2012 NFL Mock Draft: Essential Selections for Every First-Round GM

The draft can be either the best or worst experience of the year for NFL general managers. 

Here is a look at what I think the league's general managers should do when the 2012 NFL Draft kicks off on April 26.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Ryan Grigson has to have a great weekend during his first draft with the team. I can't think of a better start than Andrew Luck.

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

Bruce Allen and the Redskins made the move to jump up here for the chance to take Griffin, who will start under center immediately.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Rick Spielman has to get Christian Ponder some protection. The Vikings have a huge hole at left tackle and will fill it with Kalil, the best offensive lineman to enter the draft since Jake Long in 2008.

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

Tom Heckert and the Browns need to do the smart thing here and grab Richardson, who will instantly give quarterback Colt McCoy a running game to lean on.

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

Mark Dominik added Eric Wright in free agency, but Ronde Barber is slowing down with age and Aqib Talib's future is in doubt. Claiborne is by far the best corner in this draft and will upgrade the team's secondary immediately.

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

Les Snead and the Rams have done a nice job in free agency, and getting Sam Bradford a No. 1 receiver like Blackmon will only help his development.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina

Gene Smith has to get someone to help with the pass rush immediately. Ingram is one of the the most versatile defenders in the draft and should be able to get after the quarterback while making plays all over the field when called upon elsewhere.

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

Jeff Ireland and team owner Stephen Ross have missed on several big additions, and their team lacks a long-term solution at quarterback. Taking Tannehill here solves that problem.

9. Carolina Panthers: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

General manager Marty Hurney took Cam Newton with the No. 1 pick last year and gets another physical freak in Poe this year. Head coach Ron Rivera knows the importance of having a dominant man in the middle of his defensive line, and Poe profiles as that kind of guy.

10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

Buddy Nix fixed his defensive line in free agency by adding Mario Williams and Mark Anderson. Now he'll switch focus to shoring up his offensive line with Reiff, the second-best tackle in this year's draft.

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

Scott Pioli would love to land Poe and stick him at nose tackle in the team's 3-4 defense. But he's gone, so the Chiefs will settle for Kuechly, a stud linebacker who will make a fantastic pro.

12. Seattle Seahawks: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

John Schneider and Pete Carroll need pass rushers, and Coples is the best pure 4-3 defensive end in the draft. He is immensely talented, but Carroll just has to figure out a way to motivate him.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

Rod Graves re-signed Levi Brown, but he needs to get another tackle. Martin could play either tackle spot and has an incredibly high ceiling. 

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

Jerry Jones and the Cowboys love Poe, but he'll be gone. Cox is a versatile defensive lineman who could line up all over Rob Ryan's 3-4 front.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

Howie Roseman scored by landing DeMeco Ryans to upgrade Philadelphia's linebacking corps. Now he'll get his secondary some help by adding the versatile Barron who can help against the run but also has outstanding ball skills in coverage.

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

Mike Tannenbaum has made some questionable moves as the Jets' general manager, but he and Rex Ryan know Gang Green desperately needs help rushing the quarterback.

Upshaw is a perfect fit for Ryan's 3-4 scheme, and his toughness, great motor and quickness will endear him to the bombastic coach.

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

Mike Brown acts as his own general manager, and as a result he's made some pretty disappointing moves over the years. This year he'll roll the dice on Kirkpatrick, an elite talent whose stock has dropped thanks to an arrest for marijuana possession.

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

A.J. Smith went to work and addressed a lot of San Diego's needs through free agency. Here he will get a gift as DeCastro will fall to the Bolts. The Stanford product will step in right away and replace the retired Kris Dielman at left guard.

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

Phil Emery was brought in after Jerry Angelo was fired following a disappointing 2011 season. He got Jay Cutler a No. 1 receiver by trading for Brandon Marshall, and now he needs to get his quarterback some protection. 

Glenn is a versatile offensive lineman who could slot in and start at either guard spot or right tackle immediately in Chicago.

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

Ruston Webster opted to let Cortland Finnegan bolt for St. Louis in free agency, and now he needs to replace him. Gilmore is a big, physical corner whose outstanding ball skills should make him a threat to snag a lot of interceptions.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

Brown added BenJarvus Green-Ellis in free agency, but he is a one-speed, between-the-tackles running back. Here he'll land Miller, the draft's biggest home run threat out of the backfield. He has as much upside as any running back in this year's class other than Richardson.

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

Heckert got his running back at No. 4 and will grab Floyd, his new top receiver here. Colt McCoy will be very happy with his team's first-round selections.

23. Detroit Lions: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

Martin Mayhew could go in a number of directions here, but his current center, Dominic Raiola is terrible and needs to go. Konz is a stud whose ability to break down defenses will help quarterback Matthew Stafford's development.

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

Kevin Colbert will have options here, but nose tackle Casey Hampton is getting up there in age and Still could play next to him while learning how to be his successor.

25. Denver Broncos: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

Brian Xanders did a nice job bringing in Peyton Manning, but he didn't do much to address his team's defense. Denver's defensive tackles were awful in 2011, and at 6'5" and 323 pounds, Brockers is a beast who should be an immediate upgrade.

26. Houston Texans: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

If they had stayed healthy in 2011, Rick Smith's Texans probably would have been a Super Bowl contender. Now they need to get receiver Andre Johnson some help. Wright is a legitimate No. 2 wideout who is a big-play threat that will open things up in the passing game.

27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans Saints): Chandler Jones, DE/OLB, Syracuse

Bill Belichick must improve his front seven, and adding a versatile, athletic edge rusher like Jones will be a nice place to start. Jones is raw, but he should develop rapidly under Belichick's watch.

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

Ted Thompson has been quiet this offseason and has yet to add an edge rusher to help take some of the pressure off of Clay Matthews. Perry is this draft's best pure pass rusher and will be a perfect complement to Matthews, who is a fellow USC product.

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

Ozzie Newsome would really like to land Konz, but he'll be gone. Instead the Ravens will opt to draft Ray Lewis' future replacement. Hightower can play on the outside while learning from the future Hall of Famer, before eventually taking over his spot.

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

Trent Baalke added Randy Moss and Mario Manningham in free agency, but the 49ers still need a deep threat. At 6'4" and 215 pounds, Hill has elite size and speed and could be a stud if he develops correctly.

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

Belichick will continue his rebuilding project up front with Reyes, a scheme-versatile defensive lineman who could line up almost anywhere in the trenches.

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

Jerry Reese will decide to add the best player available at this point, and Brown fits that mold. His speed and playmaking ability will fit perfectly in New York's 4-3 set.