2012 NFL Draft Projections: Morris Claiborne and Defensive Studs Going Early
The 2012 NFL Draft will be one of the biggest events of the year, and it’s a life changer for some of the top picks in the draft.
In a league with such a fascination with offense, the defensive prospects tend to get lost in the shuffle, but we didn’t forget them.
Players like Morris Claiborne and Quinton Coples are bound to go early in the first round with their game-changing defensive abilities.
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Morris Claiborne
There is almost no doubt in my mind that the LSU cornerback will be the first defensive player selected in the draft because he has all the tools to become a stellar NFL cornerback.
While he is not the strongest player, get him with a NFL training team and he will fill out nicely. At 6’0”, the corner is perfect for the NFL.
The Minnesota Vikings are in desperate need of a difference maker in the secondary. If Claiborne makes it to No. 3 or 4 where the Vikings will pick, he will be able to save his purple and gold gear for the Vikings.
Quinton Coples
Quinton Coples will not be at the top of the combine in any one category, but he will be near the top in every single one. It may be cliché, but it’s true.
The North Carolina defensive end is one of the best defensive end prospect to come out in a long time.
With his health never a question and passion off the charts, this guys has long-term solution written all over him for a team like the Jacksonville Jaguars who are in desperate need.
Luke Kuechly
This will be the biggest surprise of the draft because it could be the Philadelphia Eagles who haven’t used their first-round draft pick on a linebacker since Andy Reid took over 13 years ago.
If there were a player who could convince Reid that he was special enough to take in the first round, Kuechly is the man to do it.
The Boston College star is the quintessential blue-collar middle linebacker. He already has impressive size, but time with NFL trainers would have him in the top 10 in terms of the elite middle linebackers in the NFL.
| 1. | Indianapolis Colts (2-13) | Andrew Luck, QB |
| 2. | St. Louis Rams (2-13) | Justin Blackmon, WR |
| 3. | Minnesota Vikings (3-12) | 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) | Robert Griffin III, QB |
| 9. | Washington Redskins (5-9) | Landry Jones, 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) | Devon Still, DT |
| 14. | San Diego Chargers (7-7) | Alfonzo Dennard, CB |
| 15. | Arizona Cardinals (7-7) | Melvin Ingram, DE |
| 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) | David Wilson, RB |
| 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. | Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) | Cordy Glenn, OG |
| 27. | Cleveland Browns (via ATL) (9-5) | Alshon Jeffery, WR |
| 28. | New England (via NO 11-3) | Courtney Upshaw, DE |
| 29. | Baltimore Ravens (10-4) | Dont'a Hightower, LB |
| 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 |
Check back for more on the National Football League as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s NFL Page to get your fill of all things football.
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