2012 NFL Mock Draft: Players Who Will Struggle Mightily in Rookie Season

There is a ton of talent in the 2012 NFL draft class, but some of the players taken in the first round will seriously struggle during their rookie seasons. 

Here is my latest mock draft, highlighting players who will struggle during their first year in the NFL.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

The Colts will struggle, but Luck will take it in stride. He's smart enough to know that the team is building for the future and that it will take time.

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

Griffin will make enough highlight reel-type plays to shed the "struggling" label, though his rookie year will likely be a long one.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Kalil will step in right away and provide an immediate boost to a Vikings team that allowed a whopping 49 sacks in 2011. The USC product will be a rock at left tackle for the franchise instantly.

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

The Browns shouldn't even have to think about this pick. Richardson will make an immediate impact and has to be the early favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

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

Claiborne isn't the kind of impact playmaker that former teammate Patrick Peterson is, but it won't take long for him to play at a Pro Bowl level. His instincts, quickness and ball skills will make him a shutdown corner in a short time.

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

Sam Bradford will be jumping for joy from his couch at home when the Rams make this pick. Blackmon will finally give the franchise quarterback the No. 1 target he has been longing for. The two guys should flourish together.

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

Ingram should immediately upgrade Jacksonville's pass, rush but I don't see him having big numbers early in his career. I think he'll slowly develop into a formidable sack man.

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

Tannehill only made 19 collegiate starts, and while he has the tools to be a legitimate franchise quarterback some day, his rookie year will be a struggle. In fact, I don't even think he'll get of the bench during his first season.

The Texas A&M product has the measureables and potential that teams look for in a franchise quarterback, and his intangibles are in that same category. I think he'll eventually be fine, but sitting on the bench behind some combination of Matt Moore and David Garrard will be tough for him.

9. Carolina Panthers: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

At 6'4" and 346 pounds, Poe is massive, and he also happens to be a once-in-a-generation athlete. His workout at the NFL Scouting Combine was simply ridiculous. That said, he'll take some time to develop.

On film, it is obvious that Poe's technique is awful. He is raw, but he probably has the most upside of any player in this year's draft. His rookie season will be a struggle, and he may get pushed around early, but eventually, the Memphis product will figure it out.

10. Buffalo Bills: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

Reiff is the second-best tackle in this year's draft, and he will be solid starter from the moment he steps on to an NFL field. 

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

The Chiefs would love to land Poe here, but Kuechly is a great consolation prize, and he will upgrade the team's linebacking corps right away.

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

Coples has a ton of upside, and at 6'6" and 285 pounds, he is a prototypical 4-3 defensive end. But there are questions about his motor and desire, and the Seahawks will have to figure out how to keep him motivated.

I think it will take time for Coples to figure out how to play at the next level. He is immensely talented and has a high ceiling, but he will probably look like a bust in the making after his rookie season.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

Martin needs to become more polished in pass protection, but he will step in and be Arizona's top offensive tackle immediately. 

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

Cox will fit in perfectly in Rob Ryan's 3-4 defense, as he can line up in any of the three spots along the defensive line. He is an outstanding penetrator who will make plays as a rookie.

15. Philadelphia Eagles: Mark Barron, S, Alabama

After adding DeMeco Ryans through a trade, getting Barron would make Philadelphia's defense just that much better. He'll start from day one and develop into a rock in the secondary.

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

Upshaw is the kind of player that Rex Ryan loves. He is a tough, rugged defender who can be fantastic both as a pass rusher off the edge or standing up blockers against the run. 

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland Raiders): Michael Floyd

Floyd will be OK during his rookie season as Cincinnati's No. 2 receiver, but he won't be a revelation. Some have projected him much higher than this, but whoever is doing that is ignoring the tape. 

Floyd took far too many plays off at Notre Dame for my taste. He also will have issues separating from elite cornerbacks at the NFL level, as he has never been overly quick off the line. He has average top-end speed, so he won't be anything more than a possession guy who can occasionally make plays down the field on jump balls.

I think the step up in competition will be a big adjustment for Floyd, as he did most of his damage against weaker opponents in college. He may eventually round into form, but as a rookie, he won't make the impact many are expecting.

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

DeCastro will immediately step in to a starting role and should quickly be one of the NFL's best guards.

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

Glenn will be a huge upgrade for Chicago's offensive line, a unit that has been awful in recent years.

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

With Cortland Finnegan gone, the Titans will replace him with Gilmore. The South Carolina product is big, physical and has outstanding ball skills.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

The Bengals will finally find a replacement for Jonathan Joseph, who bolted for Houston last offseason. Kirkpatrick is fantastic in zone coverage and should develop into a solid man-to-man cover guy within a season or two.

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

At 6'7" and 323 pounds, Adams is the kind of physical specimen who should be far better than he actually is. He is immensely talented, but he's never seemed to be able to harness that ability and focus it on the football field.

At this spot, the Ohio State product might be worth the risk if the Browns are convinced they can solve the riddle of how to get the best out of him. Adams needs to figure out how to put his off-the-field issues behind him and just focus on becoming a better football player.

He'll play right tackle (Joe Thomas is locked in on the left side in Cleveland), which should make the adjustment to the NFL a little easier. But I still expect him to struggle to acclimate himself at the NFL level.

23. Detroit Lions: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

Konz is a stud who will step in to the NFL and be one of the league's best centers right out of the gate. His ability to read defenses is already at an elite level, and he and Matthew Stafford will team together to form a great snapper-passer duo.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

Brockers will likely be a rotational player as a rookie, but at 6'5" and 323 pounds, he will eventually step in for an aging Casey Hampton at nose tackle. 

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

The Broncos have nothing worth mentioning at defensive tackle. They'll tab Worthy here, a guy with a great motor who will be relentless. He will provide a huge upgrade at the position.

26. Houston Texans: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

Wright will finally give the Texans the legitimate No. 2 receiver they have lacked for years. His ability to stretch the field and get deep should help open the team's offense up.

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

The Patriots need to upgrade their front seven, and while Jones is very raw, he will help that process. Bill Belichick will figure out how best to deploy the Syracuse product as a rookie to get the most out of him.

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

Perry is the best pure pass-rusher in this year's draft, and he will give Clay Matthews a ton of help getting after the quarterback in Green Bay.

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

Hightower will likely shift to the outside to take over for the departed Jarret Johnson until Ray Lewis retires. At that time, he will shift inside to take over for the future Hall of Famer.

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

At 6'4" and 215 pounds with elite speed, Hill has a ton of natural gifts. But he is incredibly raw and will have a tough time adjusting to the NFL. After all, Hill made just 49 total receptions in three years at Georgia Tech.

He will need a lot of time to develop and also to learn how to play in a pro-style offense. This is a pick that the 49ers will make for the future, not next season. His rookie year will be a struggle.

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

Reyes is a versatile, intelligent defensive lineman who will be able to play all along the Patriots' 3-4/4-3 hybrid scheme. He'll make his presence known early.

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

Fleener is a big, athletic tight end who will give Eli Manning another excellent target. He will jump right into the mix and be a great addition to the Giants.