2012 NFL Mock Draft: Where Difference Makers Will Land in Round 1

We're just one short week from the 2012 NFL draft, and as the fateful date approaches and fans across the land fill with anticipation, the front offices of every NFL team are working around the clock researching college players that they hope will make a difference for their team at the next level.

Let's take a glance inside the minds of those scouts and coaches (we'll use Andy Reid, so there should be room for everyone) and take yet another stab at predicting how the first round of the NFL draft will unfold at Radio City Music Hall.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford: Indianapolis owner Jim Irsay recently said that while anything's possible, "things have always pointed towards Luck," so the first overall pick seems to be as about as done as deals get.

2. Washington Redskins (from St. Louis Rams): Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor: With Redskins Offensive Coordinator Kyle Shanahan visiting Griffin in the hopes of better preparing the Heisman Trophy winner for the jump to the NFL, the question now isn't so much whether Giffin is headed to D.C., but whether or not he'll start the season opener against the Saints.

3. Miami Dolphins (from Minnesota Vikings): Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M: The Vikings reportedly are interested in any number of players, while the Dolphins are beyond desperate for a franchise quarterback. The Dolphins will deal two firsts and two seconds on draft day to get a signal-caller they'll wish they didn't have in three years, by which time Jeff Ireland will have long since been fired.

4. Cleveland Browns: Matt Kalil, OT, USC: The Browns need help at so many offensive positions that it makes my head hurt. Left tackle isn't necessarily one of them, but elite prospects at the position don't grow on trees. Kalil and Joe Thomas could form imposing bookends up front for the Browns for years.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU: The Buccaneers are reportedly shopping headcase cornerback Aqib Talib and are experimenting with veteran Ronde Barber at safety, making upgrading the defensive backfield a priority for Tampa Bay.

5'11", 188-pound cornerback Morris Claiborne is widely considered the top player at his position in this year's draft class after winning the Thorpe award in 2011. Peter King of Sports Illustrated agrees that the signs point to Claiborne being headed to Florida:

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Ronde Barber is 37, and free agent corner Eric Wright is plenty leaky, so this is Tampa Bay's position of greatest long-term need. The Tigers trusted Claiborne on an island; as a pro he'll have to hold his own against NFC South gunslingers Drew Brees, Cam Newton and Matt Ryan if the Bucs are going to have a chance to be competitive.

 

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6. St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins): Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama: Richardson's arrival wouldn't necessarily be a death knell for Steven Jackson's tenure in the Gateway City, as Rams coach Jeff Fisher recently said, "I want as many [running backs] on the roster as you can get."

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina: Other than defensive end Jeremy Mincey, no Jaguars player had more than 3.5 sacks in 2011, which pushes the pass rush to the forefront of Jacksonville's "to do" list.

8. Minnesota Vikings (from Miami Dolphins): Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame: Some pundits have arrived at the conclusion that the 6'3" Floyd is a superior NFL prospect to Justin Blackmon, and Floyd is among the players the Vikings are reportedly interested in.

9. Carolina Panthers: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State: The two-time Biletnikoff winner may see himself leapfrogged by Floyd on draft day. It won't be by much, however, as the Panthers wouldn't hesitate to add Blackmon opposite Steve Smith in the Carolina passing game.

10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa: Starting tackle Demetress Bell departed for Philadelphia in free agency, leaving the Bills with a glaring need along the offensive front that the 313-pound All-Big Ten performer could address quite well. 

11. Philadelphia Eagles (from Kansas City Chiefs): Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State: The Eagles are rumored to be enamored enough with the 298-pound All-SEC tackle to consider moving up in the draft. With Cox still on the board here, now would be the time to strike.

12. Seattle Seahawks: Luke Kuechly, MLB, Boston College: The loss of David Hawthorne in free agency leaves the Seahawks with a hole at middle linebacker. Although the team is high on K.J. Wright and signed Barrett Ruud, neither of those players are exactly world-beaters.

Boston College middle linebacker Luke Kuechly won the Butkus and Lombardi awards in 2011 after leading all of college football with a ridiculous 191 tackles, and Russ Lande of the Sporting News recently made a flattering comparison of the 6'3", 242-pound junior to a current NFL star.

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Kuechly compares favorably to Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, who is stronger and more physical dealing with blockers. Kuechly is a smoother athlete and better in pass coverage. His versatility enables him to be productive playing any linebacker position in a 4-3 scheme and inside linebacker in a 3-4. This adds to his value. 

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13. Arizona Cardinals: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford: The Cardinals badly need to upgrade the pass protection for quarterback Kevin Kolb after surrendering 54 sacks last year, the second most in the NFL. The team reportedly prefers DeCastro to Stanford teammate Jonathan Martin.

14. Dallas Cowboys: Mark Barron, SS, Alabama: The Cowboys are still in need of secondary help even after adding cornerback Brandon Carr, and the large number of Dallas staffers on hand at Alabama's recent pro day may have tipped the Cowboys' draft day hand.

15. Kansas City Chiefs (from Philadelphia Eagles): Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis: The tail end of this hypothetical trade would allow the Chiefs to acquire an extra pick or two and still fill a need with the 346-pound Poe, who would be a more than adequate replacement for Kelly Gregg up front in Kansas City.

16.  New York Jets: Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama: Upshaw's so-so workouts aside, there are miles of game tape that show the All-American's ability to get after the quarterback. The Jets need pass-rush help after being forced to blitz almost constantly in 2011.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders): Stephen Gilmore, CB, South Carolina: The Bengals need to get better at cornerback opposite Leon Hall, and NFL draft expert Mike Mayock believes that Gilmore is the second-best cornerback available in the 2012 NFL draft, making him a potential steal in this spot.

18. San Diego Chargers: Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois: The San Diego Chargers struggled mightily getting after the quarterback in 2011. Illinois defensive end Whitney Mercilus, who led all FBS players with 16 sacks last season, had half as many sacks last year individually as the Bolts did as a team.

19. Chicago Bears: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina: The Bears re-signed veteran Israel Idonije after missing out on Mario Williams in free agency, but the 6'6", 281-pound Coples has a tantalizing combination of size and speed. The presence of Julius Peppers on the other end should help keep double-teams off the youngster.

20. Tennessee Titans: Nick Perry, DE/OLB: The signing of Kamerion Wimbley will help a Titans pass rush that managed a minuscule 28 sacks in 2011, but the Tennessee defensive line could still use some work given that all but one NFL team had fewer sacks than the Titans a year ago.

USC defensive end Nick Perry paced the Pac-12 with 8.5 sacks in 2011, and the 6'3", 271-pound junior's skill set has caught the eye of former NFL head coach and FOX Sports analyst Brian Billick.

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Perry gets off the ball in a hurry and gets a good recoil out of his stance. He uses his hands well to chop down his blockers’ hands and fights to keep blockers out of his chest. He seems to locate the ball quickly and is a solid read and react player on the edge.

I liken Perry to last year’s standout rookie, Aldon Smith, but I feel that Perry can be more of an every-down player than just a situational pass rusher in the way the 49ers used Smith.

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21. Cincinnati Bengals: Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia: The Bengals need to improve the interior of the offensive line, and the 345-pound beef-eating Bulldog is a road-grader who would probably be a day one starter and significant improvement.

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta Falcons): David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech: After spending their first pick on Kalil, the Browns would effectively be forced to go with a back or wideout here. Not only did Wilson top 1,700 rushing yards in 2011, but according to STATS-X, no collegiate runner gained more yards after contact.

23. Detroit Lions: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama: The Lions had a hole in the secondary even before Eric Wright departed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. The 6'2", 186-pound Kirkpatrick is a big hitter and second-team All-American who would go a long way towards bolstering Detroit's defensive backfield.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dont'a Hightower, ILB, Alabama: After 10 years manning the middle of the Pittsburgh defense, the release of veteran James Farrior leaves a hole at linebacker in Pittsburgh. Hightower, the hard-nosed Crimson Tide standout, would be a great fit with the blue-collar Steelers.

25. Denver Broncos: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU: The Denver Broncos ranked 22nd in the National Football League against the run last season. After making the free-agent splash of the offseason on offense with Peyton Manning the Broncos need to address the defensive side of the ball.

LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers tallied 54 tackles and two sacks as a redshirt sophomore for the Tigers last season. Todd McShay of ESPN feels that the 6'2", 308 pounder has the potential to become a force in the NFL.

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“I realize that he has some maturing to do, both as a football player and just as a young man, and I think that he shows a lot of potential, but he's not quite there yet,’’ McShay said. “But I think he's going to get stronger. I see some power in his game. I think he can be a really good 3-4 defensive end or play defensive tackle, possibly even nose tackle depending on the scheme, and I think he's the second best defensive tackle.’’

 

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26. Houston Texans: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor: Baylor wideout Kendall Wright put up ridiculous numbers as a senior in Waco, topping 100 catches and 1,600 receiving yards. The blazing speedster with soft hands would finally provide the Texans with a consistent threat at receiver to complement Andre Johnson.

27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans Saints): Shea McClellin, DE/OLB, Boise State: The Patriots have a number of issues on defense, including the attrition that has hit the defensive line with Mark Anderson and possibly Andre Carter both casualties of free agency. The team needs to improve the front seven early in the draft, and the versatile McClellin would help.

28. Green Bay Packers: Andre Branch, DE/OLB, Clemson: The Packers defense ranked dead last in the National Football League a season ago due in large part to their inability to rush the quarterback. The athletic 6'4", 259-pound Branch would be an immediate upgrade in that area after tallying 9.5 sacks en route to being named a third-team All-American in 2011.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech: Anquan Boldin had his worst season in years for the Ravens in 2011. The 6'4" Hill would be a big target in the passing game for quarterback Joe Flacco after the Georgia Tech standout tore up February's combine with a  4.36-second 40-yard dash—best among all players at the wide receiver position.

30. San Francisco 49ers: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford: After a huge showing at Stanford's Pro Day, Fleener has claimed the top spot among tight ends in this year's draft, and his old college coach could have plans for Fleener after watching tape of the Patriots' tight end duo eviscerating defenses.

31. New England Patriots: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama: Jenkins has denied reports that he continued smoking marijuana while at North Alabama, but as bad as the New England secondary was last year, a stoned cornerback might actually be an improvement.

32. New York Giants: Amini Silatolu, OT/OG, Midwestern State: The Super Bowl champs aren't getting any younger up front, and Kareem McKenzie and David Diehl both struggled at times last year. At the very least, the 311-pound Silatolu could provide depth as he acclimates to the NFL, and the small-school standout possesses the talent to be a solid starter in the pros.

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