2012 NFL Mock Draft: Stars That'll See Epic Draft-Day Fall

Although they don't ultimately mean anything in the long run, every football fan and pundit places value on prospects ahead of the NFL draft. While the teams don't pay any mind to those rankings, many observers taken them as gospel and thus are surprised when a player goes later than expected.

With that said, such a situation is sure to arise during this year's draft on multiple occasions. Every team has its own draft board, and it's unlikely that any are consistent with the ones we see from the likes of Mel Kiper Jr. or Todd McShay. Time will tell who is right, but much of the time, players that fall do so for good reason.

Along with a full, first-round mock draft, here is analysis of some players who will unexpectedly tumble down the draft board in the first round.

*Note: This mock was completed prior to the Washington Redskins' likely acquisition of the No. 2 overall pick

1. Indianapolis Colts (2-14): Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Peyton Manning's tenure has officially come to an end with the Colts, so it's time to usher in a new era by selecting Luck.

2. Cleveland Browns (4-12): Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor (projected trade w/ STL)

The Rams desperately want to trade out of this spot and will find a suitor in the Browns, who will take Griffin to be the franchise savior.

3. Minnesota Vikings (3-13): Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Minnesota could go a number of different routes, but Kalil should replace Bryant McKinnie at left tackle and be a cornerstone at the position.

4. St. Louis Rams (2-14): Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State (projected trade w/ CLE)

The Rams have so many needs that trading down is clearly the right move, and they'll get Sam Bradford a shiny, new toy in Blackmon.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12): Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

Tampa Bay fell apart at the seams last season, particularly on defense, but Claiborne will really solidify a shell-shocked secondary.

6. Washington Redskins (5-11): Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

If my guess that the Redskins will land Peyton Manning in free agency is correct, then they'll go a bit off the board to get him a weapon in Floyd.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11): Quinton Coples, DE, UNC

Like many teams this high in the draft, the Jaguars need help in a number of spots, but a pass-rusher like Coples should be the No. 1 priority.

8. Miami Dolphins (6-10): Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

The Dolphins should sign quarterback Matt Flynn thanks to head coach Joe Philbin's Packer connection, and Reiff will be enlisted to protect him.

9. Carolina Panthers (6-10): Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

Carolina certainly needs to add some beef along its defensive line, and Brockers is both big and explosive as a three-technique tackle.

10. Buffalo Bills (6-10): Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

The Bills have been searching for a dominant pass-rusher for quite some time, and Ingram has the potential to be precisely that.

11. Kansas City Chiefs (7-9): Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

Kansas City's offense should receive a big boost with a few key players returning from injury, and Martin will round out the offensive line.

12. Seattle Seahawks (7-9): Courtney Upshaw, DE, Alabama

The Seahawks were one of the worst teams in the league in terms of pressuring the quarterback last season, so Upshaw is a no-brainer.

13. Arizona Cardinals (8-8): Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College

Arizona has lost a lot of key defenders in recent years, but Kuechly can be an absolute force as a tackler at middle linebacker.

14. Dallas Cowboys (8-7): Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Kirkpatrick has some character concerns, but Jerry Jones will undoubtedly be enamored with his impressive skill set.

15. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8): Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

Provided that the Eagles trade DeSean Jackson, a speed receiver like Wright would be a perfect replacement for Michael Vick.

16. New York Jets (8-8): Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois

Much of the talk this offseason has been about quarterback Mark Sanchez, but the Jets need a defensive upgrade as well in the form of Mercilus.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (via OAK 8-8): Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

As good as Alabama running back Trent Richardson was this past season, his first as a starter, and despite the fact that many are calling him the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson, he won't be able to avoid an inevitable fall. Running backs have lost their draft value in recent years, and Richardson will be a victim of that.

Plenty of teams have been able to find quality NFL starters and even Pro Bowlers in the later rounds or as undrafted free agents, so backs are no longer at a premium. With that said, Richardson is one of the best overall talents in the draft, and the Cincinnati Bengals would be thrilled to see him fall this far, as they have a need at the position.

Cedric Benson lacks explosion, and his time may be up with the Bengals, so Richardson would be an ideal replacement. Not only can Richardson run with power like Benson, but he has plenty of speed and can catch passes as well. It looks as if Richardson is the total package and will have a great NFL career, but the position he plays will cause him to drop.

18. San Diego Chargers (8-8): Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC

The Chargers swung and missed in a big way with Larry English, so they'll try their luck with another pass-rusher in Perry.

19. Chicago Bears (8-8): Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

Prior to this past season, many argued that South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery was the best prospect at his position. Perhaps that is still true, but his draft status certainly won't reflect that. Jeffery dropped from over 1,500 receiving yards in 2010 to under 800 last year, and it has caused many to second guess how high he should go in the draft.

In one respect, the Gamecocks had a quarterback carousel after Stephen Garcia left, and they had a hard time utilizing Jeffery. Also, Jeffery's reputation caused him to be double-teamed consistently. At the same time, though, if Jeffery is going to develop into an elite receiver at the next level, then he needs to learn how to separate and deal with extra coverage.

Some team will eventually be intrigued enough to grab him, and that will likely be the Chicago Bears. The Bears have some decent receivers in Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett, but neither is a go-to guy. Jeffery has the potential to be one, and quarterback Jay Cutler will be ecstatic to finally have a weapon that opposing teams will have to take notice of.

20. Tennessee Titans (9-7): David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

The Titans were much better than anticipated last season, and they will continue to stockpile young talent with the best guard in DeCastro.

21. Cincinnati Bengals (9-7): Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

After already addressing the running back need earlier, the Bengals will pounce on Jenkins to replace injured corner Leon Hall.

22. Cleveland Browns (via ATL 10-6): Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

Robert Griffin III won't do the Browns much good if he has nobody to throw to, so Cleveland will nab Sanu as his potential top target.

23. Detroit Lions (10-6): Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

Long-time left tackle Jeff Backus may not be re-signed, so the Lions should look for some new blood such as Adams.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4): Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger gets knocked around every season, but taking Glenn would be a big step in solidifying the offensive line.

25. Denver Broncos (8-8): Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

The Broncos could use help in several areas, but quarterback Tim Tebow would really benefit from an elite center like Konz.

26. Houston Texans (10-6): Mark Barron, S, Alabama

Houston doesn't have many holes to fill, but a great safety like Barron would round out the secondary and give the Texans one of the league's best defenses.

27. New England Patriots (via NO 13-3): Vinny Curry, DE/OLB, Marshall

The Patriots essentially need to rebuild their entire defense, and a high-potential pass-rusher such as Curry is a nice start.

28. Green Bay Packers (15-1): Devon Still, DE/DT, Penn State

Penn State defensive tackle Devon Still was a disruptive force this past season and was up for several awards. Because of that, he was viewed as a potential top-10 pick. For whatever reason, though, his value seems to have dipped lately, with LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers passing him on most boards and Memphis nose tackle Dontari Poe doing the same in some instances.

The best explanation for that is that Brockers and Poe are simply more impressive in workouts than Still is. While that has some merit, Still was more productive on the field, and that should ultimately take precedence. It does seem like Still is likely to fall into the late first round, though, and the Green Bay Packers will be happy to take him.

Green Bay had some defensive struggles this past season, and a lot of that stemmed from a failure to get to the quarterback. Still can do that, and he also has the ability to take up blockers in order to free up pass-rushers like Clay Matthews. Still would be a perfect fit as an end in the Packers' 3-4 system, and he probably won't fall past them.

29. Baltimore Ravens (12-4): Dont’a Hightower, OLB, Alabama

The Ravens defense is still great, but it's aging, so taking a ferocious linebacker like Hightower will ensure that it continues to thrive.

30. San Francisco 49ers (13-3): Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

There is no faster riser thanks to the combine than Hill, and the 49ers appear to be a perfect fit due to their lack of a deep threat.

31. New England Patriots (13-3): Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

The Pats made due with what they had in the secondary last season and made the Super Bowl, but a player like Dennard is needed in order to improve.

32. New York Giants (9-7): Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson

The defending Super Bowl champions don't have many holes to fill, but with tight end Jake Ballard suffering a torn ACL, Allen makes the most sense.