| 2012 Mock Draft - 1st Round |
| Last Updated: January 3, 2012 |
Mock Draft: Picks 1-16 - Picks 17-32 - Round 2 |
| 1. Indianapolis Colts |
Stanford University
Now that the regular season is over, Andrew Luck can start apartment searching in Indianapolis. There's been no doubt all season he'd be the first overall selection come April, the only question has been which team will be picking there. Following the Colts unfortunate loss of Peyton Manning for the 2011 season, they won just two games with Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky under center and have now earned the right to select perhaps the best quarterback prospect since Manning. Peyton is entering his final years and his injury this year will only put more doubt into the minds of the front office as to how long he can remain an elite starter. Luck is the real deal and can start from day one if needed, but his cerebral approach to the game would also be welcomed if he needs to be Manning's understudy for a year or two.
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| 2. Washington Redskins (projected trade w/ St. Louis) |
Baylor University
St. Louis trades #2 to Washington for #6, #39 and #102. -- There hasn't been a single player who has made greater strides this year than RG3. Griffin is flying up draft boards and St. Louis should receive trade offers from Cleveland, Washington and Miami. Washington's quarterback play this season has been atrocious, whether it be Rex Grossman or John Beck under center. The fact that Mike Shanahan thought he could win anything with either of them is nothing short of laughable. Griffin will have to get comfortable under center, as he works mostly from the shotgun, but is a smart kid and hard worker, so this shouldn't be a long-term issue. Griffin has a high ceiling and Shanahan is known to take a player based on perceived potential.
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| 3. Minnesota Vikings |
University of Southern Cal
The Vikings reached for Christian Ponder at #12 in the 2011 NFL Draft and he needs to be better protected to have any chance of developing into a franchise quarterback. Minnesota allowed 49 sacks last season, more than all but four teams in the NFL. Right tackle Phil Loadholt has a bad knee, is very inconsistent and should be much better than he sometimes plays and Charlie Johnson is an average left tackle at best and is expected to move to guard in 2012. Matt Kalil is the most NFL ready tackle prospect in this draft and can start from day one. If the Rams don't find a trade partner for Griffin at #2 and use the pick to take Kalil for themselves, the Vikings would do well trading back a little for Riley Reiff or Jonathan Martin.
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| 4. Cleveland Browns |
University of Alabama
Peyton Hillis has gone from Madden cover boy and bruising running back to a blueprint for what not to do in a contract year, and almost certainly won't be back in Cleveland next year. The Browns need a new weapon on offense and although Montario Hardesty has shown flashes, he has a history of injury problems. Richardson looks to be the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson with his combination of size, speed, strength and ankle breaking moves. A playmaker like Richardson should open the passing game for Colt McCoy and make life easier on everyone in Cleveland. Unlike most running backs, he is worth a selection in the top ten but if the Browns wanted to go in a different direction they could move up for Griffin or stand pat and take Justin Blackmon instead.
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| 5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
Louisiana State University
Tampa has focused on building their defensive line over the past two years and filling out the secondary should be next on the to-do list. Ronde Barber has to retire soon, and the Buccaneers do not have a player capable of stepping in to start for him when that does happen. This is especially a priority if Aqib Talib misses time, pending the results of his March court case for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. With Drew Brees, Matt Ryan and Cameron Newton in their division, the Bucs need personnel to stop the pass. Claiborne is the best cover corner in this year's class and can develop into a true shut down corner.
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| 6. St. Louis Rams (projected trade w/ Washington) |
University of Iowa
Washington trades #6, #39 and #102 to St. Louis for #2. -- The Rams could consider Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon to play opposite Brandon Lloyd but franchise quarterback Sam Bradford needs to be better protected. St. Louis allowed more sacks than any other team last season; Bradford alone was sacked 36 times in just ten games and Reiff is the Rams' best bet to keep him upright for the next ten years. Rodger Saffold looked very solid in 2010 but regressed quite a bit in 2011 and looks more like a guard or right tackle moving forward. Jason Smith has not lived up to his draft selection and suffered a third concussion in Week 7 which could threaten his career. St. Louis might tip the scale in favor of Blackmon if they plan to move Harvey Dahl to right tackle permanently in 2012 but for now Reiff is the pick.
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| 7. Jacksonville Jaguars |
Oklahoma State University
There's been a lot of chatter of pulling the plug on Blaine Gabbert, which would have been a silly move to begin with, but with Matt Barkley and Landry Jones both returning to school that idea can safely be put to rest anyway. The Jaguars need to at least give Gabbert a chance to be successful by drafting a playmaking wide receiver. Jacksonville has average #2 and #3 targets in Mike Thomas and Jarret Dillard but Gabbert needs a #1 receiving target such as Blackmon. Of all the first round quarterbacks drafted in 2011, Gabbert was the least ready to play right away but Jacksonville threw him in the fire and set him up to fail when they released David Garrard. The Jaguars need to see how Gabbert does with an improved receiving core before determining he was a bust and Blackmon at least gives him the opportunity to succeed.
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| 8. Miami Dolphins |
Penn State University
Prior to this season you would have been hard-pressed to find Devon Still in the first round of any mock draft, let alone top ten, but he has shot up draft boards with an outstanding senior season. The Dolphins play an aggressive, gap control penetrating 4-3 defense with some 3-4 looks and Still has the versatility to fit either front. Still is inconsistent in just about every facet of the game but his physical skill set is impressive and he has a lot of promise so it wouldn't be a surprise if he came off the board in the first half of round one. Miami looks ready to move on from the Chad Henne era but there's no viable option here since Matt Barkley and Landry Jones are returning to school. We have the Dolphins trading back into the end of the first round and selecting Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill at #30 overall.
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| 9. Carolina Panthers |
University of Alabama
The Panthers were the worst offensive team in the league in 2010, averaging just 12.3 points per game on their way to a 2-14 record and the #1 overall pick, which they used to draft quarterback Cameron Newton. In his first season, the Panthers scored on average 25.4 points per game, good for fourth in the league. Carolina's scoring defense, however, ranked in the bottom third of the league for the second consecutive season. If they don't fix the defense then they have no shot at ever competing in the NFC South. Kirkpatrick has seen his stock fall a bit during the season, but it should rise again once he gets into post-season workouts. He's a physical specimen at 6'3" with terrific speed and is a good fit in Carolina's secondary.
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| 10. Buffalo Bills |
Stanford University
Buffalo has too much invested in quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to not keep him clean and upright. Former seventh round pick Demetrius Bell looked better in 2011 and had improved in pass protection but is a free agent with an extensive injury history. Erik Pears was inconsistent last season, as was rookie Chris Hairston but Martin kept Andrew Luck upright at Stanford and could do the same for Fitzpatrick. The interior offensive line is very good and versatile and adding Martin would be another big piece to the puzzle. If Bell stays then the Bills might consider Michael Floyd or Courtney Upshaw but Martin is a better value pick here anyway.
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| 11. Kansas City Chiefs |
Stanford University
The Chiefs have shown in recent years that they like to build in the trenches with their early picks and this year is no different. Even after investing picks on interior offensive linemen in Jon Asamoah and Rodney Hudson in the past two seasons, David DeCastro is an instant starter at left guard in place of Ryan Lilja. Hudson is a better fit at center and Casey Wiegmann considered retirement prior to the 2011 season. With running back Jamaal Charles set to return after tearing his ACL in Week 2 this season the Chiefs would have the physicality needed up front to push for a playoff berth in the weak AFC West. There have been four interior offensive linemen drafted in the Top 21 in the last three years (Mack, Iupati and the Pouncey twins) but it wouldn't be a surprise if DeCastro goes higher than any of them.
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| 12. Seattle Seahawks |
University of Nebraska
Fans are going to want the Seahawks to go with a quarterback here, but there best option is to play it safe and try to work the free agency and trade markets in the NFL. They could make a huge improvement to the defense by going with a cornerback here. At 5'10", 205 pounds he's a bit stout for a corner, but he makes up for it with very physical play. He's always around the ball, and can be very effective stopping the run. He's a senior, so he has a ton of experience, and he should be able to come in and help the Seahawks right off the bat.
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| 13. Arizona Cardinals |
University of Notre Dame
Michael Floyd is everything that you look for in a wide receiver and he has the potential to be a star in the NFL. Right now though, he will serve as an incredibly complimentary piece in Arizona's offense. He'll be a great second option across from Larry Fitzgerald, and I dare say that they will make each other better. At 6'3", 224 pounds he's got great size, and he couples that with ideal speed and exceptional hands. He's a touchdown scoring machine, with a total of 37 in his career at Notre Dame. He's going to make the Cardinals offense very dangerous, and will be a huge help to Kevin Kolb.
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| 14. Dallas Cowboys |
University of North Alabama
Off-field trouble at Florida forced this ball-hawking corner to start over new at Northern Alabama. Despite those issues though, there is no denying that this guy has top ten talent, and if it weren't for leaving Florida and the resulting lower profile, he would be high on every teams list. Thankfully the Cowboys don't seem to worry as much about character and hinge their stock on production. Jenkins has the potential to be a game-changer in the NFL, and he's well worth the risk. Many considered him to be one of the best corners in the country during his time with Florida.
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| 15. Philadelphia Eagles |
Arizona State University
The Dream Team has been anything but and if they want to redeem themselves they'll have to figure out how to stop the run. Getting a talent like Vontaze Burfict would be a step in the right direction as he has top five talent physically; he's a dynamic player who can rush the passer and stop the run from the inside linebacker spot. He's drawn comparisons to Ray Lewis for his skill set and tenacious attitude and style of play. There was a little hesitation on this pick given that the last time the Eagles drafted a linebacker in the first round was when they took Jerry Robinson in 1979. Burfict is your classic boom or bust prospect so if the Eagles want to go with a safer selection they could go with Luke Kuechly or they could also consider a wide receiver such as South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery.
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| 16. New York Jets |
University of Alabama
The Jets need a linebacker that can rush the passer and cause a mess in the backfield for opposing offenses. They need to find a cornerstone to put alongside their stellar defensive backfield, and Upshaw can live up to that challenge. This guy loves getting in the backfield, and when he gets to the quarterback he can put on quite a hit. He notched 8.5 sacks this season and 17 total in his career as a big-time player at Alabama. He has big-game experience, which is something the Jets will like. He's very much so a blitzing linebacker, but he can play the run at a high level as well.
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