2012 NFL Draft: 7 Surest Things Beyond Andrew Luck

Andrew Luck going to the Indianapolis Colts in the 2012 NFL draft is a given, but that isn't the only sure thing in the draft.

In fact, as unpredictable as the draft can be, fans can expect to see seven things occur during draft weekend that make perfect sense.

With so much anticipation surrounding the draft and so much riding on the line for every team, these are seven things that are guaranteed to happen draft weekend.

Rams Draft Justin Blackmon

For Sam Bradford's sake, the St. Louis Rams can't pass up on Justin Blackmon.

Yes, I know that statistics-wise they had the worst pass protection in the league and they were near the bottom of the totem poll when it came to rushing yards, but Bradford needs a deep-play threat.

There are a lot of great offensive tackles in this draft, like Riley Reiff, Jonathan Martin, Mike Adams and David DeCastro, but the wide receivers are limited.

Especially a wide receiver with the abilities of Blackmon. Blackmon showed just how impactful he can be, as he single-handedly torched Stanford's defense in the Orange Bowl with 186 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Imagine how much fun Bradford could have with this guy.

At the Very Least, Four CBs Will Be Taken in the First Round

There are four cornerbacks that are destined to go in the first round.

If there's one position that this class is rich on, it has to be the defensive backs, because there is an abundance of talent across the board. More specifically, there are four cornerbacks that will go in the first round, and it could easily be five once the round is said and done.

Fans can expect Morris Claiborne out of LSU, Dre Kirkpatrick out of Alabama, Alfonzo Dennard out of Nebraska and Janoris Jenkins, who made his name at Florida before transferring to North Alabama, to be selected in the first round.

Virginia's Chase Minniefield could go to the New England Patriots with the last pick of the draft as well.

All four of those cornerbacks' talent is too impressive to pass up on, especially with teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati Bengals and Patriots trying to upgrade their pass defense.

Trent Richardson Will Not Fall Behind Pick No. 16

Trent Richardson simply cannot fall to the 17th first-round pick.

He's too fast, he's too strong, he has the perfect body for a future All-Pro running back and he's simply just too good to pass up on.

I understand that teams want to address their needs, but there is no way that 16 teams will pass up on this guy, and if you're looking at the latest mock drafts, those so-called "experts" have Richardson falling as low as 17th.

Richardson has the capability to become the best running back in the NFL in the next couple of seasons, and if 16 NFL teams are willing to pass up on that, then I would be absolutely shocked.

Vontaze Burfict Will Be a First-Round Pick

Vontaze Burfict will be selected in the first round.

NFL teams are a little wary of drafting Burfict because of the way he carries himself and the way he constantly gets flagged for irresponsible personal foul penalties on the field.

But with that said, Burfict has all the tools to be the next great linebacker. He showed it in high school when he would rack up 130 tackles in one season, and he showed glimpses of it throughout college when he made tackles, forced fumbles and got interceptions with Arizona State.

The bottom line is that Burfict will be a first-round pick because the Baltimore Ravens simply won't be able to pass up on him. Burfict is a perfect fit there because of the aging Ray Lewis, and who better to mentor Burfit than Lewis?

The 49ers Will Grab a Wide Receiver in the First Round

I can see every San Francisco 49ers fan yelling "amen!" at their computer screens.

While Michael Crabtree started progressing as a receiver, he simply fell off in the playoffs, and really, Vernon Davis was Alex Smith's main target.

With the 49ers having the 29th pick in the draft, it's highly unlikely that they'll be able to grab Michael Floyd or Justin Blackmon. In fact, there's no way they'll be able to draft them. But Juron Criner should still be on the board, and he would make for an upgrade to their receiving corps.

Nevertheless, no matter which receiver they take, they need to take a good one because Smith could use some more weapons on the outside.

New England Will Trade One of Their Picks

Don't they do this every year?

It seems like it, so I don't see why the New England Patriots won't trade a few picks of theirs away this year in return for more picks in future drafts.

If I were a betting man, I'd be willing to bet that the Patriots front office will be willing to make a deal.

Bills' First-Round Draft Pick Will Be Courtney Upshaw

Because the Miami Dolphins will be trying to upgrade their horrid offensive line, Courtney Upshaw will fall right into the laps of the Buffalo Bills.

The Dolphins have to take care of an offensive line that gave up 52 sacks last season while letting their quarterback get hit 95 times, so they'll address that need.

That frees up the versatile defensive lineman/linebacker for the Bills to pick up, and he would certainly add to their pass rush and help stop the run.

Upshaw's versatility will make him extremely useful in a 3-4 base defense, and he has the ability to play either defensive end or outside linebacker in the NFL.