2012 NFL Mock Draft: Late-First Round Sleepers Who Will Ignite NFL

Curious as to which late-round sleepers will light up the NFL in their rookie campaigns? Trying to impress the other workers at the water cooler by boldly predicting that a few lesser-known players will become instant studs in 2012?

Well, you've come to the right place, my friends. I've identified five players that I think will have huge impacts in 2012, along with providing a freshly-updated mock draft. Yeah, I've got some juicy surprises, you'll see.

Now get back to the water cooler. If you actually hang out there, that is.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Don't even bother with the Luck versus Robert Griffin III debate—Luck is the man for the rebuilding effort set to being in Indianapolis.

2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor *

They'll give up a lot, but they'll get the face of their franchise for the next decade.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC

It may not be sexy, but selecting Kalil is the perfect pick for the Vikings.

4. Cleveland Browns: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

I've debated on this pick in nearly every mock draft I've done, and the direction Cleveland goes will have a huge impact on the rest of their draft. I think they'll see far too much benefit in pairing Claiborne with Joe Haden to create a ridiculous pair of cornerbacks and will avoid selecting a sexier offensive skill position player here.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

The Bucs will be quite happy to add a much-needed weapon on the outside in the explosive Blackmon.

6. St. Louis Rams: Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

When Jeffery shows up to the NFL combine, runs in the 4.5 range and silences all of his critics, this pick will make sense. I maintain he'll be a better wide receiver than Blackmon in the NFL.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Kirkpatrick is a very talented corner, and Jacksonville will be happy to select him here.

8. Carolina Panthers: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

The most well-rounded and one of the most athletic defensive ends in the draft will look very nice in a Panthers uniform.

9. Miami Dolphins: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

A smart, reliable pick by the Dolphins here that fills a major need.

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

The Bills are likely to play more four-man fronts under new defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt, meaning Ingram's athletic versatility will allow him to fit into either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme and makes him a solid pick for Buffalo.

11. Seattle Seahawks: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M 

The first shocker of the draft will belong to Seattle, who—if they don't wind up with Peyton Manning—will look to fill a big need here.

12. Kansas City Chiefs:  Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis

The Chiefs will replace retiring nose tackle Kelly Gregg with the massive Poe.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

Martin will be an instant upgrade over the disappointing Levi Brown.

14. Dallas Cowboys: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

If they can't land Carl Nicks from the New Orleans Saints in free agency, DeCastro will fill a major need.

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

History suggests they will go another route with this pick. Necessity demands they go this route if they don't acquire a middle linebacker like Stephen Tulloch in free agency.

16. New York Jets: Courtney Upshaw, OLB, USC

Upshaw will instantly step in as starter at the 3-4 defensive end position for the Jets.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama **

The steal of the draft. A team might try to trade up above Cincinnati to land Richardson—who will drop further than people think given the devaluing of running backs around the NFL—but if he is available at 17, the Bengals will snag him and probably do a little dance in the war room.

18. San Diego Chargers: Dont'a Hightower, MLB, Alabama

Takeo Spikes is old. Hightower is an excellent replacement.

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

Hey Chicago, Jay Cutler called, and he wants his stud wide receiver back. Since Brandon Marshall isn't leaving Miami anytime soon, you might want to give Cutler Floyd instead.

20. Tennessee Titans: Nick Perry, DE, USC

One of the better athletes in the draft will step into a big need on the edge for the Titans.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

The Bengals could go a lot of different directions with this pick, but I say they land another steal and pair the highly-talented Jenkins with Leon Hall to create an excellent cornerback duo.

22. Cleveland Browns: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

I don't expect Peyton Hillis to return, and Montario Hardesty is injury-prone. Miller is an excellent pick for Cleveland and will give them the offensive playmaker fans desperately crave.

23. Detroit Lions: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

See a need, fill a need. The Lions could use a center, and Konz fits the bill nicely.

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

Ben Roethlisberger sends his thanks for this pick.

25. Denver Broncos: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

Brockers will probably continue to climb on my board and many others, but if he falls to this slot, Denver will snatch him in a hot minute.

26. Houston Texans: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

OK, so Wright may not exactly be a sleeper—some folks have him as the second wide receiver on their board—but I think on this team, paired with Andre Johnson—he'll be a Rookie of the Year candidate.

The Texans would be so much more dynamic on offense with the speedy and game-breaking Wright, and he would see a lot of favorable matchups with teams having to worry first about Andre Johnson and Arian Foster.

So he may not be aptly described as a sleeper pick, but for a player drafted in the later portion of the first round, I think he'll ignite the NFL in his rookie year more possibly any other player drafted.

27. New England Patriots: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

Bill Belichick likes his Rutgers guys—well, at least during the Greg Schiano era—and Sanu would provide the team with an outside threat at receiver to complement slot extraordinaire Wes Welker and the two-headed monster of tight ends the team has, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

Sanu probably won't be better long-term than players like Blackmon or Jeffery, but having Tom Brady throwing him passes in the short term will seriously speed up his acclimation to the NFL game.

Look for Sanu to have a big rookie year if he lands in New England.

28. Green Bay Packers: Devon Still, DT, Penn State

An excellent replacement for the never-replaced Cullen Jenkins, Still would be a steal this late for Green Bay if he drops in the first round.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Jared Crick, DE, Nebraska

Crick may not put up gaudy numbers as a 3-4 defensive end in Baltimore, but he'll instantly be a huge contributor for the team and impress many in league circles during his rookie year.

If he hadn't torn his pectoral muscle in the 2011 season, we would probably be talking the 2010 second-team All-American being selected higher in the draft.

As it were, the Ravens will be happy to further solidify their line with Crick, who will slot in alongside Haloti Ngata and make teams abandon the running game before the game even begins.

30. San Francisco 49ers: Rueben Randle, WR, LSU

The 49ers need an upgrade at wide receiver. Done and done.

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

Mercilus will prove he his athletic and versatile enough to fit in as either a 4-3 end or 3-4 outside linebacker at the NFL combine, and the Patriots will snag him here.

Mercilus led the NCAA in sacks in 2011 with 16, and he'll provide the same production for a New England team that could use another edge rusher.

Bill Belichick will walk away from the draft with two of the more productive first-round picks in 2012.

32. New York Giants: Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina

The rich get richer. As if the Giants didn't already have enough freakish players hanging out in the box on their defense, they'll add a much-needed upgrade at the outside linebacker position with Brown, who will likely blow teams away with his athleticism at the combine.

The Giants defense will only get scarier after this selection.

* The Redskins, worried the Browns might take Robert Griffin III at No. 4, trade the sixth pick in the first round, along with their second- and fifth-round pick this year and second-round pick next year for St. Louis' second overall pick.

** From Oakland in the Carson Palmer trade.

*** From New Orleans in last year's Mark Ingram trade.

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