ESPN’s resident draftnik Mel Kiper Jr. has officially published his first mock of the 2012 NFL Draft. Wherein NFL.com’s Steve Wyche has the Cleveland Browns trading up to select Baylor’s Robert Griffin III, Kiper feels the shifty quarterback will still be on the board come the fourth-overall selection where he will be promptly taken by Tom Heckert, ushering in a brand new era of Browns football.
After Stanford’s Andrew Luck, Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon and USC’s Matt Kalil are selected with the first three picks, respectively, Kiper says the following:
If a team moves ahead of the Browns for Griffin, they also could be in play for Blackmon, or even the guy I have at No. 5, Trent Richardson. However, the questions on Colt McCoy’s ceiling as a starting NFL quarterback are getting louder, and if the Browns don’t go after a solution such as Matt Flynn, a quarterback certainly could be in play here. Griffin made big strides this past season, particularly with his deep accuracy. He is a big-time athlete at the quarterback position but has developed a very good pocket presence and the ability to read the game, and his big arm comes with a nice touch on intermediate throws. He is a leader and has intangibles that should really impress evaluators during the draft process.
And if one Baylor product was not enough (two, if we want to group in last season’s first-round selection DT Phil Taylor), Kiper comes through with the hopeful answer to Cleveland’s wide receiving prayers. With the twenty-second-overall selection:
Quietly, [Baylor WR Kendall] Wright had a season that almost matched Blackmon’s in the Big 12. The Browns might not end up with Griffin with the No. 4 pick, but his teammate would make a lot of sense here. Greg Little is a developing big target and had a pretty good rookie season given the overall performance of the Cleveland offense. Wright is smaller at about 5-10, 190 pounds, but could add a speed threat this offense really needs. He can beat teams over the top with straight-line speed but also works underneath and will do a lot of damage after the catch. The Browns need weapons, and Wright, who also has great hands, fits the profile.
Stay tuned for the next edition of Kiper’s mock where he has the Cavaliers selecting Perry Jones III and Brittney Griner.
[Related: Report: Packers Unlikely to Use Franchise Tag on Matt Flynn]
