Joel Welser NFL Mock Draft – 15 April 2012

April 16, 2012 · Joel Welser

1. Andrew Luck 2. Robert Griffin III 3. Matt Kalil 4. Trent Richardson 5. Morris Claiborne

Round 1
1	Indianapolis	Andrew Luck	QB	Stanford
All the early drama in this draft appears to be long gone. The Colts will take Andrew Luck as their signal caller of the future. It is a no-brainer and the right thing for the Colts to do. They can talk all they want about Robert Griffin III, but it won’t happen.
2	Washington (from Stl)	Robert Griffin III	QB	Baylor
Washington didn’t trade the farm for anything but Robert Griffin III. RG III did what he had to do on his pro day, but it didn’t really matter anyway. The Redskins will bank a lot of money and a lot of draft picks on RGIII at least putting some butts in the seats for a while.
3	Minnesota	Matt Kalil	OT	USC
This pick is pretty easy too. Barring a trade, the Vikings should do the smart thing and take the best offensive tackle in this class. Matt Kalil is a stud of a left tackle and, as all Minnesota fans know, the Vikings pretty much played without a left tackle last season.
4	Cleveland	Trent Richardson	RB	Alabama
This is where things will get interesting. This is a little high for a running back these days, but Trent Richardson is one of the best to come along in a while. With Peyton Hillis gone, the Browns certainly have a need. But what don’t the Browns need? Quarterback Ryan Tannehill is a very serious option, but there will be quarterbacks that can beat out Colt McCoy in the second round…or the seventh for that matter.
5	Tampa Bay	Morris Claiborne	CB	LSU
The Tampa Bay secondary needs some help. They picked up Eric Wright and resigned the aging Ronde Barber, but that will not scare many quarterbacks. Morris Claiborne is the best corner in this class by far and should be the pick here.
6	St. Louis (from Was)	Riley Reiff	OT	Iowa
It seems like every year we try and figure out if St. Louis wants to protect their quarterback or give him more weapons. With Justin Blackmon still on the board, it is tough to pass up another receiving option, but getting a tackle might be more important. This may be a small stretch for Riley Reiff at the moment, but there will be good wide receivers available in the second round and beyond.
7	Jacksonville	Justin Blackmon	WR	Oklahoma State
The lucky Jaguars get to take advantage of St. Louis building in the trenches and take Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon. He is a great receiver and has proven it on the field. The only knock on Blackmon is his size, but Jacksonville cannot take another wideout over Blackmon.
8	Miami	Ryan Tannehill	QB	Texas A&M
Miami missed out on a whole slew of quarterbacks during the offseason. But finally they get a little luck. Well not that good of luck, but at least the Browns did not take Ryan Tannehill, giving the Dolphins a legitimate top ten (or so) quarterback in the 2012 NFL Draft.
9	Carolina	Jonathan Martin	OT	Stanford
The Panthers most glaring need is at defensive tackle, but Dontari Poe will not seem worthy of a top ten selection now that teams are looking beyond his NFL Combine showing and watching game tape. Michael Brockers, on the other hand, had a pretty poor showing at the NFL Combine. So there goes the defensive tackles. Instead, the Panthers should get an offensive tackle and Jonathan Martin is the best on the board and could be a fixture for years at left tackle once he is humbled by the NFL.
10	Buffalo	Melvin Ingram	DE	South Carolina
Buffalo does not need a pass rusher anymore now that they picked up Mario Williams, but Melvin Ingram is the best player on the board at this point and having Williams and Ingram will turn the Bills pass rush from non-existent to probably one of the best in the NFL. Wide Receiver is also an option, especially with Michael Floyd still on the board.
11	Kansas City	Luke Kuechly	ILB	Boston College
As odd as it sounds, the Chiefs have the luxury of taking the best player available. They will likely look to the defensive side of the ball and that leaves Luke Kuechly. Kuechly will be productive from day one and is a much safer pick than Donatri Poe.
12	Seattle	Quinton Coples	DE	North Carolina
If things work out this way, Seattle will be very, very happy to get either Melvin Ingram or Quinton Coples. They need a pass rusher and, most likely, an inside linebacker. With Luke Kuechly gone, it makes the decision all the easier. However, Coples has a bad reputation and the Seahawks may just cross him entirely off of their board.
13	Arizona	David DeCastro	G	Stanford
Arizona desperately needs to improve their offensive line. Barring a surprise player dropping this far that they simply cannot turn down, Arizona will nab the top offensive linemen on their board. With the top tackles already gone, that leaves Stanford’s David DeCastro, possibly the best guard prospect in years.
14	Dallas	Michael Brockers	DT	LSU
Even with the average NFL Combine results, Michael Brockers has great game tape. Even on a team filled with defensive studs, he stood out. That should be enough to get Brockers a spot up front in the Cowboys 3-4 defense.
15	Philadelphia	Devon Still	DT	Penn State
Nothing against Dontari Poe, but he is a mid-round talent. Devon Still may not be much better right now, but he is a very promising defensive tackle. Word on the streets of Philly is that Coach Andy Reid wants to build in the trenches…again.
16	New York Jets	Michael Floyd	WR	Notre Dame
The Jets fans will like this pick. A pass rusher is a huge need and there are some good ones available, but quarterback Mark Sanchez needs somewhere to throw the ball or this offense is going to be awful. Michael Floyd can’t hurt.
17	Cincinnati (from Oak)	Cordy Glenn	OT	Georgia
Cordy Glenn is shooting up draft boards right now and the Bengals will need to grab him here if they want to get a top offensive lineman. Cornerback is not as huge of a need as it was before free agency, but Cincy can look to the secondary in a few picks.
18	San Diego	Dre Kirkpatrick	CB	Alabama
The cornerback Cincinnati could have taken will not last long. The Chargers can move Quentin Jammer to safety and plug Dre Kirkpatrick right into the starting lineup. Kirkpatrick is also a great bargain at this point in the draft and could be off the board long before the 18th pick of the 2012 NFL Draft.
19	Chicago	Kelechi Osemele	G	Iowa State
This is a reach for the Bears, but they do need an interior lineman. They would be hoping for Cordy Glenn to fall to this spot, which is certainly a possibility. The other option would be nab another wide receiver to go along with Brandon Marshall.
20	Tennessee	Dontari Poe	DT	Memphis
The Titans will be thrilled if Dontari Poe falls to them. Poe had a great NFL Combine and is an amazing athlete. He was not super productive at Memphis and that will even out his draft stock in the end. When all is said and done, he should be a late first rounder.
21	Cincinnati	Alfonzo Dennard	CB	Nebraska
Injuries derailed his senior season, but Alfonzo Dennard could be a top cornerback in the NFL. The Bengals have other options, most notably Stephone Gilmore and Janoris Jenkins, to fill their needs in the secondary, but Dennard is worth the risk.
22	Cleveland (from Atl)	Kendall Wright	WR	Baylor
The Browns will do everything they can to make Colt McCoy look good. He probably will not look good, but having Trent Richardson and Kendall Wright added to the offense will make any quarterback look better. An offensive tackle like Mike Adams or Zebrie Sanders would help the offense too.
23	Detroit	Mark Barron	SS	Alabama
The Detroit secondary has some major holes. There are some solid corners available at this point in the draft, but Alabama’s Mark Barron is a better deal this late in the first round. The strong safety has the experience and toughness to step right into a leadership role in the Lions secondary.
24	Pittsburgh	Don’ta Hightower	ILB	Alabama
Don’ta Hightower fills a big need for Pittsburgh and is a decent bargain at this point in the draft. Hightower played in Alabama’s 3-4 defense, so he is ready to step right in at Pittsburgh and make a big impact.
25	Denver	Peter Konz	C	Wisconsin
Denver could go quite a few directions here and it will depend on who is left on the board. If a player like wide receiver Kendall Wright falls to this spot, the Broncos would probably take him. They could also use a defensive tackle, but the best fits are gone. That leaves an interior lineman like Peter Konz. The Broncos failed to sign Jeff Saturday, so Konz will have to do.
26	Houston	Rueben Randle	WR	LSU
Houston wants a wide receiver and Rueben Randle is the best on the board. Houston may prefer Kendall Wright, but Randle is a fine option as well. Randle never put up great numbers at LSU, but that is the way it is at LSU.
27	New England (from NO)	Fletcher Cox	DT	Mississippi State
Fletcher Cox is a steal this late in the first round. With players like Michael Brockers and Dontari Poe sporting some concerns, Cox could be long gone by now, but it is very possible that one of those defensive tackles will fall the Patriots at the 27 spot.
28	Green Bay	Stephon Gilmore	CB	South Carolina
The Packers have a couple options here, but getting a solid cornerback like Stephon Gilmore is too good to pass up. Green Bay could grab a pass rusher here too, but they could wait until the second round as long as Gilmore is available at this pick.
29	Baltimore	Courtney Upshaw	ILB	Alabama
Alabama’s Courtney Upshaw is a great talent, but he kind of falls in-between a 4-3 and a 3-4 defense. However, he is a pretty good fit in Baltimore and that makes him a great pickup for the Ravens.
30	San Francisco	Dwayne Allen	TE	Clemson
Would Coach Jim Harbaugh pass on his old tight end at Stanford and take Dwayne Allen over Coby Fleener? Harbaugh will use multiple tight ends so it comes down to who is a better fit with Vernon Davis. Allen is not the down field threat that Fleener is, but he is a better all around tight end.
31	New England	Nick Perry	DE/OLB	USC
New England can stockpile some defensive talent with their two first round picks. They already picked up Fletcher Cox with pick number 27 and now they can nab Nick Perry. The USC product turned some heads at the NFL Combine and should be a late first round selection.
32	New York Giants	Whitney Mercilus	DE	Illinois
Whitney Mercilus does not fill a need for the Giants and he has been falling a little down draft boards, but he is the best player on the board and the Giants have the luxury of taking the best player on their board.
Round 2
33	St. Louis	Zach Brown	OLB	North Carolina
Picking up Reily Reiff and Zach Brown will not excite the fan base, but this team now has extra first round picks to work with in the future and this is a good start to building a solid base.
34	Indianapolis	Alshon Jeffery	WR	South Carolina
It is time to give Andrew Luck a new target and Alshon Jeffery will do just fine.
35	Minnesota	Stephen Hill	WR	Georgia Tech
Stephen Hill is shooting up draft boards, but he could settle back into the second round.
36	Tampa Bay	David Wilson	RB	Virginia Tech
LeGarrette Blount is not the long term answer at running back. The Bucs need to do something in the backfield and David Wilson is not a bad option at this point in the draft.
37	Cleveland	Kirk Cousins	QB	Michigan State
After trying to make Colt McCoy look better, Cleveland will give him some competition at some point. Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden is another option at quarterback.
38	Jacksonville	Janoris Jenkins	CB	North Alabama
There are some concerns about Janoris Jenkins, but Jackonsville should think the reward outweighs the risk.
39	St. Louis (from Was)	Josh Robinson	CB	UCF
St. Louis can keep grabbing young talent. Josh Robinson can return kicks too.
40	Carolina	Jerel Worthy	DT	Michigan State
Not long ago Jerel Worthy was an obvious first-rounder. He didn’t blow anybody away at the NFL Combine, but he’s still a borderline first rounder.
41	Buffalo	Lavonte David	ILB	Nebraska
Buffalo can keep upgrading their defense with the addition of Lavonte David.
42	Miami	Brandon Thompson	DT	Clemson
Miami could get a receiver or lineman to help out their new quarterback, but Brandon Thompson is a good player who fills a need.
43	Seattle	Ronnell Lewis	DE/OLB	Oklahoma
He may not be the best fit in Seattle’s scheme, but Ronnell Lewis can get to the quarterback and that is what the Seahawks need.
44	Kansas City	Alameda Ta’amu	DT	Washington
Alameda Ta’amu went under the radar during his collegiate career, but he is big lineman who can make a huge impact right away.
45	Dallas	Andre Branch	DE	Clemson
The Cowboys can keep building up their defensive line by adding Andre Branch.
46	Philadelphia	Shea McClellin	DE/OLB	Boise State
At some point Philadelphia has to pick up a linebacker and Shea McClellin is the best on the board at this point in the draft.
47	New York Jets	Zebrie Sanders	OT	Florida State
The Jets have some issues, but if the quarterback situation is going to work with Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow, they’ll need a new right tackle.
48	New England (from Oak)	Mike Adams	OT	Ohio State
Mike Adams is a great talent at this point in the draft. While others take safer picks, the Patriots can take a slightly bigger chance on Adams.
49	San Diego	Bobby Massie	OT	Mississippi
San Diego needs a new offensive tackle and Bobby Massie is the best on the board.
50	Chicago	George Bryan	TE	North Carolina State
George Bryan is a superb all-around tight end and the Bears could use an extra blocker who can get out and catch some passes.
51	Philadelphia (from Ari)	Jayron Hosley	CB	Virginia Tech
Jayron Hosley is a fine cornerback and should not last past the second round.
52	Tennessee	Mohamed Sanu	WR	Rutgers
Now Tennessee can grab a wide receiver and Mohamed Sanu is a very solid prospect who has the skill to be a great NFL receiver.
53	Cincinnati	Lamar Miller	RB	Miami (FL)
Lamar Miller is the third best back on the board and he could easily fall this far.
54	Detroit	Nate Potter	OT	Boise State
The Lions need more help on the line and few have more experience than Boise State’s Nate Potter.
55	Atlanta	Matt Reynolds	OT	Brigham Young
The Falcons need a running back, but they also need to help out the running backs they have with an influx of talent on the line.
56	Pittsburgh	Kevin Zeitler	G	Wisconsin
Kevin Zeitler is a smart, talented guard who will be a great fit in Pittsburgh.
57	Denver	Kendall Reyes	DT	Connecticut
Kendall Reyes is shooting up draft boards and he keeps creeping his way closer and closer to the first round.
58	Houston	Bruce Irvin	DE	West Virginia
Houston got their wide receiver. Now it is time to pick up some help on the other side of the ball.
59	New Orleans (forfeit)

60	Green Bay	Jared Crick	DT	Nebraska
Jared Crick slipped after dealing with injuries during his senior season, but he can play on the end for Green Bay and get to the quarterback.
61	Baltimore	Casey Hayward	CB	Vanderbilt
Casey Hayward has been overlooked for much of his collegiate career, but he is a great corner and certainly worthy of a second round selection.
62	San Francisco	Ryan Miller	G/OT	Colorado
The 49ers need help on the right side of their line. Whether he ends up at guard or tackle, Ryan Miller will at least add some quality depth.
63	New England	Vinny Curry	DE	Marshall
The Patriots can keep building up their defense with their fourth pick in the first two rounds.
64	New York Giants	Coby Fleener	TE	Stanford
The Giants do not have many options at tight end, so grabbing one of the few good ones in this class is not a bad idea.

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Joel Welser NFL Mock Draft – 15 April 2012

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