NFL Round 1 Mock Draft

Everyone and their mother throws their hat into the mock draft ring this time of year. So I figured, why shouldn't I throw mine in as well? Below is my best guess as to how it will all go down tonight:

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
   This pick has been confirmed multiple times this week. Luck has been the presumptive #1 pick for 2 years now, and now he gets to officially be the guy the Colts cut ties with Hall-of-Famer Peyton Manning for. Good luck, Andrew, the expectations for you are sky-high.
2. Washington Redskins (from St. Louis): Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
   All but a sure thing, in that it's only been confirmed once this week. The Redskins paid a bounty to secure this pick so as to take the Heisman trophy winner. The expectations aren't quite as high as Luck's (Washington is pushing Rex Grossman aside for RG3, not quite the same thing), but the Redskins traded away their next 2 years' 1st round picks, so they also aren't going to be able to get him high quality help either if he struggles early.
3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT, USC
   Kalil is looked at as the elite OT prospect in this draft. For a bad team with a young quarterback, this is called protecting your investment.
4. Cleveland Browns: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
   Cleveland (wisely) tried to beat Washington out for RG3, but failed to do so. While Cleveland would love to upgrade their quarterback position, no one left is worthy of such a high pick. Instead, Cleveland will use this pick to upgrade their offense, as it's not just Colt McCoy holding them back on that side of the ball. Cleveland needs skill position players, and Richardson is the best RB prospect since Adrian Peterson, which makes him the pick.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
   Claiborne is seen by most as the top CB prospect in the draft, despite the reports that he scored a 4 (out of 50) on the Wonderlic test. I could explain to you what the Wonderlic is, or I could just confirm your suspicions that a 4 is really really bad. That being said, all a corner needs to do is see receiver, stay with receiver, and keep ball away from receiver, so this test result isn't a killer.
6. St. Louis Rams (from Washington): Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
   Blackmon is considered by most to be the top receiver on the board, and QB (and #1 overall pick 2 years ago) Sam Bradford needs help. His receivers look like a cow's lunch the third time he eats it. Value meets need here and the Rams take Blackmon.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina
   Here's where it gets interesting. Sure the top 6 could go slightly differently, but odds are those are the top 6 players taken in the draft. After that, though, it could go one of several different directions, and it all starts with this pick and what the Jaguars decide to do. Jacksonville could use help along their defensive line and in their secondary, and many are now projecting them to take a cornerback here. But information is notoriously unreliable in the week leading up to the draft, so I'm giving them Ingram, who is probably the best pure pass rusher in the draft.
8. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
   This is still higher than the next QB should go, but Miami needs someone to get excited about. They tried for coach Jim Harbaugh last offseason and were rebuffed. They went hard after Jeff Fisher this offseason, and lost out. They tried for Peyton Manning, and got the "thanks, but no thanks" answer. Then they went after Matt Flynn, and despite having his Green Bay offensive coordinator as their head coach, missed out again. Miami needs someone they can build around, so they reach for the third quarterback in this draft. It helps that their current offensive coordinator (Mike Sherman) was Tannehill's coach at A&M.
9. Carolina Panthers: Fletcher Cox, DT/DE, Mississippi
   Carolina needs defensive help, and Cox is the best player available on that side of the ball, and maybe overall.
10. Buffalo Bills: Reilly Reiff, OT, Iowa
    This is probably higher than Reiff should go, but no one left is such good value that Buffalo passes up a chance to upgrade their OLine.
11. Kansas City Chiefs: Luke Kuechly, MLB, Boston College
    Scott Pioli likes safe, steady picks, considering that the best use of the valuable resource of a first round draft pick. Kuechly, partly because of who he is and partly because of the position he plays, won't be the difference maker to push a team over the top to a championship, but he should be able to lock down an interior linebacker position for years, allowing Pioli to focus on upgrading other pieces as Kuechly goes about his business week in and week out.
12. Seattle Seahawks: Courtney Upshaw OLB/DE, Alabama
    Seattle has been pretty up front about needing to improve its pass rush this offseason. They've made a couple of minor free agency moves to help out in that area, but the difference makers who hit free agency are ridiculously expensive. With a top-15 pick, this is where Seattle should look for their difference maker. I believe Upshaw is their guy, as he is versatile and plays the run well (important to this team) while also possessing the skills necessary to pressure the quarterback.
13. Arizona Cardinals: David DeCastro, G, Stanford
    The Cardinals need help along their offensive line, and DeCastro is a better value than the available tackles at this spot.
14. Dallas Cowboys: Mark Barron, S, Alabama
    The Cowboys need help in their secondary, and this is one of those picks that was almost a given until about a week ago, and changes in the week leading up to the draft usually end up turning out to be completely false.
15. Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
    The Eagles grab the best available defensive line talent.
16. New York Jets: Cordy Glenn, G/T, Georgia
    Glenn will help the Jets get back to their ground and pound identity, the only way they have a shot at winning with Sanchez or Tebow under center.
17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland): Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
    There's talk Gilmore could go as high as pick 7 to Jacksonville. The Bengals a thrilled when he falls to them at 17 instead. The Bengals need secondary help, and Kirkpatrick is the top CB left
18. San Diego Chargers: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
    San Diego takes the best available pass-rishing talent, shrugging off questions about his desire.
19. Chicago Bears: Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse
    The Bears take a raw pass-rushing prospect, confident defensive coach Rod Marinelli can coach him up.
20. Tennessee Titans: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
    Tennessee needs some playmakers at WR for whoever wins the Matt Hasselbeck/Jake Locker competition at QB. Kenny Britt will be coming off of an ACL injury and no one else puts much fear into opposing defenses. Need meets value for the Titans.
21. Cincinnati Bengals: Peter Konz, C/G, Wisconsin
    Konz upgrades the Bengals' OLine, important with young QB Andy Dalton under center.
22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta): Rueben Randle, WR, LSU
    Cleveland continues to upgrade the skill positions around Colt McCoy, this time addressing the wide receiver position.
23. Detroit Lions: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
    As Matt Flynn can tell you, Detroit's secondary is awful. Kirkpatrick is the best addition at this point.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis
    Pittsburgh gets to draft the successor to Casey Hampton, the guy to eat up blockers so their linebackers can flock unencumbered to the ball.
25. Denver Broncos: Doug Martin, RB, Boise State
    John Elway must have promised Peyton Manning he'd upgrade the talent around him. Current running back Willis McGahee is a gamer, but he's on the wrong side of 30 for a running back. Martin can run, catch, and pass block (very important to Peyton).
26. Houston Texans: Colby Fleener, TE, Stanford
    Rather than reach for a wide receiver here, Houston gets a top-flight TE to give Matt Schaub options to throw to that aren't Andre Johnson.
27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans): Shea McClellin, OLB, Boise State
    Versatile DE/OLB type who can play the run, play the pass, and rush the passer. Bill Bellichick likes guys who can fill multiple roles.
28. Green Bay Packers: Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois
    Green Bay doesn't need much, but they desperately need pass rush help so Clay Matthews III isn't a one-man show.
29. Baltimore Ravens: Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama
    If he lasts this long there's no way Baltimore passes on him. He injects some youth into that defense, and, given the ability to learn from Ray Lewis, could give Baltimore 15 more years of elite linebacker play.
30. San Francisco 49ers: Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin
    Upgrading the offensive line takes even more pressure off of Alex Smith, both by protecting him from the pass rush and improving the running game, allowing the 49ers to not put the game in Alex Smith's hands.
31. New England Patriots: Josh Robinson, CB, UCF
    I fully expect the Patriots to trade out of this pick, as it's simply what they do. (This leads to the philosophical question of, is it really an advantage to have multiple first round draft picks if you never use the second one, but instead continually trade it for later and/or future picks?) However, if the draft falls this way, I'm not sure there's someone worth moving up for. If the Patriots stay here I see a secondary pick, and I think the value of the corner here is better than safety.
32. New York Giants: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
    The Giants could use some youth infused in their offensive line. If Fleener falls to them they'll take him instead.