2012 NFL Mock Draft: Analyzing the Top WR Prospects

Five wide receivers could certainly be selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft.  

With the league's recent pass-happy trend, an emphasis on acquiring premier, playmaking wide receivers makes a lot of sense. 

Let's analyze the five wideouts I have going in Round 1 of this year's draft. 

2012 NFL Mock Draft (Pre-Combine Edition)

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2. Washington Redskins (trade with St. Louis Rams): Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC

4. Cleveland Browns: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

At 6'1'' and 215 pounds, Blackmon has the body of a NFL possession receiver, but has the explosiveness and overall athleticism to be a big-play receiver on Sundays. He was one of the most prolific receivers over the last two seasons in Stillwater and didn't display any glaring weaknesses. 

He's a real chain-mover, and his leaping ability and yards-after-the-catch ability make him about as dynamic as they come. 

Blackmon isn't the fastest receiver, but he does accelerate relatively quickly and doesn't fight drops. 

The stud pass-catcher in this year's draft. 

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

6. St. Louis Rams (trade with Washington Redskins): Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

Jeffery is 6'4'' and 225 pounds, so he's a bit more physically imposing than Blackmon. The South Carolina prospect isn't necessarily well-rounded as a route-runner, but he gets high grades for his jumping skills and ability to come down with the deep ball in traffic. 

Like Blackmon, he's not necessarily fast and will need to work on his overall speed at the next level. 

He has the size, body control and hands to become a star at the pro ranks. 

8. Carolina Panthers: Michael Brockers, DL, LSU

9. Miami Dolphins: Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

10. Buffalo Bills: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

11. Seattle Seahawks: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

12. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

14. Dallas Cowboys: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford 

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State

16. New York Jets: Nick Perry, DE/OLB, Southern California 

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

18. San Diego Chargers: Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia

19. Chicago Bears: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

Floyd is an experienced and balanced wideout prospect. At 6'3'' and 225 pounds, Floyd is an intimidating one-on-one matchup, and he has deceptive speed as a long strider. 

He, too, is a great leaper, often comes down with long balls in traffic and is surprisingly good gaining yardage after the catch. 

Although he comes with some off-field issues, his size, experience and productivity will make him a first-round pick. 

20. Tennessee Titans: Zach Brown, LB, North Carolina

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

Wright is the lone slot-type receiver that should go in the first 32 picks. At 5'10'' and 190 pounds, he's slightly bigger than the Philadelphia Eagles' DeSean Jackson, but he brings a similar skill set to the field. 

This Baylor standout has absolutely blazing speed and can wreak havoc on underneath bubble screens. 

He really goes after the ball in the air and is a solid route-runner. He'll be utilized on a variety of routes in the NFL. 

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta): Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama 

23. Detroit Lions: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

25. Denver Broncos: Doug Martin, RB, Boise State 

26. Houston Texans: Devon Still, DT, Penn State

27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans): Mark Barron, S, Alabama

28. Green Bay Packers: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

29. Baltimore Ravens: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

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

The more I watch Sanu, the more I like him. He's a sneaky athlete that excels in just about every area of being a wide receiver. At 6'2'' and 215 pounds, Sanu can be a chain-moving possession guy, but he possesses the athletic ability to make big plays happen.

He did it all for the Scarlet Knights last season, catching 115 passes with seven touchdowns.

This underrated pass-catcher has legitimate No. 1 receiver potential.  

31. New England Patriots: Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois

32. New York Giants, Kelechi Osemele, OL, Iowa State