2012 NFL Mock Draft: Where Will Combine Studs End Up?

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While a handful of prospects found themselves plummeting out of the first round after a poor performance at the 2012 NFL Combine, plenty more are on the rise.  Here is an updated mock draft highlighting the combine studs:

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck (QB, Stanford)

Indianapolis won’t take more than 30 seconds to send in their pick.  Of course, Jim Irsay is crazy so it isn’t out of the question that the Colts milk every second, but he’s not insane enough to pass on Luck.

2. Cleveland Browns: Robert Griffin III (QB, Baylor)

St. Louis is willing to trade out and the Browns can’t miss Griffin.  All mocks should just have Cleveland at No. 2 because it’s going to happen.

RGIII’s legend as an All-World athlete grew even further after he ran an unofficial 4.38 at the combine.  Cleveland doesn’t just need an upgrade at the quarterback position.  They need a face of the franchise, a savior, and Griffin is that guy.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil (OT, USC)

Christian Ponder loves the fact that the Rams traded down.  Now he won’t have to worry about pass-rushers jacking him up from his blind side for the next decade.

4. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon (WR, Oklahoma St.)

As much as Sam Bradford would’ve liked to not get trampled every other play, at least with Blackmon he’ll get trampled with style.  St. Louis can’t go another year without finding a No. 1 wide receiver for their young passer.

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

Aqib Talib will potentially be watching Tampa Bay games from behind bars this season if there’s a television in his cell, and the local nursing home keeps calling Ronde Barber.  If the Buccaneers were any good they could select Trent Richardson as a luxury pick, but they’re not.

6. Washington Redskins: Riley Reiff (OT, Iowa)

Peyton Manning, Matt Flynn, Mike Shanahan’s favorite quarterback ever John Beck, whoever ends up as the starting quarterback for the Redskins next season is going to need some protection.  Reiff is a slight reach at this point in the draft, but the Skins’ options are lacking.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Floyd (WR, Notre Dame)

Blaine Gabbert is tired of straining his eyes to find the undersized Mike Thomas.  Jacksonville’s most drastic need by far is a No. 1 wide receiver.

No, this isn’t a stretch after the jaw-dropping workout Floyd put on in front of scouts at the combine.  At 6’3” and 220 pounds, rumors swirled that the Fighting Irish wideout would run around a 4.6 or 4.7 and destroy his stock.  Instead, Floyd ran an unofficial 4.42 as scouts erased possession receiver next to his name and wrote physical freak.

8. Carolina Panthers: Dontari Poe (DT, Memphis)

Speaking of physical freaks, Poe looks like Winnie the Pooh at 346 pounds, but whatever is in his picnic basket I want some.  The bowling ball of fury ran an insane 4.87 in the 40-yard dash.  He topped off his historic outing with 44 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. 

Carolina’s offense is outstanding, but their defense needs to be transformed before they become a playoff contender again.  The physical freak the Panthers selected last season didn’t work out too bad, why not two in a row?

9. Miami Dolphins: Quinton Coples (DE, North Carolina)

Miami needs to find a respectable pass-rusher to field across from Cameron Wake.  Coples now makes sense at No. 9 because the Dolphins are switching to a 4-3 defensive front next season.

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

Buffalo’s offense carried the team early in the season, but when it began to sputter, the defense failed to step up.  Adding a dynamic pass-rusher is without a doubt the Bills' biggest need this offseason.

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Trent Richardson (RB, Alabama)

If Kansas City trades for/signs Peyton Manning and Richardson falls to them at No. 11, their offense is going to be absolutely terrifying.  If Jamaal Charles makes an effective return, the Chiefs would easily boast the best halfback duo the league has seen in years.

12. Seattle Seahawks: Ryan Tannehill (QB, Texas A&M)

If Pete Carroll believes the Seahawks possess the ability to make the playoffs with Tarvaris Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst under center he’s out of his mind.  Seattle must find a new QB this offseason, even if it’s just as a temporary solution.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin (OT, Stanford)

I’m sure Kevin Kolb doesn’t have a problem with sitting on the sideline and collecting his massive paycheck, but the Cardinals should.  They must keep their franchise quarterback upright even if he doesn’t perform like one.

14. Dallas Cowboys: David DeCastro (G, Stanford)

Dallas will take a long, hard look at Bob Marley’s pair of disciples because their secondary is a disaster.  But with a need at guard, DeCastro is way too talented to pass up.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Luke Kuechly (ILB, Boston College)

Going into the combine, Kuechly was seen as a smart, skilled, slow linebacker.  After running a 4.50 at the combine, now he’s just smart and skilled, and the Eagles would be nuts to go any other direction.

16. New York Jets: Courtney Upshaw (OLB, Alabama)

Rex Ryan’s defensive scheme is phenomenal, but it can’t function with anemic pass-rushers.  Upshaw played in a 3-4 with the Crimson Tide, making him a perfect fit for the Jets.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Janoris Jenkins (CB, North Alabama)

You got caught with pot?  You have four kids to three women? 

Cool story bro!  Welcome to the Bengals!

"

Janoris tells media he has four kids. Janoris Jenkins Jr, Legend, Janorian and Paris

— Will Brinson (@willbrinson) February 26, 2012"

18. San Diego Chargers: Nick Perry (OLB, USC)

San Diego needs a pass-rusher across from Shaun Phillips.  They need a strong safety too, after Bob Sanders’ predictable trip to the injured reserve, but Perry is too gifted to pass up.

At 6’3” and 271 pounds, Perry ran a 4.50 40-yard dash at the combine.  His 38.5-inch vertical and 35 reps on the bench press also separated him from the pack.  Perry’s potential is through the roof.

19. Chicago Bears: Kendall Wright (WR, Baylor)

Wright ran a disastrous 4.61 in the 40-yard dash, but the disappointment most likely stems from an issue of technique.  His stock will fall, but the Bears need a No. 1 wideout so bad that Wright’s game tape will win them over.

20. Tennessee Titans: Cordy Glenn (G, Georgia)

To a lesser extent, Glenn is the Dontari Poe of offensive linemen.  At 345 pounds, Glenn ran a 5.15 40-yard dash and with the Titans' gaping hole on the offensive line, Chris Johnson will be on his knees begging for them to select him.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Lamar Miller (RB, Miami)

This just in: Lamar Miller is fast.  After running a 4.38 40-yard dash, Cincinnati won’t be able to resist replacing the waste of space that is Cedric Benson.

22. St. Louis Rams: Fletcher Cox (DT, Mississippi St.)

If Mike Adams didn’t embarrass himself at the combine, he’d be the selection given the Rams' need for a left tackle.  But he did put on a pitiful performance, so St. Louis will look to upgrade the other side of the football, and Cox fills a huge need on their interior line.

23. Detroit Lions: Dre Kirkpatrick (CB, Alabama)

Detroit’s secondary is the only thing keeping the Lions defense from being dominant.  Kirkpatrick comes with red flags, but he’s too talented and fills too much of a need for Jim Schwartz’s crew to play this pick conservatively.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dont'a Hightower (ILB, Alabama)

Bold prediction: Right now, somewhere, Vontaze Burfict is eating everything.  After a complete joke of a workout by the Arizona State linebacker, Hightower to the Steelers is the surest selection in the draft since Blackmon to the Rams.

25. Denver Broncos: Devon Still (DT, Penn St.)

If the Broncos plan on returning to the divisional round of the playoffs next season, they have a ton of holes to fill.  One of their greatest weaknesses is at defensive tackle, and Still is a steal at this point in the draft.

26. Houston Texans: Stephen Hill (WR, Georgia Tech)

Calvin Johnson, Demaryius Thomas, Stephen Hill?  According to CBS Sports’ Larry Hartstein, Stephen Hill is is now a late-first-round prospect after a killer combine.

Houston’s only major need is at the wide receiver position.  After measuring in at 6’4” and 215 pounds and recording an unofficial 4.30 40-yard dash, as well as a 39.5-inch vertical, Hill is now the fourth-best wideout prospect.  I don’t know what they feed those receivers at Georgia Tech, but Matt Schaub sure isn’t complaining.

27. New England Patriots: Whitney Mercilus (DE/OLB, Illinois)

Mercilus is capable of playing both defensive end and outside linebacker.  In the Patriots’ scheme, which utilizes multiple defensive fronts, his versatility will come in handy.

28. Green Bay Packers: Michael Brockers (DE, LSU)

Brockers’ stock blew up after he weighed in at 6’5” and 322 pounds, and then he shot it after recording just 19 reps on the bench press.  Green Bay’s defense hasn’t been the same monster since Cullen Jenkins’ departure.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Peter Konz (OT, Wisconsin)

Matt Birk is ancient.  With Ray Lewis’ successor nowhere to be found, Baltimore might as well improve their workhorse running back’s blocking.

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

Alshon Jeffery is an option here, but after Braylon Edwards failed to pan out, I can’t see the 49ers attempting to develop another diva wide receiver.  At 6’4”, Randle has Jeffery’s length without the character concerns.

31. New England Patriots: Mark Barron (SS, Alabama)

New England’s defense is a mess.  Barron, though, has the potential to be a game-changing playmaker and would not only fill a hole in the Patriots secondary, but improve the defenders around him.

32. New York Giants: Coby Fleener (TE, Stanford)

Torn ACLs will result in Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum suiting up in dress clothes to at least start the 2012 campaign.  Fleener has emerged as the No. 1 tight end prospect in the draft after Dwayne Casey’s poor combine. 

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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