2012 NFL Mock Draft 7 Rounder: NFL Draft One Week Away

2 of 2

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland)-Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

The Bengals watch as Gilmore falls into their laps and Marvin Lewis sprints to the podium. Gilmore has long been one of my favorite players, but the rest of the world has caught on. I think the highest he could go is #7 to Jacksonville and I think he doesn’t fall any further than 17th to the Bengals.

18. San Diego Chargers–Mark Barron, S, Alabama

Mark Barron and Eric Weddle seem like a match made in heaven. This would be a terrific pick to me, and makes a lot of sense, which means it is impossible that it will happen. I haven’t loved one single first round pick A.J. Smith has made in the last four years.

19. Chicago Bears–Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford Cardinal

Here’s my first real shocker pick. With Mike Martz out the Bears could use another TE. It’s also very, very likely that they go defensive end here, but it’s interesting to play out different scenarios.

20. Tennessee Titans–Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse

Even though they have a new coach, I think they still have much of the same scouting staff in place form their days with Jeff Fisher. The Titans use to have “The Freak” and then in 2010 they really were hoping that Jason Pierre Paul would fall to them. Chandler Jones is the next player that reminds the Titans of Javon Kearse and they pull the trigger on the fast-rising prospect. My guess is the Titans end up with: Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick, or Chandler Jones.

21. Cincinnati Bengals–Courtney Upshaw, LB/DE, Alabama

Someone is going to take Upshaw because the bottom line is that he’s just a football player. Does he play 43 DE, 34 OLB, 43 SAM OLB? Who knows. He’s a guy who knows how to play football. The Bengals are that team in this mock draft.

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta)-Nick Perry, DE, USC

The Browns will probably go offense in three of their first four or five picks, but if they get the opportunity they should seriously consider a defensive end with the other one. Jabaal Sheard is a nice young player but who else strikes fear in Big Ben or Joe Flacco? No one. The Browns can’t win the North or make the playoffs without improving their pass rush.

23. Detroit Lions–Jonathan Martin, T, Stanford Cardinal

Maritn has been falling out of the first round in a lot of mock drafts, but he has still has a LT skill set. The Lions make a lot of sense because they probably have one more year out of Jeff Backus before he goes out to the football pasture, and in that year the Lions can get Martin to bulk up.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers–Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama

This just seems like the perfect pick. Hightower at 24 represents good value, he fits what the Steelers like to do, he fills a position of need, especially moving into the near future. Will it happen? I don’t know, but it seems it should.

25. Denver Broncos–Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

The Broncos add another weapon to help out their new QB toy, Peyton Manning. Wright ‘s stock is on the downturn (but right about where it always should have been), but he’s still a good player and probably the third best WR in this draft though I could make a case for Rueben Randle or Stephen Hill. Wright will excel with Peyton Manning once he improves his route running.

26. Houston Texans–Rueben Randle, WR, LSU

I’m not one who has yet to buy into the Stephen Hill to the Texans hype. I think Rueben Randle makes more sense. The other option here is the Texans drafting ILB Luke Kuechly to replace Demeco Ryans.

27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans)-Andre Branch, DE/OLB, Clemson

The Patriots lost Mark Anderson in free agency and they don’t have anyone to rush the passer now. The Patriots will draft a DE/OLB combo at some point in the first two rounds and I’d be surprised if they didn’t come away with at least two in the draft. Andre Branch seems like a Patriots type player, as does Shea McClellin, but I think Branch has a better skill set.

28. Green Bay Packers- Luke kuechly, LB, Boston College

The Believe is that the Packers always go Best Player Available. In this case it would be Luke Kuechly. Kuechly falls because in this draft because while he’s a great techinican and good coverage guy he doesn’t make a lot of splash plays and teams pay for splash plays.

29. Baltimore Ravens= Cordy Glenn, T, Georgia

I like Glenn, but others are softened on him a bit. He’s my best player available here and has versatility to fill in along the line wherever the Ravens need him even if he’s not a prototypical LT. Glenn’s massive size and athletic ability will appeal to some team in the first round–the Bengals or Jets seem like two other likely landing spots.

30. San Francisco 49ers–Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin

The 49ers address what might be one of their few needs by adding Zeitler. Zeitler has gotten a lot of looks as a center in the pre-draft process as well so that’s always a possibility. Word is the league loves Zeitler and that he could sneak into the end of the first round.

31. New England Patriots– Lavonte David, LB, Nebraska

The Patriots are looking for someone who can run sideline to sideline and cover. I would make that player Zach Brown, but Brown hasn’t gotten ringing endorsements form his coaches which will cause his stock to drop. David doesn’t have great size or play a premium position, but if he did he might be a lock for the first round. I think there’s an outside chance he ends up in the first round if the Patriots take a particular liking to them, and keep both of their first round picks.

32. New York Giants-–Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

The Giants really believe in their coaching and don’t rush players to start right away so they like to draft high-upside players and develop them. There aren’t too many more high upside players than Hill. Hill is a physical blocker and has route running abilities, they are just unrefined. Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz will both come up for free agency in two years and if the value for WR is still what it was after the 2011 NFL season the Giants would love to have a backup plan ready to emerge as a number one WR because they won’t be able to pay both.

Home/NFL Draft