2012 NFL Mock Draft: New England Patriots Full 7-Round Mock Draft

Heading into the 2012 NFL draft, the New England Patriots sit in a pretty decent situation as four of their six picks are in the first two rounds.

Bill Belichick has set himself up to have No. 27 and No. 31 in the first round, No. 48 and No. 63 in the second round, No. 94 in the third and No. 126 in the fourth. 

With all their selections being in the first half of the draft, the Patriots will certainly have their chances at drafting first-year impact players to address their needs.

Without further ado, here is my full seven-round mock draft for the New England Patriots. 

Round 1, Pick 27: Janoris Jenkins, Cornerback, North Alabama

Janoris Jenkins comes into the 2012 NFL draft with quite a troubling history. The former Florida Gator was dismissed from the team a year ago after having three drug arrests.

This past year, Jenkins spent his senior season at North Alabama. 

Jenkins stands in at 5'11" and is an extremely athletic cornerback that flourished against the premiere talent of the SEC during his days as a Gator. 

The New England Patriots enter 2012 with no real No. 1 cornerback, as Pro Bowler Devin McCourty struggled tremendously this past season and could very well move to safety while Kyle Arrington and Sterling Moore serve as the team's starters—and we all know that they're not even close to being a reliable starting tandem. 

Jenkins could certainly be a first-year starter for the Patriots, as he possesses top 10 talent but due to his character issues, he'll slip down the draft board—and possibly into the laps of Belichick and the Patriots.

If Jenkins is sitting there at No. 27, I would be shocked if New England passes on his extreme value and talent. 

Round 1, Pick 31: Dont'a Hightower, Linebacker, Alabama

At 31st overall, with Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower available, the New England Patriots would likely snag him right up, as his value is far too much to pass on. 

Hightower has the talent, potential and skill set to be a top 15 draft pick but consistency is the thing that kills his game. 

Hightower will enter the draft standing at 6'4" and weighing 255 lbs with a lot to offer, as he's such a versatile linebacker. He has elite speed for the position and is big, strong and athletic enough to play just about any linebacker position in the 3-4 alignment or even the 4-3 alignment.

If New England were to draft Hightower, he'd join Jerod Mayo and Brandon Spikes and would certainly create one of the most young and promising linebacker corps that the NFL has to offer. 

Also, might I add that Hightower played in the very complex defensive system of Nick Saban, which is a coach that Bill Belichick has a solid relationship with. 

Round 2, Pick 48: Mark Barron, Safety, Alabama

Alabama's Mark Barron has the potential to go as high as in the top 20 and could slip all the way to the middle of the second round.

If Barron is available at this point of the draft, then I could very well see Bill Belichick drafting him. 

While playing under Nick Saban at Alabama, Barron displayed great instinctive skills that played very well in the box as well as covering tight ends in pass coverage. 

The way that Barron can read opposing offenses is quite impressive, and I'm sure that will catch Belichick's eye.

If Barron is added, he'd join Patrick Chung at safety with the Patriots—and those two could likely create a solid pair in New England's back end of their defense. Barron is naturally a strong safety, but Chung has the skill set to play either strong or free safety, so this selection would give Belichick lots of options. 

Round 2, Pick 63: Vinny Curry, Defensive End, Marshall

The 6'3", 265-pound Vinny Curry played 4-3 defensive end for Marshall and is versatile enough to be an outside rush linebacker.

Curry has elite size and speed for the position, with a nice arsenal of pass-rushing moves; however, he did not play against the greatest competition while playing at Marshall. 

If the Patriots plan on parting ways with at least one of their free-agent defensive ends, Andre Carter or Mark Anderson, then the selection of Curry makes sense. 

Curry may not be an every-down player, but he could play in a similar role to what Anderson had prior to Carter's Week 15 injury against the Denver Broncos.

Round 3, Pick 94: Michael Brewster, Center, Ohio State

The New England Patriots will need to address their center position heading into the offseason with their top two centers, Dan Koppen and Dan Connolly, both not under contract for next season.

Ohio State's Michael Brewster has solid size for the position and was the definite leader of Ohio State's offensive line over the past few seasons.

Brewster's biggest weakness is that he's not all that athletic, but I'm sure that New England's offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia would be able to mold him into an NFL starting-caliber player. 

Round 4, Pick 126: Dwight Jones, Wide Receiver, North Carolina

North Carolina's Dwight Jones may not be the immediate answer for New England's No. 1 wide receiver need, but he's certainly well rounded and exactly what the Patriots will be looking for.

Jones has great size as he stands in at 6'4", and he uses his size to physically abuse opposing defenders. He gets off of the line very well thanks to his elite size. 

With both Deion Branch and Chad Ochocinco's future up in the air with the Patriots, as well as Wes Welker's future, it wouldn't be a bad idea to add some depth to the wide receiver position. 

Recap and Analysis

To be honest with you, trying to predict Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots draft is almost impossible, as they draft for value, and they certainly aren't afraid to trade picks back and forth.

If Belichick were to draft these players, then this class would certainly have the potential to be one of New England's top classes in quite sometime.

I really love the selection of Janoris Jenkins. I believe he's a perfect fit with the Patriots, and I'm sure Belichick would call up former Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer about his character issues—and we all know that Belichick loves his Gators; just look at Aaron Hernandez and Brandon Spikes. 

The two Alabama selections would be safe and affective moves, as both Dont'a Hightower and Mark Barron would be first-year impact players because they played in Nick Saban's complex defensive system. 

As for New England's final three picks: Vinny Curry reminds me a lot of Mark Anderson and would certainly be a younger replacement and could help out in the pass rush department. As for Brewster, he likely wouldn't be a first-year starter but could be New England's center of the future. Lastly, North Carolina wide receiver Dwight Jones is a well-rounded receiver that could play a small role in New England's offense next season. 

If this were to be the class that Belichick would bring in next season, then I would mark it as a complete success and grade it as an A.