2012 NFL Mock Draft

1. Indianapolis Colts- Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

Everyone knows Luck is going to be the first pick in the draft. There's a chance that the Colts bring Manning back and trade this pick for a king's ransom, but it's unlikely. There's also a slim chance that Luck sits a year behind Manning. Most likely though Manning is done in Indy and will be released. If you are the Colts you have to do what's best for the franchise long term and that is to take Andrew Luck. As much as it's going to sting for Colts fans to see Peyton Manning playing somewhere else, they have to think about how lucky they are. There are QB's that are this touted that come along once in a generation. The last one was Manning, and now it's Luck and the Colts got both of them.

2. St. Louis Rams- Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

The Rams could go offensive line here and take Matt Kalil. They have taken OT's early in the past few years including Jason Smith with the 2nd pick overall and whiffed. That was a different regime so those picks likely won't have any bearing on this pick. WR is a more pressing need though. The Rams can not expect Bradford to have any success if they trot out the same group of WR's that they did last season, minus Brandon Lloyd. They have to get their young QB a legit playmaker at WR and that is what Blackmon will give them.

3. Minnesota Vikings- Matt Kalil, OT, USC

The Vikings could go with Morris Claiborne here and I think CB is the more pressing need in Minnesota. That said, Kalil is the better talent and comes at the 2nd most valuable position, Left Tackle. This will give their young QB, Christian Ponder, insurance on his blind side and keep him protected. It also will benefit the best player on their team, Adrian Peterson with help up front in the run game.

4. Cleveland Browns- Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

Everyone has the Browns pegged to take Robert Griffin, but I don't think they will. The Browns desprately need some playmakers on offense, at both RB and WR. Richardson is a special talent and though I'm not a big fan of RB's going this early he is worth the pick. McCoy has not had a fair chance because they don't have any playmakers on that offense. They can keep changing QB's if they want, but no one will succeed until they get some playmakers around the QB.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

The Bucs are almost certainly going to take a CB early in this draft. Ronde Barber has to be close to retiring and Aqib Talib may be in jail by the time the season starts. Claiborne is the best in this draft and is a top 5 talent that wasn't even the best in the secondary on his own team.

6. Washington Redskins- Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

If Griffin falls past Cleveland there will probably be a trade up to get him, maybe the Redskins even trade up to number 3 and grab him themselves. Mike Shanahan isn't going to go into another season with Rex Grossman and John Beck as his only options at QB. They may go after Manning. Shanahan knows as well as anyone that you need a quality QB to win in the NFL as he hasn't won anything without John Elway.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars- Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

The Jags signed Aaron Kampman a few years ago to give them a dominant pass rusher and he blew out his knee in the very first training camp in Jacksonville. They still haven't found that guy to be their pass rusher. Coples is the best 4-3 DE in this draft and will provide them with an elite pass rusher. When you are in a division with good QB's such as Manning/Luck and Matt Schaub you have to be able to rush the passer.

8. Carolina Panthers- Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

With Dre Kirkpatrick getting busted for pot, the Panthers owner is all about character and will not draft him. I doubt they reach for Alfonzo Dennard here. Jeff Otah has been injured most of the season as of late and the Panthers have a shiny new toy at QB that they want to protect. They are going to do everything they can to protect Cam Newton as he's the face of their franchise.

9. Miami Dolphins- Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

People may consider this a reach, but everyone rememebers what happened in last year's draft. If you have a need for a QB and can't trade back then you take the QB. Matt Moore finished the season playing decent for Miami, but they've been down that road before having a backup come in do a decent job and give him the starting job only to discover he plays like a backup. There will be a new head coach in Miami and he will want his own guy at the position.

10. Buffalo Bills- Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama

Just about every mock I see has Upshaw going to the Bills. They have been trying to transition to the 3-4 defense for the past couple seasons and don't have the right personnel to play that defense. They took a step by getting Marcell Dareus in last year's draft. Upshaw is the top 3-4 edge pass rusher in this draft class and already has experience in this system coming from Alabama.

11. Kansas City Chiefs- Jonathon Martin, OT, Stanford

With the Chiefs just missing out on Upshaw they can turn to the offensive line and take Martin to play Left Tackle. This will allow them to move Brandon Albert inside to Guard where he is better suited and fix two positions with one pick. They really need that pass rusher, but there isn't another 3-4 guy worth this pick.

12. Seattle Seahawks- Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

Ingram is one of the most underrated players in this draft and will add one of the only missing pieces to a good Seattle defense. The Seahawks were good against the run and have the pieces in place in the secondary and at LB.

13. Arizona Cardinals- Micheal Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

The Cardinals are in a tough spot here if all three of the OT's are gone by the time they pick. They could use a weapon across from Larry Fitzgerald to help take some of the coverage away from him. Teams rolled coverage to Fitzgerald every play this year because they knew the other WR's weren't likely to beat them. Plus with what they gave to get Kevin Kolb they are going to do everything they can to give him a chance to succeed.

14. Dallas Cowboys- Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Jerry Jones won't care about Kirkpatrick getting busted with some pot. He passed on Randy Moss several years ago and regreted it every since. If a talent like Kirkpatrick falls this far he will jump on taking him. Especially in a secondary that struggled all season. They are thin at CB. Terrance Newman is getting old and losing a step and Mike Jenkins is afraid to tackle anyone. That's something they won't have a problem with in Kirkpatrick, he's a big, physical CB that can cover and play the run.

15. Philadelphia Eagles- Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

The Eagles were soft up the middle on defense all season. Teams gashed them running the ball. Some blame the wide nine defense, but I blame it on them being soft. Kuechly will bring a toughness to the middle of that defense along with good leadership.

16. New York Jets- Devon Still, DE/DT, Penn State

Yes the Jets took Wilkerson, a DE, in last year's draft in the first round. Still would be one of the top prospects on the board and Rex Ryan is going to beef up the front of that defense and try to make it dominant once again. Still and Wilkerson at the two DE spots will help with both the run and can get in the backfield and provide penetration against the pass as well.

17. Cincinnati Bengals- David DeCastro, OG, Stanford

Winning football starts up front whether it's pop warner football or the NFL. If DeCastro is available with the 17th pick I hope the Bengals don't screw this up and take him. He's one of the best Guard prospects to come along in years and the Bengals have a huge need at Guard. Bobbie Williams is getting old and his contract is up, so is Nate Livings'. Livings play was below average and they made a mistake letting Mathis go and keeping Livings. He was penalized too many times both pre snap and holding. The holding penalties were because he was getting beat.

Unless the team fills both Guard spots via free agency then this would be my first choice for this pick. If they can land a quality Guard in free agency and get DeCastro the line would be set for years to come. With all the young talented skill players on offense, if they can make this happen the offense has a chance to become one of the elite offenses in the NFL. With the quality defense the team has a window could be open for a Super Bowl run.

18. San Diego Chargers- Nick Perry, OLB, USC

The Chargers have needed to upgrade their pass rusher coming off the edge every since they made Shawn Merriman stop taking steroids. They drafted Larry English a couple years ago and he hasn't lived up to his billing as a 1st round pick. Perry is a lot less likely to be a bust than English was, when they reached for him.

19. Chicago Bears- Peter Konz, OC, Wisconsin

The Bears have a lot of needs on offense. First and foremost they have to find a way to keep Jay Cutler protected. They were on a roll when Cutler got hurt and likely missed the playoffs because of this. Olin Kruetz left last year in free agency, then retired. I believe Center is the most important position on the line right after Left Tackle. All great offensive lines have a good Center.

20. Tennessee Titans- Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State

The Titans group of LB's the last couple of seasons has been terrible. Really they haven't had a quality LB since Keith Bullock was in his prime. Burfict could be the best LB in this draft if he can fix his problem with taking bad angles. He has the talent, he just has to learn to play within the defense which is the case with a lot of college players. In college they are superior athletes, in the NFL everyone is a superior athlete.

21. Cincinnati Bengals- Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

The Bengals need a number two WR that can keep teams from focusing all of their coverage on AJ Green. Wright is a smaller WR at 5' 10", but he is a burner with sub 4.4 speed. I believe he would be a perfect compliment to Green as Safeties couldn't focus on doubling him or Wright will burn them over the top. He has Mike Wallace type speed. Could you imagine Wallace on the same team as Green. Wright also does a great job when in space and can beat people with yards after the catch when working underneath. If the Safeties want to focus on taking away Green and Wright over the top, then that leaves Gresham one on one with a LB.

I know the defense has holes, but the offense has a lot of young talented peices and if this draft falls right the Bengals could make this offense set up to be one of the best for years and years to come. With the defense as is, if they can get Clements and Jones resigned and Hall comes back next year then add a 2nd round CB it will be quality enough. Especially if the Bengals land these two in the draft. Also doing this would allow Dalton, Green, Gresham, Wright, Hawkins, and Shipley all young players, to grow and develop togethter.

22. Cleveland Browns- Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina

Jeffrey may not be a burner, but is an absolute beast. I would mock him to the Bengals if I didn't think he was a similiar type of player to Green. The Browns have absolutely got to get one of these 1st round WR's in this year's draft and Jeffrey is a good fit to be their number one WR. Getting Richardson and Jeffrey would finally give McCoy some legit weapons then maybe you can give him a fair evaluation.

23. Detroit Lions- Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

The Lions have gotten a lot better on defense, especially up front. They still need to add some pieces in the secondary. Eric Wright is a free agent. Dennard was a teammate with Suh at Nebraska which is a plus and is the top CB available and good value at this spot.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers- Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia

Glenn had played both Guard and Tackle at Georgia. The Steelers have been mediocre on the line for the last few years and frankly I'm suprised they've won as much as they have. I guess that just shows how good Ben and the defense really are. Anyway fans in Pittsburgh are screaming for a Guard and the versatility Glenn brings only adds to his value as they've been injured often at Tackle as well.

25. Denver Broncos- Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State

The Broncos have the two elite players at DE, but they are lacking at DT and teams were able to run on them pretty easily. Cox is one of the top players on the board at this point. John Fox loves to have a beefed up defensive line, he had one in Carolina for years and they won consistently.

26. Houston Texans- Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

I hope Houston doesn't let Andre Johnson go his entire prime of his career without ever getting a legit threat at WR across from him to take some pressure off of him. Could you imagine what Johnson could do with a threat of 1st round caliber like Sanu lining up across from him. Plus this is an ideal situation for any WR because you will hardly ever be doubled.

27. New England Patriots- Whitney Mercilus, OLB, Illinois

Mercilus is one of the tweener guys that plays DE in college and OLB in the NFL. Belicheck has never taken one of these guys in the 1st round. That's because he was the one who started taking these 2nd ard 3rd round DE's and putting them at OLB. Now that other teams are copying this these players are going higher and Belicheck hasn't adjusted. He's going to have to address the pass rush in this year's draft, isn't he?

28. Green Bay Packers- Mark Barron, SS, Alabama

It's hard to believe the Packers finished with the last ranked defense in the NFL after how good they were the year before. The secondary really struggled, especially at Safety. Barron is the only 1st round Safety in this draft and if he's available this is a no brainer pick. NE taking Mercilus really hurts GB because they could really use a pass rusher across from Matthews.

29. New York Giants- Zach Brown, LB, North Carolina

This pick would be a home run for the Giants and I'm sure in their fans minds as well. The Giants really need to upgrade the LB core, despite how good the defense has played in the playoffs. The line is basically carrying this defense. Brown has great speed and can fly around and make plays while that line takes up all the blockers. He's also very good in coverage which helps with a secondary that's been thin.

30. Baltimore Ravens- Andre Branch, DE/OLB, Clemson

This would be an excellent pick for the Ravens. They like to mix it up on defense playing both the 4-3 and the 3-4. Branch can play both DE in the 4-3 and OLB in the 3-4 and gives them that additional pass rusher across from Suggs.

31. San Francisco 49ers- Don'ta Hightower, LB, Alabama

This would be a great pick for SF having Hightower playing next to Patrick Willis on a defense that's already really good. Hightower would fit right in with this defense as a player that likes to hit people hard. The biggest need in SF is WR, but there isn't a player left at WR worth a 1st round pick, so why not go with the best player on the board and make a strength that much stronger.

32. New England Patriots- Michael Brockers, DE/DT, LSU

Really Brockers is the more talented of the two between Mercilus and himself, but with the way this draft falls getting the edge rusher 1st would be smart on the Patriots part. Because of who's picking after them Brockers would still likely be there. I'm suprised he came out, I think if he stayed he probably would've been a top ten pick next year.

2nd Round

33. St. Louis Rams- Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State

If the draft falls this way taking Blackmon instead of Kalil could be the smart pick because they still get their 1st round graded OT with the first pick of the 2nd round. These two picks would have Bradford on his way with an offensive line full of early round picks, plus Jason Smith can move in to Guard where he's better suited with his short arms.

34. Indianapolis Colts- Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State

The Colts have to completely rebuild their team. It was a team built all around Manning's talents. On defense they were built to defend the pass because they usually played with a lead and the offense was built around the passing game. They need to get better against the run and build their offense to run the ball. Worthy will help with that interior D line against the run.

35. Minnesota Vikings- Rueben Randle, WR, LSU

Randle could be one of the steals of this draft. His numbers weren't huge at LSU due to mediocre QB play, but he's very talented. The Vikings need another playmaker at WR besides Percy Harvin.

36. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Lavonte David, OLB, Nebraska

The Bucs have done a great job building that defensive line with all of the young talent they've drafted. The weak link of that defense is LB. They haven't had a quality LB in Tampa since Derrick Brooks.

37. Cleveland Browns- Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson

This would be a hell of a draft as far as adding playmakers on offense. They would get a big three so to speak with Richardson, Jeffrey, and Allen. All three could end up being the top players at their position coming out in this draft. Richardson and Allen are already rated top at their position and Jeffrey was heading into this past season. If McCoy doesn't show signs of improvement after adding these players then it's time to look somewhere else and when they did the pieces would be in place around that QB. A draft like this would finally give Browns fans hope that the team is on the right track, even if McCoy isn't the answer when a new QB came in he would have some weapons to work with.

38. Jacksonville Jaguars- Nick Toon, WR, Wisconsin

Toon is another WR that I really like in this draft. The Jags have zero legit weapons at the WR position. Though Toon may not be a true number one WR, he's better than any options they currently have and if they do ever end up getting a number one, Toon would be a great WR2 in my opinion.

39. Washington Redskins- Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis

The Redskins wanted Haynesworth to play NT when Shanahan was hired and that started the drama with him in Washington. The Skins need a legitimate NT and Poe is the top in this draft class.

40. Miami Dolphins- Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

Adams could end up being a very good RT for Miami as Bollman could never fully develop offensive lineman at Ohio State. That means there's a lot of room for growth with some real coaching. Adams and Long would form one of the best Tackle tandems in the NFL and help with the Miami run game while they break in a rookie QB.

41. Buffalo Bills- Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina

The Bills need someone to step up across from Steve Johnson. Once teams took him away Ryan Fitzpatrick had nowhere to turn to, not that he had the time to turn anywhere else anyway. Teams caught on and after the Bills hot start they faded because there were no other weapons.

42. Carolina Panthers- Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia

The Panthers couldn't stop anyone either on the ground or through the air last season. In a division with some explosive offenses they need to add some pieces on defense. With how well Cam Newton played, if the defense was just average they may have had a winning season.

43. Seattle Seahawks- Nick Foles, QB, Arizona

With Seattle missing out on the 1st round QB's they can opt to wait til the 2nd round and grab Nick Foles. Foles has the big arm and all of the tools to be an NFL QB. I doubt Pete Carroll wants to go into another season with Tavaris Jackson as his starter. Look for Seattle to be a possible landing spot for Peyton Manning, in which Foles could sit and learn behind him.

44. Kansas City Chiefs- Vinny Curry, DE/OLB, Marshall

With the Chiefs missing out on Upshaw in the 1st round the can opt for the speedy Curry from Marshall. Curry has excellent speed for his size and if he's available here would be a great value pick. Curry has the type of speed that if he runs well at the combine could put him in the 1st round.

45. Dallas Cowboys- Kelechi Osemele, OG/OT, Iowa State

Osemele's versatility makes him a valuable commodity. With rosters limited to 53 people, any lineman that can play about any of the spots on the line is a plus. He projects best at Guard which is where Dallas has it's issues on the line and needs an upgrade.

46. Philadelphia Eagles- Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson

The Eagles add another piece to the middle of that defense, this time on the interior defensive line. Between Thompson and Kuechly that should help take care of their issues with being soft and getting gashed up the middle.

47. New York Jets- Ronnell Lewis, DE/OLB, Oklahoma

Rex Ryan is going to draft to make this defense dominant once again. He knows his QB isn't the type to carry a team so he's going to build a defense to carry the team and then work on fixing the running game on offense. Adding a pass rusher along with the stud DE they got in the first will just about fix that defense. Teams won't be able to run on them once again and if they get a pass rush with their excellent secondary they'll be tough to score on.

48. New England Patriots- Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech

The Patriots should go heavy on defense with all of these early picks they have. With Tom Brady at QB the offense is going to put up points. The Pats are probably going to win the Super Bowl this year and with all of these early round picks on defense will likely make them favorites to win it again.

49. San Diego Chargers- Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

Antonio Gates is almost a lock to miss at least a quarter of the season every year, if not more than that. The Chargers need to get a competant back up, plus they can run those two TE sets like the Patriots when Gates is healthy. The Chargers need to hit on this draft, they haven't drafted well as of late.

50. Chicago Bears- Brandon Washington, OT/OG, Miami

The Bears need help just about everywhere on that line. Cutler has been getting killed in the pocket the past couple of years. Washington's ability to play both Guard and Tackle will make him valuable to Chicago.

51. Philadelphia Eagles- Jared Crick, DT/DE, Nebraska

Crick would be one of the top players on the board and would help toughen up that line against the run. With their explosive offense if they can sure up that front seven on defense they will not miss the playoffs again.

52. Tennessee Titans- Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

After giving all of that money to Chris Johnson he underperformed. He may be one of those players that once he gets paid he's never the same which is an effort thing. Either way the Titans need an insurance policy and Miller is good value at this point.

53. Cincinnati Bengals- Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

Jenkins keeps falling in mocks by NFL insiders which means some people are getting the scoop that teams are not wanting to spend any kind of early pick on Jenkins due to character concerns. My thinking is the only thing I know he did wrong was got busted twice with pot. Not a huge deal, but the fact it happened twice makes you question what his priorities are. At this point in the 2nd round it's worth the risk with his talent. Jenkins may be the best cover CB in this draft. Since he got kicked out of Florida he hasn't gotten in trouble again. Lets hope he learned his lesson and can be a valuable commodity and a steal for the Bengals in the 2nd round. If he is going to be there in the 2nd this could really open up the Bengals 1st round picks and that's why I had them go Guard and the speedy WR.

If Jenkins comes in and stays out of trouble the team once again has an elite duo at CB with Hall and Jenkins. Add to that if they bring back Jones and Clements they would have one of the best 1-4 group of CB's in the NFL. If the line can play like they did again this past season the defense will be top ten. Add a top ten defense to an offense that upgrades at Guard and adds a speedster threat at WR2 and you have a team that is a contender to go deep into the playoffs if not win it all.

54. Detroit Lions- Mike Brewster, OC, Ohio State

Fans in Detroit want the Lions to take a Center early and with good reason. The play at the position has been awful. When you have a bad Center it hurts the entire line. Remember when Eric Guicec was the Center for the Bengals, terrible. Brewster may end up being the best Center out of this class as he hasn't been fully developed with Bollman as his coach at Ohio State.

55. Atlanta Falcons- Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

It looks like Brent Grimes won't be with Atlanta next year as he and the coaching staff have had some differences. If that's the case Atlanta will need to take a CB with their first pick in this draft. They went all in to get Julio Jones thinking that'd get them to the Super Bowl. Well it didn't and now they don't have a 1st round pick and need a 1st round CB with the Saints in their division. Luckily for them this CB class is loaded.

56. Pittsburgh Steelers- Alameda Ta'amu, NT, Washington

Casey Hampton is getting old and can't stay healthy for an entire season. He also can't stay on the field for an entire game as he runs out of gas. The Steelers will likely take one of the three 2nd round NT's that are in this draft if one is available by the time they pick. Sometimes NT's go early as good ones are hard to come by.

57. Denver Broncos- David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

John Fox loves to draft RB's early and often. He took two RB's in the 1st round while he was in Carolina. I don't think Fox is sold on Moreno and will likely lobby Elway to get him a RB early in this draft.

58. Houston Texans- Josh Chapman, NT, Alabama

The Texans need an upgrade at NT and Wade Phillips prefers smaller more agile NT's like Chapman as opposed to the jumbo run stuffers. Chapman's experience in a 3-4 defense is also a plus coming from Alabama.

59. New Orleans Saints- Sean Spence, LB, Miami

The Saints have been awful at LB since their Super Bowl run. They have a decent line, if they had just average LB's they would be pretty good on defense. Spence is a hard hitting LB that will bring some intensity to the LB core in New Orleans.

60. Green Bay Packers- Bruce Irvin, DE/OLB, West Virginia

The Packers really need a pass rusher that isn't named Clay Matthews. Teams are doubling Matthews and no one is getting to the QB which is a big reason their defense finished 32nd in the NFL. I still can't believe they were one and done in the playoffs, but when you have no defense and all offense you aren't going to win in January.

61. New York Giants- Lucas Nix, OG, Pittsburgh

The Giants line has kind of been in transition the past two years. They had that veteran line that was together forever and then they got too old. They started to finally gel at the end of this season and now they are really playing well. That said they still need to upgrade at LG and Nix will be just that.

62. Baltimore Ravens- Josh Robinson, CB, Central Florida

The Ravens took a CB in the 1st round in 2011, but they could still use an upgrade at the nickel CB spot. Plus Robinson is an excellent return man which adds to his value. In today's NFL you can never have too many good CB's.

63. San Francisco 49ers- LaMicheal James, RB, Oregon

James would be an excellent change of pace back to Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter. He's the Sproles type that Harbaugh would love to have I'm guessing as a new toy in the passing game on 3rd down. Harbaugh is familiar with James and his speed.

64. New England Patriots- Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M

Fuller would give the Pats the big WR that can stretch the field that they are missing. Sure they have an explosive offense, but you can sit on the short routes with their WR's as all of them are small and not really deep threats.