2012 NFL Mock Draft: Highlighting Busts, Fails and Flame-Outs

The 2012 NFL draft is shaping up to be the tale of two halves.

The first 15 or so picks are going to be littered with future stars. More so than most years. But once you start hitting the late teens, there are a plethora of players who have plenty of talent, but come with loads of question marks as well.

The purpose of this latest mock draft is to highlight the players that possess the biggest chance of becoming the next Derrick Harvey.

Who is Derrick Harvey?

Exactly.

(Potential busts in italics)

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

If Luck ends up being a bust, the Colts will be irrelevant for the next five years. No pressure.

2. St. Louis Rams (Washington Redskins): Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

RGIII certainly has more bust potential than Luck, but it’s hard to see an athlete with his poise and arm strength failing to become at least an average signal-caller.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC

The Vikes can’t afford to take a risk here and need to go for a sure-fire starter for the next decade.

4. Cleveland Browns: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Blackmon’s senior season in college (121 receptions, 1522 yards, 18 TDs) was one of the greatest in the past 10 years. This guy could have caught 50 receptions in the NFL last year.

Here is my pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

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

The best corner in the draft has terrific instincts when the ball is in the air, which is something you can’t teach. Above his outstanding combine performance and SEC pedigree, that is the most telling sign Claiborne is going to have a successful career in the NFL.

6. Washington Redskins (St. Louis Rams): Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

Pass-rushers are always at a premium in the NFL, which means teams are more willing to overpay to get them. Coples has a huge red flag when it comes to playing hard on every down, something that would scare me away.

Look no further than Nick Fairley, who had the same rap last draft only to show up out of shape with the Detroit Lions and break his foot almost instantly.

Coples registered 7.5 sacks for North Carolina in 2011, but if you don’t count the two sacks against James Madison, his stats were less than stellar. When push comes to shove and Coples begins to struggle, will he fight through it or fold up like a tent?

For such a high pick, this is not the question you want to be asking.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

The Jags need a run-stuffer to hide their other deficiencies and Brockers is the best in the draft. He has the athletic ability to penetrate the line of scrimmage while also eating up plenty of space in the trenches.  

8. Miami Dolphins: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

This pick hinges on if the Fins are able to land Tim Tebow.

Assuming they secure Tebow or another free-agent QB, shoring up the offensive line is the top priority and the big and burly 6’5’’, 315-pound tackle is as reliable as they get. Reiff never missed a single game in college and started all but two games.

9. Carolina Panthers: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

Carolina has to get a high-impact guy to shore up a horrific defense and Poe is going to be the top candidate. People fell in love with him after his incredible combine, but what about his ability to handle the top competition in the world?

Playing in Conference USA for three years is not quite on the same level as a ‘Bama grad’s experience.

The problem with Poe is that he tends to wear down through the course of a game and doesn’t play with the mean streak that you’d like to see from a DT.

Everyone is sky-high on Poe right now, but I’m still not sold.

10. Buffalo Bills: Nick Perry, DE, Stanford

The Bills still struggled to sack the quarterback despite the selection of Marcell Dareus last year. Landing a guy with the burst and athleticism of Perry would be the best bet for Buffalo.

11. Kansas City Chiefs: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

DeCastro is the greatest guard to come out of the draft since Steve Hutchinson in 2001. Now that the Chiefs signed Eric Winston, they need DeCastro to ensure one of the top running teams in the league stays that way.

12. Seattle Seahawks: Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama

It’s the versatility of Upshaw that makes him so valuable.

Depending on the scheme he is placed in, Upshaw can adjust accordingly—a rare trait for somebody who has yet to register a down in the NFL.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

I believe his knee woes are going to submarine his draft stock to the late lottery, but I also think every team in front of him is going to eventually regret passing on the next Adrian Peterson.

We haven’t seen this blend of size and speed in a long time.

14. Dallas Cowboys: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

Despite all of the character issues, Jenkins is an incredible talent that is worth the risk. It would be foolish to debate if Jenkins has learned from his mistakes, but I think he had a strong enough combine to warrant a top-15 pick.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina

The Eagles window is only open for so long. Drafting a guy like Ingram who can come in right off the bat and contribute is the way to go.

Ingram is an incredible athlete that can play multiple positions while being able to put pressure on the QB as well. This is a good value pick.    

16. New York Jets: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

Floyd, who stands at 6’3’’ and 225 pounds, has the polish of a four-year star at a major institution and can make Mark Sanchez’s life easier right off the bat.

He won’t be belittling him like another Jets receiver, either.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

Miller is a speed demon that is capable of handling the load (20 to 25 carries) the Bengals would require from him. He is a redshirt sophomore with fresh legs that can be a major contributor instantly.

This guy may be a safer bet than Trent Richardson.

18. San Diego Chargers: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

With Vincent Jackson gone for good, the Chargers have to give Philip Rivers some help in the passing game.

Wright is coming off an incredible year statistically (108 receptions, 1,663 yards and 14 TDs), but had a slow 40-yard dash time and failed to standout in general at the combine.

I’m under the firm belief that receivers in college are the product of their QB and Wright has been spoiled with the brilliance of RGIII.

Standing at only 5’10’’ and 190 pounds, this guy has bust written all over him.

19. Chicago Bears: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

It’s a position of need and Kirkpatrick is valued right around the 15 to 20 spot in round one. It’s a match made in heaven.

20. Tennessee Titans: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

He doesn’t do much damage behind the line of scrimmage, which is a huge concern. If he can’t blow up a play against mediocre competition in the ACC, how is he supposed to get by the best right tackles on the planet?

Kuechly is a tackling machine and can help right away with his outstanding tackling technique, but his ceiling is limited.

He is nothing more than a fringe starter that has major bust potential.  

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia

The Bengals love guards that can pull off the line of scrimmage and stick with the play down the field. Bobbie Williams is aging before their eyes and grooming his replacement now is the best decision to make with their second first-rounder.

22. Cleveland Browns: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

Tannehill has "flame-out" written all over him.

He has shoddy mechanics (especially footwork) that will take a ton of time to fix. He doesn’t always step into his throws, which can lead to slightly inaccurate passes that are susceptible to getting picked off.

He doesn’t possess the greatest ball security and played in a very QB-friendly system in college.

The Browns don’t know what to make of Colt McCoy at this point and using their second first-round pick to create a QB competition couldn’t hurt.

Problem is, Tannehill is nothing more than a mid-level second-round pick that will never have much of an impact in the NFL.

23. Detroit Lions: Mark Barron, SS, Alabama

Barron is desperately needed for a Lions secondary that still has the painful memories of their blowout playoff loss to the Saints stuck in their heads.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Devon Still, DT, Penn State

Standing at 6’5’’ and 310 pounds, Still won’t have to travel far to begin his professional career. The local product has a limited ceiling, but the risk of him being a bust is almost nonexistent.

Casey Hampton is on his last legs and now is the time to bring in a guy like Still.  

25. Denver Broncos: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

It’s time to make Peyton Manning happy. Landing the best available tackle that can protect his 36-year-old body is a must.

Martin has the athletic ability and impressive intelligence to be a major player from day one.

26. Houston Texans: Rueben Randle, WR, LSU

Once Andre Johnson went down with a leg injury, the lack of receiver depth was visible. Randle has first-round value because of his ability to return kicks.  

The junior left school early and doesn’t possess the polish of Blackmon or Floyd. He ran a less-than-stellar 4.55 40 and scouts have to be concerned with the way his play declined as the season went progressed.

He is not worthy of a first-round pick, but he does fit the needs of a Texans team that only has to plug a few holes. I think this will ultimately backfire for the Texans.

27. New England Patriots: Jamell Fleming, CB, Oklahoma

Fleming has the size and strength to play right away. His aggressive style of play may hurt him at times, but it’s the sort of mentality the Pats desperately need to get back to the Super Bowl.

28. Green Bay Packers: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi St.

The Packers were destroyed up the middle last year. Landing Cox this far back would be a steal for a team looking to erase the painful memories of last season.

Cox is a space-eater that can gobble up running backs trying to run through the trenches.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

Matt Birk is on the cusp of retiring and Konz can play right away. You won’t be hearing his name very often, but Konz is going to be a big contributor right off the bat for whatever team drafts him.   

30. San Francisco 49ers: Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

Dennard had a terrific collegiate career and enters the NFL with more experience than most.

The 49ers don’t need a ton of help, but adding depth at corner certainly wouldn’t hurt.  

31. New England Patriots: Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia

The worst secondary in the league needs help and Boykin is a sound fit for the Pats system.

The Pats drafting two players at the same position in the first round? Sounds like something this unconventional franchise would do.

Remember how two third-round tight ends worked out for them two years ago?

32. New York Giants: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

Adams has come on strong of late and his 6’7’’, 323-pound frame is rare enough, but combined with quick feet, you have a guy that can be a major factor for years to come. 

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