A record twenty-six top prospects are confirmed to attend the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the NFL announced today. That includes a record five players from BCS National Champion Alabama: S Mark Barron, LB Dont'a Hightower, CB Dre Kirkpatrick, RB Trent Richardson and LB Courtney Upshaw.
Louisiana State will have three players in attendance, while Baylor, South Carolina, Southern California and Stanford will each have two players in New York this year.
The players confirmed to attend this year's NFL Draft:
1) Mark Barron S Alabama
2) Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma State
3) Michael Brockers DT Louisiana State
4) Morris Claiborne CB Louisiana State
5) Quinton Coples DE North Carolina
6) Fletcher Cox DT Mississippi State
7) Coby Fleener TE Stanford
8) Michael Floyd WR Notre Dame
9) Stephon Gilmore CB South Carolina
10) Cordy Glenn T Georgia
11) Robert Griffin III QB Baylor
12) Dont'a Hightower LB Alabama
13) Stephen Hill WR Georgia Tech
14) Melvin Ingram DE South Carolina
15) Matt Kalil T Southern California
16) Dre Kirkpatrick CB Alabama
17) Andrew Luck QB Stanford
18) Shea McClellin LB Boise State
19) Nick Perry DE Southern California
20) Dontari Poe DT Memphis
21) Rueben Randle WR Louisiana State
22) Trent Richardson RB Alabama
23) Devon Still DT Penn State
24) Ryan Tannehill QB Texas A&M
25) Courtney Upshaw LB Alabama
26) Kendall Wright WR Baylor
2012 NFL DRAFT FACTS & FIGURES
WHAT: 77th Annual National Football League Player Selection Meeting.
WHERE: Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Avenue of the Americas, New York City (Between 50th and 51st Streets).
WHEN: 8:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 26 (Round 1).
7:00 PM ET, Friday, April 27 (Rounds 2-3).
Noon ET, Saturday, April 28 (Rounds 4-7).
The first round will conclude on Thursday by approximately 11:30 PM ET. In 2011, the first round consumed three hours and 30 minutes. The second and third rounds will conclude on Friday by approximately 11:15 PM ET. The second and third rounds took four hours and 15 minutes in 2011. The draft will conclude by approximately 7:30 PM ET on Saturday with the final four rounds. Rounds 4 through 7 took seven hours and 23 minutes in 2011.
DRAFTING: Representatives of the 32 NFL clubs by telephone communication with their general managers, coaches and scouts.
ROUNDS: Seven Rounds – Round 1 on Thursday, April 26; Rounds 2 and 3 on Friday, April 27; and Rounds 4 through 7 on Saturday, April 28.
There will be 253 selections, including 32 compensatory choices that have been awarded to 15 teams that suffered a net loss of certain quality unrestricted free agents last year.
The following 32 compensatory choices will supplement the 221 regular choices in the seven rounds – Round 3: Oakland, 33. Round 4: Minnesota, 33; Oakland, 34; Baltimore, 35; New York Giants, 36; Green Bay, 37; Green Bay, 38; Minnesota, 39; Dallas, 40. Round 5: Oakland, 33; Baltimore, 34; Indianapolis, 35. Round 6: New York Jets, 33; New York Jets, 34; Cleveland, 35; Cleveland, 36; Indianapolis, 37; Carolina, 38. Round 7: Pittsburgh, 33; Green Bay, 34; New York Jets, 35; Green Bay, 36; New York Jets, 37; Cleveland, 38; Pittsburgh, 39; Cleveland, 40; Pittsburgh, 41; Atlanta, 42; San Diego, 43; Buffalo, 44; St. Louis, 45; Indianapolis, 46.
Cleveland (Nos. 4 and 22), Cincinnati (Nos. 17 and 21) and New England (Nos. 27 and 31) have two selections in the first round. Atlanta, New Orleans and Oakland do not have first-round picks. All other teams have one first-round selection.
TIME LIMITS: Round 1: 10 minutes per selection. Round 2: Seven minutes per selection. Rounds 3 through 7: Five minutes per selection.
TELEVISION: NFL Network and ESPN/ESPN 2 will televise the draft on all three days.
INTERNET & MOBILE: On Thursday, April 26 at 7:30 PM ET and Friday, April 27 at 6:30 PM ET, NFL.com LIVE Presented by Marriott provides comprehensive coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft. On Saturday, NFL.com LIVE will stream NFL Network's coverage of Rounds 4-7 beginning at Noon ET. The popular "Fan War Rooms" are back for the fourth year, offering an innovative way for fans to follow the draft, allowing them the opportunity to discuss a team's strategy and immediately react once a player is selected. In addition, NFL.com's Cover It Live Presented by Lexus offers fans a unique forum to interact with fellow fans, NFL Network analysts and players, as well as voice their opinions regarding each selection. Fans may also follow two of the top prospects in this year's draft – Southern California tackle Matt Kalil and Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon – throughout their pre-draft journey on NFL.com's blog, The Right Stuff Presented by New Era. NFL.com will be with each prospect throughout their entire pre-draft journey, providing a behind-the-scenes look at one of the biggest moments in their life. "NFL Mobile only from Verizon" will have extensive coverage leading up to and during the 2012 NFL Draft including a live stream of NFL Network and its 2012 NFL Draft coverage, a live draft tracker and draft pick analysis from NFL experts, and mobile "Fan War Rooms" integrated with those of NFL.com.
