2012 NFL Mock Draft: Perfect Picks That Will Make an Instant Impact

While the NFL Draft is meant to build for the future, these players (listed in italics) won't need to wait that long. They will all be taken in the first round and will make a big immediate impact in their new homes. 

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

Luck is ready to go right now. He was a phenomenal quarterback at Stanford, ran a pro offense and has great athleticism, so he won't be confined purely to the pocket. 

In terms of where they were entering the league, Luck is the best quarterback since Peyton Manning. The Colts would be foolish to take anyone other than him with the first pick. He will be the franchise player immediately. 

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

This player is an athletic marvel. If Luck is the most NFL ready quarterback we've seen since Manning, RG3 is the most athletic we've seen since Michael Vick.

The difference is that Griffin is a better pocket passer than Vick was coming out of college. He can win games in a lot of ways and will be the Redskins' first franchise quarterback in a long time.  

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

Kalil is a franchise tackle. He is the perfect build for the position and has the skills to go head up against the NFL's best pass-rushers for years. 

This move will make instant sense for the Vikings, as it will give them a sense of what Christian Ponder can do when he's not consistently attacked from all angles. 

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

Big things are in Blackmon's future. No receiver in this draft possesses the combination of size and speed that he has. He isn't a "big receiver" like Calvin Johnson but will be bigger than nearly any defender going against him. 

But what makes Blackmon work is his burst, especially in the West Coast offense. He can catch a short pass and turn it into a 60-yard gain better than most receivers currently in the NFL. 

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Trent Richardson, RB (Alabama)

Quite frankly, no back has entered the league this good since Adrian Peterson in 2007. Richardson is a genetic freak, with the ability to run like a masher on the inside but also a speed back on the outside. That is not often seen in backs. 

LeGarrette Blount is not an every down back and can't be relied on to carry an offense. When he is, the result is what the Bucs got in 2011. Richardson will be the face of that team and the horse of the offense and is completely reliable in that spot. 

6. St. Louis Rams: Morris Claiborne, CB (LSU)

Claiborne is the best defensive prospect in this draft and would make a huge impact immediately. He is as fundamentally sound at the cornerback position as any rookie you would ever want and also has great explosiveness as a return man. 

The Rams secondary was abysmal last season, and it would have been worse if they played in a division with real passing offenses. They need to revive the defense. Bringing in a solid player like Claiborne would do just that. 

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Quinton Coples, DE (North Carolina)

The Jaguars need to figure something out to make their pass defense better. Bringing in a player to attack the quarterback will make life a lot easier on the secondary, and in this spot, it is the best move to make. Coples has a lot of raw potential to draw from and will make the Jaguars better. 

8. San Diego Chargers (Projected Trade with Dolphins): David DeCastro, G (Stanford)**

DeCastro has had a strong offseason, showing great at the Combine and Stanford's pro day. The San Diego line was abysmal a season ago. Looking at the Draft Value Chart from Walters' Football, this would cost San Diego at least a first and second-round pick. Still, the need to get instant help on the line is just that urgent, and depth is not a concern for the Chargers.

9. Carolina Panthers: Dontari Poe, DT (Memphis)

An athletic marvel, Poe has the size and burst that you want from a defensive tackle. He will be a force in the NFL for a long time, as offenses will have to put their attention on him. 

10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff, OT (Iowa)

The Bills need to work on winning the battle of the trenches, as they have the talent on the outside. Ryan Fitzpatrick can be a good quarterback but needs time. The problem with Reiff is that he's not a left tackle, but he is rock solid from the right side. 

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Kuechly, LB (Boston College)

The Chiefs are a good middle linebacker away from having a fierce defense. Kuechly has solid sideline-to-sideline coverage and is about as sure of a tackler as the NFL has to offer. 

12. Seattle Seahawks: Devon Still, DT (Penn State)

I like the potential here. Still dominated while at Penn State. There were also games where he didn't show up, which is why he ranks below Poe. Still, the Seahawks could use that big man in the middle that if nothing else, will keep blockers on him.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT (Stanford)

Martin was a great blocker for Andrew Luck while at Stanford. The Cardinals will need a real protector for their quarterback going forth if they're to have any sense of what they really have at that position. 

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

The Cowboys' secondary still needs a lot of work, although Brandon Carr is a nice start. Jenkins is a defender that shut down some of the best receivers the SEC had to offer. The character is a concern, but it's a gamble worth taking for Dallas. 

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Zach Brown, LB (North Carolina)

Demeco Ryans solves the middle linebacker problem, but that line of the Philadelphia defense needs a complete overhaul. Brown is solid all-around at the linebacker position, as he does everything asked of linebackers very well. 

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

Floyd will be a nice replacement for Plaxico Burress, and he has more burst so won't be a red zone option. Floyd was a dominant force at Notre Dame, despite having a less than ideal quarterback situation for his last two years. Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow aren't any less stable than he's dealt with. 

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Kendall Wright, WR (Baylor)

The Bengals need a receiver to put on the other side of A.J. Green, and Wright actually brings a different kind of option. If Cincinnati makes this happen, this offense will be a force to be reckoned with.   

18. Miami Dolphins (Projected trade with Chargers): Ryan Tannehill, QB (Texas A&M)**

I just don't see the Dolphins getting out of this draft without Tannehill. Looking at some of the teams between here and the No. 8 pick, the Dolphins can afford to trade down, acquiring depth in later picks. 

Tannehill will need to be groomed, but with an offensive head coach, this move will start to pay off down the road. 

19. Chicago Bears: Michael Brockers, DT (LSU)

Brockers is raw, but will do a good job in front of Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. In time, he can turn into a more complete defensive tackle, but Brockers' size will make him an instant force.  

20. Tennessee Titans: Melvin Ingram, DE (South Carolina)

The Titans need some defensive help, as they really lacked any significant playmaking in 2011. Ingram is a pure pass-rusher. He won't be good in coverage but will get to the quarterback, which will make the defense better.  

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick (Alabama)

The Bengals need an overhaul in the secondary and very little else. Kirkpatrick has the size to play well in the tough AFC North, even if his coverage skills are anything but fantastic. 

22. Cleveland Browns: Lamar Miller, RB (Miami)

Miller isn't quite as strong as Richardson, but he does have a good speed burst that the Browns need. They haven't had that in the offense for a while, and that has to change. Miller may be a reach, but his skills mandate Cleveland taking him. 

23. Detroit Lions: Mark Barron, S (Alabama)

The Lions have the offense, but they need a lot of help on defense, especially beyond the front four. Barron is good against the pass but also plays like a linebacker against the run.

He is ready to go right now and will make whatever team that nabs him instantly better for it. 

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Cordy Glenn, G/T (Georgia)

The Steelers have had some issues up front in recent years, and it's cost them in both the running game and in pass protection. Glenn is better as a guard but could be moved outside. He is a huge man, even for linemen standards. The Steelers would do well to nab him here. 

25. Denver Broncos: Coby Fleener, TE (Stanford)

Fleener has immense size, which makes him a valuable red-zone option immediately. Also, as we saw at Stanford's Pro Day, he can run pretty well. 

Peyton Manning's career with Dallas Clark suggests that he is fond of the tight end, and Fleener would be a fine addition for Denver's offense. 

26. Houston Texans: Alshon Jeffery, WR (South Carolina)

I just can't get past this one. The Texans need a true No. 2 receiver to put on the other side of Andre Johnson. They also need to start grooming someone to replace Johnson. Jeffery is not a perfect player, but the potential is there, and the Texans can afford to gamble, as they have very few other needs.

27. New England Patriots: Stephon Gilmore, CB (South Carolina)

The Patriots have no choice but to go corner here. Right now, they lack the secondary needed to win Super Bowls. Gilmore has great big play potential, even if he occasionally gets burned deep.

28. Green Bay Packers: Courtney Upshaw, LB (Alabama)

He would move to the defensive end position here. The Packers need someone to pressure quarterbacks better than what they did in 2011, and Upshaw is a good option there. He has the size needed to play the position at a high level, with more than enough speed.  

29. Baltimore Ravens: Peter Konz, C (Wisconsin)

This is a match made in Heaven. The Ravens need to win now, and will best do that by bringing in players to help them play tough on offense. Konz is exactly that.  

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

Hill gives the 49ers a downfield option that they still don't reliably have. Other receivers can fill other needs over the middle, but Hill is needed to stretch the field, which he can do as well as anyone in the draft not named Blackmon. 

31. New England Patriots: David Wilson, RB (Virginia Tech)

The loss of BenJarvus Green-Ellis leaves a slight hole at the running back position, and Wilson fills that. He was a great runner at Virginia Tech and can run different styles. 

32. New York Giants: Jayron Hosley, CB (Virginia Tech)

The Giants need to get younger and deeper in the secondary. Hosley brings both in, even if he is a bit of a question mark. The Giants just don't need much else. 

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