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Comparing The 2012 NFL Draft To SB Nation's Writer's Mock Draft

Feb 25, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Courtney Upshaw who is projected to be a top ten draft pick speaks at a press conference during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE
Feb 25, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Courtney Upshaw who is projected to be a top ten draft pick speaks at a press conference during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

The 2012 NFL Draft made pretty much any projected mock draft look bad, as between the actual picks and trades, totally changed the face of what was expected. Most mocks do not take into account draft day trades. The Baltimore Ravens traded out of the first round, so they didn't even have a pick in the first 32.

However, they did get first round talent and when the pick was made, I referred to the selection of Alabama OLB Courtney Upshaw as a "top-15 talent. The SB Nation Writer's Mock Draft at their NFL draft site, Mocking The Draft, had Upshaw being selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with their 12th overall pick.

I took Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler with the Ravens 29th pick but was criticized for taking the Badgers player too early. Inreality, not only was it not too early but the Cincinnati Bengals thought enough of him to trade up right before the Ravens to grab him in the 28th slot.

(More on the real vs. mock draft comparisons after the 'Jump' and check out the caption to the photo)

Rumor is that the Ravens would have stayed put and drafted Zeitler if he was still on the board in the 29th slot. Further rumors indicated that the Ravens would have stood pat had Upshaw's linebacker teammate Dont'a Hightower not be nabbed by the New England Patriots, who traded up to get him a few picks before the Ravens turn came up.

In the second round, I selected Utah State ILB Bobby Wagner, who in the real thing, went 47th overall to the Seattle Seahawks. Here's another guy that people thought might be a bit of a reach at this point in the draft, yet the Seahawks took him 13 slots ahead of the Ravens second round turn.

The real Ravens selected Iowa State OT Kelechi Osemele with the 60th pick in the real draft. In the SB Nation Writer's Mock Draft, he went 54th to the Detroit Lions, six picks ahead of Baltimore. I may not have gotten the first two names correct, but I did get the positions right, although in opposite order.

Therefore, based on what I did in the Mock Draft, the Baltimore Ravens obviously got two players in the second round that were higher values than the position that the team selected them in and the first one, Upshaw, appears to have been a steal of a player who could have very easily been a top-15 selection.