2012 NFL Mock Draft: Latest Buzz Surrounding Each Prospect 1 Day Before Draft

Believe who you want to, but there is a very minimal amount of truth flying around as the 2012 NFL draft approaches.

Teams' boards have been set for some time, but the media is just catching up, and any legitimate movement of a player's stock is because teams feel they might actually miss out on a guy they're high on.

So with that in mind, here's a look at the latest buzz on the prospects as the draft nears.

1. Indianapolis Colts (2-14): Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Andrew Luck will be selected No. 1 overall.

2. *Washington Redskins (5-11): Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

Robert Griffin III will be selected No. 2 overall.

3. Minnesota Vikings (3-13): Matt Kalil, OT, USC

The Vikes hold the key to the entire first round. Rumor has it they're interested in trading out of the No. 3 spot or they'll select Morris Claiborne over Matt Kalil.

A trade down is a legitimate possibility, as is the selection of Claiborne, and either would send Kalil tumbling down the board. But if they sit tight, the USC tackle should be the pick.

4. Cleveland Browns (4-12): Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

The Crimson Tide star rusher won't slip out of the top five and could possibly see the Bucs trade up to No. 3 to make sure he doesn't land with Cleveland.

Richardson is a sure-fire top-five pick regardless of what happens.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12): Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

The buzz around Claiborne has everything to do with the Vikings taking him at No. 3. That is a distinct possibility, but if he doesn't go there, he'll slide no farther than No. 5 overall.

6. *St. Louis Rams (2-14): Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

There hasn't been much talk regarding Blackmon of late, and that is good—it is highly unlikely he goes any later than No. 7 overall.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11): Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

Ingram is one of the more intriguing stories here and could go as early as No. 7 and as late as No. 23. The Jaguars have a tendency to make surprising picks when on the clock, so it wouldn't be surprising at all to see them nab the potential-laden pass-rusher here.

8. Miami Dolphins (6-10): Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

No player has more uncertainty surrounding his draft stock than Ryan Tannehill. The Texas A&M quarterback could go as high as No. 8 or could free fall like Brady Quinn or Aaron Rodgers in years past.

He has great potential but just as many question marks as well.

He's rumored to have to ties to the Dolphins, Bills, Chiefs, Seahawks and Cardinals.

9. Carolina Panthers (6-10): Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

There has been talk of teams trading up near the No. 7 spot to land Kuechly before he gets to the No. 9-No. 13 range. He's an instant starter who will be a star for a long time in this league.

10. Buffalo Bills (6-10): Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

Gilmore has a ton of buzz around him right now, but some of it includes talk of his stock starting to cool off. The Bills are linked to about 25 different players right now, so Gilmore's as good a choice here as any.

11. Kansas City Chiefs (7-9): David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

It is hard to justify the selection of a guard this high, but the fact the DeCastro has been graded in this range since the draft process started speaks volume about his skills. This is his ceiling, but the lowest he'll fall is No. 17.

12. Seattle Seahawks (7-9): Quinton Coples, DE, UNC

The star UNC pass-rusher is far from a guaranteed top-15 pick, but he has elite potential that will keep teams interested.

It wouldn't be surprising at all if he falls down the board, but it also wouldn't be surprising to see a team like Seattle jump on him in this scenario.

13. Arizona Cardinals (8-8): Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

There is actually talk of the Cardinals considering a trade up to insure that they land an offensive tackle in this draft. The only player that fits that bill is Reiff, and it is safe to say they'll waste no time making the pick if he's on the board.

14. Dallas Cowboys (8-7): Mark Barron, S, Alabama

Barron could come off the board as high as No. 7 with this stop in Dallas being his floor. Although there has been a ton of talk surrounding him, this is also his most likely destination.

15. Philadelphia Eagles (8-8): Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

The Eagles would love to jump for Barron as well, but they certainly won't be disappointed if they land Brockers instead. The big run-stopper has elite potential and also has some buzz around him that could force teams up the board.

16. New York Jets (8-8): Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

All the talk around Courtney Upshaw indicates him taking a steep fall on the draft board, but there is too much that is certain about his game for Rex Ryan to pass on him.

Although he lacks elite potential and is a positional 'tweener, he has an incredibly high floor, fantastic motor and understands the game of football.

The Jets have had too many bad experiences with too many people who don't have any of those things.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (via OAK 8-8): Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

Floyd's stock is much higher than this, but the way board plays out sends him tumbling down a little bit. He could conceivably go as high as No. 7, and the Bengals would be foolish to pass up the opportunity of putting him alongside A.J. Green.

18. San Diego Chargers (8-8): Chandler Jones, DE/OLB, Syracuse

Honestly, who knows what to believe about Chandler Jones? The 'Cuse pass-rusher has great potential and a ton of special qualities, but he also has a huge bust factor.

19. Chicago Bears (8-8): Nick Perry, DE, USC

The USC prospect has carried a first-round grade for much of the draft process, and it would be surprising if he didn't hear his name called on Day 1.

20. Tennessee Titans (9-7): Fletcher Cox, DL, Mississippi State

With so much versatility and potential, Fletcher Cox could be gone in the top six, but it wouldn't be surprising if he fell a little bit the way this board played out. The Titans certainly wouldn't mind to see him on the board.

21. Cincinnati Bengals (9-7): Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Kirkpatrick's been a mid-first-round pick for majority of this draft process and will continue to be exactly that.

22. Cleveland Browns (via ATL 10-6): Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

The Baylor star's stock has settled where it belongs in the early-to-mid 20s.

23. Detroit Lions (10-6): Cordy Glenn, OL, Georgia

Glenn has great versatility and could come off the board earlier than this, but he's a mid-20s player and fits well here.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4): Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama

Don't be surprised if Dont'a Hightower goes earlier than this, but the Steelers are the perfect fit for him.

25. Denver Broncos (8-8): Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

Hill's stock is always on the rise, and he could jump into the top 20 if someone wants to get crazy, but the amount of developing he has to do grades him out in the mid-20s.

The Broncos seem like an odd fit, but don't put anything past John Elway and John Fox, and don't be surprised at all if they don't take a defensive tackle (like everyone else has them doing) in the first round.

26. Houston Texans (10-6): Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

Poe's stock continues to fall, and the Texans are here with a safety net to keep him from a possible second-round tumble.

27. New England Patriots (via NO 13-3): Shea McClellin, DE/OLB, Boise State

Mid-to-late first round is where McClellin belongs, and it is where he'll come off the board.

28. Green Bay Packers (15-1): Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois

Another guy with a huge range, Mercilus has been rumored to have some suitors in the top 10, but he could also tumble out of the first round entirely.

Don't surprised at all if/when he comes off the board early though.

29. Baltimore Ravens (12-4): Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

The Ravens are looking for defensive front-seven help, but Jonny Martin gives them some fantastic value here, and Ozzie Newsome is one of those guys who could be extremely happy with best player available.

30. San Francisco 49ers (13-3): Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin

The big Wisconsin mauler has been inching into the first round and is penciled in as a starter for the 49ers from Day 1.

31. New England Patriots (13-3): Kendall Reyes, DT, Connecticut

The Big East star isn't all that well-known, but he's a fantastic late first-round pick who can step on the field immediately.

32. New York Giants (9-7): Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

The buzz on Fleener leads people to believe he'll come off the board somewhere in the first round, and the Giants actually have a need at tight end because of injuries. 

*Rams trade No. 2 overall pick to Redskins for 2012, 2013, 2014 first-round picks and 2012 second-round pick.