2012 NFL Mock Draft: Late Risers Who Will Creep into Round 1

With the 2012 NFL draft almost upon us, the time for predicting the final draft order is here. With that said, there are still players trying to sneak their way into the first round.

Players italicized will be late to the first-round party, but they will be selected on day one when all is said and done.

1. Indianapolis Colts—Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

The Colts have decided to take Andrew Luck at No. 1. No kidding?

2. Washington Redskins (via trade with St. Louis Rams)—Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

Robert Griffin III to Washington will be one of the top-five storylines heading into the 2012-2013 season.

3. Minnesota Vikings—Matt Kalil, OT, Southern California

With the future of the Minnesota Vikings up in the air, trading back is an option. Whoever picks at No. 3 will take franchise left tackle Matt Kalil.

4. Cleveland Browns—Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

***TRADE PREDICTION***

As perfect as Trent Richardson is for the Cleveland Browns, I think they have a backup plan. They need the picks more than they need to Crimson Tide bruiser.

Expect a team like Cincinnati to jump up to No. 4 to possibly snag Richardson.

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

The eventual successor to Ronde Barber, Morris Claiborne’s on-field training from the perennial Pro-Bowl player will be perfect for his development.

6. St. Louis Rams (via WAS)—Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

The St. Louis Rams need to find a reliable weapon for Sam Bradford. They will find it in stellar possession receiver Justin Blackmon.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars—Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

The Jacksonville Jaguars are building for the long-term, so taking a serious project with amazing upside like defensive tackle Michael Brockers is a no-brainer.

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

The Miami Dolphins have become the laughing stock of the NFL by missing out on free-agent stars like Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn, but they will look even worse taking Ryan Tannehill at No. 8 overall.

I personally have Tannehill as the fourth-best quarterback in the 2012 draft and a second-round overall talent. While he was expected to be taken earlier than he should have been, No. 8 overall is crazy.

With a porous offensive line and no real weapons to throw to with the departure of Brandon Marshall, the selection of Tannehill will be the biggest train wreck of 2012.

9. Carolina Panthers—Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

Ron Rivera and the Panthers organization are still riding the ego trip of taking Cam Newton No. 1 overall and having it work out. The questions surrounding talented defensive end Quinton Coples won’t stop Carolina from taking him.

10. Buffalo Bills—Nick Perry, OLB, Southern California

The Buffalo Bills will be looking to add an outside linebacker that can use his versatility to play against the run, drop into coverage and rush the passer. Nick Perry is their man.

11. Kansas City Chiefs—David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

The Kansas City Chiefs need to protect their ailing running back Jamaal Charles and star QB Matt Cassel by selecting David DeCastro.

12. Seattle Seahawks—Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

Seattle will need to find a blocker to help Matt Flynn thrive as a Seahawk, and Riley Reiff will fall right into their laps at No. 12.

13. Arizona Cardinals—Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College

The Arizona Cardinals run defense was terrible in 2011-2012. Adding Luke Kuechly to the middle is an easy choice.

14. Dallas Cowboys—Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia

It will be impossible for the Dallas Cowboys to not help protect their running game and their star QB with a huge run-blocker in Cordy Glenn on the board.

15. Philadelphia Eagles—Melvin Ingram, OLB, South Carolina

The Philadelphia Eagles need help in their wide-nine 4-3 defense, and a wild-card fit for outside linebacker is Melvin Ingram. He has the potential to become a versatile threat that the Eagles could use in many sets.

16. New York Jets— Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

Rex Ryan is looking for the next great 3-4 defensive lineman, and he may find it with Memphis tackle Dontari Poe.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (via OAK)—Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

While AJ Green was a huge success, the Bengals will need to alleviate the pressure on their star receiver by selecting another to complement him on the other side.

18. San Diego Chargers—Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

The San Diego Chargers will be looking to upgrade their secondary with the addition of cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

19. Chicago Bears—Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

While Coby Fleener may be the No. 1 tight end on the board, I have him ranked as a second-round talent.

As much as this looks like a huge reach, it fills a huge area of need with a true standout player from an NFL-ready program like Stanford.

The Bears fired offensive coordinator Mike Martz, who hated tight ends, and will now install an offense that allows Jay Cutler to play the position standing up instead of on his back.

20. Tennessee Titans—Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

Jake Locker will need a long-term wide receiver to become associated with and build a relationship. Michael Floyd will be his buddy.

21. Cincinnati Bengals—Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

The Bengals may be looking to trade one of their first-round picks and other pieces for the Cleveland Browns' No. 4 pick. However, if they don’t make that move, they will take Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick at No. 21.

22. Cleveland Browns (via ATL)—Lamar Miller, RB, Miami-FL

The reason that the Browns feel comfortable passing on Richardson at No. 4 is because they feel that Lamar Miller will be there at No. 22.

Many scouts feel Miller’s upside is close to where Richardson’s is.

23. Detroit Lions—Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

With Matthew Stafford proving he can be a great QB when given time and protection, the Lions need to further protect him with Buckeyes standout tackle Mike Adams.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers—Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama

The Pittsburgh Steelers' aging defense will get a shot in the arm with the high motor and work ethic of NFL-ready 3-4 outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw.

25. Denver Broncos—Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

With Peyton Manning being the big addition on offense, Fletcher Cox will be the huge addition to the defensive line that the Broncos need.

26. Houston Texans—Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

The Houston Texans may have finally made the playoffs last season, but their lack of depth at wide receiver behind Andre Johnson exposed their biggest flaw.

Houston may be looking to add Georgia Tech wideout Stephen Hill. The young receiver would be a perfect No. 3 receiver that could slide into the No. 2 role if called upon.

While there is little doubt that Hill could be an NFL starter, he will need time and that’s what he’ll get behind Johnson

27. New England Patriots (via NO)—Andre Branch, OLB, Clemson

The New England Patriots pass rush needs a major upgrade, and the revolution starts with outside linebacker Andre Branch.

28. Green Bay Packers—Whitney Mercilus, OLB, Illinois

Illinois defensive end/outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus is one of the best players in the draft, and he will fall right into the laps of the already tough Green Bay Packers.

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

Ray Lewis will find the man he is supposed to hand the throne to in MLB Dont’a Hightower. Just not yet.

30. San Francisco 49ers—Peter Konz, OG, Wisconsin

With the 49ers needing help on the offensive line, adding a versatile star like Peter Konz at No. 30 is a dream come true.

31. New England Patriots—Kendall Reyes, DE, Connecticut

The next piece in the pass-rush revolution in New England is defensive end Kendall Reyes. He will make for a perfect end in Belichick’s 3-4 defense.

32. New York Giants—Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

With the departure of a few of Eli Manning’s weapons, it’s time for New York to pay the Super Bowl champion back with a new receiver to play with.

Check back for more on the National Football League as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s NFL Page to get your fill of all things football.

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