2012 NFL Mock Draft: First and Second Round Predictions

I recently wrote an article for Bleacher Report wherein I revealed that I have acquired the Sports Almanac from Back to the Future II.

I decided to make the Chiefs fans aware of their pending Super Bowl Championship, and have now decided that I should I just go ahead and reveal the draft order and career results for all of the players drafted in the first and second rounds of the 2012 NFL draft.

The draft order is based on how teams actually finished in the 2011 season; they are not my own projections.

Again, all stats and accomplishments referenced are sourced from from the second edition of Grays Sports Almanac, and it covers all sports up to the year 2050.

Spoiler alert: Beer Pong is added into the Summer Olympics in 2032!

Enjoy!

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

59,637 yards passing

426 touchdowns

227 interceptions

4 Super Bowl wins

2 Super Bowl losses

11 Pro Bowls

5 NFL MVPs

It turns out Andrew Luck was the next Peyton Manning after all.

2. Miami Dolphins: Matt Barkley, QB, USC

28,137 yards passing

160 touchdowns

162 interceptions

0 Super Bowl wins

1 Super Bowl loss

2 Pro Bowls

It appears that Barkley had a few solid seasons before settling into a slightly above average quarterback on some bad Dolphins teams.  His Super Bowl appearance came as a back up late in his career.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

913 receptions

10,280 yards receiving

81 touchdowns

0 Super Bowl wins

0 Super Bowl losses

5 Pro Bowls

Justin Blackmon ends up with a very Ochocinco-esqe career.

4. Indianapolis Colts: Matt Kalil, OT, USC

182 games played

61 career AV

2 Pro Bowls

1 Super Bowl win

0 Super Bowl losses

Kalil was a pro bowl caliber tackle his first few years in the league, but a nagging ankle injury ultimately derailed his career.

5. Minnesota Vikings: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

5,500 yards passing

26 touchdowns

38 interceptions

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Losses

Jones bounced around a bit.  Minnesota never surrounded him with the receivers to be successful and finally drafted another young quarterback with the first pick of the 2015 draft. I'm saving that secret for another time.

6. St. Louis Rams: Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

275 receptions

3,112 yards receiving

18 touchdowns

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Losses

0 Pro Bowls

Dropped passes plagued Jeffery's seven year career.

7. Buffalo Bills: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

27,222 yards passing

172 touchdowns

151 interceptions

3,391 yards rushing

26 rushing touchdowns

2 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Losses

The good news for Bills fans is that they drafted a bonafide star in RG3.  The bad news is that the two super bowl wins came with a different a team, and the super bowl loss came during his time in Buffalo.

The term "The Snap" will enter football lore.

8. Seattle Seahawks: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

870 rushes

3,329 yards rushing

126 receptions

1122 yards receiving

11 rushing touchdowns

2 receiving touchdowns

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Losses

An extremely weak running back class with a few successful third rounders, but the first running back taken off the board never developed like the Seahawks envisioned.

9. Cincinnati Bengals: Quinton Coples, DE, UNC

382 tackles

2 interceptions

71 sacks

1 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Loss

Coples had a solid, but unspectacular career.  The really good news is that he wasn't arrested one time during his stay in Cincinnati.

10. Denver Broncos: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

211 games

118 Career AV

8 Pro Bowls

2 Super Bowl Win

2 Super Bowl Losses

Martin became a superstar and helped to lead the Broncos offense to four super bowls over a nine year period from 2016-2025.

11. Arizona Cardinals: Vontaze Burfict, LB, ASU

812 tackles

13 interceptions

26.5 sacks

2 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Burfict started his career as an early star, but injuries and suspensions ultimately derailed his once promising career.

12. Carolina Panthers: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

9 games

2 Career AV

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Win

0 Super Bowl Losses

Sadly, Reiff suffered a serious injury in the ninth game of his rookie year and was never able to fully recover.

13. Cleveland Browns: Michael Floyd, WR, Noted Dame

499 receptions

5512 yards receiving

26 touchdowns

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Losses

0 Pro Bowls

Floyd was an average wide receiver in the NFL that never fully clicked with his starting quarterback.  Most of his success came after his time in Cleveland.

14. Washington Redskins: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

412 tackles

2 interceptions

14 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Loss

Kuechly had a short career and was never really given an opportunity to perform for the Redskins.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers: Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame

1311 tackles

22 interceptions

34 sacks

8 Pro Bowls

3 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Loss

Some say Te'o, not luck was the best pick of the draft.  Te'o was able to learn from the Steelers veterans and quickly become one of the fiercest linebackers in all of football.

16. Dallas Cowboys: Zach Brown, LB, UNC

451 tackles

7 interceptions

16.5 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

1 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Brown started slowly before finally have a three to four year period of success for the Cowboys.  He even had a game changing interception off of a tipped pass in the Cowboys' super bowl win.

17. San Francisco 49ers: Jared Crick, DL, Nebraska

374 tackles

2 interceptions

19 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

1 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Loss

Crick simply never developed into the dominant interior presence the 49ers had envisioned.

18. Chicago Bears: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

268 tackles

9 interceptions

11 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Claiborne was the first defensive back taken in the draft, but certainly not the best.  His injury prone career ended after just six seasons.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Andrew Datko, OT, Florida State

148 games

49 Career AV

1 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Win

1 Super Bowl Losses

Datko was only a starter for a few years.  He spent most of his career platooning on the Tampa front line.

20. Cleveland Browns: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

741 tackles

53 interceptions

16 sacks

5 Pro Bowls

2 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Loss

Cleveland missed on their Michael Floyd pick, but Kirkpatrick teamed with Joe Haden to become the best cover corner duo in football.

21. New York Jets: Andre Branch, DE, Clemson

299 tackles

0 interceptions

62 sacks

2 Pro Bowls

2 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Branch had dominating first three seasons for the Jets, but injuries cut his once promising career very short.

22. Tennessee Titans: Bruce Irvin, DE/OLB, West Virgina

112 tackles

1 interceptions

19 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Irvin just didn't have the talent to break through the Titans starting lineup.  He was a career backup and special teamer.

23. Oakland Raiders: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

282 tackles

6 interceptions

2.5 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

The Raiders ultimately cut Jenkins who consistently found himself in trouble with the league.

24. New York Giants: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State

402 tackles

1 interceptions

99.5 sacks

4 Pro Bowls

1 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Loss

Jerel Worthy became one of the most recognizable faces in Giants history.  He was a force in the middle and led the team to two super bowls.

25. Philadelphia Eagles: Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia

112 games

51 Career AV

1 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Win

1 Super Bowl Losses

Glenn was a solid, but unspectacular player for the Eagles for a long time.

26. San Diego Chargers: Alameda Ta'amu, DT, Washington

211 tackles

1 interceptions

21 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Fans in San Diego curse the name Ta'amu.  They'll always wonder what would've happened had they taken Brandon Thompson instead.

27. New England Patriots: Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson

352 tackles

4 interceptions

86 sacks

2 Pro Bowls

3 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Loss

Thompson won two super bowls with the New England Patriots and then won a third championship later in his career.  He was an intimidating presence throughout his career.

28. New England Patriots: Ronnell Lewis, LB, Oklahoma

612 tackles

5 interceptions

31.5 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

2 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Loss

The Patriots had a bit of a revolving door at linebacker and Lewis was ultimately just another in a long line of players that couldn't live up to Tedy Bruschi status in New England.

29. Houston Texans: Brandon Jenkins, DE, FSU

240 tackles

5 interceptions

26.5 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

1 Super Bowl Wins

2 Super Bowl Loss

Jenkins ultimately became a role player on some very good Houston teams.

30. Detroit Lions: T.J. McDonald, S, USC

861 tackles

32 interceptions

14 sacks

3 Pro Bowls

2 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Loss

TJ McDonald was the best defensive back of the 2012 class.  His numbers were very similar to Rodney Harrison and he's revered for helping bring two super bowl championships to Detroit.

31. Baltimore Raves: Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M

119 receptions

1583 yards receiving

8 touchdowns

0 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Losses

0 Pro Bowls

Fuller was never given the opportunity to be successful in the NFL, but ultimately was a star in the Canadian Football League.

32. Green Bay Packers: Kelechi Osemele, OT, Iowa State

16 games

3 Career AV

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Win

0 Super Bowl Losses

Osemele suffered a career ending injury on the last game of the 2012 season.  It was the second career ending injury to an offensive lineman drafted in the first round.

33. Kansas City Chiefs: Michael Brewster, C, Ohio State

184 games

92 Career AV

5 Pro Bowls

3 Super Bowl Win

2 Super Bowl Losses

Many attribute a portion of Andrew Luck's success to the Chiefs smartly drafting Michael Brewster in the second round.  Brewster and Luck matured together and ultimately turned the Chiefs into a perennial contender.

34. Miami Dolphins: Kheeston Randall, DE/DT, Texas

96 tackles

0 interceptions

9.5 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Randall was disappointment to the Dolphins who expected him to quickly contribute.  Unfortunately he just wasn't good enough to break through to the first team. 

35. Jacksonville Jaguars: DJ Fluker, OT, Alabama

35 games

9 Career AV

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Win

0 Super Bowl Losses

Fluker was a career backup that never flashed the ability the Jaguars expected.

36. Indianapolis Colts: Cliff Harris, CB, Oregon

312 tackles

15 interceptions

2 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

1 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Harris had trouble adjusting to the NFL game and never became the ball hawk Indianapolis expected when they drafted him.

37. Minnesota Vikings: Juron Criner, WR, Arizona

75 receptions

751 yards receiving

4 touchdowns

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Losses

0 Pro Bowls

Criner spent the majority of his time on special teams and never fully got a shot at being a main option for the Vikings.

38. St. Louis Rams: Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

181 tackles

9 interceptions

0 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Dennard wasn't the answer the Rams looking for at cornerback.  They drafted another cornerback in the 5th round of the 2012 draft that was starting in place of Dennard by Week 9 of the 2012 season.

39. Buffalo Bills: Donte Paige-Moss, DE, UNC

175 tackles

0 interceptions

24 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

1 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Paige-Moss draft stock slipped considerably after subpar pre draft workouts.  The workouts were telling as Paige-Moss never became more than role player. 

40. Seattle Seahawks: Nick Foles, QB, Arizona

2100 yards passing

7 touchdowns

19 interceptions

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Losses

0 Pro Bowls

Foles just didn't have the talent to be an NFL quarterback.  However, he did win three championships in the Arena Football League.

41. Cincinnati Bengals: Keenan Robinson, OLB, Texas

521 tackles

3 interceptions

13.5 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

2 Super Bowl Loss

Robinson had a solid career as a role player for the Bengals.  He was a starting Outside Linebacker in the super bowl they lost to the 49ers in 2017.

42. Denver Broncos: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma

582 receptions

7211 yards receiving

36 touchdowns

1 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Losses

2 Pro Bowls

Broyles was a great second round steal and a key veteran on starter on some great Broncos teams.

43. Philadelphia Eagles: Nate Potter, OT, Boise State

174 games

72 Career AV

2 Pro Bowls

1 Super Bowl Win

1 Super Bowl Losses

While Cordy Glenn never really delivered for the Eagles, Nate Potter was able to make a significant impact right away helping protect Michael Vick.

44. Carolina Panthers: Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall

88 tackles

0 interceptions

15 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Curry was quickly out of the league.  His dominance at Marshall just didn't translate to the pro game.

45. Cleveland Browns: Devin Taylor, DE, South Carolina

211 tackles

1 interceptions

32 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Loss

Taylor had a few good years as a starter, but he never played a full season 16 game season for Cleveland.

46. Washington Redskins: David DeCastro, G, Stanford

45 games

21 Career AV

2 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Win

0 Super Bowl Losses

DeCastro was a Pro Bowl guard in both his first and second seasons in the NFL, but but he became the third offensive lineman to lose his career to injury in the 13th game of the 2015 season.  This was a crushing blow to the Redskins offense.

47. Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

141 games

39 Career AV

0 Pro Bowls

1 Super Bowl Win

1 Super Bowl Losses

Pittsburgh never gave Adams a chance to be the starter.  He ultimately settled into a second string role for several seasons.

48. Dallas Cowboys: Ryan Miller, G, Colorado

10 games

1 Career AV

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Win

0 Super Bowl Losses

Miller just didn't have the talent for the pro game was cut late in the 2012 season.

49. San Francisco 49ers: Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

102 tackles

0 interceptions

19.5 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Upshaw was cut during training camp by the 49ers and ultimately became a role player for the Tennessee Titans.

50. Chicago Bears: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

0 receptions

0 yards receiving

0 touchdowns

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Losses

0 Pro Bowls

Sanu was cut after the fourth preseason game for Chicago.  He did wind up becoming an excellent player in the Arena Football League.

51. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Ray Ray Armstong, S, Miami

988 tackles

22 interceptions

18 sacks

2 Pro Bowls

1 Super Bowl Wins

2 Super Bowl Loss

Armstrong was a steal at the 51st pick and became the best Buccaneers safety since John Lynch.

52. Atlanta Falcons: Baker Steinkuhler, DT, Nebraska

155 tackles

0 interceptions

13.5 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Steinkuhler started for the Falcons for four years, but he never lived up to the potential he displayed at Nebraska.

53. New York Jets: Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin

74 games

11 Career AV

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Win

0 Super Bowl Losses

The Jets envisioned Zeitler as an anchor to their offensive line for the next decade, but injuries ultimately cut his career short.

54. Tennessee Titans: Dwight Jones, WR, UNC

612 receptions

6439 yards receiving

31 touchdowns

0 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Losses

0 Pro Bowls

Jones had an unremarkable career as a wide receiver with the Titans and Seahawks.

55. New England Patriots: Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama

419 tackles

8 interceptions

12.0 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

1 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Loss

Hightower played seven seasons but never broke out of the Patriots consistent linebacker rotation.

56. New York Giants: Stephen Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

384 tackles

41 interceptions

1 sacks

2 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

4 Super Bowl Loss

Gilmore was another successful pick by the Giants in 2012.  He didn't become a superstar but he was a major contributor on several good teams.

57. Philadelphia Eagles: Robert Lester, S, Alabama

129 tackles

3 interceptions

3 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Lester just never fully broke into the starting rotation for the Eagles.

58. San Diego Chargers: Jake Bequette, DE, Arkansas

213 tackles

0 interceptions

41.5 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

1 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Bequette was a bit contributor to some very poor Chargers team. He ultimately won a super bowl with the Chiefs late in his career.

59. New England Patriots: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

180 games

31 Career AV

0 Pro Bowls

2 Super Bowl Win

3 Super Bowl Losses

Konz was a career backup that collected two super bowl rings by watching from the sidelines.

60. New Orleans Saints: Brandon Lindsay, DE, Pittsburgh

281 tackles

0 interceptions

24.5 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

Lindsay didn't have any success in New Orleans, but he ultimately caught on in Detroit where he had some okay seasons as a role player.

61. Houston Texans: Barrett Jones, G, Alabama

159 games

61 Career AV

0 Pro Bowls

2 Super Bowl Win

1 Super Bowl Losses

Solid, but unspectacular career for Jones on some great Texans teams.

62. Detroit Lions: DeVier Posey, WR, Ohio State

559 receptions

5022 yards receiving

39 touchdowns

1 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Losses

0 Pro Bowls

Posey was considered a reach by many, but he did turn in a few good seasons as the #3 option for Matthew Stafford and the Lions.

63. Baltimore Ravens: Chase Minnifield, CB, Virgina

152 tackles

3 interceptions

2 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

1 Super Bowl Loss

Minnifield was a career backup for Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

64. Green Bay Packers: Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt

246 tackles

13 interceptions

2.5 sacks

0 Pro Bowls

0 Super Bowl Wins

0 Super Bowl Loss

The Packers originally expected Hayward to take over for Charles Woodson, but he struggled in his rookie year and was ultimately replaced by a 2014 1st round pick.