Senior Bowl 2012: 5 Defensive Players to Watch

The Senior Bowl has been a fantastic opportunity for NFL prospects who have earned their degrees to enter the NFL draft spotlight. The defensive talent in this 2012 senior class is as good as ever, especially so at the defensive end and outside linebacker positions.

With at least six projected first-rounders, five national champions and a ton of Conference All-Americans playing defense, it should not be a surprise to see a defensive struggle in Mobile, AL.

Here are five defensive players to watch in this Saturday’s Senior Bowl.

Quinton Coples DE/North Carolina

All year, North Carolina DE Quinton Coples has been placed squarely in the NFL draft's top 10.

Featured on a star-studded South defense, look for Coples to shine the brightest.

He certainly passes the eye test for a future star pass-rusher, standing at 6'6" and weighing in around 280, with a 4.76 40 time. He is also the first DE since Julius Peppers a decade ago to earn first-team ACC honors two years in a row.

Comparisons between Coples and Peppers go far beyond merely sharing their alma mater. Coples looks to have the physical tools, but his performance has been shaky to crown him a future All-Pro. His senior campaign left something to be desired in the stat column.

With a strong class of defensive ends projected to go in the NFL draft’s first day, scouts are looking for a final impression that will justify Coples’s high stock.

He has his stage. All he needs to do is perform.

Melvin Ingram DE/South Carolina

If any defensive prospect has momentum going into draft season, South Carolina pass rusher Melvin Ingram might be the poster boy.

The draft consensus seems that Ingram, pending a slip-up of dramatic proportions, is a first-round lock with his athleticism, motor and strong recent performance. NFL Draft Scout has placed Ingram ahead of Courtney Upshaw as the top outside linebacker prospect. Everybody’s favorite draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has Ingram on his Big Board this month, skyrocketing from unranked to slotted at No. 14.

With South Carolina losing QB Stephen Garcia, RB Marcus Lattimore and WR Alshon Jeffrey in the first half of the season, the defense had to carry the load. Ingram certainly did his part, posting 10 sacks on the year and having one of the most ridiculous defensive stat lines on the season against Auburn, notching 11 tackles (8 solo), 3.5 sacks and an interception.

One of the knocks on Ingram has been that South Carolina’s immense defensive talent this season allowed him to post dramatically better numbers as a senior. With new defensive teammates at the Senior Bowl, Ingram’s critics will either be lauded or trampled.

Brendan Boykin DB/Georgia

Brendan Boykin came out of high school as a highly-touted defensive back prospect with a knack for the big play. In the last two seasons, he has beaten out other highly-recruited Georgia Bulldogs for the return gig and has been as good as advertised.

On the stat sheet, Boykin has had three 100-yard run-backs in his career and scored touchdowns rushing, receiving and returning. He also ranks second all-time in SEC history in kickoff return yards.

There’s no question of Boykin’s ability to make game-changing plays with his speed and agility, but his overall coverage skills may be a cause for concern. He’ll be matched up against the nation’s top senior wideouts, and scouts will be watching how he reads and reacts.

His performance could dictate where he falls in April, as high as the second round but as low as the fifth.

Janoris Jenkins CB/Northern Alabama

Jenkins was the model of consistency on the field as cornerback for the Florida Gators.

His troubles off the field are why he's no longer one.

Jenkins had three run-ins with the law in his three-year stint in Gainesville, including multiple charges for marijuana. However, he still holds a first-round grade due to his polished resume as a Gator and his clean sheet of good behavior finishing out his college career at Northern Alabama.

If Jenkins shows the skills he had two years ago covering AJ Green and Julio Jones in the Senior Bowl, he'll once again be thrust into the national spotlight.

Vinny Curry DE/Marshall

The Senior Bowl rosters are full of athletes from small schools looking to cement their position as a big-time talent. Vinny Curry had a storied career as a linebacker for Marshall, and scouts are projecting that success to continue at the next level.

The defensive star for the Thundering Herd was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Nagurski Award this past season.

Early reports out of Senior Bowl practices praised Curry for running by Ohio State OT Mike Adams multiple times, citing his quickness and patience off the edge. He said in an interview this week that if the NFL does not work out, he plans on becoming a wrestler. That is a defensive end scouts relish to tire out offensive tackles, by either their power or quickness. 

Curry should be a prospect to watch to sneak into the second round with a quality Senior Bowl performance. Continuing to be a presence in the backfield and playing with something to prove coming from a small school will have NFL teams drooling.