SteVo's Final 2012 Mock Draft

[SteVo+ 3,702]

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck - QB - Stanford

 

No surprises here. In fact, GM Ryan Grigson has already confirmed this pick. It's unofficially official.

 

2. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III - QB - Baylor

 

Even less of a surprise here. Washington made that blockbuster trade to secure a franchise quarterback.

 

3. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson - RB - Alabama

Cleveland loves Trent Richardson so much they've actually secured a pre-draft trade to made sure they get him. Didn't see that one coming.

 

4. Minnesota Vikings: Morris Claiborne - CB - LSU

Few insiders are tapped into the NFL like Adam Schefter. For months he has been lukewarm about the Vikings selecting Matt Kalil in this spot, while the overwhelming majority of mock drafts have disagreed. Recall last year, when the mock majority had Denver taking Marcell Dareus with the second overall pick. Schefter was among the first to report that the Broncos would take Von Miller instead. So, GM Rick Spielman throws us a big curveball. And with that, the Vikings launch the 2012 draft into chaos.

 

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Matt Kalil - OT - USC

The Bucs face a worst-case scenario with Claiborne and Richardson, their top two targets, off the board. They try to trade down, but nobody is willing to offer enough to move up. Backed into a corner, the Bucs get themselves a true franchise left tackle, something Donald Penn is not.

 

6. St. Louis Rams: Fletcher Cox - DT - Mississippi State

 

The Rams take phone calls for this pick, but anyone who wants to jump Miami for Ryan Tannehill knows they can call Jacksonville to do so. Since they're staying put, the Rams take the highest impact player on their board, a guy who can be a true difference maker in the trenches. Isn't that what you want out of a top ten pick?

 

7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Stephon Gilmore - CB - South Carolina

Jacksonville fields phone calls like the Rams did, but they realize that no one really wants to trade up for Ryan Tannehill. So they stay put. Gilmore has the physical tools to warrant a first round pick, and just enough of a WTF element at seventh overall to make it a perfect fit for the Jags.

 

8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill - QB - Texas A&M

After the failure that was this offseason, the Dolphins aren't far from coming apart entirely and entering rebuilding mode. They need to come out of this draft with a quarterback. Interestingly, a detailed analysis of the Dolphins reveals that taking Tannehill here might actually be a bad decision long-term. That means Stephen Ross will do it.

 

9. Carolina Panthers: Michael Floyd - WR - Notre Dame

Steve Smith enjoyed a tremendous comeback season in 2011, but he won't be around for the majority of Cam Newton's career. The Panthers need a guy who will be, which is why a premiere receiver like Floyd, who could also be the BPA in this scenario, fits the bill for this pick. As for Floyd over Blackmon, scouts seem pretty divided over who is better, though there are more concerns about Blackmon's ceiling than Floyd's, and you don't draft a player with limited upside in the top ten.

 

10. Buffalo Bills: Mark Barron - SS - Alabama

Once again, the Schefter factor. Recent buzz suggests the Bills love Barron, and Schefter supports it. The Bills try to trade down before taking their guy, but are uneasy about fielding offers from the Eagles or Jets, since they think the Cowboys could snipe Barron from them. Without an offer they're comfortable with, they take their guy now.

 

11. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Kuechly - ILB - Boston College

 

The phone is ringing off the hook for Kansas City, but they're not swept off their feet by any offers, and they like Kuechly too much to give him up here. The fact that Scott Pioli wasn't afraid to draft a 3-4 DE third overall proves any concern about the diminished value of a non-rushing linebacker to be irrelevant in this spot.

 

12. Philadelphia Eagles (TRADE w/ Seahawks): Justin Blackmon - WR - Oklahoma State

 

Kuechly coming off the board lets Seattle trade down confidently, and that lets Andy Reid make the WTF pick of the entire first round. Jeremy Maclin is entering a contract year and has yet to break out, while DeSean Jackson is one concussion away from the end of his career. With Philly's top two plans of trading up for Fletcher Cox and Luke Kuechly foiled, they adjust on the fly and grab a playmaker who has fallen down the board.

 

13. New York Jets (TRADE w/ Cardinals): Melvin Ingram - DE/OLB - South Carolina

 

The Cardinals could have taken Ingram for themselves, but the Jets make a convincing offer, and with several attractive offensive linemen falling down the board, Arizona takes the deal and moves down. New York, meanwhile, gets the pass rusher they've needed for awhile.

 

14. Dallas Cowboys: Michael Brockers - DE/DT - LSU

 

They might have wanted Barron or Ingram, but with the way the board has fallen, Dallas still fills a need in getting some depth on the defensive line. David DeCastro keeps falling because the Cowboys signed Nate Livings, and because guards tend to be undervalued in the first round, no matter their ability.

 

15. Seattle Seahawks (TRADE w/ Eagles): David DeCastro - OG - Stanford

 

After moving down, Seattle does what they like to do in taking a guy who has fallen to them. In this case, DeCastro fills a huge need on the interior offensive line.

 

16. Arizona Cardinals (TRADE w/ Jets): Riley Reiff - OT/OG - Iowa

 

The trade down sacrificed a pass rusher, but the Cardinals fill what has been a huge need on the offensive line for too long. Reiff helps the offense immensely whether he winds up at LT or LG.

 

17. Cincinnati Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick - CB - Alabama

 

Cincinnati's biggest draft need is at cornerback, and Kirkpatrick's character concerns don't phase the Bengals organization for obvious reasons. Lost in a lot of draft talk, people have forgotten how good a prospect Kirkpatrick is.

 

18. San Diego Chargers: Whitney Mercilus - DE/OLB - Illinois

 

The Chargers want to trade down, but the few teams who have mild interest in moving up see enough talent still on the board to convince them to say put. So A.J. Smith continues to neglect the offensive line, instead trying again to replace Shawn Merriman, after whiffing on Larry English a few years ago.

 

19. Chicago Bears: Quinton Coples - DE - North Carolina

 

Coples is in for a slide on draft day, and the Bears seem like a good match for the team to finally take him off the board. With the last two picks, a big run on pass rushers is about to begin.

 

20. Tennessee Titans: Chandler Jones - DE - Syracuse

 

The phones are ringing for Tennessee, but they're not swept off their feet by any offer, and they feel really good about Jones, a prospect that mock drafts have just started getting caught up with.

 

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Courtney Upshaw - DE/OLB - Alabama

 

This is the Schefter factor again. A lot of sources have claimed the Bengals' interest in Upshaw is genuine, and Schefter believes it. More of an edge-setter than a pass-rusher, Upshaw should definitely be available here if the Bengals really want him. And another end/rush linebacker is off the board.

 

22. Denver Broncos (TRADE with Browns): Kendall Wright - WR - Baylor

 

Fearing the Browns may have taken Wright for themselves--and not wanting to leave the first round without a playmaker for Peyton Manning--the Broncos trade a mid-round pick to snag Manning's new target. Cleveland, meanwhile, adds another pick with the intention of targeting a pass rusher next.

 

23. Detroit Lions: Cordy Glenn - OT/OG - Georgia

 

For once, the Lions' BPA strategy actually works out, as the best player fills a huge need with pretty good value to boot. Similar to Reiff going to Arizona, Glenn is a huge boost either at LG or RT.

 

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dontari Poe - NT - Memphis

 

The Steelers love to draft their board, and seeing a possibility of making him the next Casey Hampton, they take Poe, who is very high on their board.

 

25. :Patriots: New England Patriots (TRADE w/ Browns): Nick Perry - DE/OLB - USC

 

The Browns move down again, seeing enough guys they still like on the board, and the Patriots get aggressive by moving up a few spots to get a guy Belichick really likes: one whose versatility fits New England's defense and whose pass rushing skills fill a big need.

 

26. Green Bay Packers (TRADE w/ Texans): Shea McClellin - DE/OLB - Boise State

 

Houston would have preferred for Kendall Wright to fall to him, but there's another receiver they figure they can get a few spots later. Ted Thompson, meanwhile, pulls a rare move by trading up, though it only costs him a late-round pick to slide up two slots. McClellin reminds you of Clay Matthews as a prospect, and the last time Ted Thompshon traded up for a pass rusher? Yep.

 

27. Cleveland Browns (TRADE w/ Patriots): Jonathan Martin - OT - Stanford

 

While their original plan was to draft a receiver with their second pick, the Browns instead move down a couple times, stockpile more picks, and add Martin, a guy who can play RT right away. And what better way to complement Trent Richardson's selection than getting a guy to block for him?

 

28. Houston Texans (TRADE w/ Packers): Stephen Hill - WR - Georgia Tech

 

After moving down a bit, the Texans add a prospect at the position they've wanted all along. Hill is raw but has a good chance to become a nice complement to Andre Johnson.

 

29. Baltimore Ravens: Dont'a Hightower - ILB - Alabama

With most of their primary targets off the board, Baltimore tries to work the phones, but with interest dying down, they grab a future replacement for Ray Lewis. As for concerns about Hightower's ability to play in a 4-3, leave that to Ray Ray.

 

30. San Francisco 49ers: Amini Siltolu - OG - Midwestern State

The 49ers turn some heads at the end of the first round by taking a player they've fallen in love with, hoping the small school guard will be the next Mike Iupati.

 

31. Indianapolis Colts (TRADE w/ Patriots): Coby Fleener - TE - Stanford

 

The Patriots succeed in trading out of the first round, and the Colts move up a mere two spots to draft Andrew Luck a target. And who better than a guy he played with at Stanford?

 

32. New York Giants: Peter Konz - C - Wisconsin

 

Backed into something of a corner with no prospects they love filling key needs and not enough trade interest since everybody's already called it a day, the Giants take the highest player left on their board. And there's nothing wrong with a little depth in the trenches.

Edited April 26, 2012 by SteVo

[AllYouNeedIsLovie 377]

Some interesting picks here, but not much I can complain about.

 

Although, I think the Browns take Hill over Martin and I don't think the Bears pass on Wright.

[Omerta+ 1,206]

I like the Raven's pick. I despise any mock that has us taking Konz.

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Packers trade up for Shea... Oh my fucking god. This mock sucks ass... But I +1 you for the craziness. lol

Edited April 25, 2012 by Favre4Ever

[SteVo+ 3,702]

Some interesting picks here, but not much I can complain about.

 

Although, I think the Browns take Hill over Martin and I don't think the Bears pass on Wright.

 

With their second pick, I see the Browns taking the highest player on their board that is an OL, WR, or DE. That very well could be Kendall Wright, but in this mock I had them trading down first.

 

I like the Raven's pick. I despise any mock that has us taking Konz.

 

I saw that there had been a lot of buzz suggesting the pick could be Konz; you think that's a smokescreen?

 

Packers trade up for Shea... Oh my fucking god. This mock sucks ass... But I +1 you for the craziness. lol

 

Not a fan of McClellin, eh? And yes, tomorrow night is going to be unpredictable, so I tend to just go crazy with my last mock. All it takes is one WTF pick or blockbuster trade, and there's a huge ripple effect. Should be fun to watch.