2012 NFL Mock Draft: Which Players Will Benefit from the Combine?

The NFL Scouting Combine is one of the year's most interesting events. Not because anything particularly thrilling happens, but rather due to the fractions of a second or an inch causing draft stocks to drop despite years of tape to analyze on any given player.

It's a setup that helps athletic players standout from the crowd even if their track record is a little spotty. Sometimes players end up turning into stars like Chris Johnson, who ran a 4.24 40-yard dash, while others inevitably bust like Darrius Heyward-Bey (4.30).

So, which first-round talents could get an even bigger boost this February? Let's take a look.

1. Indianapolis Colts (1-13): Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Indianapolis has had a lot of success building a franchise around a superstar quarterback and will try again with Luck.

2. St. Louis Rams (2-12): Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Sam Bradford needs more weapons before final judgment can be passed on his ability, Blackmon will give him a No. 1 target.

3. Minnesota Vikings (2-12): Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Vikings QBs have been sacked 45 times in 2011 further illustrating the team's need to add some talent up front.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-10): Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

Somewhat overshadowed by his teammate Tyrann Mathieu, Claiborne will provide a boost to Jacksonville's porous secondary.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-10): Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Kirkpatrick has been battling Claiborne for the top CB spot all season, maybe a strong combine will give him the edge.

6. Cleveland Browns (4-10): Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

There are a lack of teams who need a running back, so Richardson needs Cleveland to take him or risk falling for awhile.

7. Buffalo Bills (5-9): Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

There has been some speculation that the Bills would take a QB, but Chan Gailey seems content with Ryan Fitzpatrick. So the Bills will upgrade the line to protect him.

8. Miami Dolphins (5-9): Matt Barkley, QB, USC

The Dolphins' quarterback situation is a mess, so they should be selecting one in the first round. It just comes down to who's left at their pick.

9. Washington Redskins (5-9): Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

As if winning the Heisman Trophy wasn't enough, Griffin will get another chance to shine at the combine. The Baylor hero has all the physical traits you want in a quarterback rolled up into one dynamic player. He has already improved his draft stock by leaps and bounds since the season began.

A lot of times elite quarterback prospects won't partake in the drills because they are scared of hurting their value, but Griffin should view it as an opportunity to crash the top five. His awe-inspiring tools will ensure he doesn't fall too far regardless of his performance.

Even though Andrew Luck seems locked into the top overall slot, there's a lot of room for jockeying after the Stanford star. A strong showing would allow him to cement himself as the draft's second best QB, ahead of Matt Barkley and Landry Jones

10. Carolina Panthers (5-9): Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

Coples was consistently picked within the top five in early mock drafts, but has fallen as teams' needs have changed. He's still an elite prospect.

11. Philadelphia Eagles (6-8): Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

DeSean Jackson isn't happy and Michael Vick needs talented WRs to be successful. Floyd can step in and have an immediate impact.

12. Kansas City Chiefs (6-8): Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

The Chiefs have a couple glaring needs, so this is somewhat of a wild card pick. Martin will stabilize the line.

13. Seattle Seahawks (7-7): Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

Tarvaris Jackson is not the long-term answer in Seattle and Jones is the last marquee name on the board.

14. San Diego Chargers (7-7): Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

The Chargers lack playmakers on defense so it's no surprise the team struggled right along with Philip Rivers during their midseason swoon.

15. Arizona Cardinals (7-7): Devon Still, DT, Penn State

Arizona's run defense has been an area of concern for several seasons. Still would put them back on the road to 2007 form.

16. Tennessee Titans (7-7): Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State

Burfict would help add some depth to a Titans linebacker corps that doesn't have much.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (via OAK 7-7): Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

Eventually the Bengals are going to need somebody other than a volume rusher like Cedric Benson carrying the load.

18. Chicago Bears (7-7): Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

After the highly-publicized departure of Olin Kreutz, Chicago will be searching for the new anchor of their line. Konz fits the bill.

19. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6): Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

After being dismissed following three seasons with the Florida Gators, Jenkins spent 2011 at North Alabama. The move made him slip through the cracks a little bit, but he's still a likely first-round pick based on talent level alone.

He gained a reputation as one of the SEC's most aggressive corners during his time with the Gators and that only increased against inferior competition. That makes him a good fit for the Bengals, who made strides on defense this season but still lack game-changing ability.

The only thing of concern here would be character issues. Cincinnati has had problems in the past with unruly players and have tried to distance themselves from that reputation. But a strong combine performance will likely make Jenkins too tough to pass up if he is still on the board.

20. Dallas Cowboys (8-6): Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

The Cowboys defense is on the rise under the tutelage of Rob Ryan, but could use another tackling machine like Kuechly.

21. Detroit Lions (9-5): Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

Ingram seems like the perfect fit to dominate in a fast-paced defense on the Ford Field turf.

22. New York Jets (8-6): David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

To be successful, the Jets needs to run the ball effectively and play good defense. DeCastro would provide more lanes for Shonn Greene.

23. Denver Broncos (8-6): Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

The Broncos will need to give Tim Tebow another chance next season after his recent performances. That means their defense needs to keep building toward becoming a top-tier unit to give him a chance to shine.

24. New York Giants (7-7): Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina

New York suffered a myriad of injuries on defense this season. Brown will be part of the rebuilding process on that side of the ball.

25. Houston Texans (10-4): Mark Barron, S, Alabama

While Houston could opt for a wide receiver at this spot, Barron will be tough to pass up with the Colts passing game likely to be a bigger threat next season.

26. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4): Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia

Pittsburgh's offensive line almost got Ben Roethlisberger killed on Monday night. Glenn is a good value pick at this point of Round 1.

27. Cleveland Browns (via ATL 9-5): Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

Jeffery's stock is as volatile as any prospect so far. The Browns should be willing to take a risk with the second first rounder.

28. New England Patriots (via NO 11-3): Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

The Patriots defense is among the worst units in all of football. Upshaw would bring a much-needed pass rush to the equation.

29. Baltimore Ravens (10-4): Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama

Another Alabama linebacker, Hightower could take some pressure off an aging Ray Lewis.

30. San Francisco 49ers (11-3): Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

Alex Smith is finally showing signs of being a franchise quarterback. Give him another weapon and watch him thrive.

31. New England Patriots (11-3): Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

Sanu hasn't garnered much national hype while playing at Rutgers even though he caught 109 passes for over 1,100 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He's got good size at 6'2'', 215 pounds, which should make him a nice red-zone target.

He should do well in all of the combine tests other than the 40-yard dash. He doesn't have elite speed. While that's the most talked about aspect of the gathering, the other drills are equally important from a talent evaluators' prospective and he should have no problem with those.

Since the Chad Ochocinco experiment hasn't worked out as well as some of New England's previous veteran additions, Sanu makes sense for the Patriots. In that offense it's all about finding a niche and he can fill several different roles.

32. Green Bay Packers (13-1): Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC

Aaron Rodgers leads a nearly perfect Green Bay offense, which means defensive depth will be the Packers' likely target.