While Andrew Luck is of course the talk of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Stanford Cardinal will have a couple of other players figuring to be selected in the first round of this year's class of draftees. One of those players is offensive tackle Jonathan Martin.
In their latest mock draft, Walter Football has Martin going to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round, as the No. 7 overall pick. Here's their take:
Most mocks have Quinton Coples here. I did three weeks ago. After thinking about it though, Coples doesn't seem like the type of player that Gene Smith would want on his team. Coples' effort as a senior was pretty lacking, and Smith is all about securing high-character guys. Besides, Smith needs to use this selection to help his beleaguered quarterback.
Smith is taking a homoclitic approach to Blaine Gabbert, so he'll be willing to do everything in his power to make sure his young signal-caller succeeds. That means finding weapons and adding blockers. Both are equally paramount because Gabbert completely falls apart at the first hint of pressure, even closing his eyes on occasion when attempting a pass. It's pretty pathetic.
The right side of the offensive line didn't hold up for the Jaguars last year because right tackle Guy Whimper is a sieve. He's a free agent anyway, and Jacksonville's only alternative is someone named Cameron Bradfield. Bradfield did a decent job in two starts as a rookie, but was an undrafted free agent in 2011, so he can't exactly be counted on with Smith's job potentially on the line.
This is one of the highest placements Martin has seen on the mock drafts to date and is the first one I've seen pairing him with the Jags. Definitely an interesting take.
For all news and information regarding the Stanford Cardinal, please visit Rule of Tree. For updates and perspective on the Jacksonville Jaguars, head on over to Big Cat Country. For complete coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft, check out Mocking the Draft.