2012 NFL Mock Draft: Washington Redskins Destined For Robert Griffin III

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17. TEN: David DeCastro OG – Stanford

a. DeCastro is one of the best players in the draft period. As teams continue to learn how valuable interior offensive linemen are DeCastro should go even higher. But he fits in Tennessee where Chris Johnson has been unable to find the big holes he is used to. DeCastro will help protect the QB and help give C.J. some breathing room. If DeCastro is available here, take him and don’t even blink.

18. DAL: Janoris Jenkins CB – North Alabama

a. Jerry Jones first pick as the owner of the Dallas Cowboys was a “diva” CB named Deion Sanders. Janoris Jenkins is not a “diva” per se, but has concerns and has crazy amounts of talent. If talent was the only factor when drafting Jenkins would be gone in the top five. However, Janoris has been arrested numerous times and got booted from Florida because of those issues. Playing in the SEC against A.J. Green, Julio Jones, and Alshon Jeffery he has seem premium college competition. If I were to give one CB in the draft “lockdown” potential it’s Janoris. He is the most Revis-like. He has plenty of issues and plenty of talent, sounds like Jerry Jones would give him a shot. Oh, and Dallas’s secondary is pretty bad.

19. NYJ: Mark Barron S – Alabama

a. The J-E-T-S have talent at the CB position and have not looked as good as a Rex Ryan defense should. I’m not convinced that Jim Leonhard is as good as some think but Mark Barron helps that Jets secondary that is already scary. Barron has good instincts, good size, and pretty good speed. He can tackle and is decent in coverage. He plays better in the box, and Rex likes to stop the run. Don’t overlook Alshon Jeffery because Plax isn’t young and that ground and pound is turning in to an aerial attack whether anyone likes it or not. Also, I don’t think that there is an RB worth taking here but they may consider one in the next round or two… Chris Polk maybe.

20. CIN: Aflonzo Dennard CB – Nebraska

a. Dennard is in the mix with Janoris Jenkins. These two could easily flip flop because the Bengals are known to take those high risk high reward shots. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t. Dennard is the safer pick, but Jenkins is the more talented. Dennard missed the start of the season with injuries and took a few games to get back to his usual self. Dennard looked fantastic against Iowa’s Marvin McNutt. The Bengals defense is a few pieces from being able to play with Baltimore and Pittsburgh. With Jonathan Joseph gone and Leon Hall hurt they need another CB. They have Nate Clements and Pac-Man Jones, so Alfonzo wouldn’t need to be an every down player with Hall healthy. He would have some time to learn and develop under a solid, aging, group of CBs.

21. CIN: Zach Brown OLB – North Carolina

a. Keith Rivers sat out the entire year due to injury. Lawson and Howard have been okay as OLBs but the Bengals have the chance to really build a defense that can play with Pittsburgh and Baltimore with these two picks. Zach Brown is a freak athlete, supposedly ran a 4.28 in practice a year or so ago. Brown has since bulked up so will probably be in the 4.40 range. Still crazy for a LB. He has a tendency to miss plays and doesn’t show the best pure football skills. He is an athlete that has the speed to keep up with today’s freak athletes on offense, the TEs. Don’t overlook Cordy Glenn here. That o-line has been solid but they are struggling somewhat on the inside. They drafted Clint Boling to help with that last year and Cordy Glenn is the type Cincy likes to target on draft day.

22. CLE: Dontari Poe DT – Memphis

a. Dontari Poe is surprisingly agile for his size. Cleveland simply needs DT help. Poe should fit in and I like his ability to move for such a big fella. I really don’t know that Cleveland should do but I like Poe and DT is a need. Keep Hightower and Upshaw from Alabama in mind as wells as Brandon Jenkins from Florida St. The Browns need defensive help and should just take the best available.

23. DET: Brandon Jenkins OLB – Florida St.

a. That “NASTY” defensive front in Detroit is 26th against the run. They have talent up front and the secondary is playing better than I expected. Jenkins could just be the best available and fits a need for the team. He plays DE at Florida State but his size will likely make him a backer in the NFL. Tulloch in the middle and Jenkins out the outside really helps that defense make tackles and stop the running game. Remember that Matt Forte and Adrian Peterson are four of their games every year for Detroit.

24. DEN: Brandon Thompson DT – Clemson

a. Thompson is another versatile defensive line prospect. He can play inside in a 4-3 or outside in a 3-4. We have all heard about how well Denver’s defense is playing with the Tebow hype but they could use a guy like Thompson. There’s not a QB or RB worth taking here in my opinion so Denver looks to upgrade their defensive front. Lamar Miller is an option but it’s too much of a reach in my opinion. Also, Ryan Tannehill should be kept in mind, if the Broncos are willing to cut ties with Tebow.

25. NYG: Dont’a Hightower ILB – Alabama

a. The New York Football Giants are thin all over on defense. They have talent in the secondary but have had numerous injuries there and at linebacker. If this wasn’t such a thin first round RB class the G-Men may consider one here with Jacobs on his way out and Bradshaw inconsistent. But, they do get to land a physical, hard hitting linebacker with good size. Hightower is an aggressive linebacker partly because there is so much talent on that Bama defense that he can be. The Giants should look hard at Vontaze Brufict, if they think they can control him.

26. PIT: Cordy Glenn OG – Georgia

a. Big Ben needs help staying upright, the Steelers need to keep him healthy which they haven’t done his year. As Big Ben goes, the Steelers go. Pittsburgh has evolved from that powerful ground game to a team that will beat you through the air. With great young talent at WR their top priority is to help Ben in protection and give them some better running lanes to take pressure off Ben. Glenn does both. I would consider Vontaze here but I think o-line is a serious issue for Pitt.

27. HOU: Alshon Jeffery WR – South Carolina

a. Finally Jeffery comes off the board. For a guy that was supposed to contend with Justin Blackmon for the top WR I see him falling to late in the first. He is a physical specimen, Calvin Johnson like physicality without top notch speed. Jeffery has good hands, great size, and a red zone target. With a solid running game and good defense the Texans would love a WR opposite Andre Johnson. Andre has missed games due to injury and when he does Alshon would provide them with another viable option.

28. NE: Stephon Gilmore CB – South Carolina

a. Gilmore is flying under the radar in this CB class. The Pats secondary is horrible. When you are moving offensive players across to play CB you need help. Stephon is not a pure cover corner. He doesn’t possess blazing speed either. But, he has great instincts and can play physical with WRs jamming them at the line of scrimmage. Gilmore would improve that secondary and his work ethic fits right in with Bill Belichick.

29. BAL: Vontaze Burfict ILB – Arizona St.

a. Vontaze Burfict is an aggressive tackling machine. He has great work ethic and no one will question if he plays hard or not. He’s also a good blitzer and shows good instincts. His downfall is that he can be over aggressive which leaves defenses vulnerable at times and his motor runs too much. The talent is there, but can he be controlled? I think Baltimore is one of the teams that can handle him, and he gets to study under possibly the greatest ever. The Ravens have shown that they pick up the talented pieces other teams leave behind on draft day for one reason or another. See Smith, Jimmy.

30. SF: Mohamed Sanu WR – Rutgers

a. Quite a little defense they have in San Francisco. Alex Smith has played better than we all expected, it seems that they are going to stick with him for a while. With Braylon Edwards out and Michael Crabtree still not performing as expected they may look at a WR. Sanu is the top WR available and is a great route runner with good hands. They have a quality running game and the addition of Sanu would only help the offense. Ryan Tannehill is an option if they don’t like Alex Smith as much as they let on.

31. NE: Fletcher Cox DT – Mississippi St.

a. New England simply needs help on defense. Fletcher Cox is a solid DT, he has good athletic ability and plays the run well. Cox has is one of the best available and fits a position of need. With Cox and Wilfork on the inside Pats fans should be happy. If one of the WRs falls to New England they will definitely consider it. Branch, Ochocinco, and Welker are all on the wrong side of 30.

32. GB: Mike Adams OT – Ohio St.

a. Mike Adams is a versatile offensive lineman, he can play LT or RT. He has good strength and is fairly athletic. One concern is that he is somewhat slow for a tackle. But keep Aaron Rodgers on the field and the Packers are going to be a tough team to beat period. Adams falls a little because he has some off the field concerns. But, Green Bay has experienced injuries late this year on the offensive line and you can never have enough depth at those positions. Especially when you have a QB like Rodgers.

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