2012 NFL Mock Draft: Trades That Will Shake Up Boards Everywhere

Imagine for a moment the NFL draft when exactly as expected. No trades, no sleepers, the experts' mock drafts pretty much accurate throughout.

How dull would that be?

Pretty damn dull, if you ask me. Surprises are what make the NFL draft great. So on this mock draft, I'll try my hand at predicting a few of the crazy trades that we probably won't see, but aren't outside the realm of possibility.

We mock around the clock at Bleacher Report. Let's do this.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB (Stanford)

The draft will begin as expected, with Luck starting a new era in Indianapolis.

2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB (Baylor)*

Ditto for RGIII and Washington.

3. Minnesota Vikings: Morris Claiborne, CB (LSU)

But here's when it starts to get crazy. Remember this pick—it will cause a very interesting turn of events. For quite awhile, I was convinced that the Vikings were going to pick Matt Kalil here, but more and more, it seems as though Morris Claiborne will be the guy.

4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB (Alabama)  

The Browns need a running back, they need offensive playmakers and they need a marketable player to sell to fans. In one fell swoop, they can take care of all three needs.

5. Buffalo Bills (from Tampa Bay) Matt Kalil, OT (USC) 

And so it begins—we've got ourselves a draft-day trade.

The Bills need a left tackle badly, and the Bucs will try and get out of the fifth pick when the two players they likely covet, Claiborne and Richardson, are off the board. With those players gone, and no other great value for the Bucs at No. 5, the logical thing to do is to move the pick.

The Bucs have been aggressive this postseason, and moving up to the third pick could be possible as well. But I think the more likely scenario is the one above.

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

If he's here, he's the pick. Sanity is restored at No. 6.

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

Jacksonville will try and move out of this slot I'd guess, but they'll get no takers. With a bevy of team needs, the team will focus on improving the pass-rush early.

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

If they think he can be the quarterback of the future, he has to be the pick here.

9. Carolina Panthers: Luke Kuechly, MLB (Boston College)

The Panthers have bigger needs, but he's jumped into the top 10 of a lot of draft boards. Don't be surprised if the Panthers make him their guy at this slot.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Stephon Gilmore, CB (South Carolina)

Another player that has been shooting up boards, Gilmore will be a nice consolation prize after the team isn't able to land Morris Claiborne.

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Dontari Poe, NT (Memphis)

At this point, who knows where Poe will go? He fills a huge need for the Chiefs, so I'm saying he winds up in Kansas City.

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

With Kuechly off the board, the Seahawks will turn to a major need at the defensive end position.

13.  Philadelphia Eagles (from Arizona): Mark Barron, S, (Alabama)

The Eagles desperately need a safety, and with the Cowboys likely to take Barron if he's available, the Eagles will pull the old flip-flop to jump ahead of their rivals.

It will cost them more than they'd like, but with two second-round picks and a bevy of selections after that, they can afford to overpay a bit to fill a huge need. And Barron is a guy who can start immediately, so this makes total sense for a team with legitimate playoff aspirations.

14. Dallas Cowboys: David DeCastro, OG (Stanford) 

With Barron gone, the Cowboys can fill in another big need with DeCastro, arguably the safest pick in the entire draft.

15. Arizona Cardinals: Riley Reiff, OT (Iowa): 

With a need to upgrade left tackle, and Reiff is a great value here. The Cardinals won't be able to pass up the tackle from Iowa.

16. New York Jets: Michael Floyd, WR (Notre Dame) 

A pass-rusher might be a slightly larger need, but a playmaker like Floyd will be too hard for the Jets to pass up. With Santonio Holmes always liable to blow his top, Floyd is not only an immediate contributor, but long-term insurance as well.

17. Cincinnati Bengals:  Cordy Glenn, OG (Georgia)** 

They would have loved to see DeCastro drop this far. They'll settle for Glenn, a fine player in his own right.

18. San Diego Chargers: Nick Perry, OLB (USC) 

His athleticism and game experience should make him an instant contributor for the Chargers next year.

19. Chicago Bears: Fletcher Cox, DT (Mississippi State)

Cox is simply too good to pass up here. With no obvious studs left at defensive end or on the offensive line, the Bears will simply pluck the best player off the board.

20. Tennessee Titans: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB (Alabama)

I believe the Titans will look to draft a corner with this pick. If the board falls like this, that corner will be Kirkpatrick.

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Kendall Wright, WR (Baylor)

They could also go with either Stephen Hill, or perhaps even Alshon Jeffery depending on how they have players ranked, but I do think they will look to add a running mate for A.J. Green at this year's draft.

22. Cleveland Browns: Stephen Hill, WR (Georgia Tech)***

Richardson and Hill—suddenly, the Browns will be fun to watch again.

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

It's a risk, but he has top-10 talent. The Lions desperately need help in the secondary—they'll take a chance on Jenkins.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dont'a Hightower, LB (Alabama)

Hightower is a beast in the middle, and he was the leader of a similar defense at Alabama. This pick makes so much sense it probably won't happen, but this is my mock, so I say it does.

25. Denver Broncos: Michael Brockers, DT (LSU)

This is a steal this late, and it just so happens to also be the team's primary area of need.

26. Houston Texans: Chandler Jones, DE (Syracuse) 

The Texans have a lot of freedom with a pretty solid roster already in place. I think they'll look to replace Mario Williams on the edge with this pick.

27. New England Patriots: Whitney Mercilus, OLB (Illinois)  ****

Here's the thing—I don't know who might try to move up to the 27th pick in the draft. It isn't like the top of the draft, where it's more obvious what teams likely will have an interest in certain elite players.

Trying to predict a trade at the bottom of a round is like trying to find a grain of salt at the beach—it's impossible.

But it isn't a stretch to think that the Patriots, with two first-round picks, will try and move one of them. Every freaking year, they trade down the board. Why would this season be any different?

Oh, and if they stay here, I say they look to add an edge rusher. With the top corners off the board, that's the team's most obvious area of need.

28. Green Bay Packers: Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama

Upshaw's drop will be the Packers' gain. Clay Matthews III and Upshaw will be frightening off the edge for Green Bay.

29. Baltimore Ravens: Jonathan Martin, OT (Stanford)

The Ravens will add some much-needed depth and a player with a high upside by drafting Martin.

30. San Francisco 49ers:   Reuben Randle, WR, LSU

Randy Moss or not, this team still needs an infusion of young talent at the wide receiver position.

31. New England Patriots: Andre Branch, OLB (Clemson)

One way or another, this team will look to improve its pass-rush at the draft.

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

Eli Manning, Coby Fleener, Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks. Good luck, NFL secondaries.

*The Redskins traded the sixth pick in the first round, along with their second-round pick this year and first-round picks in 2013 and 2014 to St. Louis for 2012's second-overall pick.

**From Oakland in the Carson Palmer trade.

***From Atlanta in last year's Julio Jones draft day trade.

****From New Orleans in last year's Mark Ingram draft day trade.

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