2012 NFL Mock Draft: What Will Minnesota Vikings Do at No. 3?

While the first two picks in the 2012 NFL Draft are all but set, the Minnesota Vikings sit at No. 3 and reports suggest they could be wavering on who to select. 

Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin III will be the first two players taken; that will leave the Vikings with plenty of options with the third pick. 

Conventional wisdom has Minnesota taking USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil with the pick because the team is without a franchise left tackle, and it needs to protect the investment it made in 2011 first-round pick Christian Ponder. The Vikings' young quarterback needs a blind-side protector and Kalil looks like he will become a perennial Pro Bowler.

That said, Minnesota's brass has been following LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne closely and could decide to select him instead. After all, the Vikings could really use an upgrade to their pass defense, which ranked 26th in the NFL in 2011.

Claiborne is by far the best cover corner in this year's draft, but the Vikings simply can't take him over Kalil. 

After watching hours of tape on both guys, I can safely say that Kalil would have a much bigger impact on the Vikings than Claiborne would. Don't get me wrong, both guys could end up as Pro Bowlers, but Kalil is so dominant he could be the NFL's next great left tackle.

Kalil is the best offensive lineman to enter the draft since Miami took Jake Long with the No. 1 overall pick back in 2008. If Andrew Luck wasn't in this draft, the USC product would certainly be in the discussion to be the first player taken. That's how good he is.

He is simply a dominant force along the offensive line and the Vikings need to bring someone in to protect Ponder. I think they will end up taking Kalil when all is said and done. They simply can't afford to pass him up.

2012 NFL Mock Draft      

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

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

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC  

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

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

6. St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins): Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

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, OLB, Alabama

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis  

12. Seattle Seahawks: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

14. Dallas Cowboys: David DeCastro, G, Stanford

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

16. New York Jets: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders): Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

18. San Diego Chargers: Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia 

19. Chicago Bears: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

20. Tennessee Titans: Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta Falcons): Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska

23. Detroit Lions: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

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

25. Denver Broncos: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State

26. Houston Texans: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans Saints): Chandler Jones, DE/OLB, Syracuse

28. Green Bay Packers: Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois   

29. Baltimore Ravens: Dont'a Hightower, ILB, Alabama

30. San Francisco 49ers: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

31. New England Patriots: Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson

32. New York Giants: Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina