2012 NFL Mock Draft: Impact WRs Will Dominate First Round

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is a near consensus No. 1 pick next year. The Sporting News' most recent mock draft has Luck going No. 3, but that's because they are projecting the Rams at the No. 1 pick.

In reality, they even say that if a team like the Rams gets that pick, they will trade it for a team looking for a quarterback.

They also have Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones going in the first round. If history has taught us anything, it's that quarterbacks are more likely to be reached for than passed over.

There are exceptions (Aaron Rodgers being the most notable one), but they are far from the norm.

But those quarterbacks, as well as the ones currently in the league, and the ones who will join after this season, need someone to throw the ball to.

In a pass-heavy league, look for more receivers to come in and make an instant impact next season.

One great receiver just doesn't do it anymore. Actually, a good duo of receivers just doesn't do it. Look at the Packers, Patriots and Saints because they all have numerous receiving weapons. 

Those quarterbacks are all great passers, but don't think that the amount of weapons at their disposal has nothing to do with their success.

Teams simply need to have several weapons. In the red zone, opposing defenses can't be allowed to key in on one player. When that happens, if you don't have a Calvin Johnson type, you're going to have a hard time scoring.

Even if you do have a Calvin Johnson, the scores will be hard to come by.

General managers and head coaches know this and know that their quarterbacks need to have multiple receiving weapons in the red zone. So, without further adieu, let's take a look at how many receivers are likely to be taken in the first round.

Yes, this is subject to change. It will change a lot from week to week and will certainly change a lot between now and April. But if you're expecting to see the trend of receivers going in the first round go down in a big way, look elsewhere.

Michael Dixon's Projected First Round:

1. Miami Dolphins	Andrew Luck	QB-Stanford
2. Indianapolis Colts	Trent Richardson	RB-Alabama
3. Jacksonville Jaguars	Alshon Jeffery	WR-South Carolina
4. Denver Broncos	Justin Blackmon	WR-Oklahoma State
5. St. Louis Rams	Dre Kirkpatrick	CB-Alabma
6. Minnesota Vikings	Michael Floyd	WR-Notre Dame
7. Kansas City Chiefs	Landry Jones	QB-Oklahoma
8. Carolina Panthers	Quinton Coples	DE-North Carolina
9. Arizona Cardinals	Janoris Jenkins	CB-North Alabama
10. Seattle Seahawks	Jonathan Martin	OT-Stanford
11. Cleveland Browns	Zach Brown	OLB-North Carolina
12. Dallas Cowboys	Alfonzo Dennard	CB-Alabama
13. Philadelphia Eagles	Matt Kalil	OT-USC
14. Cleveland Browns (through ATL)	Markelle Martin	S-Oklahoma State
15. Washington Redskins	Andrew Datko	OT-Florida State
16. New York Jets	Dwight Jones	WR-North Carolina
17. Chicago Bears	Doug Martin	RB-Boise State
18. Cincinnati Bengals	Donte Page-Moss	DE-North Carolina
19. Tennessee Titans	Jeff Fuller	WR-Texas A&M
20. Buffalo Bills	Brandon Boykin	CB-Georgia
21. New York Giants	Shaun Prater	CB-Iowa
22. Houston Texans	Nick Toon	WR-Wisconsin
23. Cincinnati Bengals (through OAK)	Luke Kuechly	OLB-Boston College
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Riley Reiff	OT-Iowa
25. San Diego Chargers	Devon Still	DT-Penn State
26. Detroit Lions	LaMichael James	RB-Oregon
27. Pittsburgh Steelers	Billy Winn	DT-Boise State
28. San Francisco 49ers	Sean Spence	OLB-Miami
29. Baltimore Ravens	Ryan Broyles	WR-Oklahoma
30. New England Patriots (from NO)	Mark Barron	S-Alabama
31. New England Patriots	Jared Crick	DT-Nebraska
32. Green Bay Packers	Jerel Worthy	DT-Michigan State