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By Vijay Senthilkumar, sportsguy250
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One last mock on NFL Draft Day.
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1. Indianapolis Colts select Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
This is a pretty easy choice for the Colts. There is no way they pass up on this kind of talent.
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2. Washington Redskins select Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
The Washington Redskins have officially won the RG3 sweepstakes. Is RG3 worth 2 future first round picks? I have no idea. Until RG3 plays 2 seasons in the NFL, there is no way we can determine the winner of the trade. The Redskins get the real deal here with Griffin. He has unbelievable arm strength and also has receiver speed. This is terrible news for me though, since I am an Eagles fan.
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3. Minnesota Vikings select Matt Kalil, LT USC
The Vikings need to use this pick to protect their previous 1st round pick, Christian Ponder. Kalil is by far the most talented lineman in the draft. He was so good, that last year’s 9th overall pick, Tyron Smith, had to move over to Right Tackle so Kalil could play left.
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4. Cleveland Browns select Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
The Browns will most likely go with either Claiborne or Richardson here. I have them choosing the latter because they need help immediately. Peyton Hillis is gone, and the Browns have no playmakers on offense. Richardson can come in and immediately put up results while also taking much of the load off Colt McCoy’s shoulders. Although this seems a little high for a Running Back, Richardson is the best prospect since Adrian Peterson at the position.
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5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers select Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
Claiborne is by far the best cover corner in the draft. He has great ball skills and shut down almost everyone in college. This is a good pick for the Buccaneers considering Aquib Talib is going to jail and their other corner, Ronde Barber, is probably going to retire. If Cleveland does not take Richardson, he may also be another option for the Buccaneers with this pick.
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6. St. Louis Rams select Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma St.
Justin Blackmon had a wonderful junior season in college. He caught 121 passes for 18 touchdowns and 1522 yards. Even better, he stepped up when the lights were on by having a 3 touchdown, 186 yard performance against Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl. He has the perfect combination of size, power, and speed. What separates Blackmon from the rest however, is his play making ability. He is a real game changer. Expect him to have a great pro day. The only concern with Blackmon however, is his size. Blackmon is only 6 feet which could be a problem in the NFL considering his speed is good, but not great. I expect him to overcome this though, and become Sam Bradford’s go-to guy for years to come.
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7. Jacksonville Jaguars select Melvin Ingram, DE South Carolina
The Jaguars are desperately trying to trade out of this spot. Teams that may trade up here either want to secure Fletcher Cox, Ryan Tannehill or Mark Barron. However if the Jaguars do keep this pick, they are going with Ingram. Ingram is Gene Smith’s type of guy, he has the motor and character that the Jaguars look for.
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8. Miami Dolphins select Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
Although Tannehill still needs some more time to develop, He is the pick here because of the constant need of quarterbacks in the NFL.
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9. Carolina Panthers select Fletcher Cox, DT LSU
Fletcher Cox is now the consensus #1 DT on the board. Cox is a game changing player and also has shown that he can produce against good teams, considering that he played in the SEC. The Panthers could also take this pick in a different direction by selecting Stephon Gilmore or Luke Kuechly.
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10. Buffalo Bills select Stephen Gilmore, CB South Carolina
Gilmore has shot up draft boards in the last couple of weeks. The Bills need a corner and Gilmore is their guy.
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11. Kansas City Chiefs select David Decastro, OG Stanford
Kansas City could really use some help on their offensive line. Decastro is the next best lineman on the board and the easy choice for the Chiefs.
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12. Seattle Seahawks select Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
Kuechly is rated by many as the top Linebacker in the draft. At Boston College he was a great tackler and relied on his instincts. Although considered a little slow at first, Kuechly silenced those concerns by running a 4.5 40 yard dash at the combine. Seattle needs a Linebacker and Kuechly is their guy. However, this pick will be a close call between Kuechly and Coples. I don’t think Kuechly is as good as everyone thinks mainly because of the lack of burst in his step, but he does have the best instincts of any Linebacker I have seen.
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13. Arizona Cardinals select Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
This pick is between Michael Floyd and Riley Reiff. I think the Cardinals will go with Reiff, so Kevin Kolb will have more time to stay in the pocket.
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14. Dallas Cowboys select Mark Barron, S Alabama
The Cowboys would be thrilled if the draft played out like this. They would get their guy without even having to trade up. Barron is by far the best safety in the draft and would improve the Cowboys weak secondary. Barron has the skills to be a future All-Pro safety.
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15. Philadelphia Eagles select Quinton Coples, DE UNC
The Eagles are not going to win a Super Bowl with a defense like last year’s. The Eagles traditionally do not draft linebackers in the first round, and after trading for Demeco Ryans, it is obvious that they won’t take one here either. That means they take Coples, the best pass rusher on the board. Coples is a huge boom or bust prospect. In his junior season at UNC he was a beast, but he was average at best during his senior season. The Eagles may also try to trade up for Fletcher Cox or Mark Barron
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16. New York Jets select Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
The Jets could use another receiver after the loss of Plaxico Burress. Floyd would provide Mark Sanchez with a huge target to throw to. Floyd has great hands and good speed and could be a pro-bowl receiver in the NFL.
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17. Cincinnati Bengals select Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama
Kirkpatrick is a hard hitting corner with good ball skills. Although he is not great in man to man coverage, he is awesome in zone. Considering the Bengals have no one at corner, it looks like Kirkpatrick will be the choice.
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18. San Diego Chargers select Chandler Jones, DE Syracuse
Jones is considered by many as the best pass-rusher in the draft. If that is the case, the Chargers are getting a steal here.
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19. Chicago Bears select Michael Brockers , DT LSU
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After trading for Brandon Marshall, the Bears will most likely not take a receiver unless Michael Floyd is available. This means that they will take the best defensive lineman available, which in this case is Brockers.
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20. Tennessee Titans select Dontari Poe, DT Memphis.
Dontari Poe is the biggest boom or bust prospect in this draft. He has a freakish combination of size and speed, and also has a great motor and work ethic that many teams love. However, his play on the field isn’t very impressive. A team will still take a chance on him though because of the possibility of him being a great player in the NFL.
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21. Cincinnati Bengals select Courtney Upshaw, DE/LB Alabama
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22. Cleveland Browns select Kendall Wright, WR Baylor
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23. Detroit Lions select Cordy Glenn, OG Georgia
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24. Pittsburgh Steelers select Dont’a Hightower, LB Alabama
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25. Denver Broncos select Kendall Reyes, DT Uconn
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26. Houston Texans select Whitney Mercilus, DE Illinois
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27. New England Patriots select Nick Perry, DE USC
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28. Green Bay Packers select Shea McClellin, DE/OLB Boise State
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29. Baltimore Ravens select Peter Konz, C Wisconsin
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30. San Francisco 49ers select Stephen Hill, WR Georgia Tech
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31. New England Patriots select Brandon Weeden, QB Oklahoma State (Expecting a trade)
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32. New York Giants select Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
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Also check out the Fantasy Feast 2012 NFL Mock Draft.
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2012 NFL Mock Draft Database
