2012 NFL Mock Draft
33. St. Louis Rams
Jerel Worthy
DT – Michigan State
Having already landed a wide receiver and offensive tackle to help their franchise quarterback, the Rams now grab the best defensive player left on the board. Worthy is a good run stopper who can also push the pocket.
34. Indianapolis Colts
Dontari Poe
DT/NT – Memphis
Indy’s new coach plans on bringing his Ravens style defense to the Colts. That being said, the Colts simply do not have the size the Ravens do up front. Poe, at 6’5”, 350 lbs., would be a huge step in the right direction.
35. Minnesota Vikings
Alfonso Dennard
CB – Nebraska
The Vikings were 31st in points allowed and 26th against the pass. I’ve got Dennard slipping a little in the draft, but is still a good value here. A wide receiver might also be an option here, possibly Mohamed Sanu of Rutgers.
36. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
David Wilson
RB – Virginia Tech
The Bucs draft a smaller speed back to pair with Legarrette Blount. I also wouldn’t rule out a wide receiver like Sanu here either or maybe even an outside linebacker like Nebraska’s Lavonte David if Tampa wants to go defense again.
37. Cleveland Browns
Dwayne Allen
TE – Clemson
The Browns got their new franchise QB in the first round. Now they get him a dependable safety valve that he can look for when he’s on the move. Once again, a wide receiver is an option here as well and the Browns could also use help on defense, but Allen is good value here.
38. Jacksonville Jaguars
Mohamed Sanu
WR – Rutgers
Basically the entire Jacksonville season relies on them being able to get Blaine Gabbert going. They already drafted an OT in round one, now they add the best WR still available in the second round. If Gabbert still can’t succeed then they will be in position to draft one of the top QBs next year.
39. Washington Redskins
Kevin Zeitler
OG – Wisconsin
Zeitler is the top player left on the board at this point and he would give the Skins a nice upgrade up front and his above average agility makes him a good fit for Shanahan’s zone blocking scheme. If they are going to try and play Ryan Tannehill right away, he’ll need all the protection he can get.
40. Miami Dolphins
Coby Fleener
TE – Stanford
Since I have Miami signing Matt Flynn, this pick would give him and the Green Bay-style offense that new Dolphins coach Joe Philbin is bringing to Miami a Jermichael Finley-esque target at TE. If the Dolphins don’t sign Matt Flynn, then they might go with Arizona QB Nick Foles here.
41. Buffalo Bills
Stephon Gilmore
CB – South Carolina
Buffalo has plenty of holes so they could go any number of directions here. Their CB play was not very good. Gilmore has the size and upside to be a number one CB someday. If they still aren’t sold on Ryan Fitzpatrick (despite the new contract), they could go with a QB here as well. Or maybe they’ll draft Oregon RB LaMichael James here to pair with CJ Spiller. I’m kidding, they’d never do that (would they?).
42. Carolina Panthers
Vontaze Burfict
LB – Arizona State
Burfict probably has top 15 talent, but there are rumors circulating that Burfict was so unable to make reads on the field that his college teammates had to tell him where to line up before each play and make adjustments for him before the snap. If he really is that lacking between the ears, he could fall even farther than this. Then again, if the Panthers could coach him up, the additions of Still and Burfict could do wonders to sure up the middle of the Carolina defense.
43. Seattle Seahawks
Nick Foles
QB – Arizona
Taking Foles here is a lot better value than reaching for Tannehill in the first. Plus, Foles just seems like the type of QB that Pete Carroll would go for. In some ways Foles reminds me a little of Carson Palmer. Foles just needs to learn to use that big arm he has instead of constantly checking down. If he can do that, this pick could be a steal.
44. Kansas City Chiefs
Doug Martin
RB – Boise State
If I had mocked Martin here before the Senior Bowl, people would have said I was crazy. Originally I thought Washington’s Chris Polk might be the pick here. However, at the Senior Bowl Martin was the back to beat. His draft stock is soaring and if he does well at the combine he may not even be available when KC picks. At 5’9” and 219 pounds, Martin is a little powerhouse. Just for comparison’s sake, he’s only one inch taller then Dexter McCluster but weighs about 50 pounds more and most of that is muscle. He has even drawn some comparisons to guys like Ray Rice and Maurice Jones-Drew.
Here’s what Scott Wright of DraftCountdown.com said after watching him at the Senior Bowl practices:
"“Doug Martin continues to shine and is clearly the class of the RB position at the 2012 Senior Bowl. Martin seemed to excel in sweeps even though that isn’t traditionally his forte. Martin kept his pad level low and wasn’t afraid to get physical with defenders. Also told that earlier in the week Martin replied the following way when asked about playing with a chip on his shoulder this week: “If you don’t have a chip on your shoulder, you better find one”. Now that is the attitude and mindset you want to see!”"
If that didn’t sell you here is what WalterFootball.com had to say about him after this week:
"“Running backs are the hardest position to evaluate at Senior Bowl because practices don’t allow tackling. As a result, it is impossible to know if backs would break tackles and get yards after contact. Despite those limitations, Martin stood out above the other breaks for a few reasons. The top one being his third-down abilities. Martin was one of the half backs who performed the best in blitz pickup drills against linebackers. He has the strength to take the hits from linebackers and fits up well on them at the point of attack. He also was one of the best backs for running routes out of the backfield. He burned linebackers with quickness and showed good hands. Martin showed a burst through the hole and ripped off some good runs in the team scrimmage. At the weigh-in, Martin looked like a body builder. There isn’t an ounce of fat on the 5-foot-9, 219-pounder. Martin has the muscular armor to take the hits that come with the position in the NFL. He also is expected to run well at the combine. After a strong Senior Bowl, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear Martin’s name called in the second round.”"
I think he’d not only be a fantastic counter punch to Jamaal Charles, but has the ability to be the feature back if Charles doesn’t come back 100 percent from his injury.
So there you have it, KC fans: my first mock draft of the year going all the way up to the Chiefs’ second-round pick. What do you think of me having the Chiefs selecting Martin and Martin in the first two rounds? Are there any other picks I totally botched? Anybody that went WAY too high or WAY too low? I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below.