2012 NFL Draft Projections: Predicting the Notable Mid-Round Defensive Lineman

In 2012 NFL Draft it's obvious that dominant defensive lineman such as North Carolina's Quinton Coples, Penn State's Devon Still and Illinois' Whitney Mercilus will be selected high.

Well, there's also some great talent in the mid rounds with prospects who have just as much to prove.

So, here's where you can expect these notable defensive lineman to fall in late April.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Cam Johnson, DE (Virginia)

The Buccaneers simply need all the help they can get on defense.

Last season Tampa finished No. 21 against the pass, last against the rush and allowed an average of 395 total yards per game.

In addition, the Bucs only recorded 23 sacks which also ranked dead last in the league.

Well, taking Virginia's Cam Johnson early in Round 3 would help patch up some defensive wounds. Although his sack numbers aren't overly impressive like the top prospects, Johnson was also subject to being the lone threatening pass rusher on the Cavaliers.

That said, Johnson recorded four sacks, 30 tackles and forced two fumbles in 2011. It was a down year from 2010 where he recorded six sacks and 53 tackles, so offenses simply game-planned to isolate him.

With the Bucs though, Johnson can be a solid contributor with other young defensive lineman such as Da'Quan Bowers and Adrian Clayborn.

Worst-case scenario is that Johnson provides depth and becomes a pass-situation player. There, he can help with a quicker pass rush on passing downs to help out the Bucs' vulnerable secondary.

Buffalo Bills: Trevor Guyton, DE (California)

Last season the Buffalo Bills ran a 3-4 defense and were basically wiped off the field defensively.

They allowed roughly 370 total yards per game, ranked No. 19 against the pass, No. 28 against the run and recorded just 29 sacks.

So, provided that the Bills are willing to switch back to a 4-3 front, drafting Cal's Trevor Guyton would assist in the transition. For one, it would allow last year's first-round pick Marcell Dareus to work as a defensive tackle, where he'll be more productive against the run.

As for Guyton, he's accounted for 10.5 sacks and 75 tackles the past two seasons, so the potential to get pressure around the edge is there.

Other than improving in pass defense and not trying to live off turnovers, the Bills need to control the line of scrimmage better. Not only would switching to a 4-3 do that but they'll get pressure from the interior as well as the outside.

With Guyton's all out effort and agility to make plays away from him, Buffalo will see drastic improvements next fall.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Mike Martin, DT (Michigan)

Despite going 5-11, losing their head coach and having the worst pass offense in all of football, the Jacksonville Jaguars still had a top 10 defense.

It was the one area that kept them in games as the Jags finished No. 8 against the pass and No. 9 against the rush. The interesting part about Jacksonville though, is that it only recorded 31 sacks on the year while still locking down in coverage.

The Jaguars simply had no pressure on the outside or the interior, and that was the difference as they lost five games by one touchdown or less.

Eventually professional receivers are going to get open, so limiting their time to run routes and letting a play develop is the next fix.

Here, we see Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin, who will keep the Jag's stout rush defense impenetrable and apply an interior pass rush.

In 2011, Martin recorded 3.5 sacks and 64 tackles while also having three quarterback hurries. Against run-oriented teams like the Texans and Titans, Martin's ability to swiftly move on the inside while maintaining good balance will benefit the exterior pass rushers.

Provided that Jacksonville improves on offense, Martin's services in the trenches will take the Jags' defense to another level.

Kansas City Chiefs: Tyrone Crawford, DE (Boise State)

Despite the dominance of pass rusher Tamba Hali, the Kansas City Chiefs still only accumulated 29 sacks in 2011.

It was one of their defensive weakness in addition to slowing down the ground game, so looking to add depth along the line must be a priority.

A solid mid-rounder to consider is Boise State's Tyrone Crawford, who collected 6.5 sacks and 44 tackles in 2011. He also forced three fumbles and blocked a kick. Crawford also had a good campaign in 2010, totaling eight sacks and 30 tackles.

So, in terms of keeping the pass rush present, the consistency is there. Now include Crawford's 6'4" 285-pound frame, and suddenly, using him as a 3-4 defensive end isn't a bad idea.

Simply limit his role to rushing the inside, forcing the running back to bounce outside or causing the quarterback to roll out which would allow the other playmakers to take over. The best-case scenario would be to blitz Hali or Justin Houston on Crawford's side to get pressure from inside and out.

This covers all bases when blitzing and would greatly benefit against run-first teams like Denver and Oakland.

2012 First-Round NFL Mock Draft

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB (Stanford)	17. Cincinnati Bengals (From OAK): Janoris Jenkins, CB (Northern Alabama)
2. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR (Oklahoma State)	18. San Diego Chargers: Riley Reiff, OT (Iowa)
3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT (USC)	19. Chicago Bears: Dwayne Allen, TE (Clemson)
4. Cleveland Browns: Morris Claiborne, CB (LSU)	20. Tennessee Titans: Alshon Jeffery, WR (South Carolina)
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Trent Richardson, RB (Alabama)	21. Cincinnati Bengals: Cordy Glenn, OG (Georgia)
6. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB (Baylor)	22. Cleveland Browns (From ATL): Vontaze Burfict, LB (ASU)
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Floyd, WR (Notre Dame)	23. Detroit Lions: Zach Brown, LB (UNC)
8. Miami Dolphins: David DeCastro, G (Stanford)	24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Adams, OT (Ohio State)
9. Carolina Panthers: Quinton Coples, DE (UNC)	25. Denver Broncos: Alfonzo Dennard, CB (Nebraska)
10. Buffalo Bills: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB (Alabama)	26. Houston Texans: Kendall Wright, WR (Baylor)
11. Kansas City Chiefs: Nick Perry, DE (USC)	27. New England Patriots (From NO): Whitney Mercilus, DE (Illinois)
12. Seattle Seahawks: Devon Still, DT (Penn State)	28. Green Bay Packers: Melvin Ingram, DE (South Carolina)
13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT (Stanford)	29. Baltimore Ravens: Dont'a Hightower, LB (Alabama)
14. Dallas Cowboys: Luke Kuechly, LB (Boston College)	30. San Francisco 49ers: Kendall Wright, WR (Baylor)
15. Philadelphia Eagles: Courtney Upshaw, LB (Alabama)	31. New England Patriots: Mark Barron, S (Alabama)
16. New York Jets: Michael Brockers, DT (LSU)	32. New York Giants: Jerel Worthy, DT (Michigan State)

John Rozum on Twitter.