2012 NFL Mock Draft: Brilliant Moves You Won't See Coming

Every year teams make moves during the NFL draft that come out of nowhere but end up being brilliant.

This year will be no different as several teams are positioned to surprise everyone and make headlines with brilliant moves. 

Here is my most recent mock draft highlighting those surprising, yet brilliant choices.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

The is the obvious pick and it's what the Colts have to do. Luck is the best quarterback prospect to enter the NFL in over a decade.

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

This is the obvious pick as well. The Redskins made a big move to get this pick and Griffin is their guy.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Kalil is a perfect fit for the Vikings, seeing as they have a gigantic hole at left tackle and need someone to come in and protect franchise quarterback Christian Ponder.

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

This doesn't qualify as a surprise because Richardson is the guy Cleveland should take. He will have the most immediate impact of all the guys left on the board.

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

Tampa Bay needs another cornerback despite signing Eric Wright in the offseason. Aqib Talib's future is in doubt and Ronde Barber will be back for his 16th season in 2012. Claiborne is an upgrade who should develop into a Pro Bowl corner.

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

Quarterback Sam Bradford has never really had a No. 1 target and he will finally get someone to fill that role in Blackmon.

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

The Jaguars need to improve their pass rush, and Ingram is a versatile defender who will be able to step in and play defensive end in their 4-3 scheme immediately.

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

The Dolphins can't let another quarterback slip through their fingers. Miami swung and missed on Peyton Manning, Matt Flynn and Alex Smith this offseason. They'll take Tannehill because they need someone to build around under center.

9. Carolina Panthers: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

Some have Mississippi State's Fletcher Cox ticketed for this spot, but the Panthers will surprise people and grab Poe. At 6'4" and 346 pounds, the Memphis product is big, strong and quick. His workout at the combine was incredible and he showed himself to be a once-in-a-decade athlete.

While Cox may be the safer bet and Poe's tape leaves something to be desired, I think his best football is still in front of him. Poe has the athleticism and size to get better, and fast.

Head coach Ron Rivera knows the value of having a stud defensive tackle from his time with the San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears. He will be salivating at the prospect of turning Poe into a dominant force.

10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

The Bills will flirt with Michael Floyd here but they need to improve their offensive line and will opt to go with Reiff, the draft's second-best tackle. 

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

Kansas City will hope Poe lands here, but he'll be gone and Kuechly will be a nice consolation prize.

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

Coples is a big risk because of questions about his motor and commitment. That said, at No. 12 he is worth the gamble. 

13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

The Cardinals will flirt with taking Michael Floyd here, but they'll shock everyone by grabbing Martin. This might be a little high for him, but Arizona didn't solve its problems at offensive tackle when it re-signed Levi Brown. 

Martin can play either tackle spot and his ceiling is incredibly high. While he'll take time to fully develop as a pass protector, Martin is already and elite run blocker and should be able to step in and vastly improve Arizona's offensive line immediately. 

While the Cardinals may not have the best quarterback situation in the NFL, they still need to protect whoever is under center. Martin will do a better job of that than anyone else currently on the team's roster. 

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

The Cowboys will take Cox here, filling the need for a 3-4 defensive lineman who can play all over the team's front.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

The Eagles upgraded the middle of their defense by trading for DeMeco Ryans, and that process will continue with the drafting of Barron.

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

Many have the Jets taking other guys here, but after looking at the kind of players Rex Ryan loves, Upshaw will fit in perfectly. At nearly 6'2" and 272 pounds, Upshaw's strength, speed and toughness will make him a perfect edge-rusher in Ryan's 3-4 front. 

The Alabama product has the kind of rugged edge to him that Ryan seems to love in his outside linebackers. He can get after the quarterback, but he can also hold his own against the run and toss blockers aside with ease thanks to his strength. 

Upshaw will fit right in with the Jets and would be a brilliant pick right here. 

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders): Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

The Bengals will look at Michael Floyd and David DeCastro here, but a smarter move would be to bypass both guys and get an elite cornerback. 

Cincinnati has yet to replace Jonathan Joseph, who bolted for the Houston Texans last offseason. Gilmore would give them a a big, physical corner with outstanding ball skills who will make an instant impact at the NFL level. 

Gilmore will become the team's No. 1 cornerback in short order, and solely based on talent he should be a top-15 pick. He will be a steal here and would represent a wise move by the Bengals.

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

The Chargers will get lucky as DeCastro will fall to them. He will be able to step in and replace the retired Kris Dielman at left guard immediately.

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

The Bears really need to upgrade their offensive line, and Glenn is a versatile prospect who could start at either guard spot or right tackle immediately.

20. Tennessee Titans: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

With Cortland Finnegan off to the St. Louis Rams through free agency, the Titans need to fill his spot. Kirkpatrick will fit in perfectly in the team's zone-heavy scheme.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

Cincinnati's gamble to let Floyd go past at No. 17 will pay off as they will get him here anyway.

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta Falcons): Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

The Browns added a running back at No. 4 and now they'll get a guy to block for him. Adams has tons of talent but needs to focus it and be motivated. If that happens he could turn out to be a steal this late.

23. Detroit Lions: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

The Lions have other needs, but starting center Dominic Raiola is terrible and Konz is a stud. This would be a surprising move but it would be absolutely brilliant.

I love the idea of pairing a franchise quarterback with a really good center (think Peyton Manning and Jeff Saturday). If those players can develop chemistry it can improve an offense exponentially. 

Konz's ability to read defenses will help franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford and should make the rest of the offense better. In time, the two guys could develop into an incredible tandem that will run Detroit's offense for years.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

Casey Hampton is aging and the Steelers need to add a future nose tackle. At 6'5" and 323 pounds, Brockers will be able to line up as a 3-4 defensive end until he's ready to take over for Hampton.

25. Denver Broncos: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State

The Broncos have a serious need at defensive tackle, and Worthy has a non-stop motor and should be an immediate upgrade.

26. Houston Texans: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

The Texans need a No. 2 receiver, and Wright profiles as a great option next to Andre Johnson. He has big-play ability and should open up the team's offense.

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

Bill Belichick needs to upgrade his front seven and Jones is a raw, immensely talented edge-rusher who will fit in perfectly with the Patriots.

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

Perry is the best pure-pass rusher in this draft and is exactly what the Packers need to add. He'll pair nicely with Clay Matthews to give quarterbacks and offensive coordinators nightmares.

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

Hightower's stock is on the rise and would be a worthy successor to Ray Lewis. He can line up at outside linebacker until Lewis retires, at which point he'll shift back inside.

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

The 49ers need a legitimate deep threat, and at 6'4" and 215 pounds with elite speed, Hill is the best one in this draft. He's incredibly raw but worth the risk at this point.

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

Reyes is a versatile defensive lineman who will be able to line up anywhere along the front of New England's 3-4/4-3 hybrid scheme.

32. New York Giants: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

With the top offensive tackles gone at this point, the Giants will grab the best player available in Fleener. He is a big, athletic tight end who should make an impact right away in the NFL.