2012 NFL Mock Draft

1. IND: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Andrew Luck will be the first overall pick this year. He has been nothing short of amazing this season. He has completed over 70% of his passes this year and he has been the undoubted leader for Stanford. He is smart, instinctive and loves the game of football. He has everything you would look for in a franchise QB. With Peyton Manning sidelined this season, and the Colts being helpless without him, Indianapolis may start to look toward the future at the QB position. If they take Andrew Luck, they will be set at the QB position for years to come.

2. STL: Matt Kalil, OT, USC
St. Louis has been very disappointing this season. Bradford hasn't performed well, the offense looks terrible, and the defense isn't any special. Even though Bradford hasn't been improving as quickly as they may have thought, he is their franchise QB and they need to protect him. They can do this by drafting Matt Kalil out of USC. Kalil is an elite prospect that will start immediately. He is a sure fire top 5 pick.

3. MIN: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma St.
The Vikings could look to add a blindside protector for Ponder here but with Kalil off the board, Martin or Reiff would be a reach. Blackmon is by far the best player available here and picking him would make sense for Minnesota. It would give Ponder another option besides Harvin. Blackmon is an absolute beast, who can make huge plays in big games. He is a number 1 WR, there's no doubt about that. He is strong, fast and physical. This gives Ponder another weapon for his offense.

4. CLE: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
This is a popular spot in many mock drafts for a trade happen; and it very well could. Robert Griffin III has received a ton of hype and rightfully so. He was spectacular this season, completing over 72% of his passes and throwing for over 4,200 yards. He is an electric player who will be taken early in this draft. If he lasts this long, he will be the pick here. The Browns will possibly be looking for a QB early and if they get a chance at Griffin I don't think they will hesitate.

5. TB: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
Tampa Bay needs a CB very badly, so much that they will almost be forced to take the best one in the first round this year. Talib is becoming a headache, and Barber could be retiring, so they will be looking at CBs very carefully in the first round. Claiborne is the top CB in this draft. He is an incredible cover corner who can also help in the run game. He could very easily be a top 10 pick this April.

6. WAS: David DeCastro, G, Stanford
Washington needs a QB desperately. They have a good team but there is no leader. If Robert Griffin falls this far, he won't make it past Washington. Unfortunately he's gone so Washington will have to look at other options. Riley Reiff will be an option, Janoris Jenkins, or maybe Luke Kuechly. I believe that David DeCastro is also a strong option here though too. Kory Lichtensteiger is coming off a torn MCL and ACL so there is a good chance that he won't 100% by the start of the 2012 season. DeCastro is one of the polished linemen in this draft and he would be able to start immediately for the Redskins.

7. JAX: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
The tackle position isn't the most pressing need for Jacksonville, but Reiff is worth the selection here. He is very polished prospect and is solid in most areas of his game. Gabbert had a tough rookie season and if they want their young QB to succeed they need to start adding weapons around him and protecting him. Reiff would be a great start to getting Gabbert better protected. Reiff is a top 10 pick that is not far behind Kalil.

8. MIA: Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama
Everyone expects the Dolphins to go after Matt Flynn in free agency and if they do they will turn their attention to their next biggest needs. DE is a big need for the Dolphins especially with them attempting to move to a 4-3 defense. Outside of Cameron Wake, the Dolphins don't have anything special at the DE position. Courtney Upshaw is one of my favorite players in the country. He is a beast at rushing the passer. He stood out at the Senior Bowl and I expect his stock to continue to rise throughout this draft season. Upshaw is a bit undersized for a 4-3 defensive end, but I really like his versatility and I don't doubt that the Dolphins will find ways for him to rush the passer. I also believe that even though they will be attempting to convert to a 4-3 defense, they won't completely abandon the 3-4 immediately. I expect the Upshaw will be able to make an immediate impact.

9. CAR: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
The Panthers really found something special in Cam Newton. He is a dynamic playmaker who is the undoubted leader of their franchise. I know their defense is terrible, especially at the CB position so Dre Kirkpatrick and Janoris Jenkins are strong options here but they could be worried about protecting their star QB and with Martin still on the board I believe it is a strong possibility that they take him here. The CB position is very deep in this year's draft so they will look to upgrade that position later on in the draft. Martin is a solid OT prospect that could be an upgrade to Jeff Otah, who has been hurt a lot lately.

10. BUF: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
Buffalo had a tough year; after starting off so hot, they fell apart towards the end of the season. Part of the problem that they have is they can't get after the QB. In a pass first league, you need many quality pass rushers. The Bills could be converting into a 4-3 defense so selecting Coples here would make sense. Quinton Coples is a DE that has all the talent in the world. He's got amazing size, strength and ability. The only reason he isn't going higher than this is because he has questions about his work ethic and desire. He looked dominant during the Senior Bowl at times and then disappeared for a couple plays. However, he's got an elite talent, and the Bills need help in the pass rush department.

11. KC: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio St.
Kansas City would love to be able to upgrade their RT position this off season, so you better believe they will be looking at the OTs in the first round. At this point Kalil, Reiff, and Martin are all off the board, so the Chiefs may look to the next best tackle. In that Case it would be Adams. Adams had an awesome Senior Bowl and since then his stock has been rising. Adams excels at pass protection and would be a huge improvement for Kansas City's offensive line. It would give them the option to put Adams at LT and move Brandon Albert to RT.

12. SEA: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
This isn't a huge need for the Seahawks; they are expected to retain Marshawn Lynch, but if Richardson is available I believe they will take a hard look at him. Richardson is the best RB in this draft; he is the complete package. Expectations were very high for him coming into last season, and he exceeded them. He is a top 10 pick. I think this pick is between Ryan Tannehill, the QB out of Texas A&M and Trent Richardson; if Richardson is available I believe they will pick him. Trent would be a huge weapon on their offense.

13. ARI: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
The rush OLB position is so important in today's NFL. Arizona has some good quality rush OLBs but they don't have a star pass rusher. Ingram is very similar to Upshaw, he is very strong, has good instincts and a great motor. He has the potential to be a star pass rusher in the NFL.

14. DAL: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama
Dallas has to address their CB position this off season. Jenkins is extremely talented CB with a troubled past. He has terrific cover skills and solid footwork. I have him listed as a top 20 pick, but he could go anywhere from pick 9 to 31. It's hard to predict where he will land because teams will really look at his troubled past differently. Nevertheless, Jenkins would be a huge improvement to Dallas' secondary.

15. PHI: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
Kuechly will not fall past here. There's a good chance he won't fall this far but if he does, Philadelphia will select him. Kuechly would be an immediate starter and add leadership to the Eagle's defense. Kuechly is one of the most intelligent football players in the draft. He is a born playmaker and is always around the football. It's one of those things where you either have it or you don't and Kuechly has it. He is a tackling machine that can stay on the field on all downs. I have him ranked as a top 10 pick so Philadelphia is getting great value here.

16. NYJ: Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois
The Jets need to upgrade their pass rush this off season. That has got to be the number 1 goal for them. Rushing the passer has become so important you need 3 to 4 quality pass rushers these days. They cannot keep relying on blitzing to create a pass rush, elite QBs will eat that up. Whitney Mericlus could be part of the solution for the Jets pass rushing problems. He had a terrific season last year. He's got the size, strength and instincts to be a great pass rusher in the NFL.