2012 NFL Draft Projections: Where Top Defensive Stars Will Land

The 2012 NFL Draft has begun to solidify at the top, and it is now easier to project where some of the top players will land.

Here is my take on where the top defensive players in this year's draft class will end up. 

Morris Claiborne, LSU

Claiborne is the top defender in this year's draft class and projects as a legitimate shutdown cornerback who should be able to step in and immediately be a great NFL player.

At 5'11" and 188 pounds, with incredible instincts and fantastic ball skills, Claiborne should also be a magnet for interceptions. He is a versatile athlete who started his career at LSU as a wide receiver before making the switch to corner. He also has outstanding intangibles. 

The LSU product could go as high as No. 4 to the Cleveland Browns, but won't fall past the St. Louis Rams at No. 6. That said, his most likely destination would be No. 5 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Luke Kuechly, Boston College

Kuechly is a tackling machine who should step in and contribute immediately at the NFL level. The Boston College product racked up 532 tackles during his three college seasons, including 191 in his senior seasons. 

Incredible intangibles, elite instincts and perfect form tackling make Kuechly the best pure linebacking prospect in this year's draft class. At 6'3" and 242 pounds, he has perfect size for a middle linebacker at the NFL level. 

If inside linebackers were more highly valued, Kuechly would be a top-five pick; as it stands now, I don't see him lasting past the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 11. That said, he could drop to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 12. 

Mark Barron, Alabama

Barron is the top safety in this draft class. He has prototypical size for a safety, at 6'1" and 213 pounds. At Alabama, Barron led a BCS championship defense that was regarded as one of the best in college football history. 

He has fantastic instincts and quickly recognizes plays and moves accordingly. Barron helps out against the run, but also has the range to get back in coverage and make plays on the ball. 

Barron could land in a number of places; currently, I don't think he'll get past the 15th pick where the Philadelphia Eagles need help at safety. The Dallas Cowboys (No. 14) and New York Jets (No. 16) both have interest as well, so he should come off the board in any of those three spots.

Melvin Ingram, South Carolina

Ingram was a force at South Carolina, and at 6'1" and 264 pounds, he could play defensive end in a 4-3 or make the switch to outside linebacker in a 3-4. His best spot would probably be defensive end, given his ability to get after the quarterback.

For the Gamecocks in 2011, Ingram had 10 sacks and two interceptions. He was always around the ball and was the kind of guy that offenses had to game-plan against. In the NFL, he will be turned loose as a pass rusher and should excel in that role.

The Seattle Seahawks need a pass rusher at No. 12 and I think Ingram will ultimately land there. The Jacksonville Jaguars could also snag Ingram at No. 7, but I believe they'll pass on him at that spot.