Mel Kiper Jr. 2012 NFL Mock Draft: How Combine Will Shake Up Predictions

The combine has come and gone, which is sure to make Mel Kiper's last mock draft (see below) look nearly unrecognizable. Some poor performances and out-of-nowhere good showings are going to make draft experts and teams alike shuffle around. 

Let's take a look at a few notable performances and see just how much the combine will change things when Kiper puts his next Mock Draft together.  

One last thing: Kiper didn't speculate on any trades that haven't happened yet, so we won't either. 

Players Sure to Move Up

 

David DeCastro

For linemen, one of the first things you want to look at is stamina. So, it was important for DeCastro to have a good showing at the Bench Press, which he did. Michigan's David Molk was the only lineman to do more reps than DeCastro's 34. 

Another important part of the lineman's game is good footwork, which DeCastro showed. He was one of the top performers in the 20-yard shuttle and the three-cone drill. A solid showing will move DeCastro up the boards, making him a lot of money in the process. 

Kiper's current projection: 21.

Where he must go now: Top 15.

Dontari Poe

Could someone do me a favor and tell me just what planet this guy comes from? If you look at his Combine Profile Page and your jaw doesn't drop, my hat is off to you. 

This guy is 6'4", 345 pounds and runs a sub-5.0 40. More than what it means for running 40 yards, that time shows a burst that NFL scouts will drool all over. 

As if that wasn't enough, he put up 44 reps at 225 pounds. That shows an incredible amount of stamina that is not often seen by men of that size. The work ethic that comes behind putting up an effort like this, along with Poe's size, is a sign of a dominant player.

Kiper's current projection: 24.

Where he must go now: Top 15.

Players Sure to Move Down

Mike Adams

On the other end of someone like DeCastro or Poe, you have big man Mike Adams, who did not do a good job showing his skills off. 

He is 6'7", 323 pounds and only managed 19 reps at the Bench Press. In no way is that going to get it done for a team looking to possibly invest a first-round pick in a player. 

That doesn't demonstrate a strong work ethic, which is going to keep teams away. As it stands right now, Adams would be lucky to stay in the first round. 

Kiper's current projection: 19.

Where he must go now: Outside of Top 25.

Kendall Wright

A receiver that is 5'10", 196 pounds needs to show a much better burst than we saw from Wright. Running a 40 slower than 4.6 seconds is not good enough. 

The good news for Wright is that aside from Justin Blackmon, this group of wide receivers is wide open. They can go in one of several directions, but this was not a strong outing.

The combine hurt Wright, but not beyond all repair. He will need to show much better at the Baylor Pro Day though, or we could be looking at a massive drop.

Kiper's current projection: 22

Where he must go now: 25-30

Dwayne Allen

Allen would easily have been the first tight end taken here if he had had a decent showing, but that didn't happen. A 4.89 40 is not good enough for the modern day tight end, and his stock will suffer in a bad way. 

As you can see, any drop from Allen will mean that he's not a first rounder, but it's not going to stop there. He isn't big enough to run that slow, and teams will shy away from the Clemson tight end because of it.

Kiper's current projection: 32

Where he must go now: Second Round, out of the Top 10.

Mel Kiper's most recent Mock Draft

Pick	Team	Player
1.	Indianapolis Colts	Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
2.	St. Louis Rams	Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma
3.	Minnesota Vikings	Matt Kalil, OT, USC
4.	Cleveland Browns	Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
5.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
6.	Washington Redskins	Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
7.	Jacksonville Jaguars	Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
8.*	Miami Dolphins	Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
9.*	Carolina Panthers	Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
10.	Buffalo Bills	Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama
11.	Kansas City Chiefs	Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
12.	Seattle Seahawks	Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
13.	Arizona Cardinals	Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
14.	Mark Barron	Mark Barron, S, Alabama
15.	Philadelphia Eagles	Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi St.
16.	New York Jets	Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia
17.	Cincinnati Bengals (via Oakland Raiders)	Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
18.	San Diego Chargers	Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
19.	Chicago Bears	Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State
20.	Tennessee Titans	Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois
21.	Cincinnati Bengals	David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
22.	Cleveland Browns (via Atlanta Falcons)	Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
23.	Detroit Lions	Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
24.	Pittsburgh Steelers	Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
25.	Denver Broncos	Devon Still, DT, Penn State
26.	Houston Texans	Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State
27.	New England Patriots (via New Orleans Saints)	Vinny Curry, LB, Marshall
28.	Green Bay Packers	Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame
29.	Baltimore Ravens	Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
30.	San Francisco 49ers	Rueben Randle, WR, LSU
31.	New England Patriots	Kendall Reyes, DT, Connecticut
32.	New York Giants	Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson

*Kiper listed the Panthers before the Dolphins, as his draft was done before the final order was solidified. 

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