I conducted a mock draft for SBNation.com, and it should surprise no one that my mock is just a tad on the WTF ARE YOU THINKING side of things.
2012 NFL Mock Draft: Draft Order Is Set
For the first overall pick, there is nothing dramatic. The No. 1 overall pick is Andrew Luck, who will be the No. 1 overall pick in 2012's real draft. It's immediately after Luck where things get interesting.
For those fans who think some of my selections after No. 1 are completely ridiculous, please know that I made them based on what I think is best for that particular team. I also firmly believe that this is now a league owned by quarterbacks and pass rushers, and that all other positions are secondary. If you are a franchise looking to begin a new era in a draft that features some truly great first-round talent, those are the positions you are targeting.
Overall, the deepest positions in the draft are corner, wide receiver and running back, although running back is no longer considered a position that warrants a first-round selection. The top back in the NFL this year, Arian Foster, went undrafted out of Tennessee, and the Buffalo Bills, who have taken running backs in the top 12 of the draft twice in the last five years, have undrafted Fred Jackson as their starter.
Note: Writers Matt Grecco and Dan Kadar assisted me with this mock, but don’t blame them. They tried to talk me out of the more insane selections.
Selections after the jump.
1. Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Luck is reportedly already taking his marching orders from the Colts. With Peyton Manning likely to get released soon, "Suck for Luck" will be complete and the new era in Indianapolis will officially begin.
2. St. Louis Rams, Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
Most mocks have St. Louis trading this pick, and perhaps that is the smart thing to do. For the sake of being different, I'll be the one who says the Rams don't trade, and the reason is that they love Justin Blackmon. While the conventional wisdom is the Rams need O-line help, they do still have Rodger Saffold (who struggled with injuries in 2011 after a very impressive rookie season in 2010) and Harvey Dahl, whom Pro Football Focus rated as the best blocking tackle in football. QBs like Sam Bradford need big play wide receivers just as much as they need offensive linemen. Maybe more so.
3. Washington Redskins, Robert Griffin III, Baylor (projected trade with Minnesota)
The Redskins might have let the cat out of the bag by spilling their plans to sign Peyton Manning. Personally, I don't think Manning views Washington, playing his brother twice a year, as that attractive of a destination. Thus, the Redskins trade draft picks to take RG3. Griffin is perfect for the Shanahan bootleg offense. The Vikings get Washington's first- and second-rounders this year, plus multiple picks next year.
4. Cleveland Browns, Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
Cleveland opts to stay put at No. 4, and they still manage to draft a quarterback that could lead them to a brighter future. Tannehill in the top five probably has many of you scratching your heads, but after watching teams reach for Christian Ponder and Jake Locker last year, the importance of a quarterback with any kind of upside cannot be overestimated in the modern NFL. This is especially true in Cleveland, where the QB situation is a joke. Tannehill is a rhythm passer who is good at throwing intermediate routes, which is ideal for Cleveland's West Coast offense. He's already the consensus third-best quarterback in the draft, and you are fooling yourself if you think he's going to still be on the board at pick No. 22. Again, before Browns fans crucify me with this selection, please note that nobody had Ponder and Locker going top 15 in last year's draft. Conventional wisdom is that Cleveland will take Trent Richardson here if they don't trade, and maybe that's the smart play. But I think Mike Holmgren absolutely cannot leave the 2012 draft without a franchise QB.
5. Arizona Cardinals, Matt Kalil, OT, USC (projected trade with Tampa Bay)
The Bucs benefit from teams getting QB crazy early in the draft. They already have Donald Penn locked up with a long-term deal, and with Kalil still on the board, a team like the Cardinals might just be willing to move up to get him, especially if they manage to lure Peyton Manning to the desert. Unlike years past, top-five rookies cost less money. Thus, there is more incentive to trade. Tampa Bay is looking for pieces to improve the team overall, especially on defense. Arizona needs talent on their O-line, which was putrid last season.
6. Minnesota Vikings, Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU (proposed trade with Washington)
Yes, the Vikings need O-line help, and they can get it in the second round (or earlier). First and foremost, though, head coach Leslie Frazier is a defensive-minded guy, and the Vikings' pass defense was 10 kinds of awful last season, surrendering 28 points per game while opposing quarterbacks completed 68 percent of their passes. Claiborne is a playmaker, snatching six interceptions in 2011 for the LSU Tigers and 11 in his college career. He's exactly what the Minnesota defense needs to get back to doing what Frazier wants them to do.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars, Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
Jaguars GM Gene Smith doesn't care what you think. He reached for Tyson Alualu in 2010, and he'll do the same here. As Tony Pauline of Sports Illustrated recently pointed out, Wright is considered by some teams to be a better WR prospect than Blackmon. With Peyton Manning likely gone from the AFC South, the need for defense in Jacksonville is no longer paramount. The new NFL is about pass, pass and pass some more. Wright gives Gabbert someone dynamic to whom he can pass the football.
8. Cincinnati Bengals, Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama (proposed trade with Carolina)
The Bengals have two first-rounders this year, and with Richardson slipping out of the top five, they opt to send their 17th and 53rd selections, plus a sixth-rounder, to Carolina for the eighth overall pick, which they use on Richardson. Cincy has a need at corner, what with Nate Clements being old and Leon Hall being hurt. However, the free-agent market for corners is deep, and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer knows how to squeeze blood from a stone at that position. With QB Andy Dalton maturing into a potentially elite passer, it only makes sense to surround him with elite talent on offense. Richardson is that kind of talent.
9. Miami Dolphins, Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
The Dolphins need a quarterback, and the hiring of former Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin as their new head coach has some speculating that free agent QB Matt Flynn will join his former coach in sunny Florida. This means the Dolphins can focus their attention on getting some pass rushers for their new 4-3 base defense. Pre-Combine, Coples is considered the top pass rusher in the draft, and teaming him with Cameron Wake could mean trouble for AFC East quarterbacks like Tom Brady.
10. Buffalo Bills, Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
Like the Dolphins, the Bills are switching back to a 4-3 scheme on defense. These means guys like Courtney Upshaw don't fit. When Buffalo lost DT Kyle Williams last year, the defense (and their team overall) fell apart. Not again. Adding Brockers would take pressure off Williams, and allow the Bills to solidify the interior of their defense.
2012 NFL Mock Draft: Quarterbacks At The Top
For the rest of of mock, visit SB Nation and heckle my idiocy there.
As always, thanks for mocking.
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