NFL Mock Draft Pick 12

With the 12th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select:

Dre Kirkpatrick CB, Alabama



The Seahawks recently let go of longtime corner Marcus Trufant and need to stabilize the position with the 2nd best corner in the draft.  Kirkpatrick had three very good years at Alabama and was a top prospect coming out of high school.  Pete Carroll loves tall corners and Kirkpatrick checks in at 6'2". 

He has the potential to shutdown his side of the field at the next level and that will only help the rest of Seattle's defense.
 
-Louie

The Arizona Cardinals are now on the clock

NFL Mock Draft Pick 11

With the 11th pick in the NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs Select:

Luke Kuechly LB, Boston College



In Kuechly the Chiefs bolster their stout defense with a tackling machine, the best linebacker in this draft, and the best player available.  The Chiefs only have one quality inside linebacker on their roster and that is pro bowler Derrick Johnson.  Kuechly can take over Jovan Belcher's "mike" position and not only load up on tackles but improve the pass defense as well. 

The Chiefs could have gone with a nose tackle here like Dontari Poe, but his stock has been falling as of late.  The only other truly glaring need for the Chiefs is quarterback and no remaining quarterbacks are worthy of this high of a selection.  Kuechly is a classic "Pioli" type player and will make an already good defense even better. 

-Louie

The Seattle Seahawks are now on the clock

2012 NFL Mock Draft Pick 10

With the 10th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft the Buffalo Bills Select:

Riley Reiff OT, Iowa



This is a difficult pick for the Bills to make as many talent evaluators are split on Reiff's abilities.  A few, including ESPN's Todd McShay believe that Reiff is not an elite option at the tackle position.  Others believe that he is a top ten pick. 

While this pick may be a risk, it seems to be a better option than others at this spot.  David DeCastro could only be used as a G while Reiff could be used at either G or T.  Quinton Coples would be the best player available at the spot, and while the thought of lining him up across from Mario Williams is nice, it is probably not the most logical choice.  The Bills need a WR opposite of Stevie Johnson but the top caliber WR options (Blackmon, Floyd) are already off of the board.  The only other logical option would be a CB, but no corner truly stands out as a top ten pick, and it is a deep cornerback class anyway. 

So ultimately Riley Reiff is the best option here for the Bills.  He can help them in their quest to protect Ryan Fitzpatrick and could potentially develop into a top tier OT or OG for the Bills. 

-Brett

The Kansas City Chiefs are now on the clock...

2012 NFL Mock Draft Pick 9

With the 9th overall pick in the 2012 Draft, the Carolina Panthers select:

Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

This is a dream scenario for the Panthers, who pick up the best defensive back in the 2012 class with the ninth pick. Carolina struggled against the pass last season, allowing 246.8 yards per game, a rate that ranked 24th in the NFL. With a rising offense led by last season's rookie sensation Cam Newton, the Panthers could be back in playoff contention sooner rather than later if they can shore up the defense. Claiborne would be a huge improvement for the Panthers over incumbent cornerbacks Chris Gamble and Darius Butler and would mark another step in the right direction for this rising franchise.


The Buffalo Bills are now on the clock.

TK

2012 NFL Mock Draft Pick 8

With the 8th overall pick in the 2012 draft, the Miami Dolphins select:

Ryan Tannehill QB, Texas A&M


This offseason was a complete disaster for the Miami Dolphins as they exhausted every possibility in  a search for a QB, and with each option the failed miserably.  Peyton Manning would not give them the time of day, nor would Matt Flynn.  They had a little excitement when Alex Smith came for a visit, but he later admitted to just using Miami to push the 49ers to act.  What is clear is that Miami is desperate for a QB, and while they could not land a free agent, and are not picking high enough to land Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III, they are fortunate enough to come away with Ryan Tannehill in this mock draft. 

This decision would be a very difficult one as Morris Claiborne is by far the best player on the board and has somehow fallen this far, but the possibility of a franchise quarterback is worth the risk.  Tannehill is a fantastic athlete with tremendous upside.  He is a converted wide receiver with great speed and agility, but has also demonstrated a presence in the passing game.  The word upside is key, as many do not feel that he is ready to play right away, but the upside is great enough that some believe a team will move up the the #3 spot to grab Tannehill. 

At worst Tannehill pushes Matt Moore this year to become a higher quality QB, at best Tannehill becomes a powerful force at the position in the NFL. 

-Brett

The Carolina Panthers are on the Clock

2012 NFL Mock Draft Pick 7

With the seventh overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select:

Melvin Ingram, Defensive End, South Carolina

Coming into this offseason, the Jaguars had to know they needed to make a splash in free agency, via trade, or in the draft. They need to fill seats or the team could end up in Los Angeles. Fortunately, the perfect situation fell into their laps when Denver snagged Peyton Manning, but unfortunately Mr. Tebow chose to head to the Big Apple. The team didn't land any big names in free agency and now, with the seventh pick in the draft, they will settle for Melvin Ingram, a name that won't bring in many new fans but one that will hopefully improve a dreadful pass rush.

Ingram has a few weaknesses that worry NFL teams, including his short arms and below average height, but his explosiveness off the ball makes him worthy of a top-ten pick. The Jaguars hope he will shore up a defense that will need to play very well to keep this team in close, low scoring games.



The Miami Dolphins are now on the clock.

TK

2012 NFL Mock Draft Pick 6

With the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams select:

Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame

(Photo courtesy of http://www.thesportsbank.net/college-fball/michael-floyd-in-notre-dame-football-cleared-to-workout/)

The Rams have many needs on this team outside of QB but they desperately need a playmaking WR to pair with QB Sam Bradford, who they need to build around.

I am willing to bet that the Rams wanted Justin Blackmon but with him off the board the Rams need to switch to plan B. I also expect the Rams to field calls for a trade down but for the sake of this post they stand pat and take one of the best talents available.

Floyd had character issues in his college days but nothing that should warrant falling out of the top 15 picks. Floyd did nothing but make plays while in school and the Rams need all the help they can get.

Other possibilities are CB Morris Claiborne or OT Riley Reiff.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are now on the clock.