Mr. East’s No Trade Mock Draft

This mock is my final first round mock I will be releasing before the draft this Thursday. This edition will feature no trades.

UPDATE: Some changes have been made after the jump.

Who will the Broncos pick at 25? Find out after the jump.

Round 1

• 1.    Indianapolis Colts
  Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

I’ve said it many times before, I’m an ardent Robert Griffin III fan. However, Andrew Luck is something very special. The Colts and everyone who has seen a football understands how great of an opportunity this is. It’s just not fair that the Colts get to be awesome for a decade and have one bad season and pick up such a great prospect.

• 2.   Washington Redskins
  Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
  

John Wall of the Wizards, Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals, Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals, and Robert Griffin soon to be of the Redskins. What do all of these men have in common? The state of their franchises rests on their shoulders.

All of those athletes, except for Griffin, were drafted number one overall. Some argue too that Griffin is basically a number one pick.

As a person who lives in the Washington DC area myself, I can easily say that no other area in the United States drafts more “saviors” for their franchises.

Mike Shanahan has basically staked his job on the success of Griffin as well. That is a lot of pressure for one young man.

• 3.   Minnesota Vikings
  Matt Kalil, OT, USC

Protect your prized possessions. That means your fans, Vikings. But if you aren’t able to stay in Minnesota, then you should protect your young quarterback and Pro Bowl running back instead.

Morris Claiborne may work here too, he is a much better option than paying Chris Cook while he’s still in jail.

• 4.   Cleveland Browns
  Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

There is a lot of speculation that Trent Richardson may fall due to the undervalued position of running back. However, due to their quarterback situation, it would make a lot of sense for the Browns to pick a running back who is well deserving of a top five selection.

If the Browns want to stomach another year with Colt McCoy then having a phenom like Trent Richardson will help the season go a bit more smoothly.

• 5.   Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
  

The Buccaneers were a huge mess last season. Defensively, they had the worst pass defensive, allowing 30.9 points a game. Morris Claiborne would no doubt invigorate the secondary.

The Tampa Bay defensive was also the worst in sacks, only getting to the quarterback 23 times last year. Quinton Coples could also make sense here,  he is an ideal 4-3 defensive end and would be a huge upgrade to this lethargic defensive line.

• 6.   St. Louis Rams
  Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

The Rams finally have an opportunity to give Sam Bradford an elite wide receiver. Blackmon has that game changing ability, he caught all three touchdowns in the Bowl Game against Stanford.

St. Louis would also be wise to look to improve their offensive line, so Riley Reiff could be an option here.

• 7.   Jacksonville Jaguars
  Stephon Gilmour, CB, South Carolina

The Jaguar secondary get beat consistently last year. Jacksonville has a very high interest in Gilmour, whose draft stock has been soaring up the charts lately. The Jaguars are not the kind of team to trade out to avoid a reach either.

• 8.   Miami Dolphins
  Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

The Dolphins have nothing at quarterback. David Garrard was not the answer in Jacksonville, he won’t change going further south. Matt Moore is very capable, but he is a great backup at best. Ryan Tannehill will have a great chance to either start immediately or sit the bench for a bit to learn the ropes.

• 9.   Carolina Panthers
  Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
  

The Panthers need help everywhere on the defense. Fletcher Cox is really rising up draft boards and is easily the best player available at this position.

• 10.   Buffalo Bills
  Mark Barron, S, Alabama

Marcel Dareus was a great pick last year. Now Dareus is paired up with Kyle Williams and Mario Williams. The Bills apparently really like Barron. It is no surprise that the Bills are placing a high importance on the defending the pass since they play Tom Brady twice a year.

• 11.   Kansas City
  Dont’a Hightower, ILB, Alabama

The Chiefs have a pretty good roster, but there is one thing that is weighing them down. The dead weight on the roster, is non other than Matt Cassell.

Brandon Weeden can come in and beat Matt Cassell outright for the starting job. Despite the fact that Weeden is 28, he is still very fresh and very talented.

Since this mock involves no trades, I’m not sure if Weeden will be taken here, but I do think Kansas has him high on their radar.

Instead the Chiefs will chose to upgrade their defense, and Hightower is an instant starter. Crimson Tide linebackers always go higher than expected come draft day.

• 12.   Seattle Seahawks
  Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College
  

Kuechly is the best player available and a steal at this position. The Seahawks haven’t had much luck in drafting linebackers in the first round, but since their linebackers could really use an upgrade.

• 13.   Arizona Cardinals
  Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

Larry Fitzgerald wants Michael Floyd, but Kevin Kolb is hitting big on the Cardinals payroll. Whether or not the Kolb experiment will work is unknown, but Arizona is better off trying to help him as much as possible.

• 14.   Dallas Cowboys
  Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
  

The Cowboys don’t really have anything reliable at safety, but Mark Barron is gone. The Cowboys could use some bolstering of the defensive line and Michael Brockers is one of the best players on the board.

• 15.   Philadelphia Eagles
  Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

The Eagles may have had an extremely disappointing season, but they are only a few pieces away from reaching the playoffs. The most noticeable of those pieces are at linebacker.

The Eagles made a great move trading for Pro Bowler DeMeco Ryans. With Ryans on the roster, that frees up Philly to take the a great pass rusher like Melvin Ingram.

• 16.   New York Jets
  Courtney Upshaw, DE, Alabama

Meet Courtney Upshaw, Capital One Bowl and National Championship MVP, size of 3-4 player, and sack artist. This is a recipe for a great pick for the Jets.

Keep in mind, the Jets are smitten with Trent Richardson and Gang Green does not shy away from a big first round trade.

• 17.   Cincinnati Bengals
  Quinton Coples, DE, UNC

The Bengals defense was one of the pleasant surprises last season. However, they have lost some key players in free agency. Quinton Coples is the best player on the board and would fit in well with Mike Zimmer‘s defensive scheme.

• 18.   San Diego Chargers
  Chandler Jones, OLB/DE, Syracuse

San Diego had a hard time getting to the quarterback and it’s clear that Larry English is just not panning out. Chandler Jones is one of those potential first round risers that has been causing quite a stir.

• 19.   Chicago Bears
  David DeCastro, OT, Stanford

Chicago has reunited Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall. If only the Bears offensive line was adept enough to keep Cutler upright. Adding a dose of David DeCastro will go a long way.

• 20.   Tennessee Titans
  Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia

The Titans were one of the surprisingly good teams of the 2011 season. One of the struggling parts of the team was the offensive line. Offensive line guru and head coach, Mike Munchak, will do what it takes to upgrade the line where possible.

• 21.   Cincinnati Bengals
  Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
  

Dre Kirkpatrick is one of the best corners of the draft, but he was charged with marijuana possession this offseason. The charges were dropped, but that still isn’t the biggest reassurance for teams. However, the Bengals have never shied away from a player with troubles off the field. Adam Jones is still on the roster.

• 22.   Cleveland Browns
  Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

Joe Thomas may be the best in the NFL and Alex Mack is a extremely talented. Therefore, it makes sense for Cleveland to complete the set and give whoever they draft next year (or perhaps Brandon Weeden) a strong weapon to work with. Trent Richardson and Michael Floyd could provide a great offensive foundation.

• 23.   Detroit Lions
  Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
  

The Lions obtain some sort of benevolence towards pot smokers and trouble makers. Fortunately for Lions fans, Jonathan Martin is available, so the team will take him instead of Mike Adams,

• 24.   Pittsburgh Steelers
  Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

After being exposed the Broncos, the Steelers’ defense demands an injection of youth.

• 25.   Denver Broncos
  Doug Martin, RB, Boise State

The Broncos may try to trade up to select an elite talent at defensive tackle, like Fletcher Cox or Michael Brockers, but the ammunition is just not there. John Elway strikes me as a “best player available” kind of guy, which is a great philosophy for the late first round picks.

Doug Martin is quickly rising up the draft boards and he looks like he would be a great fit into John Fox‘s run heavy offense. Martin if quick, shifty, and fights for every yard he can earn. One of the great positives of Martin is that he has the strength to run it up the gut (28 reps at the combine). With the body type of an every down back, pass protection is also one of Martin’s other strengths.

• 26.   Houston Texas
  Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

Outside of Andre Johnson the Texans wide receiving corps have struggled. The Texans also lack a dominant punt and kick returner. Kendall Wright has the ability to solve both of these problems.

• 27.   New England Patriots
  Shea McClellin, OLB, Boise State

The Patriots had problems consistently getting the quarterback last year. They relied on players like Andre Carter, Rob Ninkovich, and Mark Anderson who all came on strong towards the end of the year. Despite the strong showing of the other pass rushers, New England could use a player like Shea McClellin. McClellin is extremely versatile and he could play in either the 3-4 or 4-3.

• 28.   Green Bay Packers
  Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois

The Green Bay defense had less than 30 sacks last season. The Packers need to fill the gaping hole that formed when Cullen Jenkins left.

• 29.   Baltimore Ravens
  Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

People say that the Ravens don’t draft for need, they select the best player available. Well, last year the Ravens picked Jimmy Smith who was both a need and the best player available. At this spot in the draft, Peter Konz is no different.

• 30.   San Fransisco 49ers
  Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

Jim Harbaugh knows Fleener better than any other coach, and he will get the best out of him. Fleener would be a great complement to Vernon Davis.

• 31.   New England Patriots
  Nick Perry, DE, USC
  

Who really knows that the Patriots will do with two first round picks?

Perry is apparently high on New England’s radar, but like I said before, who really knows with them.

• 32.   New York Giants
  Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

The Giants could use a linebacker, but Jerry Reese always goes for the best value at the position.

Big Blue may have lost Mario Manningham to free agency, but they could go on living life without him. The rich just get richer with the addition of Stephen Hill. The Giants wide receiving corps would give defensive coordinators nightmares with Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz, and Hill.

What do you think Broncos fans? Approve of Doug Martin? Who else would you like to see at 25?