29. Vikings - Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame | 2012 NFL Draft - First Round

2012 NFL Draft - First Round

29. Vikings - Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame

Raanan's Take: Minnesota moves back into the first round and gets some much-needed help for its secondary. Smith is an instant upgrade and with his cover skills in its Cover Two defense, he's a tremendous pick. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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Pick-by-Pick Ana... By Jordan Raanan
Xfinity Sports

Enough with the mocking. This was the real deal. See who was picked when and by whom in a trade-happy first round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Jordan Raanan has covered the NFL since 2005. Follow him on Twitter at @JordanRaanan or email him at jraanan@hotmail.com.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
1. Colts - Andre... Raanan's Take: No surprise here. Luck is considered by some to be the best quarterback prospect since John Elway. Indy is starting over. The rebuilding begins with the Stanford star. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
2. Redskins - Ro... Raanan's Take: Washington secured RG3 over a month ago when they gave up a boatload for the No. 2 pick. There was never a doubt this selection was going to be RG3. The 'Skins finally have a quarterback to build around. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
3. Browns - Tren... Raanan's Take: Cleveland had the No. 4 pick until just hours before the draft. They didn't want to take any chances and traded with the Vikings. The Browns wanted the best RB in the draft since Adrian Peterson. They got their quarterback later in the first round. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)

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4. Vikings - Mat... Raanan's Take: Minnesota needed a blindside protector for Christian Ponder. Kalil was targeted from the start. The Vikings, though, played it perfectly, getting their guy and some extra picks by moving back one spot. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

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5. Jaguars - Jus... Raanan's Take: Those sneaky Jags. All the talk was about them moving down from the No. 7 spot. Instead, they swapped picks with Tampa and filled their biggest need — wide receiver. Blackmon, the draft's No. 1 WR, greatly boosts their talent at the position. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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6. Cowboys - Mor... Raanan's Take: Huge move by the 'Boys. They make the cornerback overhaul complete by landing the draft's best CB. The physical Claiborne is a perfect fit for Rob Ryan's defense. Combined with free agent acquisition Brandon Carr, the Cowboys CBs in 2012 will be 100 times better than last season. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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7. Bucs - Mark B... Raanan's Take: Tampa goes the unorthodox route in upgrading its run defense. They take a safety that can play in the box (and cover). Great pick. In my opinion, Barron is the best defensive player in this draft. The Bucs moved down, gained more picks and landed Barron. Win, win, win. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
8. Dolphins - Ry... Raanan's Take: Miami caves to public pressure. Good luck to them. Listening to the fans never works. The Dolphins took their QB almost a full round before his talent and production dictates. Better cross their fingers and pray the unproven QB grows into his potential. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

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9. Panthers - Lu... Raanan's Take: My second-best defensive player in the draft goes to Carolina with the No. 9 pick. It's an absolute steal for the Panthers. Carolina's front seven needed help and Kuechly was the best player on the board. (AP Photo/ Richard Shiro)

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10. Bills - Step... Raanan's Take: Buffalo could have filled a need and gone offensive tackle with Reilly Reiff. But the Bills take the better player in Gilmore at another position where they needed help. A very solid pick for Buffalo, which happens to be building a very nice defense. (AP Photo/Rich Glickstein)

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11. Chiefs - Don... Raanan's Take: The production doesn't match Poe's freakish athletic ability. Even though it fills a need in the middle of the Chiefs' defense, Poe is a bit of a reach with the 11th pick. (AP Photo/Lance Murphey)

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12. Eagles - Fle... Raanan's Take: The Eagles wanted a defensive tackle that can get after the quarterback. Cox was the best option in the draft. The Eagles moved up three spots to get their guy. A strong move for a player who fits perfectly on Jim Washburn's defensive line. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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13. Cardinals - ... Raanan's Take: Larry Fitzgerald gets his man. It's a good move for the Cards, who now have the most physical wide receiver combo in the NFL to help out Kevin Kolb or John Skelton. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

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14. Rams - Micha... Raanan's Take: The Rams have some pass rushers. Now, they have a run stuffer. Brockers will help their defense. St. Louis can grab its wide receiver in the second round. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

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15. Seahawks - B... Raanan's Take: A surprise pick. A bit of a reach in the middle of the first round considering he's a one-dimensional player. Still not a bad pick considering he's the best natural pass rusher in the draft. Getting after the quarterback is a valuable commodity in today's NFL. (AP Photo/David Smith, File)

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16. Jets - Quint... Raanan's Take: The Jets couldn't pass on Coples' talent. They needed a pass rusher and Coples is the most physically gifted in the draft. Now the question is whether Rex Ryan can get him to play hard every down. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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17. Bengals - Dr... Raanan's Take: Once again, an arrest doesn't scare off the Bengals. (Sorry, that was too easy.) Kirkpatrick is a physical corner who plays bigger than his size indicates. He's a nice fit at a need position in Mike Zimmer's defense. (AP Photo)

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18. Chargers - M... Raanan's Take: Versatile pass rusher gives San Diego the dynamic player off the edge it has been missing the last few seasons. The Chargers have to be ecstatic a player with Ingram's talent was on the board at this point of the draft. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

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19. Bears - Shea... Raanan's Take: McClellin can get after the quarterback. Is he a 4-3 end though? Can he be a strongside linebacker? Somewhat curious pick by the Bears considering the pass rushing options on the board. ( AP Photo/Aaron Ontiveroz)

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20. Titans - Ken... Raanan's Take: Kenny Britt and Wright give Jake Locker solid receivers for many years to come. A quality move to improve the talent around the young quarterback. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

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21. Patriots - C... Raanan's Take: New England moves up to land its pass rusher. Jones is a freakish athlete with the kind of versatility that Bill Belichick loves. Only problem is that his production (10 career sacks) has yet to match the talent. It's possible it never will. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli, File)

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22. Browns - Bra... Raanan's Take: Cleveland ran to the podium to snag Weeden. Guess its confidence level in Colt McCoy isn't as high as previously stated. A 28-year-old QB in the first round? Can't say I'd recommend. (AP Photo/Matt York)

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23. Lions - Rile... Raanan's Take: With no first round cornerback or safety available, Detroit gets the draft's second-best offensive tackle. It's good value for the Lions at No. 23 considering protecting Matthew Stafford and keeping him healthy is one of the team's top priorities. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

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24. Steelers - D... Raanan's Take: Pittsburgh jumps at the opportunity to land the top interior offensive lineman in this draft. The Steelers needed to improve their offensive line and did so with the best player on the board. It's a quality pick for now and the future. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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25. Patriots - D... Raanan's Take: New England moves up for the second time in the first round to get its guy. This time it's Hightower to add to the front seven. It's a solid yet unspectacular pick. (AP Photo/Dave Martin, File)

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26. Texans - Whi... Raanan's Take: Houston goes with the best available player on its board. It just so happens to be a pass rusher. Whitney, however, is a one-year wonder. He is coming off his lone impressive season at Illinois. That scares me. (AP Photo)

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27. Bengals - Ke... Raanan's Take: Cincinnati needed help on the interior of its offensive line. Zeitler will be a solid, immediate contributor. The second nice addition of the first round by the Bengals. (AP Photo/Paul Battaglia, File)

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28. Packers - Ni... Raanan's Take: Green Bay was intent on adding a pass rusher opposite Clay Matthews. It had to be thrilled to see Perry available. The USC product can get after the quarterback and fits well in the Packers' 3-4 defense. (AP Photo/Christine Cotter)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
29. Vikings - Ha... Raanan's Take: Minnesota moves back into the first round and gets some much-needed help for its secondary. Smith is an instant upgrade and with his cover skills in its Cover Two defense, he's a tremendous pick. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.
30. 49ers - A.J.... Raanan's Take: Jenkins is a burner and has good hands with production that doesn't match. Maybe he can learn from Randy Moss and Mario Manningham. Still, a questionable selection. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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31. Bucs - Doug ... Raanan's Take: The Bucs didn't get Trent Richardson so they traded back into the bottom of the first round and got the second-best back instead. With his versatility and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, Martin is the perfect compliment to LaGarrette Blunt. Martin's a very solid addition to a substantially reinforced Bucs offense. (AP Photo/Matt Cilley)

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32. Giants - Dav... Raanan's Take: Wilson's top-notch athleticism adds a new element to the Giants' offense. He could help out on special teams too. As always under GM Jerry Reese, the Giants make out well with their pick. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.