Ray's 2012 NFL Mock Draft (10/19/11)
Midseason 2012 NFL Mock Draft
1. Miami Dolphins: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
The Dolphins should win the proverbial Andrew Luck sweepstakes as they probably won’t win more than 2 games all season long. The Dolphins need a quarterback and they have since Dan Marino retired. There has been a crazy carousel in Miami at the quarterback position that has included guys like A.J. Feely, Jay Fielder, Ray Lucas and Gus Frerotte amongst others. Luck is the real deal but people need to understand that while he is a huge prospect he isn’t any bigger than Peyton Manning was when he came out.
2. Denver Broncos: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
Coples got caught up in the North Carolina mess but was found to have nothing to do with that mess. Coples is an imposing figure who moved from defensive tackle to defensive end last season and is good against both the run and can rush the passer. He had 10 sacks in 2010 but has seen a lot of double teams and with the amount of players that UNC has lost for a variety of reasons has him at only 2.5 so far this year.
3. Indianapolis Colts: Dre’ Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
It’s not often that a cornerback gets drafted in the Top 5 much less the Top 3 but the Colts needs don’t exactly coincide with what is available. Kirkpatrick is a big, tall and physically imposing cornerback with good speed. Kirkpatrick has the ability to be a shutdown corner and while he doesn’t fit exactly the Colts desires he is a solid choice.
4. St. Louis Rams: Matt Kalil, OT, USC
The Rams have tried to invest a lot into their tackles but Sam Bradford is just spending too much time on his back. Tyron Smith was an immediate starter for the Cowboys after being selected 9th overall in 2011 but played the right tackle position at USC because of Matt Kalil. Kalil is a legitimate left tackle capable of holding the position down for years to come and protecting the Rams biggest investment (Sam Bradford). This is almost a necessity pick.
5. Seattle Seahawks: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
I am hoping Pete Carroll realizes that Tarvaris Jackson or Charlie Whitehurst aren’t the answer at quarterback and they go out and draft a legitimate prospect. Landry Jones is in the shadow of Andrew Luck but he has the capability of being a star in the NFL. If Jones were in the 2011 NFL Draft he would have been my #1 ranked quarterback.
6. Carolina Panthers: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan St.
Many who have watched the Spartans closely know that Worthy has had a somewhat slow start. That is until recently when he really showed up against Ohio St. and dominated the line of scrimmage. Worthy’s stock may have slide but it’s going to rebound. The Panthers brought in two defensive tackles via the 2011 NFL draft but neither are of the caliber of Worthy.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina
The Jaguars need some playmakers on the outside and Mike Thomas is a nice player but he is much more of a #2 or s slot receiver. Jeffery has good height and speed and has put up some very good numbers. He will go ahead of Justin Blackmon because of his height and strength even though Blackmon is a more complete receiver.
8. Minnesota Vikings: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
The Vikings expected to have Bryant McKinnie playing left tackle for them but when his weight ballooned this offseason the Vikings let him go. Their offensive line has been suspect before but with the loss of McKinnie they are in need of younger replacement. Martin is an exceptional left tackle prospect who has one of the most daunting tasks in college football in protecting the blindside of the biggest prospect in over a decade.
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Matt Barkley, QB, USC
Matt Barkley has taken a huge step forward this year and solidified himself as a legitimate top 10 prospect in the NFL Draft. He has solid arm strength and has really improved his accuracy this season. It appears his decision making is better and USC has less talented players surrounding their quarterback this season than they have in the past 10 years. Matt Cassel isn’t the answer for the Chiefs and they need to move on.
10. Arizona Cardinals: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
The Cardinals offensive line is terrible and they have not really tried to fix it via the draft or free agency. Reiff is a big imposing tackle who can play the left or right side and is better right now than Levi Brown or Brandon Keith. He is athletic and could actually stand to put a few pounds on his frame.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
Dennard is on the smaller side but there were a lot of scouts clamoring about how Dennard was a better cornerback than Prince Amukamara. Dennard stands at 5’10” which could hurt his draft stock but he is smart, instinctive player with good physical ability. He should fit well into Tampa’s defense.
12. Chicago Bears: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma St.
Everyone in Chicago likes to blame Jay Cutler but how about giving Cutler a legitimate wide receiver. Blackmon is such a complete receiver with such explosive ability that he is definitely worthy of being selected in the Top 5. He won’t stand out at the Combine but he will on the film. He should be an instant starter for the Bears in 2012.
13. Cincinnati Bengals: Zach Brown, LB, North Carolina
Zach Brown is another player who I figures stock will rise the closer it gets to draft time. He is a very good tackler and is solid in coverage. He also has 2.5 sacks up to this point and could play at any linebacker spot. The Bengals could use another athletic linebacker to cover the field.
14. Cleveland Browns: Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson
The Browns will most likely take the best player on the board and right now Thompson looks to be a pretty safe bet. He has a ton of talent and is good against the run. The Browns are still making changes from the 3-4 to 4-3 and attempting to implement the correct personnel.
15. Philadelphia Eagles: Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona St.
The Eagles have a lot of little issues that make up two big problems. One is they can’t protect their quarterback and the other is they can’t play defense. Part of both of these problems is scheme but they don’t have any really good linebackers. No one is flying up draft boards like Burfict who figures to be a early first round pick come April.
16. Tennessee Titans: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
Claiborne is another high riser and part of it is due in large part to the LSU defense as a whole. Claiborne has good size and speed and it’s a good draft year for cornerbacks (or at least its shaping up to be). The Titans could use some help next to Cortland Finnegan.
17. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor
I am not a Rex Grossman believer and I don’t know who really is other than maybe Mike Shanahan at this point but the Redskins will need to find a quarterback who can take them over the top. I know there aren’t a lot of people on the Robert Griffin bandwagon but I am one of them. Baylor’s offense caters to Griffin putting up good numbers but he is completing over 80% of his passes and regardless of the offense that’s a good completion percentage. He has thrown 19 touchdowns to 1 interception at this point and is showing very good decision making. I truly believe that Griffin has shown some serious potential and is worthy of a first round selection.
18. New York Jets: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Richardson had some subpar performances early on but has really picked it up as of late and looks like a game changer. He has a good combination of speed and power and is exactly what the Jets offense needs. Shonn Greene isn’t the answer and is not the complete back that Richardson is.
19. New York Giants: Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College
The Giants are another team that really needs to improve their linebackers and have for awhile. Kuechly is a smart, instinctive player with good intangibles. He is definitely capable of being a very productive middle linebacker in the NFL.
20. Buffalo Bills: Andrew Datko, OT, Florida St.
The Bills offensive line gets a lot of negative attention even though they have performed pretty well this season. However, none of their linemen are dominate and Datko has the ability to be a dominate offensive tackle.
21. Cleveland Browns (from ATL): Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
Colt McCoy has a ton of promise but needs to have some weapons to throw to. Mohammed Massaquoi is a nice player but not an elite #1 and Greg Little is showing signs of promise early on but also has a ways to go. Michael Floyd has put some of his past behind him and is putting together a productive season.
22. Cincinnati Bengals (from OAK): Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia
I am a big Chase Minnifield fan and think that he could easily be the top cornerback in this draft. The NFL Advisory Board gave him a second round grade last season and he decided to go back to school, work on his game and become a first round selection. Minnifield understands the game and has the ability to stick with any receiver.
23. Dallas Cowboys: Jared Crick, DE, Nebraska
Crick recently suffered a season ending injury but he could be back in time a lot of predraft workouts. Crick is a workhorse and an ideal fit in the 3-4 as a five technique. The Cowboys need to fix their defensive line and getting a high motor guy like Crick.
24. San Diego Chargers: Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama
Upshaw is another guy that I really like although I think he will go somewhere from the middle of the first to the middle of the second round. Upshaw is an ideal fit in the 3-4 and can play either inside or outside. He is a big play maker on the defensive side and is always near the ball.
25. Pittsburgh Steelers: Levy Adcock, OT, Oklahoma St.
It’s no secret that the Steelers offensive line is not that good. They brought back Max Starks after not playing a down for 11 months. The Steelers need to draft some young offensive tackles and Adcock is a solid player who may never be great but should be a solid starter.
26. San Francisco 49ers: Donte Paige-Moss, DE/ OLB, North Carolina
Paige-Moss is a very high upside who has been somewhat disappointing so far this season. After recording 7 sacks last year he only has 1 sack through 6 games in 2011. His talent could eventually translate especially as a pass rusher and the 49ers could use some additional help getting to the quarterback.
27. Houston Texans: Alameda Ta’amu, DT, Washington
Most 3-4 teams have a dominate nose tackle which is something the Texans are lacking. Alameda Ta’amu is a perfect fit as a nose tackle. He gets very good leverage and uses his size to his advantage. He would be a big addition to the Texans defensive line.
28. New England Patriots (from NO): Brandon Jenkins, DE/OLB, Florida St.
The Patriots aren’t sure themselves who they really are on defensive but one thing that is for sure is that they can’t get to the quarterback. Jenkins could work out very well in the Patriots hybrid defense as he can play either defensive end of outside linebacker depending on the scheme.
29. Detroit Lions: Travis Lewis, LB, Oklahoma
Travis Lewis is a guy who just didn’t seem to get any better as his career went on after he had a great freshmen campaign at Oklahoma. Lewis hasn’t played yet due to injury but could very well come back and make a huge impact for the Sooners. I think he will rebound and end up as a first round pick because of his instincts.
30. New England Patriots: Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia
The Patriots like to draft offensive linemen and they could use some youth on the interior of the line. Glenn is a guy that could be draft in the middle of the first round as we have seen offensive interior linemen going higher in the draft in recent years.
31. Baltimore Ravens: Dont’a Hightower, LB, Alabama
The Ravens need some depth at the linebacker position and Ray Lewis can’t play forever. Hightower is an ideal fit as an inside linebacker for the Ravens system. He is big, quick and most importantly fully recovered from his ACL injury. Hightower could be a guy draft much higher if he continues to play at this level the rest of the season.
32. Green Bay Packers: LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
Exactly what the Packers need, another explosive offensive weapon. James stature hurts his draft stock but his speed and quickness are uncanny. We have seen running backs his size be very successful in the NFL and I really like James as an asset for a team that likes to pass the ball as much as the Packers do.
