2012 NFL Mock Draft: How Does Matt Barkley's Decision Affect First Round?

As seen on ESPN and mentioned here on ESPN.com, USC QB Matt Barkley is remaining a Trojan for his senior year.

That being said, the Trojans are clearly going to have one exceptional season in 2012. In turn, how does his decision affect the 2012 NFL Draft?

Well, here's what's likely to happen because of Barkley's decision.

Miami Dolphins Go Defense

The Dolphins were in need of a franchise QB and the question still remained as to whether Matt Moore is the man for the job.

While Moore has had a good season, Miami still ranks 25th in passing offense, and with Barkley slated to be a top-10 pick, the Dolphins had a shot to get a franchise QB.

With Barkley staying, though, it's not the end of the 2012 season for the Dolphins. Moore is capable of leading the way as long as the rush offense continues to improve like it has. Therefore, expect Miami to address their pass defense.

Currently, the Dolphins rank No. 25 in pass yards allowed per game (247.6) and have just 13 interceptions on the year. Because they play high-powered offenses in New England and Buffalo as well as the improving Jets all twice a year, they need to starting locking it down.

So, LSU's Morris Claiborne moves up as a good pick to help complete the rebuilding process. Claiborne has 11 picks in the last two seasons and has averaged over 20 yards per interception return.

He's a game-changer that will win Miami the field-position battle, something any team would covet.

More Attention Put on Robert Griffin

Although the 2012 NFL Draft has quite a bit of talent under center, that talent does take somewhat of a nosedive without Matt Barkley.

In turn, the focus and attention will gear more toward players like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin, the two top QB prospects this spring. But with Griffin winning the Heisman, he's the more appealing player.

Through 12 games in 2011 Griffin has compiled 3,398 passing and 644 rushing yards. He's also accounted for 45 total TDs (36 passing) and has thrown just six interceptions. Had Griffin not been at Baylor, the Bears would be lucky to finish 5-7 let alone 9-3 and have wins over TCU, Oklahoma and Texas.

With teams like Miami, Washington and Jacksonville all looking at QBs, Griffin will most certainly be considered. For his college career he never threw more than eight picks in a single season (2010) and is heading into the 2011 bowl season with a 72.4 completion percentage.

It's a safe bet that those Superman cape socks have played a major role in his development. And now that Barkley is staying at USC, Griffin won't be sharing much of the spotlight.

Redskins Should Consider Trading Up

The Redsins only have one area which needs an immediate upgrade, and that's the QB position. Had Matt Barkley declared for the draft, it would have increased their shot at filling that need.

However, with other teams in front of them like Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Cleveland and Miami, who are all potentially considering/drafting a QB, there's really only two to choose from: Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin.

With Luck expected to get taken by the Colts first overall, that leaves five teams looking at Griffin.

Of the five, Washington arguably needs him the most and, depending on how the next few months pan out (combine, pro days, etc...), trading up is certainly an option to at least consider. To that end, however, if the Redskins don't trade up, that leaves them in a pickle.

Either ride Rex Grossman for another year or draft another QB prospect way higher than expected. As we know, the NFL Draft is an inexact science and nothing is proven until the rookie steps on the field in the regular season.

That being said, everything is in place for the Redskins except a franchise QB, and hoping Griffin drops isn't a bad idea, but it is a risk.

Opens the Door for Other QBs

Although it's unlikely that any QB outside of Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin will get drafted in the first round, based on what we've seen in the past, surprises can and will happen.

Any team needing a QB in a draft with this much talent under center will definitely be considering other prospects like Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden, Boise State's Kellen Moore, Oklahoma's Landry Jones and Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill.

The interesting aspect about Barkley returning to USC are the economics of the QB position this spring. For one, Barkley returning takes away from the quality and quantity.

In turn, that generates a higher demand for the other QB prospects since the quantity drops. And with the QB position being the most important job on the field (evidenced by how much the Colts miss Peyton Manning), it would not be surprising to see someone other than Luck and Griffin go in Round 1.

Looking quickly and briefly ahead to the 2013 NFL Draft, Matt Barkley stands alone at the top.

2012 First-Round NFL Mock Draft

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB (Stanford)	17. Chicago Bears: Nick Toon, WR (Wisconsin)
2. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR (Oklahoma State)	18. Tennessee Titans: Kendall Wright, WR (Baylor)
3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT (USC)	19. New York Giants: Jonathan Martin, OT (Stanford)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars: Alshon Jeffery, WR (South Carolina)	20. Cincinnati Bengals: Riley Reiff, OT (Iowa)
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Trent Richardson, RB (Alabama)	21. Dallas Cowboys: Chase Minnifield, CB (UVA)
6. Cleveland Browns: Michael Floyd, WR (Notre Dame)	22. New York Jets: Brandon Thompson, DE (Clemson)
7. Miami Dolphins: Morris Claiborne, CB (LSU)	23. Denver Broncos: Jayron Hosley, CB (Virginia Tech)
8. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin, QB (Baylor)	24. Detroit Lions: Zach Brown, LB (UNC)
9. Carolina Panthers: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB (Alabama)	25. Houston Texans: Devon Still, DT (Penn State)
10. Philadelphia Eagles: Courtney Upshaw, LB (Alabama)	26. San Francisco 49ers: Mark Barron, S (Alabama)
11. Buffalo Bills: Janoris Jenkins, CB (North Alabama)	27. Cleveland (From ATL): Vontaze Burfict, LB (ASU)
12. Kansas City Chiefs: Alfonzo Dennard, CB (Nebraska)	28. New England Patriots: Cam Johnson, DE (UVA)
13. San Diego Chargers: Luke Kuechly, LB (Boston College)	29. Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Adams, OT (Ohio State)
14. Arizona Cardinals: David DeCastro, G (Stanford)	30. New England Patriots (From NO): Stephon Gilmore, CB (South Carolina)
15. Seattle Seahawks: Quinton Coples, DE (UNC)	31. Baltimore Ravens: Dont'a Hightower, LB (Alabama)
16. Cincinnati (From OAK): Cordy Glenn, OG (UGA)	32. Green Bay Packers: Melvin Ingram, DE (South Carolina)

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