The playoff races in the NFL are just beginning to take shape and there is still a lot of football to be played this season. But it's never too early to start looking ahead to the NFL Draft. Below is our first NFL mock draft of the 2012 draft season.
1. Indianapolis - Andrew Luck, QB Stanford
The Colts may have the great fortune of going from Peyton Manning to Luck, but the youngster is going to be under a ton of pressure to live up to what may be unrealistic expectations at this point.
2. St. Louis - Justin Blackmon*, WR Oklahoma State
Brandon Lloyd has proven to be a nice addition so far, and the addition of Blackmon could really open up the Rams passing game.
3. Carolina - Morris Claiborne*, CB LSU
The Panthers have something building on offense, but there are a lot of holes on their defense. Upgrading and adding depth to the cornerback position should be a priority.
4. Minnesota - Matt Kalil*, OT, USC
An upgrade over Charlie Johnson at left tackle makes sense. If the Vikings are picking this high come April, they may have a shot at the best offensive lineman in the draft.
5. Arizona - Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
Kevin Kolb hasn't exactly lit things up in Arizona, but the team has a lot invested in the young signal caller, so it makes sense to bring in someone who can protect his blindside a little better than Levi Brown.
6. Washington - Landry Jones* QB Oklahoma
Mike Shanahan isn't likely to go into the 2012 season with Rex Grossman and John Beck as his quarterbacks. Instead he will probably look for a quarterback in the draft to groom for the starting job.
7. Jacksonville - Quinton Coples, DE North Carolina
The Jaguars defensive ends are far from intimidating, so a pass rusher like Coples who is strong against both the pass and the run, should be attractive.
8. Miami - Robert Griffin*, QB, Baylor
If Matt Moore continues to play well, the Dolphins won't need to spend a high draft pick on a quarterback. But if the Dolphins aren't sold on Moore as the long-term answer at the position, they may bring in a young arm to build around.
9. Cleveland - Trent Richardson*, RB Alabama
Peyton Hillis may have worn out his welcome in Cleveland and there are concerns about Montario Hardesty's durability. Richardson would be a versatile weapon in the Browns West Coast offense.
10. Kansas City - Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
Right tackle is a position in need of upgrading, and Reiff is a guy with a little bit of a nasty attitude who could play either tackle position.
11. Tampa Bay - Dre Kirkpatrick*, CB Alabama
Ronde Barber's career is winding down quickly, and Aquib Talib is one slip up away from an indefinite suspension.
12. San Diego - Donte Paige-Moss*, DE, North Carolina
The Chargers no longer have the outside pass rush that made their defense so effective just a few short years ago. With Larry English failing to live up to his first-round billing, a young pass rusher is needed to inject some life at a position that was a strength not that long ago.
13. Seattle - Janoris Jenkins, CB North Alabama
Coming off a back injury and carrying a hefty salary, Marcus Trufant may not be back in 2012, leaving the team with a group of defensive backs that are better suited as backups.
14. Philadelphia - Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan
Philadelphia makes a habit of fortifying their lines early in the draft, and with depth at defensive tackle a concern, it makes sense that they would look toward an interior lineman like Worthy in the first round.
15. Buffalo - Luke Kuechly*, ILB Boston College
The Bills have a lot of pieces in place on the defensive side of the ball, but they could stand to inject some youth and playmaking ability to the linebacking corps.
16. Denver - Lamar Miller*, RB Miami (FL)
Knowshon Marino has proven he isn't a franchise-type of tailback, and Willis McGahee (at 30 years old) isn't a guy you build an offense around. If the Broncos are committed to Tim Tebow, they better build a dominating run game around him.
