a lethal 1-2 punch. We’re talking the best passing rushing duo in the league.

Upshaw made an immediate impact at ‘Bama as a freshman and has shown steady improvement throughout his entire collegiate career. The defensive MVP of the 2012 championship game, the second-team AP All-American will be transitioning to defensive end for this weekend’s Senior Bowl.

That’s the kind of versatility scouts love and that’s why his ceiling is so high. Players that can bowl over 325-pound tackles and stick with receivers in coverage don’t grow on trees.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College

There is no question that Philly needs a linebacker that can step in right away and Kuechly is the guy. The 6'3", 240-pound Kuechly has the speed and size to justify a spot in the top 15.

16. New York Jets: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame 

Skipping the Senior Bowl isn’t the smartest of ideas, but his talent will erase any doubts at the combine. He holds multiple records at Notre Dame and his senior season (1,147 yards, nine TDs) is more than enough to warrant a first-round pick.

He has ideal size (6'3", 225 pounds) and the sort of hands that allow him to catch anything remotely thrown in his direction. He also has the speed and explosiveness out of breaks to create separation from corners. His skills are NFL ready.

He has shown incredible consistency throughout his career while dealing with a bevy of mediocre QBs and a coaching change. He has a ceiling that could follow in the lines of Larry Fitzgerald. Both have similar size and skill sets with the ability to catch anything thrown in their direction.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland): Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia

Long-time guard Bobbie Williams is aging and his play showed as much last season. They may be cutting ties with Andre Smith as well. Glenn is a tremendous value pick at No. 17.

18. San Diego Chargers: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

Adams is vaulting up the draft board with his strong practices in the Senior Bowl and would be a huge help to a depleted Chargers O-Line.

19. Chicago Bears: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami 

You may not know a lot about Miller right now, but you will by draft day.

A red-shirt sophomore with incredibly fresh legs, the 5’11", 212 pound back possess the ability to run in between the tackles while also holding the speed to bust off a huge run. He is a one-cut runner that has great vision and the agility to squeeze into tiny holes. Once he hits the open field…it’s a touchdown.

Miller has been overshadowed by the controversies surrounding the Miami football program, but once he’s on a NFL field there is no doubt he can be a star.

With the dicey contract situation of Matt Forte, if he leaves, the Bears might as well draft a player with the exact same skill set.

20. Tennessee Titans: Devon Still, DT, Penn State 

The Titans need help on the interior line and Still is the sort of bulky and strong player Tennessee would love to add. At 6'5", 310 pounds, he can be a strong contributor from Day 1 and assist the Titans over the hump and back into the postseason.

Still has the bulk strength that translates instantly. If he continues to develop in the weight room, there’s a chance Still becomes the strongest player in the league at some point. He will be a standout in this category during the combine.

He can split the gap against the pass and take on multiple blockers at once in the running game. While he may not play at a glamor position, Still has the ability to be the next Albert Haynesworth…minus the bad attitude.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

The Bengals still haven’t gotten over the loss of Jonathan Joseph and they might as well replace him with another Gamecock.

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta): Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

Jenkins was a top-10 pick last year, but blew his senior season with a marijuana bust. He is still a first-round talent, but needs to mature in the next three months. No player has more at stake in pre-draft interviews and the NFL combine than Jenkins.

23. Detroit Lions: Baylor Vontaze Burfict, ILB, Arizona State

The Lions need help in the middle of their defense and could use a reliable tackler with fantastic fundamentals like Burfict.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis

Casey Hampton is close to retirement and drafting his replacement is now is imperative.  

25. Denver Broncos: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

Furiously fast at 5'10", 190 pounds, Wright had an eye-popping 1,663 yards and 14 TDs his senior season, but how much of that was because of RGIII? 

26. Houston Texans: Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

The Texans have a well-rounded team with few holes, but adding cornerback depth is the right move. Dennard has the speed and strength to be a third corner right away.  

27. New England Patriots (from Saints): Chris Polk, RB, Washington

The Pats must go D-Line in Round 1, but it’s hard to pass on Polk if he’s still available. He had a marvelous college career and has the foot speed to break off a huge run on any given play.

28. Green Bay Packers: Markelle Martin, S, Oklahoma State 

The Packers had the poorest pass defense in the NFL this season and their safeties were a big offender. Martin is the best available.

29. San Francisco 49ers: Andre Branch, DE, Clemson

Adding more depth to keep everybody fresh would make the No. 1-rated rush defense even deadlier. The 49ers were close in 2011-2012 and only need to apply minor alterations with the roster.

30. Baltimore Ravens: Dont’a Hightower, ILB, Alabama

Ray Lewis is reaching the twilight of his career and grooming a potential replacement needs to happen.

31. New York Giants: Zach Brown, OLB, UNC

The Giants could go either OLB or CB here and will likely go for whoever is the top talent still on the board. Brown is a strong tackler who fits in well to Tom Coughlin’s 4-3 scheme.

32. New England Patriots: Jared Crick, DE, Nebraska

If it wasn’t for a season-ending injury in October, Crick would be much higher. It’s a perfect blend of drafting for need and best available player. The only reason I believe he will fall so far is an injury that robbed him of the last two months of his collegiate career. Crick is going to end up as one of the big surprises in the ’12 draft regardless of where he’s drafted.