2012 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1-Picks 1-16, 2/14

Round 1, Picks 17-32, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6, Draft Blog, NFL Draft Page,Senior Bowl Coverage

1. Indianapolis Colts– QB Andrew Luck, Stanford:            

Andrew Luck should be the Colts' pick at #1.

The Colts won the ‘Suck for Luck’ sweepstakes, and will have a fairly easy decision. While having Andrew Luck next year will be redundant if Peyton comes back, I don’t see how you can pass on him. Yes, a trade back is possible, but Luck should be the pick here, as the Colts go from one Franchise QB to another.

2. St. Louis Rams– OT Matt Kalil, USC:         

Sam Bradford and the Rams are struggling this season, but it has little to do with Sam Bradford. The Rams receivers are dropping balls left and right, while the offensive line has allowed Bradford to be the most pressured quarterback in the league. He’s taking far too many hits this year, which is just not acceptable if the Rams are ever to become a serious contender. Kalil could lineup from day one at LT shifting Roger Saffold over to the right side and Jason Smith to the interior. Overall projecting a pick for this spot might be a moot point, because this is the most likely trade-up spot for Robert Griffin the III.

3. Minnesota Vikings-  CB Morris Claiborne, LSU:

The Vikings could look at one of the top offensive tackles or WR Justin Blackmon (also a possible trade back spot), but could end up selecting CB Morris Claiborne. The Vikings secondary is a complete joke so adding a big time talent here would be the smart play.It’s extremely rare to see a CB drafted in the top 3, but Claiborne could be the exception to the rule.

4. Cleveland Browns- QB Robert Griffin, Baylor:     

With a pick now in the top 5 the Browns have to consider taking a franchise QB. Griffin has the potential to be a super star, and could be a major upgrade over Colt McCoy. McCoy is coming off an extremely bad year, and while there is a little upside there, its not enough to warrant not taking a QB. The real question for Cleveland is do they consider trading up to grab Griffin if they are afraid some other team will steal him.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers– CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama:

The Bucs have to come out of this draft with at least one early round corner back, and if Claiborne is gone they might reach for Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick’s recent run in with the law might give them some pause, but they will have plenty of time to investigate to see if it cause for concern. If it checks out, they’d be wise to make him their top pick.

6. Washington Redskins- OT Riley Reiff, Iowa:

With the top two quarterbacks off the board, the Redskins will have to turn to their second rated need, offensive tackle. Reiff could be an instant starter at right tackle for the Redskins and give Washington a bookend (and insurance policy) with Trent Williams on the left side. If they don’t make the move up for RGIII though, the Skins best move might be trading back and trying to stockpile additional selections.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars– WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State:     

Could Blackmon be the answer for Gabbert?

While this has been a rough season for Blaine Gabbert, the Jaguars only have themselves to blame as they put him in a bad situation with limited weapons. Drafting Blackmon will go a long way to fixing the lack of weapons and will hopefully salvage this team.

8. Miami Dolphins- DE Melvin Ingram, South Carolina:

The Dolphins could be moving to a 4-3 defense or at least a hybrid version this season, so picking up a player who can fit in any defense makes sense. Ingram wowed scouts at the Senior Bowl with his quick first step and variety of pass rush moves. He could play in any system and even has some versatility in those various defenses, making him even more valuable.

9. Carolina Panthers– DT Micheal Brockers, LSU:

The Panthers could look to go in a variety of directions here, but the most obvious one would be defensive tackle. Micheal Brockers was a bit of a surprise entry to the draft, but he is a very welcome addition. The Panthers will love having him manning the middle of their defense and significantly improving their run defense.

10. Buffalo Bills- DE Quinton Coples, UNC:        

The Bills two biggest needs are CB and DE. While it is possible they could look at moving up for Claiborne or Kirkpatrick, I think they will look to stay where they are. With the top two CB’s off the market the Bills will have no trouble moving on to their other big need. Coples would be an excellent pick here, and give them the pass rusher they are desperately lacking.

11.  Kansas City Chiefs– MLB Luke Kuechly, Boston College:

I think Kansas City will look to add a defender with this pick, given Crennel’s background. While Derrick Johnson is star at one ILB spot, KC doesn’t have much at the other one. Kuechly is an incredible player and could give the Chiefs another stud player on defense. The Kansas City run defense could really be a special unit, which is good since the Chiefs face some tough running teams.

12.  Seattle Seahawks-DE Courtney Upshaw, Alabama:

David DeCastro should be a top tier Guard in the NFL.

The Cardinals desperately need to address their offensive line in this draft, with finding a LT a top priority. With Martin sliding here the Cards can fill their biggest need and hopefully give Kevin Kolb the protection he needs to be successful in the NFL. Martin excels more in pass blocking, and should hopefully give Kolb enough time to find Larry Fitzgerald.

14. Dallas Cowboys- OG David DeCastro, Stanford:

The Cowboys tackles are fine but their interior offensive linemen are pretty weak. DeCastro would immediately fix that and give Dallas a really strong offensive line. Given how strong their skilled positions are a top level offensive line could quickly turn Dallas into an elite offense.

15. Philadelphia Eagles- ILB Dont’a Hightower, Alabama:

The Eagles appear to be set at WR if they do end up franchising D. Jackson, so that makes LB the top priority for the first round. A lot of people will question Hightower’s speed, but his instincts and production are hard to ignore, and barring a horrid Combine this is a good range for him.

16. New York Jets- OLB Nick Perry, USC:

It’s really amazing that the Jets have been able to generate much pressure at all considering the lack of a truly great pass rusher. Outside of getting a better option at QB, the Jets need to come away with a pass rusher this offseason. Perry is a good fit here, as he’s a relentless edge rusher, who should generate a lot of pressure. He’s still a bit raw overall, but should help on at least a situational level next year.

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