2012 NFL Mock Draft: Ranking the Top College WRs

Wide receivers always come at a premium in the NFL draft, and 2012 will be no exception. This year I see three pass-catchers who should go in the first round and all have proven themselves extremely productive at the collegiate level.

The following three receivers have separated themselves from the rest of the players at their position in college football and all of them should make an impact at the NFL level.

Here is how I currently rank the top wideouts likely to be available in the 2012 NFL draft.

1. Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon dominated college football this season, as his 113 catches, 1,336 yards and 15 touchdowns show. While he doesn't have ideal height at 6'1", he is a solid 211 pounds and plays much bigger than his height would indicate.

He possesses outstanding hands, excellent body control and impressive ball skills. He is also extremely difficult to bring down in the open field thanks to his strength and determination with the ball in his hands. 

Blackmon also has above-average top-end speed when he breaks away and while he isn't a classic "moves" guy in one-on-one situations, he sheds tacklers well. He is also an impeccable route-runner and is also a very hard worker and excels in the weight room.

I personally think he is far and away the best wideout in the 2012 draft class, and while it may take him about a half a season to adjust to things at the next level, he will be a very good wideout at the next level.

How high he climbs will depend on the situation he lands in at the next level. At worst he'll be a very productive possession guy, but if he lands in an offense that turns him loose and has an accurate quarterback, he could be a Pro Bowler for years.

2. Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

While his production slipped this year, Alshon Jeffery is still one of the best playmakers in all of college football. He finished his junior season with just 45 catches for 614 yards and seven touchdowns, but blame that on South Carolina's awful quarterback situation, not his ability.

Jeffery finished the 2010 season with 88 catches for 1,517 yards and nine touchdowns and those numbers are far more indicative of what he can do on the field.

At 6'4" and 229 pounds, Jeffery has elite size for a wideout and considering how huge he is, he has adequate top-end speed. Just because he's not a burner doesn't mean he can't be a deep threat at the next level, since the guy is incredible at going up and getting the ball when it is thrown in his direction.

He is an incredibly hard worker and gets rave reviews from teammates and coaches for his work in the weight room and on the practice field.

Jeffery possesses the best ball skills in this draft class at any position and I don't even think it's close. Anything in his direction will be caught. While his route running needs polish he can make up for a lack of pinpoint spot placement by ranging to grab almost anything in his radius. 

While his speed isn't elite, he does manage to separate from defenders, and as mentioned sometimes it doesn't matter because he just beats guys to the ball.

Expect Jeffery to be the second receiver to come off the board. At worst he'll be a fantastic possession guy at the next level.

3. Michael Floyd, Notre Dame

Notre Dame's Michael Floyd put up fantastic numbers this season on a team that had quarterback issues. Floyd finished the year with 95 catches for 1,106 yards and eight touchdowns. 

At 6'3" and 229 pounds, Floyd has outstanding size for the position and has excellent ball skills. Much like Jeffery, he needs to work on his quickness and overall speed, but he has the playmaking ability to make receiver-needy teams overlook those shortcomings. 

Though he has had several off-the-field incidents involving alcohol that will hurt his draft stock a bit, Floyd is said to be a hard worker who is active in the community.

His separation skills leave something to be desired, but he has huge hands that help him grab the ball away from defenders and make him a reliable pass-catcher. He is also very competitive and doesn't mind going over the middle and doesn't seem to shy away from contact. 

He can make spectacular catches when needed, but must work on his positioning as passes come towards him, instead of simply relying on his hands to do that job alone.

Floyd is certainly a top-half-of-the-first-round talent, but he needs some polish and that should see him going in the 20 to 25 range right now. 

Full 2012 Mock Draft

2012 NFL Mock Draft

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck	17. New York Jets: Quinton Coples
2. St. Louis Rams: Alshon Jeffery	18. New York Giants: David DeCastro
3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil	19. Denver Broncos: Alfonzo Dennard
4. Jacksonville Jaguars: Justin Blackmon	20. Detroit Lions: Cordy Glenn
5. Carolina Panthers: Morris Claiborne	21. Dallas Cowboys: Janoris Jenkins
6. Miami Dolphins: Robert Griffin III	22. Cincinnati Bengals: Lamar Miller
7. Washington Redskins: Landry Jones	23. Cincinnati Bengals: Stephon Gilmore
8. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin	24. Cleveland Browns: Devon Still
9. Philadelphia Eagles: Vontaze Burfict	25. Houston Texans: Dontari Poe
10. Kansas City Chiefs: Riley Reiff	26. Chicago Bears: Zach Brown
11. Seattle Seahawks: Matt Barkley	27. Pittsburgh Steelers: Luke Kuechly
12. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson	28. New England Patriots: Jared Crick
13. San Diego Chargers: Ronnell Lewis	29. New England Patriots: Whitney Mercilus
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Dre Kirkpatrick	30. San Francisco 49ers: Nick Toon
15. Buffalo Bills: Melvin Ingram	31. Baltimore Ravens: Kevin Reddick
16. Tennessee Titans: Michael Floyd	32. Green Bay Packers: Brandon Thompson