Mel Kiper Jr. 2012 NFL Mock Draft: Breaking Down Where Draft Guru Messed Up

With the 2012 NFL draft just a few hours away, it’s time to get in the specifics of draft guru Mel Kiper Jr.’s final mock draft.

As much as I like Kiper and his hair, there are some picks he has made this season that leave me scratching my head. I want to trust him, but these picks just look wrong.

All of the following selections were too high, but necessity and organizational pressure may be the reason Kiper could be right. With that said, I still think I’m right.

No. 12 Overall: Seattle Seahawks, Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse

The Seattle Seahawks defense isn’t nearly as bad as they looked at times last season, but the lack of a pass rush was the squad's Achilles' heel.

No matter how bad it was, there is no way that Seattle should be reaching at No. 12 for Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones. While Jones is good, Seattle could trade back or even wait until the second round to snag this under-the-radar star.

Please understand; I think that Chandler is a great fit for Pete Carroll and his defense, but there is just no reason for Seattle to reach at No. 12 when there will surely be more talented pass rushers left.

No. 22 Overall: Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta), Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma St.

After all the speculation of what the Cleveland Browns would end up doing with their No. 4 overall pick, the talk is that they will snag Trent Richardson if he is still available.

With their second first-round pick, the Browns will take veteran rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden to be the competition to either push Colt McCoy or surpass him.

At 28 years old, Weeden comes into Cleveland with a maturity that most rookies would never know until much later in their career. There isn't façade with Weeden either; he knows where he is and what it takes to keep it going.

No. 30 Overall: San Francisco 49ers, Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin

As much as the San Francisco 49ers need help through the middle of their offensive line, taking Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler is not the right move. Zeitler isn’t even the best draftee from that offensive line.

I don’t know what Peter Konz did to lose the respect of the scouts, but he has been higher on my board since the very beginning. Konz played both guard spots and center in college and would be a much better fit for the 49ers.

The aging Frank Gore and mediocre QB Alex Smith need all the protection they can get, but hopefully the team sees their pick like I do instead of Kiper. They need the versatility of Konz and I need the credibility.

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