2012 NFL Mock Draft: Projecting What Each Round 1 Team Must Do

The Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins know what they're going to do in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, the Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns appear to be thinking in several directions at once and the rest of the NFL is up to who knows what.

As we enter the final week leading up to the draft, the speculation, disinformation and rumormongering has struck a fever pitch, but here's a look at how each team in the draft's first round can navigate the minefield, peer through the smokescreens and make a pick that will benefit their club.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Colts general manager Ryan Grigson said Wednesday that the team has "exhausted the process, and pretty much made up our mind," which is Indyspeak for we've stopped jerking around and decided on the pick that everyone knew all along we were going to make.

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

It's apparently within league rules for Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to meet with Griffin to help acclimate him to the Redskins system, so long as it's done in either Waco or Griffin's hometown. More teams don't do this why, exactly?

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

Buffalo general manager Buddy Nix was aggressive in signing quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to an extension and pursuing defensive end Mario Williams in free agency. Nix needs to keep that momentum going with this hypothetical trade to land the Bills the left tackle they now badly need, and Kalil's the only player at his position this year who hasn't started sprouting question marks the past month or so.

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

I'm going to help Cleveland team president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert get out of their own way here. When a player is far and away the best prospect at a position where you have a gaping chasm of a hole, you draft that player. That would be Richardson, gentlemen.

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

Tampa head coach Greg Schiano shot down rumors Wednesday that the team was shopping enigmatic cornerback Aqib Talib, but whether he stays or goes won't change the fact that the Buccaneers need to improve the secondary.

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

With Brandon Lloyd now in New England, the Rams don't have a wide receiver on the roster that topped 450 yards last season, and in an NFL where 5,000-yard passers barely elicit a blink, that is what we call, in technical terms, not good.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon rolled up over 3,300 yards in catches while winning the past two Biletnikoff Awards as college football's top wideout, and Stu Durando of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch agrees that the Rams need to make the 6'1", 207-pound junior the sixth-overall selection.

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The Rams need to be able to throw the ball and they’re not going to get it done well enough with the group they have at this point. It seems so long ago that Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce were wreaking havoc on defenses. Blackmon has the potential and they need to take a shot, otherwise they’re not doing Sam Bradford any favors.

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

The Jaguars are reportedly "desperate" to trade down, but with no suitors evident at this point, if Jacksonville ends up stuck at seven, their need to upgrade an anemic pass-rush trumps their need to bolster an equally anemic receiving corps.

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

Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland will meet with reporters Thursday for a press conference, and while it's highly unlikely that he'll come right out and say it, if the strong-armed but inexperienced passer is still on the board here, Miami is going to pull the trigger.

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

The Carolina run defense was among the worst in the NFL in 2011, ranking 25th in the league. The biggest contributor to that dismal ranking was bad defensive tackle play, so the team needs to look to address the interior of the defensive line. That's a need that the 298-pound All-SEC performer would fill very nicely.

10. Minnesota Vikings (from Buffalo Bills): Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

The Vikings are reportedly interested in the 6'3" wideout, who sits atop some pundits' wide receiver rankings, while others bemoan his alcohol issues at Notre Dame. Yeah, because no one drinks in college.

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

Last year's starter, Kelly Gregg, is a 35-year-old free agent who is considering retirement, which leaves the Chiefs with a hole at nose tackle. At 322 pounds, Brockers has the bulk to man the middle of a 3-4 defensive line, and the Tigers standout oozes potential and would add youth and athleticism up front.

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

Barrett Ruud and KJ Wright may be serviceable replacements for the departed David Hawthorne at middle linebacker in the Emerald City. However, after leading the nation in tackles in 2011 and displaying impressive athleticism in workouts, last year's Butkus Award winner is a damned sight better than serviceable.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

The Cardinals have needs at both the tackle and guard positions on the offensive line after allowing the second-most sacks in the NFL last year, so improving the pass protection for quarterback Kevin Kolb is a priority that the Redbirds need to address early in the 2012 draft.

The stock of Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff has been dropping a bit of late amid concerns about his athleticism and arm strength, but Doug Farrar of Yahoo! Sports still believes that at the very least the 6'6", 313-pounder could develop into an excellent option on the right side of the line.

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Good standup blocker who will engage and stick on defenders -- Reiff has excellent functional inline power and he matches up well against power ends. Will fire out on outside run plays and seal the edge consistently. Decent straight backpedal, though he doesn't really flow in pass protection. Adjusts well going from ends to other defenders against blitzes; he works well in zone blocking and understands changing assignments. Reiff's pass-blocking technique is more functional than fancy; he is better backing straight up, hand-fighting to keep pass-rushers at bay, and pushing to keep them out of the pocket.

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14. Dallas Cowboys: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

The two-time consensus All-American was the most recent prospect to make a visit to Valley Ranch, something that every first-round pick of the Cowboys has done since 2006. It also just so happens that left guard is an area of weakness for the Cowboys as well.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

The Eagles reportedly would love to get Cox here, but with him off the board, Philadelphia should look to upgrade the back end of the secondary with the draft's best strong safety prospect. Jaiquawn Jarrett has done next to nothing to this point in his brief NFL career, and Kurt Coleman is a journeyman at best.

16.  New York Jets: Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois

The Jets were forced to blitz more than any team in the NFL (57.1 percent) to generate any sort of real pressure on the quarterback last season. After leading the NCAA with 16 sacks in 2011, Whitney Mercilus of Illinois should be able to provide a measure of assistance in that regard from the get-go.

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

Even after adding cornerback Terence Newman in free agency, the Bengals could still use a boost in the secondary opposite Leon Hall, and NFL draft expert Mike Mayock feels Gilmore is easily the second-best cornerback available in the 2012 NFL draft.

18. San Diego Chargers: Nick Perry, DE/OLB, Illinois

The Chargers managed only 32 sacks as a team in 2011, with only outside linebacker Antwan Barnes providing consistent pressure. In the hopes of increasing that number in 2012, the Chargers should look to bring aboard the 271-pound Perry, who led the Pac-12 in sacks last season and has the quickness to move to outside linebacker in the 3-4.

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

The Bears brought back 31-year-old defensive end Israel Idonije after missing out on Mario Williams in free agency, but the team is still looking to upgrade the defensive front opposite Julius Peppers. The 6'6", 281-pound Coples would do that and then some if the team can get his effort to match his impressive physical talents.

20. Tennessee Titans: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

The Titans lost top cornerback Cortland Finnegan to the St. Louis Rams in free agency, and while Alterraun Verner and Jason McCourty have shown flashes of promise, the Titans still need to upgrade their depth in the defensive backfield.

Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick is a punishing tackler who accrued second team All-American honors for the Crimson Tide last year, and the 6'2", 186-pound junior's size is one of his biggest assets, according to Dam Pompei of the Chicago Tribune.

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Kirkpatrick has the height and long arms to match up with bigger wide receivers. Kirkpatrick was a very productive college player before leaving early. He is very effective pressing. He is better in zone than man. He anticipates well and has decent hands.

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21. Cincinnati Bengals: Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia

The Bengals have a glaring need along the inside of the offensive front, and the 345-pound All-SEC performer is a mauler of a run blocker who would probably step into an immediate role as a starter in the Queen City, opening holes for new running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta Falcons): Bobby Massie, OT, Ole Miss: Choosing an offensive lineman with the Browns' second first-rounder may seem a bit odd to some. However, right tackle is an area of need, Trent Richardson is going to need to holes to run through, and Massie is "an immediate hole filler,” according to Mel Kiper, Jr.

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

The Lions are in dire need of improvement at the cornerback position, and while the talented but troubled Jenkins' past makes him something of a risky pick, Jenkins has denied that his drug issues continued after his dismissal from Florida.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers:  Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis

Casey Hampton will be 35 when the season begins and is coming off ACL surgery in January, so the Steelers should look to see if the 346-pound Poe can blow up the gridiron in the NFL the same way that he did the NFL scouting combine in February.

25. Denver Broncos: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

The acquisition of quarterback Peyton Manning in free agency may well have turned the draft-day plans of the Denver Broncos squarely on their ears. If Peyton wants a blazing wideout who caught over 1,600 yards in passes last year at Baylor, then guess what? He's going to get him. And a sandwich.

26. Houston Texans: Dont'a Hightower, ILB, Alabama

The loss of both Mario Williams and DeMeco Ryans struck a blow to the Houston linebackers this offseason, but the 6'2", 265-pound All-American would soften that blow a great deal and form an imposing duo inside with Brian Cushing in Wade Phillips' attacking 3-4 defense.

27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans Saints): Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

With free agency taking a toll on an aging New England defense due to the departure of Mark Anderson and Andre Carter, the Patriots need to look at improving the front seven with at least one of their two first-round picks.

The draft stock of Alabama outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw has been slipping of late, as some scouts and executives question his explosiveness, but Jeff Howe of NESN believes the All-American would be an excellent fit with the AFC champs.

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The defensive MVP of the national championship is one of the best pass rushers in the draft class, and he's been considered a top-tier prospect since high school. And in regard to the Patriots, as with any player from Alabama, Upshaw gets bonus points for excelling in Nick Saban's defense. Upshaw can play on the edge in either front, and he has shown a knack for attacking the ball, whether it's in the hands of the quarterback or running back.

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28. Green Bay Packers: Shea McClellin, DE/OLB, Boise State

Boise State defensive end Shea McClellin has drawn comparisons to Packers star Clay Matthews, and a pass-rush that was 27th in the NFL on a defense that was dead last in the league could use another player that can harass opposing quarterbacks.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

As big a fan as I've been of Anquan Boldin through the years, the 10th-year pro looked like a shell of his former self in 2011. After playing at run-first (and second and third), Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill may need some seasoning at the professional level, but as NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock said, “There is value to this kid.”

30. San Francisco 49ers: Amini Silatolu, OT/OG, Midwestern State

The latest speculation from the Bay Area is that the 49ers may be eying a replacement for the departed Adam Snyder at guard in the first round. Silatolu played tackle at Division II Midwestern State, and while the 312-pounder may be a bit raw, he has loads of talent and projects better as a guard in the NFL.

31. New England Patriots: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

The retirement of tackle Matt Light may change the Patriots' draft day plans somewhat. Bill Belichick isn't the sort who's prone to panic moves, but the presence of a two-time All-American tackle capable of manning both the left and right sides may be too good an opportunity for New England to pass on this late in the first round.

32. New York Giants: David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

Ahmad Bradshaw's foot is already acting up, and the depth behind him isn't great. Virginia Tech running back David Wilson has had some ball control issues in the past, but the New York staff has experience fixing that, and not only did Wilson top 1,700 rushing yards in 2011, but according to STATS-X, no collegiate runner gained more yards after contact a year ago.

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