2012 NFL Draft Preview

            With the April 26-28th 2012 NFL Draft rapidly approaching, teams are beginning to narrow down the top collegiate talents on their respective draft boards. In regards to where certain players land year by year, it fluctuates. Teams need to have back up plans in case their top player gets picked a spot ahead of where they are slated to choose. This years' class is full of top tier talent, with quarterbacks and cornerbacks headlining its depth. Organizations need to be savvy and strategic with how and who they draft, to assure they are getting proper value at a given position. If a player, whose position is deep with other talent in the draft, gets drafted too early, teams may miss out on building their teams adequately. The Patriots are notorious for trading back into the draft to obtain future 1^st round picks while still plucking talented players in the 2^nd and 3^rd rounds. Between last year and this year, the Pats have had two 1st round picks. After drafting OT Nate Solder in 2011 17^th overall, they traded their second 1^st rounder (28th) to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for the Saints' 2011 2^nd round 56^th (which became RB Shane Vereen) and the Saints' 1^st rounder this year, which is the 27^th overall pick. The Pats also possess their own 2012 1^st round pick at #31. I will provide my own picks of the top 10 teams, out of the 32, in the following mock draft with analyses. In addition, I will take my best shot at who the Pats may be targeting at #27 and #31.

1. Indianapolis Colts: QB Andrew Luck, Stanford. Since management cut ties to future Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning, the talk has been all about drafting their next cornerstone of the franchise. Scouts have said Luck is the surest QB prospect since John Elway, and he all but matched 2011 offensive rookie of the year Cam Newton's 40 yard dash time (both ran a 4.59), broad jump, and vertical leap at the NFL combine. With the new breed of QBs becoming more and more athletic in the Newtons, Rodgers, and Griffins, teams have begun to search for QBs that can throw and scramble. Not only can Luck throw a great ball with accuracy (and did it in a pro-style offense at Stanford), he can run and create plays on the move. His athleticism is highly underrated and he will surely be a top QB in the NFL for the rebuilding Colts franchise through the next decade.
2.  Washington Redskins: QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor. Dubbed as a Michael Vick with superior arm strength, Griffin is expected to be the 2^nd QB taken in the draft after Luck, bringing an impressive resume as well. Griffin throws a flawless long ball with precision accuracy (better than Luck) and is the fastest QB in this year's draft, running a blistering 4.41 40 at the combine. Many experts believe it is a toss up between Griffin and Luck for the best QB, but the Colts love Luck's make up and size at 6'4" to Griffin's 6'2". Joe Gibbs and Mike Shannahan are still happy to pick Griffin as their QB of the future, as they traded three 1^st round picks and a 2^nd rounder to the Rams to move up to the #2 spot from #6.
3. Minnesota Vikings: OT Ryan Kalil, USC. Scouts say Kahlil is one of the better OT prospects they have watched, citing evenly superb run and pass blocking skills in his game. He has a nasty Logan Mankins-like attitude and will be a beast for the Vikings, who need to re-vamp their thin offensive line (G Steve Hutchinson left in free agency to join the Tennessee Titans) in order to protect franchise QB Christian Ponder's blindside and create running lanes for Adrian Peterson. Add in the fact that his father, Frank, was drafted by the Bills in 1982, and his brother, Ryan, starts at center for the Carolina Panthers, his bloodline is rich and he is destined to have the best football career of the family.
4. Cleveland Browns: WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State. This enigmatic #4 spot may play out the next six picks in the top 10. Cleveland was atrocious last year and has no offensive weapons outside of wide receivers Josh Cribbs and Greg Little. It would make sense for them to draft the best WR on the board who caught 121 balls for 1522 yards and 18 touchdowns in an insane junior year. Scouts love Blackmon's route-running and ability to jump for the long ball, despite not having Mike Wallace breakaway speed or Calvin Johnson height (at 6'1" for Blackmon). He has all the intangibles a coach looks for with his great leadership and personality, unlike that of his former teammate and 2010 1^st round pick of the Cowboys, WR Dez Bryant. The Browns will also take a hard look at RB Trent Richardson. Ultimately, Colt McCoy needs someone to throw to.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Morris Claiborne, LSU. The Bucs had a tough 2011 as did 3^rd year QB Josh Freeman, but they cleaned up in free agency signing WR Vincent Jackson and CB Eric Wright in the offseason. With CB Ronde Barber turning 38 this year, and the team looking to trade talented, but troubled CB Aqib Talib. New defensive minded head coach Greg Schiano, formerly coach of Rutgers, is salivating at the chance of snagging the top CB on the board in Claiborne to sure up the secondary. Claiborne brings prototypical size and speed to the table and better pure cover skills than fellow LSU alum and Arizona Cardinals' 2011 5^th pick, Patrick Peterson.
6. St. Louis Rams: RB Trent Richardson, Alabama. Steven Jackson had another productive year for the Rams, but he would split time with Richardson and together they could become the best RB tandem in the NFL. Though the #4 spot held by Cleveland is what will truly determine how the Rams' pick shapes out (as Justin Blackmon would work here too as a weapon for Sam Bradford), I think Richardson will fall to the Rams. If this happens, it may even make Jackson expendable in a trade for a WR or future 1^st or 2^nd round pick. Richardson has been labeled in talks as the best RB prospect since Adrian Peterson was drafted in 2007. His combination of explosiveness and better speed than his former Heisman trophy winning teammate and current Saints RB Mark Ingram makes him a future sure-fire star, especially with his tank 5'9" 225 lb frame.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: DE Melvin Ingram, South Carolina. With the AFC South teams possessing talented QBs in Matt Schaub, Jake Locker, and soon to be Andrew Luck, the Jaguars are going to need to apply pressure on the QB especially with Houston developing a stellar young defense as well. Ingram is the top pass rusher on the board and is a freak athlete with great speed moves on the outside, drawing comparisons to Dwight Freeney.
8. Miami Dolphins: QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M. Though he isn't the sexiest QB name on the board, the WR turned QB Tannehill is a great athlete like his counterparts and has a knack for keeping plays alive with his legs and gunslinging mentality.  He developed as a more efficient pocket passer this past year and has great size at 6'4" 225 lbs. The Dolphins' experiences with Chad Henne haven't worked out, and Tannehill has a lot of room and time to grow with his high ceiling and fierce competiveness.
9. Carolina Panthers: DT Fletcher Cox, Mississippi St. Cox is the best interior defensive lineman in the draft and would make an immediate impact on Carolina's 2011 25^th ranked rushing defense. He has a strong motor and is lightning quick off the ball on the line of scrimmage and is sneakily athletic, while checking in at 6'4" 300 lbs. He tends to get blown away going against double teams, but he is raw and has immense upside playing against the best of the best offensive linemen in the SEC.
10. Buffalo Bills: OT Riley Reiff, Iowa. Reiff is a massive blocker at 6'6" 315 lbs and can step right in for Buffalo who lost OT Demetress Bill to the Eagles in free agency. Reiff has great technique and footwork as well as smarts, which will allow him to pick up the playbook with ease. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick needs a cornerstone left tackle to protect him after signing a multiyear contract in 2011 that will keep him with the Bills through the 2017 season.

27. New England Patriots: DE Michael Brockers, LSU. If this dude falls into the lap of Bill Belichick this late in the 1^st round, we may need a new head coach after BB croaks of sudden cardiac arrest. Brockers is a monster at 6'5" 325 lbs and would cause mayhem for QBs for years to come under the Patriot's defensive tutelage. He is a versatile five technique end (can line up on the OT's outside shoulder) and an elite athlete who envelops the rushing attack and snuffs out draws and screens like a pro. His pass rushing arsenal is raw, but is something that would blossom with the Patriot's top of the line coaching. Brockers has already drawn comparisons to Richard Seymour and played in the SEC, again, the cream of the crop of NCAA football. With Mark Anderson gone to the Bills and Andre Carter's future with the team uncertain, the Pats desperately need that impact defensive end that will give QBs nightmares. He was even seen at Gillette Stadium working out in early April.  However, this pick is more wishful thinking, as he is projected in many other mock drafts to go 15^th to the Philadelphia Eagles.

31. CB Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama. Jenkins would be a top 10 talent if it wasn't for his off-field issues. The 5'10" 200 lb CB was a three year starter at Florida, and shut down top receivers in the SEC.  In 2009, he was arrested for punching a man at 2 am by a Gainesville bar after he felt threatened that he was trying to steal his gold chain. He was arrested again in 2009 for a fight and was cited for two misdemeanor marijuana charges in 2011, leading to his eventual dismissal of the team and transfer to North Alabama. His on-field talents are unquestionable, however. While at Florida, he held future 1^st round pick WRs A.J. Green and Julio Jones to an average of 38 yards when they matched up against each other. His career stats at Florida were 121 tackles, eight interceptions and 25 pass breakups in 36 career starts, including five tackles (one for loss), and one pass breakup in the 2009 Sugar Bowl against Cincinnati shutting down potent WR Mardy Gilyard in the slot. Bottom line is, this guy's a bonafide playmaker and is quick at stopping on a dime in cover reads to break up passes, much like Asante Samuel. The Pats secondary was horrible last season (until a valiant playoff surge led by Sterling Moore and Patrick Chung) and this would be a great pick at #31. They have dealt with poor character players in the past with Corey Dillon and Randy Moss, and reports say he fully abided to North Alabama's no tolerance policy on drugs during the 2011 season and was loved by his coaches and teammates. In an interview with Scout.com, Jenkins had this to say, "Whoever gets me will get a competitor, somebody who works hard, a team player and a shutdown cornerback," Jenkins told Scout. "Whoever skips over me, they're going to regret it now and later."

 There are a lot of options for the Pats in this draft, and I've learned to never be surprised by what they do when they're on the clock. The center/guard position could be a less flashy, but value pick as well, as the Pats have stockpiled their offensive line over the past few drafts including signing former 2004 #2 overall pick, OT Robert Gallery, this offseason to a one year deal. In my own and many of Pats Nation's opinions, we need defense and I hope they target it strongly. April 26-28th is going to be interesting and nail-biting for sure. Will you be watching?