2012 NFL Mock Draft: Picks That Will Throw off Entire 1st Round

We're less than a week from the 2012 NFL draft, and while we have a lock on the first two picks in this year's first round, there are plenty of other teams whose intentions with their first selections are much less clear.

Some of those unknown choices could throw a monkey wrench into the strategies of several other squads, so here's an updated look at how the first round could break down, including the picks that will most alter its landscape.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford: The Colts have informed Luck that he will indeed be the first overall pick. If Peyton Manning's first year in Indy is any indication, it's going to be a bumpy first year.

2. Washington Redskins (from St. Louis Rams): Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor: The Redskins visiting Griffin to better prepare the Heisman Trophy winner for the jump to the NFL is a smart move, and RG3 may actually be in a better position than Luck to succeed early in the NFL.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC: The Vikings reportedly are interested in any number of players, but elite left-tackle prospects don't grow on trees, and Minnesota has to improve the pass-protection for Christan Ponder after allowing the fifth-most sacks in the NFL last year.

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama: The 5'9", 228-pound bell cow is considered the best prospect at his position in years, after topping 2,000 total yards in 2011. The Browns need to add offensive playmakers in the worst imaginable way.

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 that the Thorpe Award winner would address.

6. St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins): Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State: After losing Brandon Lloyd in free agency, the Rams' wide receiver corps is pretty barren, and Blackmon is a two-time Biletnikoff Award winner as college football's top wideout.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina: The Jaguars have any number of needs, including the pass rush, defensive backfield and receiving corps. With the team also reportedly interested in trading down, Jacksonville's decision here will have a big impact on many of the picks that follow.

South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore has been rocketing up draft boards lately after racking up 46 tackles and four interceptions as a junior. The Florida Times-Union recently reported that the Gamecocks standout would help solidify a secondary with a lot of question marks.

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Right now the Jaguars cornerback situation is dependent on several variables, one of which is Rashean Mathis' recovery from surgery on his torn anterior cruciate ligament. He'll compete with Aaron Ross, who the Jaguars signed in free agency.

Derek Cox is in a contract year and is the starter on the other side. He's coming off a fractured tibia from which he's been cleared to practice already. Cox practiced, but was occasionally limited to avoid soreness, this week.

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8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M: Given the team's desperate search for a franchise quarterback this offseason, there's no way that the Dolphins will let Tannehill get past them here despite his limited collegiate resume.

9. Carolina Panthers: Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State: The 298-pound defensive tackle's draft stock has been steadily climbing, and the Carolina run defense was a weak spot for the team last year, ranking 25th in the NFL.

10. Buffalo Bills: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame: Some pundits believe that the 6'3" Floyd is the top prospect at his position in this year's draft class after racking up 100 catches in 2011, and the Bills need help opposite Stevie Johnson at wideout.   

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU: Kelly Gregg is a 35 year-old free agent who is contemplating retirement, and the 322-pound Brockers has the size and strength to play nose tackle in a 3-4 defense.

12. Seattle Seahawks: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina: The 264-pound All-American had double-digit sacks a year ago, and Ingram would provide a much-needed boost to a mediocre Seattle pass rush opposite Chris Clemons.

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. DeCastro is one of the best guard prospects in some time, and would start right away.

14. Dallas Cowboys: Mark Barron, SS, Alabama: Adding cornerback Brandon Carr should go a long way towards solidifying the Dallas secondary. While it's always possible that Jerry Jones will pull a late switcheroo, this pick has seemingly been in the cards for months.

Alabama safety Mark Barron was an All-American after making 66 tackles, a sack and an interception for the Crimson Tide in 2011, and the Boston Herald sees the 6'1", 213-pound senior as a potential leader in the Dallas defensive backfield.

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He is tough, smart and competitive and should be a fine leader in the secondary. He is very adept in run support, as he takes good angles and makes secure tackles. Barron has not been asked to cover a lot, but he reads the quarterback well and breaks on the ball.

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15. Philadelphia Eagles: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College: The Eagles addressed their need at middle linebacker by trading for DeMeco Ryans, but the 2011 Butkus Award winner is a talented player with outstanding instincts who would fill Philly's need on the weak side.

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, and Upshaw's experience in the 3-4 is a plus.

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama: The Bengals need to get better at cornerback opposite Leon Hall, and the hard-hitting 6'2" All-American has the ability in run support that Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis reportedly covets.

18. San Diego Chargers: Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois: The San Diego Chargers struggled mightily with their pass rush 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 if the Bears coaching staff can get Coples to play to his potential.

20. Tennessee Titans: Nick Perry, DE/OLB: The signing of Kamerion Wimbley will help a Titans pass rush that managed only 28 sacks in 2011. But the Tennessee defensive line could still use some work, and the 6'3", 271-pound junior led the Pac-12 in sacks last year.

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 mauling run-blocker who would likely be a day-one starter and a significant improvement.

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta Falcons): Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa: Given all the holes that the Cleveland Browns have on offense, it's a good thing that they have two second-round picks. The direction they take with the second pick could very well define how the draft's last 10 picks will play out.

After originally being considered a top-10 pick by many experts, the draft stock of Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff has been steadily sliding of late. But ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. recently told The Daily Republic that he believes the 313-pounder would be a great value towards the end of the first round.

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"This is a guy that gets after you," said Kiper, who has been analyzing college football players and NFL drafts since 1979. "He has a rugged approach. He’s really serious about his business. … He works on his game and practices hard."

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23. Detroit Lions: David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech: The Lions badly need to address the secondary, but with the top cornerback prospects off the board, Detroit should look to upgrade the offensive backfield instead by adding Wilson, who rushed for over 1,700 yards a year ago.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dont'a Hightower, ILB, Alabama: After a decade manning the middle of the Pittsburgh defense, the release of veteran James Farrior leaves a hole at linebacker in Pittsburgh. Hightower, the big-hitting Crimson Tide All-American, would fit like a glove with the blue-collar Steelers.

25. Denver Broncos: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis: After tearing the roof off February's scouting combine, Poe's draft stock has been dropping of late—the Broncos' need to upgrade the inside of the defensive line will stop the 346-pounder from falling any further.

26. Houston Texans: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech: The 6'4" Hill ran the fastest 40-yard dash of any wideout at the combine. Despite limited production in Georgia Tech's run-heavy offense, Hill's potential is undeniable.

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. The team needs to improve the front seven early in the draft, and the versatility McClellin displayed by playing all over the Broncos defense will appeal to Bill Belichick.

28. Green Bay Packers: Andre Branch, DE/OLB, Clemson: The Packers defense ranked dead last in the National Football League a season ago, and the team could go in a number of directions here—but a large cause of Green Bay's defensive deficiencies were due to a pass rush that ranked 27th in the NFL in sacks in 2011.

Clemson defensive end Andre Branch racked up 77 tackles and 9.5 sacks for the Tigers a year ago, and the 6'4", 259-pound senior should have little trouble making the transition to 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL, according to Mike Tanier of Yahoo Sports.

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Clemson used Branch as a hand-on-the-ground defensive end most of the time, often lining him up as a "wide-9" edge rusher far outside the tackle box. He did drop into zone coverage at times, however, and appeared to be smooth and comfortable in the role. If drafted as a 3-4 outside linebacker, he should not be a major liability in zone coverage.

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29. Baltimore Ravens: Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati: The 295-pound Big East Defensive Player of the Year has the quickness to slide to end in a 3-4 defense, and Wolfe would form a dynamic trio with Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs.

30. San Francisco 49ers: Amini Silatolu, OT/OG, Midwestern State: The 49ers need to find a replacement for the departed Adam Snyder, and while Silatolu may take some time to adjust to the NFL, the small school star has loads of potential.

31. New England Patriots: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama: Jenkins has denied reports that he continued smoking marijuana while at North Alabama. Stoned or not, the fact remains that the Patriots desperately need to improve an abysmal secondary.

32. New York Giants: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford: The Giants will reportedly not be bringing back Kareem McKenzie, and Martin could represent one of the steals of the first round after his stock had fallen off recently.

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