Final 2012 NFL Mock Draft

Hope everyone enjoys the final mock until one of my favorite events of the year.

1.       Indianapolis- Andrew Luck/ QB Stanford. It was the right year for Peyton Manning to get hurt and give the Colts the number one pick in the NFL Draft. With the Colts letting go of Manning, they are now in position to select what may be the best quarterback prospect to come out of since Manning did in 1998. Lucky them.

2.       Washington- Robert Griffin/ QB Baylor. The Redskins didn’t give up three first round picks to take anyone but RGIII. Washington hasn’t had an established quarterback in the last decade and RGIII has a skill set that no quarterback coming out has had since Mike Vick in 2001.

3.       Minnesota- Matt Kalil/ T USC. Enough with the smokescreens. Vikings GM Rick Speilman was recently on the air and talking about how talks are heating up. Well, Rick, you have one of the worst offensive lines in football and have a chance to be taking an All-Pro to protect Christian Ponder’s blindside for years to come. Don’t be a moron.

4.       Cleveland – Trent Richardson/ RB Alabama. With the departure of Peyton Hillis to Denver and the oft-injury prone Montario Hardesty now the temporary starter, Richardson becomes an easy choice for the Browns. Richardson is the best running back prospect to come out of the draft since Adrian Peterson back in 2007 and is completely worthy of this selection.

5.       Tampa Bay- Morris Claiborne/ CB LSU. Aquib Talib is trouble and there really isn’t much behind him, even though the Bucs just signed Eric Wright. The Bucs took a chance on LaGarrette Blount so it’s not like they will be scared by Claiborne’s Wonderlic score of a 5.

6.       St. Louis- Justin Blackmon/ WR Oklahoma State. I know they really hope the Vikings do pass on Kalil to upgrade that abysmal offensive line. However, they can take the top playmaker at wide receiver to give Bradford an additional weapon  especially after the departure of Brandon Lloyd in free agency.

7.       Jacksonville- Fletcher Cox/ DT Mississippi State. And this is where things could get interesting. I could definitely see a team trading up to Jacksonville’s spot and taking someone like Fletcher Cox. However, Jacksonville could end up taking him altogether as GM Geno Smith follows the best player available philosophy. The Draft Advisory Committee gave Cox a second round grade, but his workouts at the combine and his pro day have shot him up to being an almost lock to go in the top 10. Either way, I expect Cox to be taken in the 7 spot whether it is by Jacksonville or a team trading up for him.

8.       Miami- Ryan Tannehill/ QB Texas A&M. Really not a fan of Tannehill going this high as I see many flaws to his game. However, the Dolphins made a big swing and a miss in their offseason pursuits for Peyton Manning and Matt Flynn and really have no other choice than to take Tannehill. Dolphins fans really cannot go through another year of Chad Henne can they?

9.       Carolina- Luke Kuechly/ LB Boston College. Kuechly may be my favorite player in the draft. He is very smart, his nose is always around the ball, and he can really bring the wood. The future for Thomas Davis is uncertain in Carolina, so a need is definitely there for the Panthers.  

10.   Buffalo- Mark Barron/ S Alabama. Reports are surfing out of Buffalo that the Bills are seriously looking to trade up to select Matt Kalil. However, if they are unable to do so, and it is unlikely that the team will select Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff this high. Barron gives the Bills a player that can help cover the Aaron Hernandez/Rob Gronkowski duo in New England. However, the Bills could also draft Michael Floyd and give Ryan Fitzpatrick another explosive target to pair with Stevie Johnson.

11.   Kansas City. David DeCastro/ G Stanford. Kansas City will hope that Kuechly falls to them, but with him off the board they decide to opt for DeCastro.  DeCastro is considered a very safe pick that has been compared to by many scouts as the best guard prospect to come out since next Steve Hutchinson.

12.   Seattle- Chandler Jones/ DE Syracuse . Pete Carroll covets players with versatility and Jones defines the role well. The Seahawks were the worst team in the league last year at getting to the quarterback so if a pass rusher isn’t the pick here, I would be shocked. Thought of as a 3^rd round prospect a few months ago, Jones has made a dramatic rise where he will now likely go in the top 20.

13.   Arizona- Michael Floyd/ WR Notre Dame. This pick will be a toss-up between DeCastro and Floyd if both are still on the board. Both are big needs and are arguably the two best available players. However, much like the Rams did earlier, Arizona will opt to go with the playmaker and draft offensive linemen deeper in the draft.

14.   Dallas- Dontari Poe/ DT Memphis. Dallas would love to have Barron fall to them, but chances are more than likely he will be unavailable. The alternative is the 44 bench, 4.98 40 specimen from Memphis. Questions linger about Poe’s work ethic and his ability to underperform on the field (2^nd Team All-Conference USA), but he is the most athletic defensive tackle in the draft, and it really isn’t close.

15.   Philadelphia Eagles- Stephon Gilmore/ CB South Carolina. With Asante Samuel headed to Atlanta and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the final year of his contract, the Eagles elect to go with the best player available. Gilmore could be taken by the Jaguars at 7, but if they Jaguars pass and take Cox, Gilmore likely would fall to 15.

16.   New York Jets-Melvin Ingram/ DE/OLB South Carolina. Ingram has been falling down mock drafts lately, but no way he makes it past the Jets at 16. They have an obvious need rushing the passer from the 3-4 OLB spot. The guy they drafted number overall a few years ago that was expected to fill that role is no longer with the team. I am talking to you Vernon Gholston.

17.   Cincinnati- Dre Kirkpatrick/ CB Alabama. The Bengals biggest needs are corner and guard. They will most likely opt for Kirkpatrick if DeCastro is gone by this time and take an offensive lineman at pick 17. Kirkpatrick may have some off-field issues, but nothing compared to Janoris Jenkins.

18.   San Diego- Riley Reiff/ T Iowa The draft is deep in pass rushers so I expect the Chargers to take the best offensive lineman on the board and then draft a pass rusher in round two. Protecting Phillip Rivers is a must and Reiff is a clear upgrade over Jeremy Clarey.

19.   Chicago Bears- Quinton Coples/ DE North Carolina. The Bears already have one defensive end from North Carolina manning their defensive line. Coples compared himself to Julius Peppers and now could end up playing alongside him as the Bears finally find someone to complement the All-Pro.

20.   Tennessee Titans- Whitney Mercilus/ LB Illinois. One of the toughest picks for me to mock in this draft, the Titans could go several different ways here from linebacker to corner to defensive tackle. However, a wide receiver to complement Kenny Bitt is also not out of the realm of possibilities. Mercilus gets the nod over Brockers and Poe because of his pass rushing capabilities, and the fact that the Titans picked two defensive tackles in the draft last year.

21.   Cincinnati- Kevin Zeitler- G Wisconsin. The Bengals really want to go offensive lineman at one of their picks in the first round. With Glenn and DeCastro off the board, the Bengals opt for the Wisconsin product. Zeitler is a 320 pound mammoth who has a very high work ethic and would likely start from day one for the Bengals.

22.   Cleveland- Brandon Weeden/ QB Oklahoma State. The Browns would love to have Weeden fall to them at their pick early in the second round, but chances are they cannot afford the risk. A wide receiver would also make sense here whether that is Kendall Wright or Stephen Hill. However, the Browns can likely pick one up on day 2 with the deepest class of wide-outs in recent memory.

23.   Detroit- Cordy Glenn/ T/G Lions. The team will hope that Kirkpatrick falls, and likely will not take Janoris Jenkins due to already having some drug issues (Mike Leshoure, Nick Fairley) on the team. Detroit may reach for corner Trumaine Johnson, but will likely go with the other team need of tackle. Jeff Backus does not have many years left and Glenn also has the versatility to play guard and tackle in the NFL.  

24.   Pittsburgh-- Dont’a Hightower/ LB Alabama. The Steelers will not hesitate to make Hightower the replacement to James Farrior if he is still around at 24. Hightower just seems to fit as the perfect Steeler and would fit right into Dick Labeau’s scheme with the athleticism to play many different positions among the 3-4 linebackers.

25.   Denver- Michael Brockers/ DT LSU. The Broncos need an immediate impact at defensive tackle now that Broderick Bunkley departed via  free agency. Brockers could have stayed in school and likely would have been a top ten pick in the 2013 Draft.

26.   Houston- Stephen Hill/ WR Georgia Tech. Enough of Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones complementing Andre Johnson. This team needs a true threat. Georgia Tech continues to produce receivers of first round talent with Demariyus Thomas in 2010 and Calvin Johnson in 2007.

27.   New England- Shea McClellan/ OLB Boise State. The Patriots really need a pass rusher as the development of Jermaine Cunningham has not come along as expected, while Andre Carter will be coming off of a major injury. McClellan has really risen up draft boards and seems like the kind of player Belichek will love: nasty, gritty, and gets to the quarterback.

28.   Green Bay- Courtney Upshaw/ OLB Alabama. This pick has to be defense, but Thompson will still stick to his draft board and pick the best player available. The Packers really want McClellan to fall to them, but instead are down to Upshaw, Nick Perry and Jerel Worthy. Thompson will likely stick to his philosophy of drafting the best player available and take Upshaw. Upshaw likely could be long gone at this point, but if he were here it would hard to not see Thompson pull the trigger. Upshaw was the best player on the field in the National Championship game and is one of the top pass rushers in the draft, something the Packers are seriously lacking.

29.   Baltimore- Peter Konz/ C Wisconsin. Many people expect the Ravens to go with the Wisconsin offensive lineman Peter Konz, since Matt Birk is not getting any younger. Peter King may not think so, but given the options left for the Ravens, Konz seems like the only logical option. The Ravens would love for Hightower to fall to them, and would hate to see the Steelers snatch him up only five picks before them.

30.   San Francisco- Coby Fleener/ TE Stanford. Harbaugh will draft his college tight tend and pair him with Vernon Davis to try and rival Hernandez and Gronkowski in New England. Fleener becomes the fourth offensive player from Stanford to be taken in the first round. The 49ers also got deeper at wide receiver in free agency with Randy Moss and Mario Manningham, but one cannot rule out Kendall Wright as another possible upgrade.

31.   New England- Harrison Smith/ S Notre Dame. Smith has flied up many draft boards due to his smarts and would man and improve a very weak New England secondary. New England had one of the worst pass defenses in the league and could use a headsy player after the Brandon Merriweather debacle.

32.   New York Giants- Jonathan Martin/ T Stanford. Martin was once considered the top tackle in this draft class around this time last year and would be a great value pick for the Super Bowl Champions. Will Beatty can man the tackle position in the short term, but he is not the long term answer for the Giants.