*Rankings are as of Super Bowl Sunday (2/5/12) and are bound to change between now and the 2012 NFL Draft in April. Here is the list of players I currently feel have 1st round ability and deserve consideration. Feel free to criticize and discuss these rankings, I look forward to your input and thoughts.
QB Andrew Luck Stanford: Always has and always will be the top player on this Big Board. Luck has so much football talent and intelligence it isn’t even fair. If the NFL was to do a mock draft involving all 32 NFL teams, Luck would likely go in the Top 10 overall…he’s that good.
2- LT Matt Kalil USC: Elite athleticism and length make Kalil a very good pass protector and future Pro-Bowl type player. His range and ability to ride defenders around the edge make him a potential franchise Left Tackle.
3- RB Trent Richardson Alabama: Richardson is an elite prospect who will probably get drafted later than he actually should because of lack of draft value for the position he plays in the NFL. Richardson’s ability to consistently pick up yards after contact make him one of the better backs overall to come out in quite some time.
4- QB Robert Griffin III Baylor: The Heisman winner has elite physical talent and forces the defense to cover every square inch of the football field. The question with Griffin will be if he can hold-up physically and stay healthy in the NFL due to his slighter frame for the position.
5- CB Morris Clairborne LSU: Elite size, length, and athleticism while possessing great ball skills make Clairborne a potential shut-down corner capable of playing on an island and shutting down one half of the football field.
6- WR Justin Blackmon Oklahoma State: Not overly athletic or fast, Blackmon does most of his damage by executing on underneath type routes. possessing excellent body control and spacial awareness, Blackmon has the makings of a #1 type receiver in the NFL who can make an instant impact in the highly important red-zone.
7- OT Riley Reiff Iowa: Excellent technique make this former All-State wrestler a potential starting Left Tackle in the NFL. his background in the sport gives him a very deep understanding of leverage and hand placement, while also displaying his toughness and tenacity in both the run and pass game.
8- DE Quinton Coples North Carolina: Not your classic pass-rush specialist with speed to threaten the Edge, Coples does his damage by playing with excellent dis-engagement skills thanks to his powerful and violent hands. Coples may not be a 10+ sack guy a season but he is impressive against both the run and pass and will find a way to be effective at the next level.
9- DE/OLB Courtney Upshaw Alabama: Upshaw is a little on the shorter size but don’t underestimate the amount of power Upshaw has. He plays with excellent leverage and can dis-engage from opponents thanks to his superior hand to hand combat skills. Upshaw will make for a very good starting 3-4 OLB in the NFL, who could have a Von Miller type impact if put into the right system.
10- G David DeCastro Stanford: The most impressive interior blocker in all of college football last season, DeCastro has the physical tools to be the 1st player drafted at his position in the Top 10 since The New Orleans Saints selected Chris Naeole with the 10 overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft.
11- LB Luke Kuechly Boston College: Incredible instincts and recognition skills, Luke Kuechly more than makes up for his lack of elite range and athleticism by displaying an incredible feel and understanding of the game.
12- DT Devon Still Penn State: The most dominant player at his position in college football this past season, Still’s ability to penetrate the backfield and affect both the pass and rush makes him a valuable player. Still needs to develop more consistency to his game and is a big risk-reward type player, but he was simply a man amongst boys this season and has incredible upside to his game.
13- S Mark Barron Alabama: Easily the best safety prospect in this class Barron possesses the ability to play the point in coverage as well as come up as an in the box type safety and fill running lanes.
14- T Jonathon Martin Stanford: Martin had the all important task of protecting Andrew Luck’s blind side the past two seasons at Stanford and did an admirable job for the most part. I still have questions about his ability keep with speed rushers and defend players who can turn speed into power in the NFL. Martin hasn’t proven to me that he can stick at Left Tackle in the NFL and I see him more of a Right Tackle where his good run blocking skills would be most taken advantage of.
15- CB Janoris Jenkins North Alabama: A nearly forgotten man, Jenkins flashed the impressive skills that made him such an intriguing prospect while at Florida. After an impressive performance at the Senior Bowl, Jenkins is riding a nice wave into the draft season and beginning to get back into good graces with scouts and general managers around the NFL.
16- DT/DE Michael Brockers: A rare red shirt sophomore who has decided to declare, Brockers has shown flashes of brilliance, leading to comparisons to All-Pro Richard Seymour of the Oakland Raiders. Brockers doesn’t have much film available but his upside is undeniably high and scouts are split on where he should end up in the NFL Draft. Brockers will be one of the players to watch closely this Draft season and is truly a boom or bust type player.
17- C Peter Konz Wisconsin: One of my personal favorites in the 2012 NFL Draft, Konz is one of the best center prospects to come out in quite some time, and maybe the best to come out of the Big Ten since New York Jets Center Nick Mangold. Konz plays with great technique and executes line calls/adjustments pre-snap to get his men on the same page before the play. Konz also flashes a mean streak and nice tenacity by finishing plays and driving his opponents to the ground. Konz should be the first player drafted at his position by a wide margin.
18- DE/OLB/DT Melvin Ingram South Carolina: A versatile player who excelled in one on one drills at the Senior Bowl, Ingram possesses incredible quickness and acceleration off the football. He needs to work on his technique a little bit,but his upside as a pass-rush specialist is undeniable, as he is capable of attacking the quarterback from multiple angles.
19- WR Michael Floyd Notre Dame: Floyd had the opportunity to compete at the Senior Bowl and stake claim to the #1 overall Senior Wide Receiver in this draft but surprisingly turned down the opportunity. luckily Baylor’s Kendall Wright also did not participate because of an injury, however Floyd has a lot to prove come Combine time when his talents will be on full display for evaluators.
20- CB Dre Kirkpatrick Alabama: A recent drug-related arrest for possession of marijuana has Kirkpatrick’s draft stock in limbo. There is no doubting his combination of size, length, and overall athleticism but Kirkpatrick did himself no favors by getting into trouble with the law before the biggest job interview of his life. Kirkpatrick has a lot to prove and a lot of questions about his character and maturity to answer before he can be considered an elite prospect once again.
21- OT Mike Adams Ohio State: Perhaps the biggest riser from the Senior Bowl, Adams consistently looked the part by shutting down multiple pass-rushers during one on one drills. His performance in the game against players like Melvin Ingram and Courtney Upshaw was also impressive and has his draft stock climbing in he right direction.
22- WR Kendall Wright Baylor: Wright is a highly explosive player whose speed and athleticism make him a big play threat in the NFL. Wright will be competing closely with fellow Senior Wide Receiver Michael Floyd for the #2 spot behind Justin Blackmon in the 2012 NFL Draft.
23- OT/OG Cordy Glenn Georgia: Glenn is a mountain of a man who I consider a “dancing bear” because of his impressive movement skills and nimble footwork. Glenn did surprisingly well at Left Tackle during the Senior Bowl and his added versatility to play Right Tackle or Guard in the NFL makes him a very intriguing prospect.
24- QB Ryan Tannehill Texas A&M: Tannehill is a former Wide Receiver who has all the tools to become a franchise quarterback at the next level…he just needs time to develop and should not be asked to start immediately in his rookie season.
25- RB Lamar Miller Miami: The acceleration Miller shows in and out of his cuts is an extremely rare and impressive trait. His home run ability should get him drafted in the 1st round despite off-season shoulder surgery.
26- DT Dontari Poe Memphis: A mammoth nose tackle, Poe could become the premier player at his position in this draft, which will undoubtedly send his draft stock soaring. I haven’t been able to find or watch much film on Poe for myself but have like what I have heard and found from respected talent evaluators in the industry.
27- WR Alshon Jeffrery South Carolina: An immensely gifted and towering wide receiver, Jeffery is one of the harder players to grade in this entire draft class. Jeffrey was essentially un-coverable last season and struggled some this year to gain separation and make the same type of impact he did during his Sophomore season. With that said, Jeffrey is incredibly gifted and deceptively fast, while using his big body to shield defenders from himself and the football. The off-season will be very important for Jeffrey in determining his draft stock, but comparisons to former USC Wide Receiver Mike Williams will hurt his draft value a bit.
28- LB Vontaze Burfict Arizona State: Burfict has all the talent in the world, however questions about his mental-makeup and attitude have scouts turned off a bit. Burfict will need to clear up these questions if he is to rise any leading up to the 2012 NFL Draft.
29- CB Alfonzo Dennard Nebraska: What some considered a poor performance from Dennard at the Senior Bowl, I was acutally impressed with how he responded and came out and competed after the amount of criticism he received after practice on Monday. If anything the Senior Bowl proved the weaknesses some scouts had leading up to the Senior Bowl about Dennard’s ability to flip his hips and turn and run with receivers down the field. Dennard is much more comfortable playing off coverage and fits best in a Cover 2 type scheme where he can keep the play in front of him, while having the added luxury of having help over the top. Dennard is still an extremely gifted corner who deserves consideration in the late 1st-early 2nd round range. His ability to recognize routes, click and close, and mirror his man while staying in their hip pocket makes him an effective corner…although he is better served and limited to some schemes that fit his strengths the best.
30- DT/DE Fletcher Cox Mississippi State: A versatile defensive lineman who can play inside or out, Fletcher Cox is somewhat falling under the radar. His impressive motor and hustle on every play will get him noticed, as will the fact that he played in the dominant SEC Conference.
31- WR Mohamed Sanu Rutgers: Another one of my favorite players in this Draft, Sanu has flown under the radar some to this point. He’s not extremely athletic or overly fast to create consistent separation, but Sanu simply catches the ball with great consistency. His ability to come down with the difficult catch and use his physicality and toughness as both a blocker and a receiver make him a very enticing player who could rise substantially going through the scouting process in the coming months.
32- RB Doug Martin Boise State: A player who has always been one of my favorites, Doug Martin is built low to the ground and possesses a nice build, as his low center of gravity and balance make him a hard player to bring down. He runs well behind his pads with good forward lean and has some natural speed to take it the distance, although I wouldn’t call him a true home run threat. Martin also excels as a receiver out of the backfield and shows the toughness/willingness to pick up blitzing defenders in pass protection…he truely is a complete back who reminds me some of Ray Rice and Ahmad Bradshaw.
-Hope you ejoyed this post-
-Brandon