2012 NFL Mock Draft: Top QBs on the Board Behind Andrew Luck
Almost all the 2012 NFL Draft talk is centered around Andrew Luck, and rightfully so.
The Stanford quarterback is the top prospect in the country two years running and continues to show out.
Luck wasn't terrible in his loss to Oregon, but he did throw multiple interceptions for the first time this season. After all, he is human.
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If Luck doesn't go No. 1 overall it would be an absolute shock.
So, with that in mind, where do the quarterbacks fall in line behind him?
Full mock projections below.
No. 2 - Matt Barkley, USC (Jr.)
The race for the No. 2 quarterback spot has certainly tightened up this year as Barkley and Oklahoma's Landry Jones continue to duke it out.
The ultimate difference with Barkley is upside and discipline. He's been a starter since his freshman year and hasn't wavered once. When the storm came down at USC, he rallied his teammates, chose not to transfer and was consequently named captain as a sophomore.
His work ethic, dedication and football IQ are things you cannot teach.
Barkley has gotten better every season and has posted career bests in completion percentage, yards and touchdowns already in 2011. He has two games remaining to further those stats and he's carried a good, not great, team to an 8-2 record.
No. 3 - Landry Jones, Oklahoma (Jr.)
Jones has been a stat machine in Norman since taking over for Sam Bradford.
The 6'4", 230-pounder has great size, good athleticism and a lot of experience against top competition.
The knock, as always, is the system and weapons Jones has had at his disposal. Barkley has been running more of pro-style attack while Jones plays primarily out of the gun.
His statistics are actually a bit down this year in comparison to last year, but it is not easy to throw 38 touchdowns at a yearly clip. The Sooners have lost just one game this year and are one of the top offensive juggernauts in the country.
And this is now where things get murky.
The quarterback rankings open up to complete opinion at this juncture, but the usual suspects include Ryan Tannehill of Texas A&M, Robert Griffin III of Baylor, Brandon Weeden of Oklahoma State and Nick Foles of Arizona.
Foles and Weeden aren't first-round prospects at this time.
Tannehill and Griffin are on the fringe.
Both exhibit superior athleticism for the quarterback position and can make plays with their feet in addition to their arm.
Griffin has always been an accurate passer, and Tannehill is still fine tuning his skills at the position. It was only a little over a year ago that he was one of the top wide receivers at A&M before taking over at quarterback.
Both quarterbacks' draft stock depends primarily on how they finish the season and what they're like during the draft process.
If they do everything right, they could both end up in the first round. The premium on quarterbacks is higher than ever.
The top five quarterbacks look like this:
1. Andrew Luck
2. Matt Barkley
3. Landry Jones
4. Robert Griffin III
5. Ryan Tannehill
*Draft order determined by combination of current record and projected finish.
| 1. | Indianapolis Colts (0-10) | Andrew Luck, QB |
| 2. | St. Louis Rams (2-7) | Justin Blackmon, WR |
| 3. | Carolina Panthers (2-7) | Quinton Coples, DE |
| 4. | Miami Dolphins (2-7) | Matt Barkley, QB |
| 5. | Jacksonville Jaguars (3-6) | Alshon Jeffery, WR |
| 6. | Arizona Cardinals (3-6) | Matt Kalil, OT |
| 7. | Cleveland Browns (3-6) | Trent Richardson, RB |
| 8. | Minnesota Vikings (2-7) | Jonathan Martin, OT |
| 9. | Washington Redskins (3-6) | Landry Jones, QB |
| 10. | Seattle Seahawks (3-6) | Morris Claiborne, CB |
| 11. | Philadelphia Eagles (3-6) | Brandon Thompson, DT |
| 12. | Denver Broncos (4-5) | Michael Floyd, WR |
| 13. | Kansas City Chiefs (4-5) | Courtney Upshaw, LB |
| 14. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-5) | Alfonzo Dennard, CB |
| 15. | Tennessee Titans (5-4) | Vontaze Burfict, LB |
| 16. | Buffalo Bills (5-4) | Riley Reiff, OT |
| 17. | Oakland Raiders (5-4) | Dre Kirkpatrick, CB |
| 18. | Dallas Cowboys (5-4) | Janoris Jenkins, CB |
| 19. | Detroit Lions (6-3) | Manti Te'o, LB |
| 20. | Cincinnati Bengals (6-3) | David DeCastro, OG |
| 21. | Cleveland Browns (via ATL) (5-4) | Luke Kuechly, LB |
| 22. | San Diego Chargers (4-5) | Nick Toon, WR |
| 23. | Chicago Bears (6-3) | Cordy Glenn, OG |
| 24. | New York Jets (5-4) | Alameda Ta'amu, DT |
| 25. | Houston Texans (7-3) | Mark Barron, S |
| 26. | Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3) | Dont'a Hightower, LB |
| 27. | New York Giants (6-3) | Zach Brown, LB |
| 28. | New England (via Saints 7-3) | Chase Minnifield, CB |
| 29. | Baltimore Ravens (7-3) | Michael Brewster, C |
| 30. | San Francisco 49ers (8-1) | Jeff Fuller, WR |
| 31. | New England Patriots (6-3) | Mohamed Sanu, WR |
| 32. | Green Bay Packers (9-0) | Jarvis Jones, LB |
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