2012 NFL Mock Draft: Contending Teams That Should Trade Up

It's one of the most exciting moments of the draft—out of nowhere, a team trades a bevy of future or later-round picks to move up the board in the first round and draft a stud it's had its eye on.

It's what makes actually watching the NFL draft worthwhile.

So what teams should consider making a blockbuster deal at this year's draft?

Let's take a look.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Don't buy into all of the "Are the Colts thinking about RGIII?" talk. They'll be taking Luck.

2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor *

Wouldn't it be hilarious if the 'Skins mixed it up and took Trent Richardson here? Wouldn't that be the funniest thing ever? Obviously, it would never happen, but if anyone is capable of such a move, Daniel Snyder is.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC

This seems like the consensus at this point. It's the smart move.

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

It's him, Morris Claiborne or Justin Blackmon. I think Richardson has the most talent of the three, so I'd go with him. It could also be Ryan Tannehill, though I think the Browns will hold out until next year before selecting a quarterback.

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

Eric Wright and Claiborne will be a nice starting pair for the Bucs next season.

6. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Sam Bradford needs a stud in the passing game. He gets one.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

Jacksonville could go in a lot of directions with this pick. Defensive end seems like one possibility. However, with wide receiver such a glaring need for the team, don't be surprised if the Jaguars either reach on Floyd after missing out on Blackmon or trade out of this slot.

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

Miami may scare away free agents, but draft picks can't visit other cities.

9. Carolina Panthers: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

Easy pick for the Panthers, who may have thought Jacksonville would steal Coples here. They'll be glad to scoop in and grab him.

10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

Reiff is the best tackle left on the board, whichever side he ends up playing on.

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

Will Poe be a bust? It's possible, though his athletic potential is immense (as is he), and the Chiefs really need a gap-plugging nose tackle.

12. Seattle Seahawks: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

I've seen Seattle going after linebacker Luke Kuechly here, but I think it'll go defensive end and work on its pass rush instead.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford 

Well, Kevin Kolb is the Cardinals' guy. He ain't Peyton Manning, but you might as well keep him healthy.

14. Dallas Cowboys: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

I've seen DeCastro go higher, but if he falls to 14, the Cowboys won't think twice about plucking him off the board.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

On one hand, the Eagles have three selections in the top 51 picks and are looking to move Asante Samuel. They have the ammunition and could be in the market to game-changer to push them over the top.

On the other hand, their primary team needs (linebacker, safety) could be addressed either here or later in the draft. Unless they have a plan in mind Eagles fans don't see coming, I'm not sure whom they would move up to draft.

Still, I think they should move up, if for no other reason than it would make the draft more exciting and would reverse course for a team that traditionally flops on its first-round picks or trades out of the first round.

Oh, and if they stay here, I think Brockers could make an instant impact on the interior of the Eagles defensive line. He could potentially be a very good fit for the "Wide 9" scheme.

16. New York Jets: Courtney Upshaw, OLB, USC

I love this pick for the Jets. He's a great player at a position of need and is a good value here.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama **

With the 17th and 21st picks in the first round, the Bengals could potentially move into the top 10 if they saw a player they loved whom they thought could make an instant impact for their team.

If they stay here, however, Kirkpatrick would be a nice addition at corner.

18. San Diego Chargers: Nick Perry, OLB, USC 

Perry is crazy athletic and might end up going higher than this. He'll be scary coming off the edge in San Diego's 3-4.

19. Chicago Bears:  Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

With the top crop of pass-rushers off the board, the Bears look to pair the speedy Wright with the bigger Brandon Marshall and open up the offense for Jay Cutler.

20. Tennessee Titans: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

A natural replacement for Cortland Finnegan. Jenkins has top-10 talent, and if he stays out of trouble he'll be an excellent NFL player.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina    

So what players could the Bengals be targeting if they trade up the draft board?

Maybe they would see if they could slip into the top 10 to land Justin Blackmon. Maybe they'll eye up Michael Floyd as a possession receiver to perfectly complement the field-stretching abilities of A.J. Green.

Maybe they could move just outside of the top 10 to fill a need at guard with David DeCastro. Maybe they'll look for a game-changer on the defensive line.

Or they could stay here and draft Alshon Jeffery, pairing him with Green to form a frightening wide receiver duo.

22. Cleveland Browns: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech 

Trent Richardson and Stephen Hill—I might become an honorary Browns fan. The Browns offense would be 100 percent more compelling with these two in town.

23. Detroit Lions: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

This pick won't win any awards for excitement, but it will make the Lions better.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson 

Thompson has the capability to play nose tackle, a position the team very badly needs to fortify with some youth.

25. Denver Broncos: Devon Still, DT, Penn State 

Peyton Manning will take care of the offense. Improving the interior of the defensive line should be the next priority.

26. Houston Texans: Luke Kuechly, MLB, Boston College 

With the trade of DeMeco Ryans to the Eagles, Kuechly represents the perfect blend of need and value. He's a steal this late.

27. New England Patriots: Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois ***

New England rarely trades up in the draft, which would make it so much fun if it actually did for once. With two late first-round picks, the Patriots should mix things up and go for a splashier player.

That doesn't mean they will, of course. If the Pats stay at this pick, Mercilus will provide a much-needed infusion of talent to the outside linebacker position in New England's defense. He'll be an excellent edge-rusher for the team.

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

Cox could step in and fill the need left by Cullen Jenkins when he departed for Philadelphia before the 2011 season.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia

The Ravens need help on the line, namely at guard. Glenn is great value at this spot and will fit on the team well.

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

The Niners could be getting two players for the price of one here—Gilmore could potentially move to safety in the future if necessary.

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

Again, the Patriots should trade up. Watching Bill Belichick stockpile picks is as predictable and boring as episodes of 2 Broke Girls.

I know, I know—why break the Patriots mold if it isn't broken? They probably will end up trading one of their two first-round picks for a bevy of selections later in the draft.

If they do stay put, the secondary needs some attention. Fleming would be a nice addition.

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

For all of the issues about his maturity and consistency, Brown has the athletic ability and passes the eye test on film to be an excellent NFL linebacker. A veteran Giants locker room will help keep him focused.

* The Redskins traded the sixth pick in the first round, along with their second-round pick this year and first-round picks in 2013 and 2014, to St. Louis for the second overall pick.

** From Oakland in the Carson Palmer trade.

*** From New Orleans in last year's Mark Ingram trade.

Hit me up on Twitter—my tweets have won a lot since 2009.