2012 NFL MOCK DRAFT: WITH PROJECTED TRADES
2012 NFL MOCK DRAFT with PROJECTED TRADES:
This will be my first official 2012 NFL Mock Draft, so please go a little easy on me. In this draft I’m going to take a shot at predicting some trades I anticipate might happen in the first round. Let me know what you think. I appreciate your feedback. So without further ado:
1) St. Louis Rams trade the first overall pick to the Washington Redskins for two first round picks, two second round picks, and Barry Cofield.
Washington selects: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford Cardinals
Mike Shannahan gets his QB that he has been missing since he was fired from the Broncos. The king’s ransom for Luck is well worth it to acquire the “real deal” franchise QB.
2) Indianapolis Colts
Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State Cowboys
The way the season is turning out for the Colts, the end is working in their favor, at least in the eyes of Peyton Manning. Big, strong, and great route running will help provide a new target for Peyton to mold into the next Reggie Wayne. Justin Blackmore would be a good match for this slot in the team.
3) Minnesota Vikings
Matt Kalil, LT, Southern California Trojans
Minnesota has a good looking prospect in the mold of Christian Ponder. They need to keep him healthy, and protected the whole game. Matt Kalil just might be the best LT prospect in three years. A happy quarterback is one that is protected and given plenty of opportunity to execute a successful pass, not on his back all the time.
4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU Tigers
Ronde Barber is OLD. Talib is a trouble maker. Enough said. Morris Claiborne is a great prospect for the Buccaneers and would most likely be a starter immediately for the team.
5) Jacksonville Jaguars
Quinton Couples, DE, UNC Tar Heels
Jacksonville could go a few different ways with their draft pick. They clearly need help all over. Alshon Jeffrey could also be an option, if they want to give Gabbert some help.
6) Cleveland Browns
Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor Bears
If you remember, Colt McCoy was not taken in the first two rounds and he is serviceable at best. I cannot see him being someone that you could build your franchise around. However, in my opinion, RG3 has the potential to bring that missing franchise QB talent to the Browns.
7) St. Louis Rams via trade with Washington Redskins
Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama Crimson Tide
This pick is where the trade with Washington would make a lot of sense. St. Louis has their franchise QB in Bradford (even though Josh McDoofus has ruined this year for them) and they need complimentary players to orchestrate assisting Bradford in becoming the stud QB I know he can be. The Rams will draft the best available WR in the second round, and address CB play in FA.
8. ) Miami Dolphins
Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa Hawkeyes
Matt Moore is not going anywhere. He is playing good football…and that is hard to stomach, I know. With the new coaching staff coming into the picture, they could opt to go with Landry Jones. However, if you ask me, upgrading the RT position to keep Moore upright and pave lanes for Reggie Bush, seems like the perfect call for this spot.
9) Kansas City Chiefs
Lance “Landry” Jones, QB, Oklahoma Sooners
Kyle Orton will be the starter for the start of the 2012 season. The Chiefs will soon find out why the Broncos went with the less experienced Tebow over Orton. The best thing for Landry to do, is to sit behind a vet for a year. That won’t happen, and he will be starting by week 10 of the 2012 season.
10) Carolina Panthers
Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis Tigers
Carolina pulls a “Jacksonville” (if you remember a few years back with Tyson Alualu). Carolina can’t stop a nose bleed, let alone a running back. The Panthers help the 21st ranked rushing D with a stuffer up front in the 6’3 320lb Poe. Does this remind anyone of Kris Jenkins?
11) Buffalo Bills trade the eleventh pick to the New York Giants for undisclosed terms and Marvin Austin
Giants select: Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College Eagles
Giants need a force in the middle of their defense. They have been missing that ever since Antonio Pierce left with a bad injury. Luke Kuechly could come in and be a starter manning the middle of the GMEN linebackers for the next decade.
12) Seattle Seahawks
Alfonso Denard, CB, Nebraska Cornhuskers
Seattle needs help in the secondary, mainly at the CB position. If they could shore up one side with Denard, the defense would be vastly improved. A lot of other people are putting Ryan Tannehill here, but Pete Carol will wait to grab Barkley next year.
13) San Diego Chargers
Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama Crimson Tide
Once Shawn “Roids Out” Merriman got busted for steroid use, the pressure from the defense of the Chargers has been almost nonexistent (or deflated). Merriman used to give opposing QB’s fits for sixty minutes…now the Chargers are lucky to get a sack a game. Upshaw could come in and start opposite of Shawn Phillips to potentially give them the heat they need.
14) Philadelphia Eagles
Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State Sun Devils
Casey Matthews is too small and too short to be a middle linebacker. He should have been converted to safety immediately after the draft. Instead, he gets burned and can’t see many things behind the line of scrimmage because he is not big enough to be a prototypical LB in the NFL.
15) Chicago Bears
Jonathan Martin, LT, Stanford Cardinals
Jay Cutler, broken thumb, five game losing streak….enough said.
16) Arizona Cardinals
Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama Crimson Tide
Arizona just drafted a stud CB in Patrick Peterson, which I get, but I don’t have anyone else that would fill what would be a good fit here in AZ. Dre Kirkpatrick is a solid CB and might help shore up their secondary led by Adrian Wilson.
17) Tennessee Titans
David DeCastro, G, Stanford Cardinals
Chris Johnson is not good after getting that huge money that he didn’t deserve. Adding David DeCastro into the fold, to help pave some lanes, might help Johnson next season. I still have a feeling that if Johnson produces, or doesn’t produce like this year, he will be cut.
18) Cincinnati Bengals via Trade with Oakland
Lamar Miller, RB, Miami Hurricanes
Cedric Benson is old (in running back terms). He has been serviceable at times, and great at others. When the Bengals get Miller, they are locking up a Clinton Portis mold all over again.
19) New York Jets
Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M Aggies
Mark Sanchez……….nothing more to say.
20) Buffalo Bills via Trade with New York Giants
Devon Still, DT, Penn State Nittany Lions
Frankly, Buffalo’s rush defense is terrible. To recruit help next to Dareus would be a great move, to get their defense back to the shape where it needs to be, up front in that defensive 34 scheme.
21) Denver Broncos
Janoris Jenkins, CB, Northern Alabama Lions
Denver could go with Brandon Thompson with this pick, but they have Ty Warren, Kevin Vickerson, and the DT that could end up in FA this season. Jenkins, minus a little off-field troubles, is a stud CB that would instantly help a secondary that needs a lot of help. Champ will most likely switch to safety in the next year or two, and Jenkins could mold right into that Bailey held position.
22) Dallas Cowboys
Dont’a Hightower, ILB, Alabama Crimson Tide
Pairing Sean Lee with Hightower would be an amazing “inside of the defense” for the Cowboys. With Ware coming at you from one side, and knowing that Hightower and Lee are in the middle of that defense, is sure to give QB’s and RB’s fits.
23) Cincinnati Bengals
Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia Bulldogs
If i were the Bengals, paving a way for Lamar Miller and Bernard Scott would be priority on my list. Next would be keeping Dalton upright. They have a double whammy with Cordy Glenn.
24) Cleveland Browns via Trade with Atlanta Falcons
Alshon Jeffry, WR, South Carolina Cocks
The first step in helping RG3 become great a great franchise QB would be providing him with a big, physical WR that will flourish in the WCO and create matchup difficulties with smaller DB’s around the league.
25) Houston Texans
Nick Perry, DE/OLB, Southern California Trojans
I have a gut feeling that Mario Williams will be picked for a 43 defensive team (like the Broncos, or the Broncos, and maybe the Broncos) so the Texans will need someone on the other side of Brooks Reed. Nick Perry is a big boy and will surely help fill the role that will be vacated by Williams.
26) Detroit Lions
Zach Brown, LB, UNC Tar Heels
Detroit always seems to have the need for linebacker play. In my opinion, they fill the same kind of role that the eagles do with the need for 43 linebacker help…badly. Brown is fast, smart, and flies to the ball, which is everything Schwartz needs in a OLB.
27) Pittsburgh Steelers
Alameda Ta’amu, NT, Washington Huskies
How old is Casey Hampton?
28) Baltimore Ravens
Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina Cocks
The Ravens secondary besides Ed Reed is atrocious. Gilmore is a big CB with ball hawking type skills. He will be a starter from one for a porous secondary.
29) San Francisco 49ners
Fletcher Cox, 5 technique, Mississippi State Bulldogs
The Niners will need help in the front seven to keep Justin Smith healthy…and Cox is just the guy for it.
30) New England Patriots via New Orleans Saints
Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State Spartans
The Patriots defensive line is not good. Wilfork needs help, and Carter is an aging DE. Worthy can bring pressure up the middle when motivated. I have a feeling Belichick is just the guy for the job.
31) New England Patriots
Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin Badgers
Peter Konz is not a pressing need for the Pats, but when a talent like Konz is staring you in the face, you take it.
32) Green Bay Packers
Whitney Mercilus, OLB, Illinois Fighting Illini
Clay Matthews on one side, and Whitney on the other….who has the best hair? No seriously, the pressure the Packers could provide with those two coming at you would be scary.
Follow me on Twitter: @randyschwimmer7