2012 NFL Mock Draft: Who Goes No. 1 If Andrew Luck Stays in School?

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is a near consensus No. 1 pick for April's NFL Draft. But there is one slight problem with that theory.

Just like last season, Luck, a redshirt junior, has the option to stay at Stanford. Now, I know that he's the likely No. 1 pick, but that same logic applied last season.

Whether you agree with my mock draft or not, you can take a look at it below and figure that I would just move everyone up one slot if Luck stays in school. Again, your draft may look much different than mine. But no matter what it looks like, you can do the same thing, as long as Luck is your No. 1.

However, it's not that simple.

Even though they are one of only three winless teams, the Miami Dolphins are the most likely team to grab that pick. They play in the toughest division in the NFL and just have shown very little reason to be optimistic about them.

Let's assume that the Dolphins land the No. 1 pick and that Luck isn't available to them. Where do they look?

Landry Jones, QB (Oklahoma)

It's abundantly clear that the Dolphins need a quarterback, and history tends to suggest that quarterbacks will be reached for.

Without Luck in the picture, Jones is the best quarterback available. He's also the one that has the chance of making the best immediate impact. USC's Matt Barkley is also a junior, but is more of a project pick.

But if Luck stays in school, Jones is a logical option to step into the No. 1 pick. 

Trent Richardson, RB (Alabama)

Because of their short shelf life, running backs as a No. 1 pick aren't generally a great bet for the No. 1 pick. The last one to hold that distinction was Penn State's Ki-Jana Carter, who's career with the Bengals wouldn't exactly be considered successful.

But the Dolphins' running back situation is awful. Daniel Thomas and Reggie Bush are just not getting it done in Miami.

Richardson has the tools to step in and be an impact rookie at an important position. Even with a relatively short shelf life, he'd be a good pick. 

Alshon Jeffery, WR (South Carolina)

The problem here is that this is a deep receiving class. If the Dolphins really want a receiver, they could trade down. They may not get Jeffery, but they would find a good option.

But even in a deep group of receivesr, Jeffery is the best. His combination of size and speed makes him elite and a great option for the No. 1 pick.

The last receiver to go No. 1 was Keyshawn Johnson. Still, the position is becoming more important with a heavier pass influence in the NFL; making Jeffery a fine option here.

2011 Mock Draft

1. Miami Dolphins	Andrew Luck	QB-Stanford
2. St. Louis Rams	Morris Claiborne	CB-LSU
3. Indianapolis Colts	Trent Richardson	RB-Alabama
4. Minnesota Vikings	Alshon Jeffery	WR-South Carolina
5. Arizona Cardinals	Matt Kalil	OT-USC
6. Jacksonville Jaguars	Justin Blackmon	WR-Oklahoma State
7. Denver Broncos	Vontaze Burfict	ILB-Arizona State
8. Seattle Seahawks	Landry Jones	QB-Oklahoma
9. Carolina Panthers	Quinton Coples	DE-North Carolina
10. Cleveland Browns	Luke Kuechly	ILB-Boston College
11. Tennessee Titans	Dre Kirkpatrick	CB-Alabama
12. Philadelphia Eagles	Jonathan Martin	OT-Stanford
13. Kansas City Chiefs	Matt Barkley	QB-USC
14. Washington Redskins	Dontari Poe	DT-Memphis
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Michael Floyd	WR-Notre Dame
16. Dallas Cowboys	David DeCastro	OG-Stanford
17. Cincinnati Bengals (via OAK)	Janoris Jenkins	CB-North Alabama
18. Chicago Bears	Riley Reiff	OT-Iowa
19. New York Jets	LaMar Miller	RB-Miami
20. Cincinnati Bengals	Brandon Thompson	DT-Clemson
21. San Diego Chargers	Zach Brown	OLB-North Carolina
22. Cleveland Browns (via ATL)	Melvin Ingram	DE-South Carolina
23. Houston Texans	Nick Toon	WR-Wisconsin
24. Detroit Lions	Manti Te'o	ILB-Notre Dame
25. New York Giants	Mark Barron	S-Alabama
26. Buffalo Bills	Jerel Worthy	DT-Michigan State
27. Pittsburgh Steelers	Mike Adams	OT-Ohio State
28. New England Patriots (via NO)	Jared Crick	DT-Nebraska
29. San Francisco 49ers	Ryan Broyles	WR-Oklahoma
30. Baltimore Ravens	Alfonzo Dennard	CB-Nebraska
31. New England Patriots	Jonathan Massaquoi	OLB-Troy
32. Green Bay Packers	Markelle Martin	S-Oklahoma State