National Football League

2012 NFL Draft Tracker

Published Apr. 26, 2012 10:17 p.m. ET

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ROUND 1
Pick	Team	Player	Pos.	School	Ht./Wt.	Comment
1		Andrew Luck	QB	Stanford	6-4 / 235	Andrew Luck is the right pick for the Colts. He is the NFL's most pure, pro-ready QB since John Elway, and yes, that includes Peyton Manning as a prospect.
2	(from Rams)	Robert Griffin III	QB	Baylor	6-2 / 220	RG3 is a perfect schematic fit for the Redskins and Mike Shanahan. The way he can make plays on the run and in the play-action game is similar to how Jake Plummer orchestrated his offense in Denver.
3	(from Vikings)	Trent Richardson	RB	Alabama	5-11 / 224	Richardson was the right pick for the Browns, but they gave up a lot to move up just one spot. Had to block another team to jump them, but last picks in the 4th and 5th that would have helped rebuild.
4	(from Browns)	Matt Kalil	OT	USC	6-7 / 295	Kalil is the draft's best OT by far. He has the athleticism of a TE and can block like a dominant lineman. The Vikings can trust him on an island with the opposition's best edge rusher. He will anchor that OL for a decade.
5	(from Bucs)	Justin Blackmon	WR	Oklahoma St.	6-1 / 211	Blackmon gives Blaine Gabbert a chance that he never had last year. You have to win with offense in the NFL, and if you don't have an elite target for your QB, then you don't score enough points to keep up.
6	(from Redskins via Rams)	Morris Claiborne	CB	LSU	6-0 / 177	The 'Boys had a need in the secondary at either safety or CB, and with Claiborne falling out of the top 5, they had to trade up for him. They were willing to do so for Mark Barron, and instead get the better player in Claiborne.
7	(from Jaguars)	Mark Barron	SS	Alabama	6-2 / 218	Bucs would have liked Claiborne to be there, but by selecting Barron they will be able to cover some inefficiencies in the back half. The Eric Wright signing buys them time at CB.
8		Ryan Tannehill	QB	Texas A&M	6-4 / 219	Tannehill is a stretch from a skill-set perspective, but if the Dolphins believe he is a franchise QB, then they can't afford to pass him up.
9		Luke Kuechly	ILB	Boston College	6-3 / 235	Kuechly is a solid player, but I get worried that his statistics were overblown in college. A lot of his tackles were downfield. He needs to attack the LOS and be more impactful in the running lanes.
10		Stephon Gilmore	CB	South Carolina	6-1 / 194	Gilmore makes a perfect fit for a team that still must beat Tom Brady twice a year. Now Buffalo has a good young secondary to go with a feared pass rush.
11		Dontari Poe	NT	Memphis	6-5 / 350	Poe has the skill set to be what Ngata is to the Ravens. He's a big, powerful space eater who also has the athleticism to push the pocket and impact the passing game.
12	(from Seahawks)	Fletcher Cox	DT	Mississippi St.	6-4 / 295	Fletcher Cox is the best DT in the draft, and the Eagles had to think the Rams would take him at 14 and needed to jump them. He is a Warren Sapp-like talent.
13		Michael Floyd	WR	Notre Dame	6-3 / 220	Floyd will need to be able to create separation in the NFL, something he struggled with in college. My question for the Cards: Who is going to block for Kevin Kolb long enough to get the ball out?
14	(from Cowboys)	Michael Brockers	DT	LSU	6-6 / 300	Brockers is a 6-foot-6 stud, but he is young and only has one year of production at LSU. If he matures into his body, he could be a force for a team that desperately needs an interior DL presence.
15	(from Eagles)	Bruce Irvin	DE	West Virginia	6-3 / 235	Bruce Irvin is the first absolute surprise of the draft. He is a third-round talent and has a troubled past. He has phenomenal straight-line speed, but is very undersized.
16		Quinton Coples	DE	North Carolina	6-6 / 285	Coples has the body type of a dominant DE, but needs to be more competitive as a player. He could mature into an intimidating pass rusher, but I don't see 10-plus sacks in him like I see in Melvin Ingram as a rookie.
17	(from Raiders)	Dre Kirkpatrick	CB	Alabama	6-3 / 192	Kirkpatrick can fill in for the Bengals at CB while Leon Hall recovers from what may be a season-ending Achilles injury. When Hall returns, Kirkpatrick could become a ball-hawking safety.
18		Melvin Ingram	DE	South Carolina	6-1 / 271	Melvin Ingram was an absolute steal for SD at 18. They could have never guessed he would drop to them, especially past the Jets at 16. Ingram is the best pass-rushing threat in the draft.
19		Shea McClellin	DE	Boise St.	6-3 / 258	Not sure McClellin fits best in the Bears' 4-3 scheme, but he will get after the QB opposite Julius Peppers. Problem is, he will be a liability in the running game if teams run right at him.
20		Kendall Wright	WR	Baylor	5-10 / 190	Kendall Wright and Kenny Britt will make for a scary combination at wideout. The Titans had other needs, particularly at DE, but are building for the future around QB Jake Locker.
21	(from Bengals)	Chandler Jones	DE	Syracuse	6-5 / 265	Chandler Jones helps a D-line that struggled to get after the QB last year. He was arguably the best 4-3 end in the draft, and the Pats will play both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes.
22	(from Falcons)	Brandon Weeden	QB	Oklahoma St.	6-4 / 213	Weeden will compete with Colt McCoy from day one. He has to because at 28 he's only a two-contract player. I'd rather them go after a guy to improve the team rather than just compete for a job.
23		Riley Reiff	OT	Iowa	6-6 / 300	Reiff is an instant upgrade for the run game, but also is good enough to play LT if needed. I like him best as a bulldozer on the right side to keep a backfield that lost 3 starters in 2011 healthy.
24		David DeCastro	G	Stanford	6-5 / 316	He's the perfect pick for a team that rarely misses on draft picks in the first round. But the Steelers need RB Rashard Mendenhall to be healthy for DeCastro's run blocking to make a difference.
25	(from Broncos)	Dont'a Hightower	ILB	Alabama	6-4 / 260	Dont'a Hightower was an inside backer in the NCAA, but will play all over the front seven for the Pats. He has natural pass-rushing ability that wasn't always on display in the Crimson Tide scheme.
26		Whitney Mercilus	DL	Illinois	6-3 / 265	Mercilus is a good pass rusher, but only has one good year of production. He needs to be more explosive off the snap to create problems for opposing QBs in the pocket.
27	(from Saints via Patriots)	Kevin Zeitner	G	Wisconsin	6-4 / 315	Cincy takes Zeitler over Cordy Glenn, which is surprising given Glenn's versatility. That said, Zeitler is a Big 10 mauler that will create lanes for new RB/law firm BenJarvus Green-Ellis.
28		Nick Perry	DE	USC	6-3 / 250	Nick Perry gives a bookend edge rush along with fellow Trojan Clay Matthews, but he is the classic boom-or-bust player.
29	(from Ravens)	Harrison Smith	FS	Notre Dame	6-2 / 214	Harrison Smith is not a flashy player, but is always in the right place at the right time. He is a safe pick, but probably not a game changer, which is what you're looking for in the first round.
30		A.J. Jenkins	WR	Illinois	6-0 / 185	49ers must be interested in changing the offensive mindset from ground-and-pound to a more aggressive downfield attack. With the speed of WRs Jenkins and Moss, Alex Smith must be ready to air it out.
31	(from Patriots via Broncos)	Doug Martin	RB	Boise St.	5-9 / 215	Martin gives the Bucs a chance to make plays in the passing game that RB LeGarrette Blount does not. Martin is a complete back that can run between the tackles, and also excel in the screen game.
32		David Wilson	RB	Virginia Tech	5-10 / 201	Is very fast, which was also his big downfall. Needs more patience to set up blocks rather than trying outside speed on every play. Must mature in way that fellow Va. Tech RB Kevin Jones could not.