Posted by Brad On March – 13 – 2012
| 17. Cincinnati Bengals (f/OAK): Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama |
 Kirkpatrick would fill a pretty large hole in Cincinnati’s defense. Leon Hall and Kirkpatrick would make for a very nice tandem in the AFC North. Kirkpatrick comes with the added bonus of being one of the better tacklers at the position. |
| Other Selections: Cordy Glenn |
| 18. San Diego Chargers: Cordy Glenn, OG/OT, Georgia |
 The Chargers need to address their offensive line early and often in free agency and the draft. They should be reaching out to Jared Gaither as we speak as he’s the best they have. Glenn’s versatility to play right tackle and either guard spot should make him a hot commodity come April. |
| Other Selections: Courtney Upshaw – Mike Adams |
| 19. Chicago Bears: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina |
 With Floyd off the board, could the Bears turn to another big target in Stephen Hill? He may be a bit of a reach at 19, so the Bears are left with addressing an aging defense. Gilmore is a man on the rise after a solid showing at the Combine. He fits their scheme perfectly and gets the nod over any of the receivers. Jay Cutler will have to wait until the 2nd round to get his 6’2” target. |
| Other Selections: Stephen Hill – Whitney Mercilus |
| 20. Tennessee Titans: Courtney Upshaw, DE, Alabama |
 The Titans need some speed off the edge. Upshaw has the look of a base end to me which fills Tennessee’s need perfectly. He has the edge speed to make immediate waves in this defense. |
| Other Selections: Janoris Jenkins |
| 21. Cincinnati Bengals: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU |
 Defensive tackle isn’t a huge need for the Bengals but they can’t resist taking the talented but raw LSU DT. Brockers added weight and disappointed at the Combine, showing average athleticism at the position. The tape doesn’t lie on this one and something tells me he’s going to show much better at his pro day. |
| Other Selections: Kendall Wright – Stephen Hill |
| 22. Cleveland Browns (f/ATL): Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor |
 Kendall Wright at 22 may be the steal of the draft in my book. It’s clear that his 4.61 40 at the Combine was a fluke but it may be what Cleveland needed for him to fall into their laps. Now they just need someone to throw to him. |
| Other Selections: None |
| 23. Detroit Lions: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State |
 Detroit needs a replacement for Jeff Backus. Enter Mike Adams. Adams is a tough one to crack as he has some motivation issues combined with a subpar Combine performance. He’s my second rated tackle as I have been overly impressed with his ’10 and ’11 tape. |
| Other Selections: Janoris Jenkins – Peter Konz |
| 24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dont’a Hightower, ILB, Alabama |
 With Mike Adams off the board, the Steelers turn their attention to the ILB spot. Janoris Jenkins could intrigue them here but Hightower has the look of a Steeler linebacker. His familiarity with the system shouldn’t hurt with this pick. He can step in immediately at ILB and give the Steelers a nice young duo on the inside. |
| Other Selections: Janoris Jenkins |
| 25. Denver Broncos: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford |
 As of the writing of this mock draft, PM hasn’t been signed. Either way, I think it’s going to be intriguing to bring in a legitimate receiving threat at the TE spot. Fleener is emerging as the top TE (by default). He gives Tebow or PM a nice option to work with. |
| Other Selections: Jerel Worthy – Janoris Jenkins |
| 26. Houston Texans: Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech |
 The Texans can afford to take a risk on Hill. He doesn’t have much to go off of in terms of film but there are no doubts that he’s a special athlete. I think 26 to 31 could be his sweet spot in April’s draft. |
| Other Selections: Alshon Jeffery |
27. New England Patriots (f/NO): Mark Barron, SS, Alabama
|
 NE does well if Barron makes it to 27. He fills a major need area for the Pats as they look to rebound from their terrible secondary play of 2011. Barron won’t work out as he’s still recovering from injury but I think his play speaks for itself. |
| Other Selections: None |
| 28. Green Bay Packers: Andre Branch, OLB, Clemson |
 This was the toughest pick of my mock draft. It was between Lewis and Andre Branch. Both pass rushers and both really good fits and need fillers. I went with Branch based on my own rankings of the players…hopefully the Packers see it my way. |
| Other Selections: Ronnell Lewis – Devon Still |
| 29. Baltimore Ravens: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin |
 This pick is assuming Matt Birk is not back with the Ravens…and maybe even if he is. The Ravens could be looking at some major holes in their offensive line if Birk and Ben Grubbs can’t be re-signed. Not to mention Andre Gurode is also a free agent. |
| Other Selections: None |
| 30. San Francisco 49ers: Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina |
 I welcome Alshon Jeffery back into my first round. He’s an enigma at this point for me. I love his hands, body control, and ability to high point the ball. I hate his work ethic, route running, and separation. If you’re the 49ers why not take a shot on this guy? Harbaugh should bring out the best in Jeffery which could turn into a major steal at 30. |
| Other Selections: Janoris Jenkins – Rueben Randle |
| 31. New England Patriots: Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois |
 The Pats deployment of multiple fronts should exploit Mercilus’ skill set. He is best suited in a four man front but has the athleticism to play on his feet. I like Mercilus more than most and think he’s an outstanding value at 31 in our 2012 NFL Mock Draft. |
| Other Selections: Janoris Jenkins – Rueben Randle |
| 32. New York Giants: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama |
 The Giants get a CB that falls into their laps two years in a row. Jenkins talent level far exceeds the 32nd pick in the draft but his questionable decision-making may drop him completely off some boards. The Giants could cash in despite it not being a giant need. |
| Other Selections: Orson Charles – Bobby Massie |
Round 2
Kirkpatrick would fill a pretty large hole in Cincinnati’s defense. Leon Hall and Kirkpatrick would make for a very nice tandem in the AFC North. Kirkpatrick comes with the added bonus of being one of the better tacklers at the position.
The Chargers need to address their offensive line early and often in free agency and the draft. They should be reaching out to Jared Gaither as we speak as he’s the best they have. Glenn’s versatility to play right tackle and either guard spot should make him a hot commodity come April. 
With Floyd off the board, could the Bears turn to another big target in Stephen Hill? He may be a bit of a reach at 19, so the Bears are left with addressing an aging defense. Gilmore is a man on the rise after a solid showing at the Combine. He fits their scheme perfectly and gets the nod over any of the receivers. Jay Cutler will have to wait until the 2nd round to get his 6’2” target. 
The Titans need some speed off the edge. Upshaw has the look of a base end to me which fills Tennessee’s need perfectly. He has the edge speed to make immediate waves in this defense. 
Defensive tackle isn’t a huge need for the Bengals but they can’t resist taking the talented but raw LSU DT. Brockers added weight and disappointed at the Combine, showing average athleticism at the position. The tape doesn’t lie on this one and something tells me he’s going to show much better at his pro day. 
Kendall Wright at 22 may be the steal of the draft in my book. It’s clear that his 4.61 40 at the Combine was a fluke but it may be what Cleveland needed for him to fall into their laps. Now they just need someone to throw to him. 
Detroit needs a replacement for Jeff Backus. Enter Mike Adams. Adams is a tough one to crack as he has some motivation issues combined with a subpar Combine performance. He’s my second rated tackle as I have been overly impressed with his ’10 and ’11 tape. 
With Mike Adams off the board, the Steelers turn their attention to the ILB spot. Janoris Jenkins could intrigue them here but Hightower has the look of a Steeler linebacker. His familiarity with the system shouldn’t hurt with this pick. He can step in immediately at ILB and give the Steelers a nice young duo on the inside. 
As of the writing of this mock draft, PM hasn’t been signed. Either way, I think it’s going to be intriguing to bring in a legitimate receiving threat at the TE spot. Fleener is emerging as the top TE (by default). He gives Tebow or PM a nice option to work with.
The Texans can afford to take a risk on Hill. He doesn’t have much to go off of in terms of film but there are no doubts that he’s a special athlete. I think 26 to 31 could be his sweet spot in April’s draft.
NE does well if Barron makes it to 27. He fills a major need area for the Pats as they look to rebound from their terrible secondary play of 2011. Barron won’t work out as he’s still recovering from injury but I think his play speaks for itself. 
This was the toughest pick of my mock draft. It was between Lewis and Andre Branch. Both pass rushers and both really good fits and need fillers. I went with Branch based on my own rankings of the players…hopefully the Packers see it my way. 
This pick is assuming Matt Birk is not back with the Ravens…and maybe even if he is. The Ravens could be looking at some major holes in their offensive line if Birk and Ben Grubbs can’t be re-signed. Not to mention Andre Gurode is also a free agent. 
I welcome Alshon Jeffery back into my first round. He’s an enigma at this point for me. I love his hands, body control, and ability to high point the ball. I hate his work ethic, route running, and separation. If you’re the 49ers why not take a shot on this guy? Harbaugh should bring out the best in Jeffery which could turn into a major steal at 30.
The Pats deployment of multiple fronts should exploit Mercilus’ skill set. He is best suited in a four man front but has the athleticism to play on his feet. I like Mercilus more than most and think he’s an outstanding value at 31 in our 2012 NFL Mock Draft.
The Giants get a CB that falls into their laps two years in a row. Jenkins talent level far exceeds the 32nd pick in the draft but his questionable decision-making may drop him completely off some boards. The Giants could cash in despite it not being a giant need.
