2012 NFL Mock Draft: Landing Spots for Best Athletes of First Round

Some people like the big grunts. Some like the precision passers or the big hitters.

But me, well, I like the elite athletes. I like the wide receivers who fly down the field and contort their bodies to make circus catches.

I like the quarterbacks who have eyes in the back of their heads and break the pocket in a flash, darting down the field for a long gain.

I like the runners who can cut on a dime and juke defenders out of their jock straps or the safeties who cover impossible distances to make insane interceptions.

It's time to honor the top athletes in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. We're mocked and loaded, folks.

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

Luck is a better athlete than most people realize, but not quite good enough to crack this list.

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

Griffin is a superb athlete and is one of the faster prospects in the draft despite playing quarterback. He also has a rocket for an arm, but has the sort of touch and accuracy that make his game well-rounded.

Griffin isn't the scrambler like Mike Vick,—he's much more a pocket passer—but if that pocket closes down, well, Griffin is a threat once he finds a seam and heads down the field.

Redskins fans will enjoy watching him play for years to come.

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

Kalil is the best offensive lineman in this draft, but not the best athlete. Generally, that's how it works.

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB (Alabama)

Go ahead, pick your trait, any trait...

You like speed? Richardson's got that.

Agility? Check.

Strength? As much as you'll ever see in a running back.

Balance? Trying to knock him over is like trying to tip a tank on its side.

Vision? He not only finds the hole, he sees straight into the souls of defenders.

Okay, so I'm getting a bit carried away, but the point is, Richardson is a complete back and a remarkable athlete. I love watching this guy carry the ball—pure and simple.

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

Claiborne is a very good athlete, but he's not the sort of electric player I'll be highlighting here. He'll be a shutdown corner over the duration of his career, but I don't think he'll be a flashy player in the process.

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

Blackmon has freakish athleticism, pure and simple.

He doesn't have elite speed for the position, but his combination of strength, agility, powerful hands and acrobatic flexibility in the air lands him on this list.

Watch the Sports Science video—Blackmon's athleticism speaks for itself.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Melvin Ingram, DE (South Carolina)

Ingram will provide the Jaguars with a much-needed pass-rush, though this pick could go a number of ways. I wouldn't be shocked if Michael Floyd gets picked up here.

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

The biggest reach of the first round, this pick is almost essential for the Dolphins, as they need some glimmer of hope at the dim quarterback position. Tannehill has a lot of potential, but his game is still raw enough to make me nervous.

9. Carolina Panthers: Fletcher Cox, DT (Mississippi State)

The Panthers will have a deep stable of defensive tackles to select from. I think they'll settle on Cox in the end.

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

Reiff is big and nasty, but not a great athlete. However, he would fill a big need for the Bills at tackle.

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

Yup, a nose tackle is making my list of elite athletes.

Here's why:

Poe is 6'4" and 345 pounds, yet he still ran a 4.98 in the 40-yard dash. He did 44 reps at 220 pounds on the bench press.

Did you catch that?

Forty-four reps!

It remains to be seen if Poe will be as good of a professional football player as he is an athlete, but he'll be too tempting for Kansas City to pass on. His upside also happens to fill a big need for the team.

12. Seattle Seahawks: Luke Kuechly, MLB (Boston College)

Kuechly is a sneaky-good athlete and the best linebacker in this draft. He's going to be a good one.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Michael Floyd, WR (Notre Dame)

Floyd isn't a startling athlete, but he's a good one.

More so, however, he's a steady wide receiver who would be scary paired with Larry Fitzgerald on the outside.

14. Dallas Cowboys: David DeCastro, OG (Stanford)

The Cowboys could use an upgrade at guard, and it's rare that you'll ever find one quite as good as DeCastro in the draft.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Mark Barron, S (Alabama)

The Eagles desperately need help at safety. Barron looks like the only one worth taking in the first round.

16. New York Jets: Courtney Upshaw, OLB (Alabama)

If the draft progresses like my mock, Upshaw should be the pick here. Still, this one could go in a number of directions.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Cordy Glenn, OG (Georgia)** 

The offensive line should be the first priority for the Bengals, and Glenn is a nice fit for the team.

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

Perry comes off the edge like a blur. Despite measuring in at 6'3" and 270 pounds, Perry runs a 4.64 40-yard dash and had an impressive 38.5-inch vertical leap.

Oh, and he did 35 reps on the bench press.

Perry produced at USC, and he has the potential to be a good pro. This is a good value here, especially if Perry reaches his high upside.

19. Chicago Bears: Quinton Coples, DE (North Carolina)

Coples is a prime suspect to be a first-round drop. The Bears will keep that drop from being too significant, though.

20. Tennessee Titans: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB (Alabama)

This pick will alleviate the departure of Cortland Finnegan.

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

He didn't run as fast as expected, but Wright is still an incredibly quick receiver who will be dangerous after the catch. He would be a nice player to pair with A.J. Green on the Bengals offense.

22. Cleveland Browns: Stephen Hill, WR (Georgia Tech)***

Hill was the hero of the NFL Scouting Combine, and for good reason—at 6'4" and 215 pounds, he absolutely blazed a 4.36 40-yard dash and jumped an impressive 39.5 inches in the vertical.

With his size, speed and big hands, Hill has the makings of a devastating deep threat. However, he's a bit of a risk coming from Georgia Tech, where the passing game was an afterthought in the option attack.

His upside will be too tempting for the Browns to pass up on at No. 22, though.

23. Detroit Lions: Janoris Jenkins, CB (North Alabama) 

The Lions need some help in the secondary. Thankfully, there are quite a few first-round talents at corner in this year's draft.

Jenkins is a Top-10 talent; hopefully, he'll keep himself out of trouble.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dont'a Hightower, LB (Alabama)

This pick makes so much sense it hurts. Hightower came from a similar defense in Alabama and is the type of physical player who would fit perfectly in Pittsburgh.

25. Denver Broncos: Michael Brockers, DT (LSU)

A big area of need is filled by a nice value here. Brockers should be a good one.

26. Houston Texans: Devon Still, DT (Penn State)

The Texans have few, if any, glaring needs. They can bolster the defensive line with the talented Still.

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

Mercilus seems like the perfect fit to rush off the edge for this Patriots team.

28. Green Bay Packers: Peter Konz, C (Wisconsin)

No, a center didn't make my list of best athletes.

Shocking, I know.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Jonathan Martin, OT (Stanford)

The Ravens insist that Jah Reid can fill the need at guard, so Martin can step in and add depth or potentially take over a tackle position for the team.

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

Gilmore could also be developed into a safety for the future. Either way, he would give the 49ers solid depth in the secondary, which is a must in the pass-heavy NFL.

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

The Patriots secondary was poor last year. This is a step in the right direction.

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

Not many people have the Giants going in this direction, but I think Brown is a risk worth taking. He's a great athlete, his skill set seems perfect for New York and he'll be entering a disciplined, veteran locker room.

Seems like the perfect match to me.

* 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 Atlanta in last year's Julio Jones Trade.

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

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