2012 mock draft, take four

AP

1. Colts: Andrew Luck, quarterback, Stanford.

This is one of two picks we know for sure.

2. Redskins: Robert Griffin III, quarterback, Baylor.

This is the other.

3. Vikings: Morris Claiborne, cornerback, LSU.

This looks like the probable pick if the Vikes can’t trade out.

4. Browns: Trent Richardson, running back, Alabama.

Cleveland takes the best player available at No. 4.

5. Bucs: Stephon Gilmore, cornerback, South Carolina.

Some pro evaluators rate Gilmore ahead of Claiborne.

6. Rams: Matt Kalil, tackle, USC.

St. Louis can’t pass on the franchise left tackle.

7. Jaguars: Justin Blackmon, receiver, Oklahoma State.

Jacksonville shores up its receiver corps with this pick.

8. Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, quarterback, Texas A&M.

Picking Tannehill gives G.M. Jeff Ireland some job security.

9. Panthers: Fletcher Cox, defensive tackle, Mississippi State.

Carolina addresses its biggest need on both sides of the ball.

10. Bills: Mark Barron, safety, Alabama.

Teams seem to envision Barron as a Sean Taylor type.

11. Chiefs: Dont’a Hightower, linebacker, Alabama.

Hightower is a thumping “Ted” linebacker with versatility.

12. Seahawks: Luke Kuechly, linebacker, Boston College.

Seattle prides itself on defense, and Kuechly is a safe pick.

13. Cardinals: Riley Reiff, tackle, Iowa.

Cardinals line coach Russ Grimm will love Reiff’s game.

14. Cowboys: Michael Brockers, defensive tackle, LSU.

Brockers will play five-technique end in Dallas’ system.

15. Eagles: Chandler Jones, defensive end, Syracuse.

Teams are smitten with Jones’ length and non-stop motor.

16. Jets: Melvin Ingram, linebacker, South Carolina.

Coach Rex Ryan isn’t worried about Ingram’s short arms.

17. Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick, cornerback, Alabama.

Kirkpatrick is a younger version of Nate Clements.

18. Chargers: David DeCastro, guard, Stanford.

The Bolts stop DeCastro’s slide near the end of the teens.

19. Bears: Whitney Mercilus, defensive end, Illinois.

Mercilus is relentless, and plays a need spot in Chicago.

20. Titans: Cordy Glenn, guard, Georgia.

Tennessee is emphasizing improved interior run blocking.

21. Bengals: Courtney Upshaw, defensive end, Alabama.

The Bengals’ defensive staff scores its coveted pass rusher.

22. Browns: Michael Floyd, receiver, Notre Dame.

Floyd falls, but he addresses a big weakness in Cleveland.

23. Lions: Jonathan Martin, tackle, Stanford.

The Lions have had eyes for Martin since January.

24. Steelers: Dontari Poe, defensive tackle, Memphis.

Pittsburgh pounces on this massive, high-upside project.

25. Broncos: Doug Martin, running back, Boise State.

Denver is in win-now mode, and Martin is NFL ready.

26. Texans: Kendall Wright, receiver, Baylor.

The game tape is too good for Wright to fall any further.

27. Patriots: Shea McClellin, linebacker, Boise State.

McClellin’s versatile, high-effort profile is a great fit here.

28. Packers: Bruce Irvin, linebacker, West Virginia.

Irvin is a sub-package rusher, but he flies off the edge.

29. Ravens: Rueben Randle, receiver, LSU.

He’ll be Ozzie Newsome’s highest-rated player at this point.

30. 49ers: Amini Silatolu, guard, Midwestern State.

The Niners do well with mauling, small-school guards.

31. Patriots: Brandon Boykin, cornerback, Georgia.

Boykin is a difference maker in the slot and on returns.

32. Giants: Quinton Coples, defensive end, North Carolina.

The rich get richer when Coples slides to the champs.

93 responses to “2012 mock draft, take four

  1. Hightower ahead of Kuechly?? Don’t see this happening…. Vikes take Claiborne instead of Kalil? Don’t see that happening.
    Also don’t see Denver taking Doug Martin in the 1st round.

  2. Wow the more I look at this mock… the more I laugh…
    What a joke!! Coples to the Giants?? haha!
    Whoever did this needs a new job. I’ll switch him jobs.

  3. Oh NFL, how do you fill 7 months off season?

    Mock drafts after mock drafts.

    Bring on 18 games season. Cut the off season because this is getting boring.

  4. When you guys do these mock drafts its always really clear really quickly that you don’t watch a whole lot of anything other than profootball. It really does feel like you pick a random name from a hat sometimes.

  5. Not sure that I agree with the Ravens going WR in the first round after taking Smith and Doss last year.

    Also NE seems to have needs along the DL and at DB significantly more so than at LB.

  6. 6. Rams: Matt Kalil, tackle, USC.

    St. Louis can’t pass on the franchise left tackle.
    ————————————————-
    Like the “franchise” tackle they drafted 1st overall about 3 years ago (Jason Smith)

  7. Browns win with the Richardson / Floyd combo while my Bengals choke on the Alabama combination of Upshaw and Kirkpatrick. Upshaw is too small for a 4-3 DE and Kirkpatrick is more suited to Tampa 2 teams. Neither seem to fit Zimmer’s scheme.

  8. This is ridiculous hightower before kuechly? seriously? and no way floyd drops that far

  9. With Peter Konz and Stephen Hill still available you really think Reuben Randle is going to be Ozzie Newsome’s highest rated player left? Wow

  10. I know this mock draft is based on purely speculative reasoning, but how in the hell can you have the bengals passing up on Decastro at #17 with their current depth at the position? I think the Bengals sprint, not walk, to the podium if he is still there when they pick

  11. How many touchdowns is Matt Kalil going to catch for the Rams? They have a Left Tackle and just re-structured Jason Smith’s contract. They’re taking Blackmon. Case closed.

  12. If the Browns come out of the draft with Richardson and Floyd there might actually be something in Cleveland that hasn’t been seen in a long time: hope.

  13. Evan,

    This mock draft is not good.

    The BC linebacker L Kuechly is not going to last till 12.

    Michael Floyd is not going to be available at 22.

    And Bruce Irvin, linebacker, West Virginia going to the Packers in the first round??

    Spend more time doing research, less time typing up mock drafts not worth reading.

  14. How do you come up with these mock drafts? In your first one you say Kuechly is going at the end of the first because “the league devalues LBs”. Now you have Hightower going ahead of him at 11 and Kuechly at 12, care to explain your logic?

  15. ——————————————-
    17. Bengals: Dre Kirkpatrick, cornerback, Alabama.

    Kirkpatrick is a younger version of Nate Clements.

    21. Bengals: Courtney Upshaw, defensive end, Alabama.

    The Bengals’ defensive staff scores its coveted pass rusher.
    ——————————————————

    You guys make me sad,Passing on David DeCastro where Right Guard is the biggest hole on our team…
    I’d much rather see em go Decastro and then hope Kirkpatrick is there at 21….

    I don’t mind Upshaw but I’m happy with our top 3 ENDS and just need find someone for depth/possible bright future so would prefer it come later in the draft.

  16. Best Mock Draft I have ever seen
    Browns get the best Running Back and the Best Receiver!
    WOW we could win 7 to 10 games if that draft happens!!

  17. Chargers will not pick O-Line unless everyone else on their list is off the board, & that is unlikely to happen @18. I think that is a need, but greater needs are at SS & front 7. Tyronne Green is expected to play at guard & he deserves it. I would suspect that Barron’s stock has risen too much to trade up, so it’s either Harrison Smith at safety (Chargers need a SS!), or pass rusher like Mercilus. But pass rush is not as big a need as they still have Phillips, Barnes, LaBoy & a healthy English, so that is overhyped. I would draft for pass rush or O-Line in 2nd rd, best player left on board.

  18. How does drafting a giant bust give Ireland job security? That guy got Big Sherm fired at aggy

  19. Lions on the clock…

    GM: “Ahhhh.”

    Employee: “Sir, we are running out of time.”

    GM: “Which guy left smokes the most weed?”

  20. There’s no way Nick Perry falls to the second round. Evan Silva, man your trippinn with this mock

  21. I don’t see KC taking Hightower..maybe Kuechly..

    Somewhere at 1 Arrowhead Drive…I think they are looking at Michael Brockers or even hoping for a trade down.

  22. ramitbaby says:
    Apr 25, 2012 7:16 PM

    How many touchdowns is Matt Kalil going to catch for the Rams? They have a Left Tackle and just re-structured Jason Smith’s contract. They’re taking Blackmon. Case closed.

    ________________________

    Case reopened. How many touchdowns if Sam going to throw with his face planted in the ground? Zero. Jason Smith sucks and the fact that they restructured his contract doesn’t make him any better.

    But hey, let’s just turn Sam into David Carr……

  23. Clearly, Profootballtalk is making a mockery out of the mock draft…hence the word “mock” in the title.

  24. “10. Bills: Mark Barron, safety, Alabama.

    Teams seem to envision Barron as a Sean Taylor type.”

    That’s funny because less than a week ago Barron seemed to be unanimously viewed as later first round even possible high second round pick.

    Sean Taylor was a top 10 lock the moment he declared. When you draw up a safety on paper, Sean Taylor is the prototype you come up with. ST was also a free safety at his size, not a strong safety. In fact his worse season as a pro was when he was moved to strong safety even though he had 111 tackles.

    Barron is a strong safety, maybe you could get by with him in certain packages in coverage or use him as a FS/SS hybrid but there is a reason he hasn’t been talked about much until now. He didn’t suddenly get better but this is the time when teams try to hype up and smoke up the board to create some uncertainty.

  25. gmen4life33 says:
    Apr 25, 2012 7:38 PM
    Lions on the clock…

    GM: “Ahhhh.”

    Employee: “Sir, we are running out of time.”

    GM: “Which guy left smokes the most weed?”
    ____________________________________

    Did you want to follow that up with something about how they always take receivers in the 1st round? Maybe stop beating that dead horse and try to come up with a fresh joke.

  26. Tannehill won’t be going to the Dolphins. Not at #8 anyway. Do you really think Jeff Ireland is that predicable? If they can trade out of the spot and pick up another 2nd or 3rd round pick, then maybe they take him between 16-20.

  27. It’s actually not nearly as bad as some of the comments are indicating, but. . . really, where did Hightower all the way up at eleven come from?? That just looks completely out of left field. I agree with everyone else that Floyd won’t last that long– some evaluators are asking whether he’s better than Blackmon.

    I’ve liked Gilmore all along, but not sure he’s enough of an impact guy to take quite that high. I guess it is a passing league, and this draft is very weak at the top once you get past the two quarterbacks. Richardson and Claiborne are strong players, for sure, but they don’t measure up well to the likes of Adrian Peterson and Patrick Peterson– and nobody thinks Kalil is as good as Joe Thomas. At least teams won’t get stuck paying quite such outrageous salaries this year– good thing, too. If I had a top ten pick, I’d still be fielding every offer to move down, though.

    JAX, MIA, CAR, SEA, AZ and DAL picks all look feasible, and pretty much all of 16-27 looks about right. I do think Coples falls– dude was painfully overrated as a top-ten projection. As a Denver fan, Doug Martin is my expectation for the pick. I don’t think we take a DT there– maybe an OT if they like Mike Adams, he fits the Fox prototype. I think Kirkpatrick would be their first choice, but it doesn’t look like he’ll be there. Cordy Glenn is another strong possibility if he’s available.

    I think you’re underrating Nick Perry– can’t see that many guys jumping past him. Ingram could develop into a terror in a couple years in the Jets scheme, if Rex remains the coach. I suspect the Niners might take Konz instead of Silatolu. He can play guard for a year or two, but Goodwin is 33– I doubt they pass up the chance to draft a natural replacement.

  28. lol….wow, just wow

    Really?!!!! Coples is going to last until 32?!!! LOL… That’s all I really have to see. If that guy actually survived until pick 23 I guarantee he has no chance to get by Detroit…lol

    Nice try on your draft anyways

  29. I’m all for anything can happen in a Draft or Mock Draft. I mean, Oakland did draft Heyward-Bey at #7(or maybe 9?)… Regardless, Gillmore at 5 is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen. Especially with Kalil and Blackmon on the board…

    Mr. Silva, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

    Besides that, not too bad…

  30. What is that, 13 of the first 32 picks are from one conference? That’s I guess everythng they say about the SEC is true.

  31. I really can’t see Green Bay taking Irvin in the first…. Seems like a bit of a reach.

  32. I think the Vikings will pick Kalil but there has years where teams have made head scratching choices and the boo birds rained down..I am sure that this year is not any different..just who is the team that it happens to this year??

  33. I still think Green Bay takes Harrison Smith at 29, especially since Nick Collins is now gone for sure.

    I also would not be surprised in the least to see Tannehill drop out of the first round completely. I just do not see what everyone sees in that guy.

  34. Why is Kalil considered a franchise LT? I am pretty sure he wouldn’t have been a top 3 LT in the last three drafts. If you draft Kalil in the top 10, you will be reaching. If you draft for need, you will lose out. Ask St Louis what happened when they drafter a LT for need in the top 3. The guy seems technically sufficient, but stiff off the snap. Nothing about the Pac 12 pass rush this year makes me believe this guy deserves a top ten player available grade.

  35. I disagree with the Bengals taking Upshaw in the first round. Where did we draft Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins, our two best younger D-line players? Rounds 3 and 4. Hopefully we’ll take Decastro and Stephen Hill, or Kendall Wright, and then steal Jenoris Jenkins in the second round.

  36. If Vikings screw the pooch and let Kalil pass, the Bucs will take him or trade around to get Keuchly. Then Josh Robinson in Rd. 2. Robinson better than Gilmore anyway.

  37. Agreed that neither of those seems the ideal scheme fit for the 5-Finger Discount D of Zimmer, although DK I suppose might do. Short arms & press coverage is not necessarily a match enough made in heaven. I have thought Gilmore would be more of their rd1 prototype but that’s looking like a pipe dream now.

    More likely presented this the room wages war on DeCastro vs Floyd & greedily pouncing on the other if still there @21 , keeping them away from the Brownies if nothing else.

  38. lol, u must be a giants fan if u think Coples falls to 32. he wont fall past the bears, at worst. no way Irvin is a 1st rd pick.

  39. If the Eagles draft a DE, I will rip a hole in the universe. Talk about people who just don’t understand their own needs. I can maybe accept going DT over LB, but don’t you dare try to justify that DE is the best move, when we have two DEs already that are basically pro-bowlers.

  40. No on Brockers to Cowboys and least I hope not, he will in no way improve our pass defense. Our run defense wasnt the problem it was coverage, and non-existent pressure.

  41. I think Keuchly is a very possible pick for Seattle…but not if the board breaks the way it does in the first 11 picks.

    No question he’s worthy of the pick. He fills a need (especially given concerns around Ruud’s health) and would play right away. But if there are guys like Ingram or Coples just sitting there….or if someone makes a trade offer whereby they can get Mercilius, Jones, or Perry and an extra pick…I think Seattle would go that direction. The need for pass rush outside Clemons is just too great to ignore.

    Two ILBs going before the top two rated pass-rushers in the draft…I’ll believe it when I see it.

  42. Chargers will not pick O-Line unless everyone else on their list is off the board, & that is unlikely to happen @18. I think that is a need, but greater needs are at SS & front 7. Tyronne Green is expected to play at guard & he deserves it. I would suspect that Barron’s stock has risen too much to trade up, so it’s either Harrison Smith at safety (Chargers need a SS!), or pass rusher like Mercilus. But pass rush is not as big a need as they still have Phillips, Barnes, LaBoy & a healthy English, so that is overhyped. I would draft for pass rush or O-Line in 2nd rd, best player left on board.

    I like the sound of taking Smith. I’m a Notre Dame fan and I’ve never seen the guy miss a tackle. I’ve also read that the Chargers have interest in moving up, and if the could get Gilmore, that would be amazing. he’s just an athlete. he’d really help in special teams as well. and try for LaMichael James in a later round to replace Sproles’ absence. just food for thought.

  43. Hey guys- I wanna throw out a pick that no one has really talked about yet. Marshall Manning at #8 to the Dolphins. He might take a while to develop, but lets face it the Dolphins aren’t going anywhere for the next 20 years anyway. Plus, he isn’t old enough to tell the Dolphins no yet.

  44. lol who decided coples was sliding all the way to 32? is that a serious mock? so every other team that needs a pass rusher will pass on coples for melvin ingram chandler jones and whitney mercilus? come on really

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