With this and all my future mock drafts, it will go according to the current standings. I'm going to be posting a new mock draft each month leading up to April's draft.
1. Indianapolis Colts: QB Andrew Luck, Stanford - Perhaps no one player has ever meant more to his team than Peyton Manning to the Colts. With essentially the same team as last season (which went 10-6), the Colts might be staring down an 0-16 season. Nobody really knows whether Peyton Manning will be able to return to his pre-injury form that made him a perennial Pro-Bowler, and even if he were to, Manning will turn 36 years old before the 2012 season. The window for this team is starting to close, and the pick of Andrew Luck would give them a potential quarterback for the next 10-15 years.
2. St. Louis Rams: OT Matt Kalil, USC - Jason Smith has struggled in pass protection, and could end up being slid to guard. Enter Kalil, who has been simply spectacular the past couple of years. He has great bloodlines (father played in USFL, brother Ryan is the Panthers starting center), and plays with great footwork and leverage.
3. Minnesota Vikings: Dre' Kirkpatrick, Alabama - Kirkpatrick would help a secondary that has surrendered 19 touchdowns (against only six interceptions) on the season.
4. Carolina Panthers: OT Jonathan Martin, Stanford - Martin has great physical tools (6'6", 305 pounds) and can run very well for an offensive lineman. He'll need to work on technique, and sometimes struggles with the bull rush, but projects to be a Pro Bowl caliber lineman along the lines of Joe Thomas.
5. Washington Redskins: QB Matt Barkley, USC - John Beck and Rex Grossman are not an answer at quarterback for the Redskins. Barkley is NFL ready, as USC's pro style system has Barkley adept at reading defenses and going through progressions.
6. Miami Dolphins: QB Landry Jones, Oklahoma - Jones is a QB who would benefit from a year of learning the pro game, as Oklahoma's offense is built on YAC. He has good size for a quarterback, but he didn't have much opportunity to make reads in Norman, and would struggle early if pressed into action. Matt Moore would be a nice placeholder for a season.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State - The Jags don't have a receiver that defenses have to game-plan for. Blackmon has all of Dez Bryant's physical tools (with better hands), but without the punt return ability (or off-field baggage).
8. Arizona Cardinals: OT Riley Reiff, Iowa - Reiff is another well-coached player under Kirk Ferentz, and should be able to start for the next 10 years protecting Kevin Kolb's blind side.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: CB Morris Claiborne, LSU - The Bucs pass defense ranks near the bottom of the league, and they need an eventual replacement for Ronde Barber. Claiborne needs to add bulk, but has good instincts, speed and size (6'1").
10. Seattle Seahawks: DE Quinton Coples, North Carolina - Coples can play both end and tackle in a 4-3, and has solid physical tools (6'6", 280 pounds).
11. San Diego Chargers: LB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama - The pass rush for the Chargers has been lacking on the year, and Upshaw should be able to bring a good pass rush, as well as set the edge.
12. Philadelphia Eagles: LB Dont'a Hightower, Alabama - The Eagles linebacking corps struggles, particularly against the run. Hightower is a physical specimen who adds athleticism and instincts.
13. Kansas City Chiefs: DE Jared Crick, Nebraska - Crick will have missed the entire 2011 season with injury, but has similar physical tools to Texans rookie DE J.J. Watt, and would be a nice fit in the Chiefs 3-4 defense.
14. Cleveland Browns: RB Trent Richardson, Alabama - The Peyton Hillis contract drama has really hurt this team, and with him missing the past six games with a hamstring injury, the Browns will likely let him walk in free agency. Richardson is the most complete back in college football, and is a better receiver out of the backfield, and more of a threat for the big play than former teammate (and 1st round pick) Mark Ingram.
15. Tennessee Titans: G David DeCastro, Standord - The Titans running game is ranked dead last in the league (77.3 yards/game). DeCastro adds size (6'5", 320 pounds) and a mean streak to this offensive line.
16. New York Jets: WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame - Plaxico Burress has done a decent job this season (30 catches, 425 yards, 6 TD), but the Jets would like to upgrade with a younger receiver. Floyd has similar physical tools as Burress (6'3, 224), but displays great body control and will win a lot of jump balls for QB Mark Sanchez. Floyd reminds me of Vincent Jackson.
17. Denver Broncos: QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor - Despite Tim Tebow's 4-1 record as a starter, it seems as though the coaching staff and management are not satisfied with his ability as a passer (44.8% completions). RG3 is more athletic than Tebow, and also has a fairly quick release and decent mechanics. Like Landry Jones, he would probably benefit from a season behind a veteran quarterback to learn the game. I wouldn't be surprised to see Denver acquire a veteran quarterback for him to sit behind.
18. Buffalo Bills: CB Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska - Drayton Florence has struggled since getting his new deal, Terrence McGee is likely gone after this season, as he can't seem to stay healthy. 2008 1st round pick Leodis McKelvin has yet to make an impact, so enter Dennard. While he isn't the fastest or tallest cornerback in the draft, he'll remind Bills fans of Antoine Winfield, in that he's a heady player who's very physical in bump-and-run, and will be strong against the run as well.
19. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland for Carson Palmer): G Cordy Glenn, Georgia - The Bengals need to get better blocking on the interior of their offensive line. Glenn is a road-grading blocker, who at 6'5 and 340 pounds, adds bulk to get a better surge for Bengals running backs.
20. New York Giants: RB Chris Polk, Washington - Polk is a physical runner, using his solid frame to consistently fall forward and gain yards after contact. With Brandon Jacobs likely gone and Ahmad Bradshaw's health being a conern, the 31st ranked rush offense in the league gets a very good all-around talent.
21. Dallas Cowboys: LB Manti Te'o, Notre Dame: The Cowboys get a physical player in Te'o who is a tackling machine for the Golden Domers. With Bradie James getting older, the 'Boys get a guy who can fill the holes and just doesn't miss a tackle.
22. Cincinnati Bengals: LB Zach Brown, North Carolina - The Bengals go with best player available, and get a great athlete in Brown who actually plays fast as well.
23. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta in Julio Jones trade): DT Devon Still, Penn State: The Browns run defense is giving up just under 140 yards per game. Still is a work in progress, but has very good athleticism and can penetrate the offensive line, something current DT's Phil Taylor and Ahtyba Rubin aren't built to do.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: OT Mike Adams, Ohio State - The one weakness for this team has been their pass protection, as Big Ben has been sacked over three times per game this season. Adams provides the Steel Curtain with an athletic blocker who uses his size and length well both in pass protection and in the run game.
25. New England Patriots (from New Orleans in Mark Ingram trade): WR Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina - The Patriots give Tom Brady another receiving weapon to take some focus off of Wes Welker. Jeffery is a huge receiver that displays great hands and body control.
26. New England Patriots: CB Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama - Jenkins would likely have been a lock for a top ten pick were it not for the off-the-field issues that got him kicked off Florida's football team. Jenkins has top notch athleticism for a cornerback, and has great ball skills. Bill Belichick has shown he's not afraid to take on talented but troubled players, and can get them to produce.
27. Houston Texans: DE/DT Billy Winn, Boise St - A prototypical five technique DE, Winn uses his 6'3, 300 pound frame to take on blocks, and is also able to flash above average speed to get after the quarterback. Not too many weaknesses on this team, and they'll only be better with Winn in the defensive line rotation.
28. Detroit Lions: LB Luke Kuechly, Boston College - Kuechly will remind some people of Paul Posluszny, in that while he's not the most intimidating player, will almost always make the tackle. He'll provide the Lions defense a much needed upgrade that will help their porous run defense (134.7/game).
29. Chicago Bears: CB Chase Minnifield, Virginia - Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings have struggled in coverage this year, and the Bears need to get consistent cornerback play (270.7 yards/game) to make them a consistent contender in the NFC. Minnifield is potentially a more complete corner than former teammate Ras-I Dowling, and is equally solid in man and zone concepts.
30. Baltimore Ravens: SS Mark Barron, Alabama - Another case of taking best player available, Barron will likely supplant Tom Zbikowski and start in Baltimore. Barron is strong in run support, and does a great job in zone, reading the quarterbacks eyes very effectively. Baltimore's defense gets stronger.
31. San Francisco 49ers: WR Tim Toon, Wisconsin - Toon (son of former NFL WR Al Toon) has better size than his father, and playing for Bret Bielema, has to be a good blocker for the power running game of the Badgers. With Braylon Edwards likely a one-year experiment, the 49ers get a more long-term solution to play opposite Michael Crabtree.
32. Green Bay Packers: RB LaMichael James, Oregon - Ryan Grant may not be back, and James would give the Packers the big play threat they currently lack out of the backfield. Dangerous on screens and draws, James has a level of suddenness that not many running backs in the league have, and has a second gear that makes him nearly impossible to run down.
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