2012 NFL Mock Draft Talk: New 2-Round Mock Draft from Expert Lance Zierlein

The Sideline View's Lance Zierlein knows football, and it's not just because his father has been coaching at various levels, including the NFL, since 1970.

Zierlein has a strong football background and intuition, but he is also very connected in league circles. We can always learn from the mock drafts he publishes.

With a fresh two-round mock out this morning, we can use his work to illustrate some great draft questions:

6. St. Louis—Fletcher Cox DT Mississippi State

My Take: Cox is absolutely worthy of a top-10 pick, and he would fill a need. The bigger question here is whether Justin Blackmon will crack the top six picks.

I argued here that he wasn't, but will the Rams agree?

Blackmon has been a top-six pick in mocks since the first moment we thought about the 2012 draft, but it is far from a sure thing.

8. Miami—Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma State

My Take: It is important to point out that even though Blackmon could go later than expected, it won't be that much later.

The interesting question here is whether his high floor and ability to step right in for Brandon Marshall trumps whatever endorsement offensive coordinator (and collegiate coach of Ryan Tannehill) Mike Sherman gives GM Jeff Ireland and owner Steven Ross to take Tannehill.

11. Kansas City—Ryan Tannehill QB Texas A&M

My Take:  I agree that Tannehill is worth a No. 12-15 pick in an absolute sense, and the Chiefs are strong enough across the board to take him here.

I would applaud this pick if Miami passes on Tannehill.

28. Green Bay—Kendall Reyes DL Connecticut

My Take: A versatile defensive lineman who is always just on the outside of my first round looking in, Reyes would help the Packers shrug off the missed Mike Neal second-round pick from 2010.

31. New England—Rueben Randle WR LSU

My Take: Another player who usually barely misses cracking my first round, Randle would fill a need that still exists long term despite the signing of Brandon Lloyd in free agency.

32. New York Giants—Amani Silatolu OG Midwestern State

My Take: Silatolu is an absolute mauler, and Zierlein intimated on Twitter that his talks with four teams made him "fairly sure" that Silatolu (along with Reyes and DE/OLB Whitney Mercilus) was gaining buzz.

36. Tampa Bay—Josh Robinson CB Central Florida

My Take: Robinson might be unknown outside of draft circles, but his combine numbers of a 4.33 40 and a 38.5" vertical make this very feasible.

42. Miami—Brandon Weeden QB Oklahoma State

My Take: Interesting to see Cleveland pass on Weeden twice. I'd have to think Miami would use one of its extra seconds to move up for him unless it had strong intel that Cleveland wasn't interested.

50. Chicago—Orson Charles TE Georgia

My Take: Charles has been on the decline since he was arrested, but Zierlein's mock suggests that his fall won't be too steep.