2012 NFL Mock Draft: Matt Barkley Is the Dolphins' Replacement for Dan Marino

While a second half surge has taken the Miami Dolphins straight out of contention for Andrew Luck, this is a franchise that needs a quarterback. The man for that job is Matt Barkley from USC. 

This is a fact not lost on fans from rival teams. 

One pessimistic Bills' fan tweeted his thoughts on the matter. 

The problem is that with the new contract that he received, the Bills are stuck with Ryan Fitzpatrick. There's no way that they would sign him to a midseason extension, only to draft a replacement at the end of that same season. It's not going to happen.

After the Colts (who will take Andrew Luck), the other bottom teams in the NFL all have more pressing needs than quarterback. They need to improve their defense, their line or play making ability. The one possible exception is the Jaguars. 

But it's too early to give up on Gabbert. Even if they do, I would see the Jaguars taking Robert Griffin III. He's not as reliable of a pro prospect as Barkley, but he is a bigger draw. Considering the state of the franchise, Jacksonville's concern is getting people to the stadium.

That leaves the Dolphins and Redskins. The Dolphins face the Patriots and Jets, while the Redskins get the Vikings and Eagles. It's hard to imagine Miami not picking first.

Enter Barkley.

Matt Moore is not a long term answer for the Dolphins. If you give NFL defenses an entire season to prepare for an offense led by Moore, you're going to get the kind of team that the Dolphins had at the start of the season. 

Moore's a good backup. He might even be a good guy to start if you don't feel Barkley is ready for the season. But he's not good enough to keep a team from drafting a quarterback like Barkley, who Wes Bunting compared favorably to Mark Sanchez.

Hasn't Sanchez taken the Jets to consecutive playoff games? Someone with that kind of scouting report can't be passed on by a franchise that hasn't had a consistent quality quarterback since Dan Marino's 1999 retirement.

Barkley is that guy and he's young enough to grow. He's already a fantastic decision maker and like Sanchez, is only going to mature athletically. 

The Dolphins can also afford to be patient with Barkley. In a division like the AFC East, you're not going to win immediately. But Barkley gives them a foundation to build talent around. That's what's needed in South Beach. 

One Dolphins' fan agrees. 

Mangini can be debated about another day. Barkley is a must.

*Draft order determined by combination of current record and projected finish.

No.	Team (Record)	Player, Pos.
1.	Indianapolis Colts (1-13)	Andrew Luck, QB
2.	St. Louis Rams (2-12)	Justin Blackmon, WR
3.	Minnesota Vikings (2-12)	Matt Kalil, OT
4.	Jacksonville Jaguars (4-10)	Morris Claiborne, CB
5.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-10)	Dre Kirkpatrick, CB
6.	Cleveland Browns (4-10)	Trent Richardson, RB
7.	Buffalo Bills (5-9)	Riley Reiff, OT
8.	Miami Dolphins (5-9)	Matt Barkley, QB
9.	Washington Redskins (5-9)	Robert Griffin III, QB
10.	Carolina Panthers (5-9)	Quinton Coples, DE
11.	Philadelphia Eagles (6-8)	Michael Floyd, WR
12.	Kansas City Chiefs (6-8)	Jonathan Martin, OT
13.	Seattle Seahawks (7-7)	Landry Jones, QB
14.	San Diego Chargers (7-7)	Alfonzo Dennard, CB
15.	Arizona Cardinals (7-7)	Devon Still, DT
16.	Tennessee Titans (7-7)	Vontaze Burfict, LB
17.	Cincinnati Bengals (via OAK) (7-7)	Lamar Miller, RB
18.	Chicago Bears (7-7)	Peter Konz, C
19.	Cincinnati Bengals (8-6)	Janoris Jenkins, CB
20.	Dallas Cowboys (8-6)	Luke Kuechly, LB
21.	Detroit Lions (9-5)	Melvin Ingram, DE
22.	New York Jets (8-6)	David DeCastro, OG
23.	Denver Broncos (8-6)	Fletcher Cox, DT
24.	New York Giants (7-7)	Zach Brown, LB
25.	Houston Texans (10-4)	Mark Barron, S
26.	Baltimore Ravens (10-4)	Dont'a Hightower, LB
27.	Cleveland Browns (via ATL) (9-5)	Alshon Jeffery, WR
28.	New England (via NO 11-3)	Courtney Upshaw, DE
29.	Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4)	Cordy Glenn, OG
30.	San Francisco 49ers (11-3)	Kendall Wright, WR
31.	New England Patriots (11-3)	Mohamed Sanu, WR
32.	Green Bay Packers (13-1)	Nick Perry, DE/OLB

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