2012 NFL Mock Draft: Terrific Moves for Every First-Round GM

NFL general managers make or break their careers at the draft. The 2012 NFL draft should be no different.

There is so much talent in this year's draft class that if any team's front office misses with its picks it could have dire consequences for the entire organization.

Here is what every general manager with a first-round pick should do with it when the draft kicks off on April 26.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Ryan Grigson needs to make an impact in his first draft; snagging Luck is a good way to start.

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

Bruce Allen made a bold move by trading up to this spot and he needs to get the Redskins a franchise quarterback with this selection. Griffin is the guy.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Rick Spielman was promoted to general manager in 2012, but he has overseen the team's drafts for the past few years. He rolled the dice by taking Christian Ponder in the first round of the 2011 draft. Now he needs to protect that investment by taking Kalil, the best offensive lineman to enter the NFL since Miami made Jake Long the No. 1 pick back in 2008.

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

Tom Heckert has two picks in the first round to make a big impact on his team. Taking Richardson is the first step in that process.

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

Mark Dominik is lucky to still be around, and after some aggressive moves in free agency, he needs to go with a low-risk, high-reward pick here. Claiborne is going to be a Pro Bowl cornerback. You don't let those slip away if your team has needs in the secondary.

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

Les Snead did some nice things in free agency by adding Cortland Finnegan and Scott Wells. Now he needs to get franchise quarterback Sam Bradford someone to throw to. Blackmon is a perfect fit.

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

Gene Smith has never been afraid to roll the dice (see: Gabbert, Blaine) and he'll do it again here. Coples could be a complete bust, but he could turn into the best defensive player in this draft. 

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

Jeff Ireland and team owner Stephen Ross just keep missing out on the guys they target. They need a franchise-type quarterback to build around, and Tannehill's upside can't be denied. This will be a make-or-break pick.

9. Carolina Panthers: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

General manager Marty Hurney and head coach Ron Rivera know the value of having a stud defensive tackle. Poe is probably the best in this draft and should be an immediate upgrade. 

10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

Buddy Nix went nuts and spent heavily in an attempt to improve his defensive line. After adding Mario Williams and Mark Anderson, he'll now turn his attention to shoring up his offensive line with Reiff.

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College

Scott Pioli added some nice pieces this offseason and would love to get Poe here. He'll be gone so the Chiefs will settle for Kuechly, who will vastly improve the team's linebacking corps. 

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

John Schneider brought in quarterback Matt Flynn and had a successful offseason by adding to the defensive line and re-signing Marshawn Lynch. While the team could use an upgrade at linebacker, it also needs a pass-rusher off the edge. Ingram is the best one available here.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

Rod Graves made a questionable decision to re-sign Levi Brown early in the offseason, but that move will make a lot of sense if he also drafts an offensive tackle. Martin's upside is very high and he could line up and start on either side of the team's offensive line right now. 

14. Dallas Cowboys: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

Jerry Jones and company would love to land Poe, but I think calmer heads prevail and they go with a value pick here. Cox is a versatile defensive lineman who could play all along the team's 3-4 front.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

Howie Roseman landed DeMeco Ryans in a trade this offseason and now he will continue rebuilding the middle of his team's defense by grabbing Barron.

16. New York Jets: Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

Mike Tannenbaum and Rex Ryan know the team needs an edge-rusher badly. Upshaw is the kind of rugged, tough player Ryan seems to love. 

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders): Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Mike Brown has surprisingly made some shrewd moves over the past few years and I think this will be another. He'll resist going after an offensive lineman, and instead will grab Kirkpatrick, an elite talent whose stock has dropped because of an arrest for marijuana possession. 

18. San Diego Chargers: David DeCastro, G, Stanford

A.J. Smith's job may be on the line this year and he has done a fantastic job shoring up a thin roster in free agency. He gets lucky here as DeCastro falls to the Chargers. The Stanford product will step in and start at left guard immediately, replacing the retired Kris Dielman. 

19. Chicago Bears: Cordy Glenn, OT/G, Georgia

Phil Emery was brought in at the end of the 2011 season after Jerry Angelo's firing. Now his job will be to reshape a roster that needs some upgrades. First among those moves has to be shoring up a terrible offensive line. Glenn is a versatile lineman who could start at either guard spot or right tackle immediately. 

20. Tennessee Titans: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

Ruston Webster allowed Cortland Finnegan to walk in free agency to the St. Louis Rams and now he needs to replace him. Gilmore will give the Titans a big, physical corner with outstanding ball skills who can be an outstanding player immediately. 

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

Mike Brown loves reaches and Miller is certainly a reach here, but the Miami running back has more upside than any back in this draft other than Trent Richardson. He would be a perfect home-run threat to pair with the recently signed BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta Falcons): Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

After getting Richardson, Heckert adds another piece to the offense by landing Floyd. The Notre Dame star will give Colt McCoy another weapon to play with. 

23. Detroit Lions: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

Martin Mayhew could go in a number of directions, but his current center, Dominic Raiola, is terrible and Konz is a stud. His ability to read defenses will ease some of the pressure on quarterback Matthew Stafford.

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

Kevin Colbert knows his team has other needs, but Casey Hampton isn't getting any younger and Still has the ability to play next to him now, before taking over at nose tackle in the future. This would be a high-value pick at this point in the draft.

25. Denver Broncos: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

Brian Xanders will look for the quickest way to improve his team and that will be to improve the interior of Denver's defensive line. At 6'5" and 323 pounds, Brockers is a massive force in the middle who should immediate give the Broncos a boost.

26. Houston Texans: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

Without injuries, who knows how far Rick Smith's roster would have gone in 2011? Andre Johnson is one of the best receivers in the NFL, but he needs help. Wright will give the Texans a legitimate No. 2 receiver with big-play ability.

27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans Saints): Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois

Bill Belichick isn't blind; he knows the Patriots need to rebuild their front seven. Mercilus will give them a stud edge-rusher who will have no problem transitioning to linebacker in a 3-4.

28. Green Bay Packers: Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC

Ted Thompson has been quiet this offseason—as he almost always is—but the Packers still need to add an outside linebacker to help get the quarterback. Perry is the best pure pass-rusher in this year's draft and should be an immediate upgrade coming off the edge.

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

Ozzie Newsome would take Konz if he lasted this far, but he won't and the Ravens will instead grab Ray Lewis' eventual successor. Hightower is a stud who can contribute on the outside while he learns from and eventually takes over for Lewis.

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

Trent Baalke added Mario Manningham and Randy Moss this offseason, but he still needs to get his team a deep threat. At 6'4" and 215 pounds, Hill has elite size and speed and could turn out to be a stud. He is incredibly raw and will take a few years to develop, but when he does Baalke could look really smart.

31. New England Patriots: Kendall Reyes, DT, Connecticut

Belichick's rebuilding project continues with an underrated stud here. He'll take Reyes, a scheme-versatile defensive lineman who could slot in anywhere along the team's front.

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

Jerry Reese would love for a stud offensive tackle to fall here, but no one worth this pick will be available. Running back is also an option, but Brown has the speed and playmaking ability to be an outstanding outside linebacker in a 4-3. He would be a big-time upgrade.