2012 NFL Mock Draft: Predicting All 32 First-Round Picks

Slightly past the midway point of the NFL season, fans, coaches and players are starting to see where they will fall in the draft.

The college season is starting to hit its final stride, and players who are trying to make a name for themselves are working hard to make that a reality.

Quarterbacks, receivers and lineman are all trying to show that they are ready for the bright lights on Sunday.

Look out for these 32 players to make a splash in the NFL Draft of 2012.

Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck (Stanford)

If the Colts have the first draft choice overall, it is tough to see them passing up on Andrew Luck, quarterback out of Stanford.

Luck has been highly touted and is seen as the unanimous overall No. 1 if deciding to enter the draft.

With an aging and injured Peyton Manning, it is likely they would want to have Luck be a student under him for a couple of years then take over the starting position to maintain another decade or so of Colts' dominance.

Miami Dolphins: Matt Barkley (USC)

The Dolphins are struggling this year.  It will be up to management to determine what the team needs for the future to be brighter.

It looks like a franchise quarterback could be the start of a long rebuilding process. 

Luckily for the Dolphins, this year’s draft has pretty good quarterbacks that are likely to go in the first round.

With Luck out of the picture (assuming the first draft pick is in fact Andrew Luck) the Dolphins still have Matt Barkley as well as Landry Jones of Oklahoma to choose from.

Both of these players are big-time throwers who love to pass in the pocket.

Miami needs a franchise quarterback, and these are two players who have a lot of upside.

St. Louis Rams: Matt Kalil (USC)

With the Rams already having a pretty good quarterback in Sam Bradford, a new quarterback might not be the best decision for them.

They are struggling in almost all aspects of the game so getting anybody in the top five is really going to be beneficial.

St. Louis will most likely pick up Matt Kalil, an offensive tackle from USC.

Choosing Kalil will help solidify the protection that Bradford will need in order to help this franchise make a turnaround.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State)

Assuming the Jaguars did not give up on current rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert, it is likely they will want to help build an offense around him.

The Jaguars have a great running back in Maurice Jones-Drew and ultimately need better receivers to throw to. 

Justin Blackmon will give Gabbert a great target to throw to, which is an area the Jaguars were lacking this year.

Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson (Alabama)

One of the biggest issues for the Browns is their run game (or lack there of). 

Currently, the Browns are ranked close to dead last in the league in rush yards per game.

Richardson will bring toughness and great talent to the run game.  With a potential star in Colt McCoy, having Richardson play alongside him will result in some good wins for the franchise.

Obviously this is not the only issue the Browns need to fix, however, with Holmgren in management, it looks to be a good future for the Cleveland Browns.  

Seattle Seahawks: Landry Jones (Oklahoma)

Although seeing Matt Barkley go to the Seahawks would have created a better story line (USC coach and USC quarterback) it looks like Jones will fall to this spot.

There is still an opportunity for Barkley to end up a Seahawk, however, Jones fits the criteria for what the Seahawks need.

Seattle needs a franchise quarterback—plain and simple. 

Jones has the size of an NFL quarterback at 6’4”, 230 pounds and a 4.74 40-yard time.  He can throw the ball accurately and has a good arm. 

Jones has played as a starter for a big-time program that helps players ease themselves into the bright lights on Sunday night.  

Arizona Cardinals: Dre Kirkpatrick (Alabama)

The Cardinals are close to the bottom of the barrel in almost all offensive and defensive categories. 

One of the most pressing, however, is their inability to stop the pass.

Here is where Kirkpatrick comes in.

He is a lockdown corner with tremendous size.  Kirkpatrick is listed at 6’2”, 192 pounds and capable of running a 40 in under 4.5 seconds.

The Cardinals can benefit much from the addition of this Alabama grad to the team. 

Denver Broncos: Morris Claiborne (LSU)

Claiborne is a corner from LSU that has shown through a few highlights that he is the real deal.

He is athletic and can do some damage on the defensive end.

The Broncos would probably have liked Luck, Barkley or some other big-name quarterback to lead the franchise, however, at the position they are most likely falling in, getting one of the previously mentioned might be tough.

Getting Claiborne could help the lackluster secondary that Denver is sporting.

Minnesota Vikings: Alfonzo Dennard (Nebraska)

The weird thing about the Vikings is that they are not that bad statistically.  They have a pretty good run game along with a pretty decent run defense. 

Minnesota’s passing has been a little inconsistent recently, but that is mainly due to the inexperience of Christian Ponder.  But he has shown at times that he can make the NFL throws in tight windows.

This means that waiting for Ponder to develop could pay off. 

Picking up Dennard to play corner would help their weak secondary make a statement.  Adding him to the defense will create more opportunities for the offense to get the ball back and run it with Adrian Peterson.

Carolina Panthers: Brandon Thompson (Clemson)

The Panthers overall are not bad.

With the help of Cam Newton, the offense is on fire and playing at an extremely high pace.

The main issue holding them back is their run defense.

Adding defensive tackle Brandon Thompson will clog up any holes left in that defense. Look for Thompson to make his way over to Carolina.

Washington Redskins: Devon Still (Penn State)

Unfortunately the running back position is not too deep this year. 

The Redskins are in desperate need for some firepower in the backfield.  However, there are no real great candidates out there.

This creates another void that they would most likely go far, defensive tackle Devon Still out of Penn State.

Kansas City Chiefs: Jonathan Martin (Stanford)

The Chiefs have struggled.

They needed some help in almost all statistical categories out there. 

Due to the draft running out of franchise players, it looks like the Chiefs could strengthen that offensive line to help better the run game and passing attack.

Martin brings a big body and a smart head in reading schemes and protecting the quarterback.  

San Diego Chargers: Michael Floyd (Notre Dame)

The Chargers are struggling this year, and one of the reasons is because of Phillip Rivers' inability to play at an elite level.

Floyd brings an athletic build as well as a good set of hands to help Rivers get the ball out quickly and without turnovers.

Oakland Raiders: Peter Konz (Wisconsin)

With a new quarterback in the system in Carson Palmer, protecting him is going to be vital.

Konz, out of Wisconsin, is the highest sought after center in today’s draft.

Look for the Raiders to strengthen that offensive line to give Palmer more time to throw and win them some games.  

Tennessee Titans: Cordy Glenn (Georgia)

The Titans are having a weird season in terms of rushing.

They just re-signed Chris Johnson, who was arguably the best running back in the league.  However, he has lived up to the hype.

His team is dead last in rushing at the moment and in some dire need of some offensive linemen.

Picking up Cordy Glenn out of Georgia looks to be a good fit for this team.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Dont’a Hightower (Alabama)

Hightower is one of the best in the draft at the linebacker position.

The Bucs needed some help on the defensive side of the ball, ranking in the bottom half of the league in most defensive categories.

Hightower brings size, athleticism and football IQ to Tampa Bay helping them becoming an overall better team.

Buffalo Bills: Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama)

The Bills have a great offense.

For the most part, the rushing defense is not bad either.

The main concern is the pass defense capabilities of this squad.  They give up tons of yards in the air, and one of the best ways to prevent that is with a good lockdown corner.

Jenkins, a transfer from Florida, brings those qualities.  Look for this 5’10” corner to bring some athleticism to the backfield.

Cincinnati Bengals: Alshon Jeffery (South Carolina)

Even with a rookie quarterback, they have one of the best records in the league despite being ranked over 20 in passing efficiency as a team.

What would help this team is a good receiver.

Alshon Jeffery is arguably the second best wide receiver in this draft.

He will bring some size and hands to help Andy Dalton have a better statistical year.

Houston Texans: Nick Toon (Wisconsin)

The Texans are a great statistical team.

They rank in the top 10 in almost all major categories on defense and offense except passing yards per game.

Andre Johnson has been injured and most of the receiving core is nothing special.

Schaub will be looking to get another receiver on the field such as Nick Toon from Wisconsin.

At 6’2”, Toon brings some size and experience to help Houston in its passing game.

Atlanta Falcons: Luke Kuechly (Boston College)

One of the bigger concerns for the Falcons is not their offense but their defense.

More specifically, the pass defense is where the Falcons are struggling the most.  Although they have a few pieces in the secondary that definitely help solidify the defense, adding a good linebacker would greatly benefit the team.

Luke Kuechly of Boston College is one of the best inside linebackers in the draft.  He will help plug up some holes in the run as well as drop into coverage to help cover some receivers.

He is an all-around great player who will benefit the Falcons.  

Dallas Cowboys: Manti Te’o (Notre Dame)

While the Cowboys are pretty solid in most categories, the only real holes are in their defense.

However, with a great coordinator in Ryan, all they need are the pieces to make the scheme perfect.

Manti Te’o has size and athleticism to fit into Ryan’s defense.  He has played in some high level games coming out of Notre Dame and will be ready to help lock down that defense in the middle of the field.

Philadelphia Eagles: Dontari Poe (Memphis)

The Dream Team is not looking too good for the time being. 

However, from looking at some of their stats, they are actually pretty efficient on all counts of the game.  The pass defense is solid, and the offense is in the top 10 in both rushing and passing.

The front four of that defense is struggling.  Picking up a big body in Dontari Poe out of Memphis will help plug up those holes in the trenches.

At 6’5”, 250 pounds, he is large and athletic enough to make a real impact on this defense.

New York Jets: Riley Reiff (Iowa)

The Jets are tied for first in their division despite being ranked pretty low in most of the statistical categories in the NFL.

One of the biggest pressing issues is how low their rush yards are.  Being coached by Rex Ryan, one would think that the run was a vital part of the game plan.

Riley Reiff is a solid offensive lineman coming out of Iowa.  At 6’6”, 300 pounds, this guy is no joke.  Look for him to make an immediate impact opening up some holes in that running game.

Chicago Bears: Dwayne Allen (Clemson)

Arguably the best tight end in the draft, Allen brings versatility in blocking and catching for any offense he is on.

With a team like the Bears, where the offense is based so much on the run, blocking is going to be important.

Allen brings size to his position as well as the ability to roll out to the flat and catch some short yardage passes.

Cutler will love having a target like Allen on offense due to this versatility and size.  

New York Giants: Lamar Miller (Miami)

The Giants have a great coaching staff and talented players.  Coughlin would love to run the ball on every down if he was given the opportunity.  However, he does not have the personnel for that.

Miller is a big talent at running back.

He runs a 4.42 40 time and has some great moves.  This would complement Brandon Jacobs’ style of running, giving the Giants a thunder-and-lightning combination at the running back position.  

New Orleans Saints: Jerel Worthy (Michigan State)

Needless to say the Saints have one of the most explosive offenses in the league.

They are ranked in the top 10 in both rushing and passing, which leads to the reason that they will be looking to lock down their defense.

Jerel Worthy is a defensive tackle coming out of Michigan State.  He is big and has played at a high level.

He can put some serious pressure on the offensive line.

San Francisco 49ers: Mohamed Sanu (Rutgers)

The 49ers defense is great and has been playing at a championship level ever since Harbaugh took over. 

San Francisco’s offense has also been effective but not necessarily potent.  Quarterback Alex Smith leads his team to victory with very few turnovers.  He looks to be in a situation that Sanchez is in where the team needs him to just not turn the ball over.

Adding Sanu, a wide receiver form Rutgers, will help Smith by giving him another target to throw to on the outside. 

Vernon Davis gives him options in the middle while Sanu could hurt them on some longer routes to the outside.  

New England Patriots: Markelle Martin (Oklahoma State)

The Patriots can put up some points with Brady and Welker on the offensive side of the ball.

One of the most pressing concerns is the defense, or lack there of. 

Markelle Martin is the best free safety in the draft and could be there for the Patriots to take.  This would help the coordinators with some blitz schemes as well as coverage schemes.

Whatever Martin is used for, the Patriots are going to need some serious help on that side of the ball and soon.

Detroit Lions: Ronnell Lewis (Oklahoma)

The Lions defensive front is stacked.  Suh provides a huge lift for that defense with his play at the line.

However, they are still giving up too many yards on defense to the run.

Ronnell Lewis is a linebacker who will help provide some balance to a defense that's on the cusp of greatness.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Adams (Ohio State)

The Steelers defense will probably never come into question.

Pittsburgh is ferocious on defense and will always be tough to play against.

However, it looks like Big Ben has been getting hit more times than he would like, and the Steelers have a run game that has not been as efficient as in recent years. 

Adding offensive tackle Mike Adams can help remedy both of those problems.  

Baltimore Ravens: David DeCastro (Stanford)

DeCastro is a huge talent at the offensive guard position. 

The Ravens are struggling running the ball, not because of Ray Rice, but because of the lack of running lanes created by the line.

Baltimore does a decent job at protecting Flacco in the pocket but has a tough time making some lanes open up.

DeCastro is a big player who knows how to make some lanes appear, having played with Gerhart back in college.

Green Bay Packers: Zach Brown (North Carolina)

Brown is one of the best linebackers in the country.

For a Packers team that has been struggling for much of the season on defense, adding Brown to the team will greatly impact the performance of the defense.

Brown adds size and IQ to this position for the Packers.  For all the talent that the Packers have on defense, it is surprising to see them give up this many yards. 

Brown will make a difference if he gets chosen to play for the green and yellow.