2012 NFL Mock Draft: Seahawks “Suck for Luck”; Dolphins & Barkley; 49ers snag Robert Griffin

This is my weekly 2012 NFL mock draft installment. The order for this 2012 NFL Mock draft is based entirely ed on the power rankings taking  from walterfootball.com, so if you’re upset with where your team is selecting, make sure to let Walter know.  Mock drafts are supposed to be fun so I’ll try to never throw the same thing at you. I like to explore a myriad of options. I’ll try to give you some predictions you may not have thought of much now with each 2012 NFL mock draft while also infusing more standard picks.  If a player is linked it’s to his scouting report. We hope to have 100 reports up by January 1st so check back often to our scouting report page to see who shows up. (Each scouting report will also be updated from now until the draft).

1. Seattle Seahawks (1-3)-Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

I’ve stated this a few times, but I’ll do it once more. I’m vehemently rooting for a team with an already settled quarterback situation to end up with the number one overall pick. The Rams, the Titans, the Panthers. If one of those teams was to win the number one overall pick it’d had some intrigue to the mock drafts leading up to the draft. We might see someone trade for the number one pick which hasn’t been done in awhile. It’ll be more fun. But, alas the power rankings I decided to use this week didn’t have it as so, luckily for the Seahawks though they win “suck for luck”.

2. St. Louis (0-4)-Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

The battle between Justin Blackmon and Alshon Jeffrey for the first WR taken off the board will be fun and exciting to watch. Blackmon has slowed down a bit after what seemed like years of having at least a 100 yards receiving in every game, but he’s still a dynamic player. He’s sure handed, tough, and he can really rack up the yards after the catch. I think that his abilities are better suited with Sam Bradford which makes him a good choice here at number two overall. You’d love to a different direction, but Roger Saffold and Jason Smith are their young franchise tackles (Smith hasn’t been great, though) so I think they pass on OT. Quinton Coples has been madly inconsistent (read disappointing this year) you don’t want that for your second pick so it comes down to WR and Blackmon is the choice.

3. Indianapolis Colts (0-4)-Matt Kalil, OT, USC

I really wanted to give the Colts Alshon Jeffrey here, but based on the way the offensive line has still played this year I decided to go with Kalil. Though I still think that if the Colts don’t grab a franchise quarterback early in the draft they should at least give Manning a WR. In the 2009 N.F.L. draft the Colts were rumored to be interested in Hakeem Nicks, they didn’t take him. They should be kicking themselves everyday now. Jeffrey with Wayne, Clark, and Collie would be a sight to behold.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)-Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

Just the Jaguars luck. They are picking high in the first round and they don’t have a blue chip defensive line prospect to grab. Last year they could have taken Marcel Dareus, this year they get the under-producing Quinton Coples. If Coples was in another draft class he would be watching his draft stock collapse. But this is not a great class so he remains the cream of the crop and the Jaguars reluctantly take him here. Alshon Jeffrey is a good other option.

5. Miami Dolphins(0-4)-Matt Barkley, QB, USC

The Dolphins luck out here (hey the first time that sentence has been written not referring to the Stanford Quarterback) by getting Barkley because the teams ahead of them all feel that they have their franchise quarterbacks. Gabbet hasn’t looked great yet, but no team will give up on a top 10 first round draft pick in a matter of only one year (though the Bills came close with Aaron Maybin in only two years). Barkley isn’t the prospect that Luck is but he is one in his own right.

6. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)-Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

Bye bye Cassel. He’s not a franchise QB. The Chiefs were crazy to give him that huge contract. The Chiefs have a good core, but have a lot of weaknesses. Their offensive line is another place that would make a ton of sense here and Jonathan Martin is enticing. But they go with the predictable route here and grab the Sooners signal caller.

7. Cleveland Browns(2-2)-Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

The Browns need help on the defensive line and they need help at the linebacker core, but they also can’t pass up this kind of talent. Dre Kirkpatrick and Joe Haden would form one of the finest young cornerback duos in all the league. The Browns would have two cornerbacks who can cover the pass well and also play the run. The Browns need to get more physical on defense (or at least better) in all three levels of the defense. Their is not Defensive linemen worth this lofty selection so they continue to hope that Jabaal Sheard and Phil Taylor continue to progress and they snatch up the talented Kirkpatrick and over look their need at WR.

8. Denver Broncos (1-3)-Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

John Fox wants to pound the ball on the ground, and right now that’s not happening as well as it should be. There are a lot of general managers and coaches who might not feel that a running back is worth a 1st round pick, but Fox is not one of those coaches. Fox would love to be able to line up Trent Richardson in his backfield to continue the overhaul of the Broncos offensive system from what it was under McDaniels. It’s tough to grab a running back when there are so many other needs on both sides of the ball, but Fox might do it because he believes that much in the running game.

9. Arizona Cardinals (1-3)-Jonathan Martin, T, Stanford

The Cardinals offensive line is really bad. They have some other weapons on offense, Beanie Wells is finally rounding into form and Fitzgerald got paid to stay for awhile. I also like their young offensive selections (Ryan Williams-out for season, and tight end Robert Houseler), but they won’t be able to do anything if they can’t block for Kevin Kolb. Martin is one of the two best players available and also fills a position of need. Easy pick.

10. Minnesota Vikings (0-4)-Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina

The Vikings might not be regretting letting Sydney Rice go, but they definitely don’t have a replacement for him. Rice has looked awesome (when healthy) with the Seahawks and the Vikings are struggling to win even one game. Adding a huge target like Jeffrey can take a lot of pressure off of Peterson and Percy Harvin and allow Christian Ponder to have the necessary weapons to become the franchise quarterback the team thinks he can be.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)-Michael Floyd, WR, Norte Dame

Michael Floyd is an excellent wide receiver prospect. He has height, size, speed production and can make all of the catches. The Bengals did just draft a WR this year, but so what? The Bengals passing offense hasn’t been dynamic since they had Ochocinco and T.J. WhosYourMomma working in tandem. The Bengals believe Andy Dalton can be a franchise Quarterback, why not give him the opportunity to do so. Their defense really is shaping into form and their biggest defensive positional need is at safety (no great value here), tackle would also make sense here but Andre Smith is finally getting his act together. If the Bengals could trot out A.J. Green, Michael Floyd, Jordan Shipley (return from injury), Jerome Simpson, Cedric Benson, and Jermaine Gresham they might finally have an offense that can routinely score on the likes of the Steelers and Ravens.

 12. Carolina Panthers (1-3)-Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson

Not a common pick, but the Panthers need more help on the defensive line. Thompson is a hard working defensive tackle who continues to impress scouts  and could be a player like Corey Liuget who shoots up draft boards as the draft approaches. He’s just a solid all around player. Good against the run, good against the pass. He draws constant double teams and will instantly fortify the Panthers young defensive line.

13. Washington Redskins (3-1)-Riley Reiff, T, Iowa

Trent Williams is the LT for the Redskins and I don’t think will replace him, but Reiff could be an option for the Redskins as well. There are many other directions the team could go here, an inside linebacker (Fletcher has to slow down eventually…right?). A cornerback because they have a lot of age at that position as well. An offensive playmaker (especially at the WR spot), but all of those positions dont’ offer the same kind of value here that Reiff does. Also, Shanahan and the front office have made it a point to add character guys to the team. That is Riley Reiff.

14. Cleveland Browns- from Atlanta (2-2)-Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State

The Browns could grab a Wide receiver here, but elect to go with the super talented Vontaze Burfict to continue the remake of their defense. The Browns linebackers are awful and need to be upgraded. Burfict has all the talent in the world, but plays a little wild at times and may have anger issues (reportedly, though it seems overblown).  He also doesn’t have the elite production to match his significant talent. But in the A.F.C. North you have to be mean and nasty to win. Burfict brings that and much more to the table for the Browns, an ideal fit.

15. Chicago Bears (2-2)-Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

The Bears cornerbacks have looked awful. I know they don’t traditionally spend high draft picks on cornerbacks because they think they can compensate with great defensive line play, but this is their opportunity to get a supremely talented cornerback who can make plays on the football, which is of the utmost importance for the Bears defensive system. The way this draft has fallen is great for the Bears. Their offensive line still is awful, every year, despite how many draft picks they throw at it, but the value for the offensive line is not here with this pick (unless D.J. Fluker declares) so they go with a different much under-publicized need.

16. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)-Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

Boom! First surprise here. Jenkins is a forgotten man because of his transfer from Florida to North Alabama. Northern? North? Anyone care? Anyway, the point is the Cowboys are not ones who will be entirely reliant on “locker-room” guys. They are enticed by talent. It often has paid out for them in the past. Dez Bryant fell in the draft because of his “character issues” and at times he looks like the best WR in the league. This is a fairly deep CB class and I’m not giving a player like Alfonzo Dennard enough love with this pick, but I just wanted to bring back into your conscience a very talented player. Though I’d be lying if I said I know how well he was doing in North Alabama (I don’t get them on ESPN here!)

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