2012 NFL Mock Draft: Analyzing Sigmund Bloom's AFC East Picks in His Latest Mock

Mock drafts are tedious especially when you begin projecting trades. One trade leads to another, and the whole board can get thrown out of whack for some teams.

I'll leave the dirty work to the likes of B/R's lead draft blogger Sigmund Bloom who gives us a solid first-round mock with projected trades.

Here, we'll just take a look at his picks from an AFC East perspective.

8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, Quarterback, Texas A&M

Sigmund says: "Peyton Manning goes to Arizona, Matt Flynn goes to Seattle and the Dolphins "settle" for a Tannehill/Mike Sherman reunion."

My slant: If free agency works out as Sigmund suggests it will, the Dolphins will definitely be in the market for a quarterback in the draft. Would they be willing to part ways with enough to land Robert Griffin III at No. 2? They have expressed steel resolve in their quest to find a big-time quarterback this year, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them pull out all the stops. 

If they're unable to do so, however, Tannehill could be a solid fit. He needs to work on his footwork and deep-ball accuracy, but his experience in a pro-style offense will help his transition to the NFL, and not just any pro style offense, but the exact same one he ran at Texas A&M. 

With playmakers around him on offense and with guidance from his former head coach and new head coach Joe Philbin—who helped mold Packers quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Matt Flynn—Tannehill has every opportunity to reach his potential.

10. Buffalo Bills: Quinton Coples, Defensive End, North Carolina

Sigmund says: "The need for a pass rush in Buffalo is so huge that the Bills forgo any opportunities to trade down."

My slant: From a need and talent perspective, file this one under N for "no duh."

There are reasons to be cautious about Coples, as he logged just 7.5 sacks in his senior season, and four of his sacks came against Duke and James Madison—not exactly perennial contenders.

He's getting a lot of play because of his 6'5", 284-pound frame and his freakish athleticism which proves he has a high ceiling, but does he have the drive to maximize that potential? If so, he would provide the team a great counterpart to Cameron Wake on the end of the new 4-3 defense. If not, he provides one of the biggest draft busts since Vernon Gholston.

16. New York Jets: Michael Floyd, Wide Receiver, Notre Dame

Sigmund says: "The Jets get a much-needed infusion of young talent in the passing game."

My slant: The Jets desperately need both youth and talent at wide receiver, with players that fall into one category or the other, and arguably, none that fall into both.

Floyd ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, which isn't that fast, but is a lot faster than was expected. There are questions about his long speed in full pads. 

Regardless, his 6'2.5", 220-pound frame will make him a difficult matchup for most defensive backs. With Plaxico Burress likely on his way out, the Jets could really use to add a red-zone threat.

They could look for an outside linebacker or safety here, but a wide receiver would be a solid choice.

18. New England Patriots: Trade up from No. 27, select Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

Sigmund says: "Belichick never trades up in the first, but he is also predictably unpredictable. Wilfork plus Poe would give the Pats amazing versatility in fronts for the Patriots defense. Giving the Chargers No. 27 and No. 48 outright should get this done."

My slant: The Patriots almost always have the ammunition to trade up, and as such, they almost always carry the speculation prior to the draft of whether they'll actually do it.

News flash: They don't.

As usual, there are some guys who could warrant that type of move, and Poe could be one of them if he lives up to his potential. He really made his presence felt at the combine with a 4.87-second, 40-yard dash and 44 reps of a 225-pound bench press.

But as usual, the question is, does that freakish athleticism translate to on-field talent? Poe's production isn't what you'd expect it to be with just eight tackles for loss and three sacks all year, and he didn't exactly play in a power conference in the Conference USA.

Either way, don't expect New England to trade up. Just a hunch.

31. New England Patriots: George Iloka, S, Boise State

Sigmund says: "Bill Belichick isn't afraid to overpay for players who he sees fitting well in his hybrid defense."

My slant: "Overpay" is a loose term. Belichick will never go beyond what he feels a player is worth although that may sometimes conflict with the draft pundit consensus (see Devin McCourty and countless others). He has a classically valued defensive back as a top-of-the-draft position and has taken at least one defensive back in the first two rounds every year since 2006.

Is Iloka the answer though? He certainly has the size at 6'3" and 216 pounds. With great cover skills, the Patriots could line him up almost anywhere in the secondary. They'll have to help him work on tackling—something that became a team-wide epidemic for the Patriots at times in 2011.

The need at safety is glaring; no offense to the guy, but nobody wants to see Matthew Slater running around back there again. As always, it just comes down to value. Iloka has varying grades from a late first round to a mid second-round selection, and the Patriots have never been ones to reach on a position of need—no matter how glaring that need is. 

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