The SB Nation two-round NFL mock draft continues along with each lead NFL team blogger making the pick for their team. Up now is the San Diego Chargers with the No. 18 overall pick.
2012 SB Nation NFL Mock Draft: Round 1, Pick 18
With the 18th pick in the 2012 SB Nation NFL Writers Mock Draft, the San Diego Chargers select Alabama safety Mark Barron.
Bolts from the Blue writer Wonko breaks down his pick and I respond after the jump. For more on the Chargers, make sure to check out BoltsFromTheBlue.com. They do some good draft work throughout the year.
Wonko explains: The plan with this pick after all the free agency moves was to go best player available. Mark Barron is that guy. The scouts over at Bolts From The Blue have been watching Barron closely since the beginning of the 2010 season. He’s shown himself to a be a good playermaker, great at diagnosing plays and very good in run support. The Chargers have a prospect in Darrell Stuckey ready to take over the SS position, but Barron is a better talent. The Chargers need a player like that playing next to Pro Bowler Eric Weddle and helping out their corners who got exposed at times last year. One of the team’s top priorities for the offseason was fixing their defense so that they are no longer last in the league on 3rd downs. This is a step in that direction.
Dan Kadar responds: As the draft approaches, this is a pick that is starting to gain momentum. At his pro day workout, Barron answered questions about his athleticism and health. So now it comes down to how General Manager A.J. Smith has his board set. Is there a pass rusher out there more highly rated than Barron (particularly in this mock scenario)? Will he go against his draft history and take an offensive lineman in the first round? If the answer to both questions is "no," then Barron is a good, logical pick. He's an all-around corner with experience playing near the box and dropping in coverage. In a league that is utilizing the tight end more, Barron could be a weapon on defense.
Mocking the Draft's Top 5 Remaining Prospects
| OVR | Name | Pos. | College | Report |
| 7 | Dre Kirkpatrick | CB | Alabama | scouting report |
| 12 | Devon Still | DT | Penn State | prospect notes |
| 15 | Michael Brockers | DT | LSU | scouting report |
| 16 | Dont'a Hightower | MLB | Alabama | scouting report |
| 17 | Michael Floyd | WR | Notre Dame | scouting report |
| Pick | Team | Player | Pos. | School | Story |
| 1 | Indianapolis Colts | Andrew Luck | QB | Stanford | Story |
| 2 | Washington Redskins | Robert Griffin III | QB | Baylor | Story |
| 3 | Minnesota Vikings | Matt Kalil | OT | USC | Story |
| 4 | Cleveland Browns | Justin Blackmon | WR | Oklahoma State | Story |
| 5 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Morris Claiborne | CB | LSU | Story |
| 6. | St. Louis Rams | Trent Richardson | RB | Alabama | Story |
| 7 | Jacksonville Jaguars | Quinton Coples | DE | North Carolina | Story |
| 8 | Miami Dolphins | Ryan Tannehill | QB | Texas A&M | Story |
| 9 | Carolina Panthers | Fletcher Cox | DT | Mississippi State | Story |
| 10 | Buffalo Bills | Mike Adams | OT | Ohio State | Story |
| 11 | Kansas City Chiefs | Riley Reiff | OT | Iowa | Story |
| 12 | Seattle Seahawks | Courtney Upshaw | OLB | Alabama | Story |
| 13 | Arizona Cardinals | Jonathan Martin | OT | Stanford | Story |
| 14 | Dallas Cowboys | David DeCastro | G | Stanford | Story |
| 15 | Philadelphia Eagles | Luke Kuechly | LB | Boston College | Story |
| 16 | New York Jets | Melvin Ingram | DE | South Carolina | Story |
| 17 | Cincinnati Bengals | Stephon Gilmore | CB | South Carolina | Story |
| 18 | San Diego Chargers | Mark Barron | S | Alabama | Story |
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