2012 NFL Draft: 7 Players Who Will Need a Big Pro Day

The 2012 NFL Draft is filled with certainties. Players like Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Justin Blackmon will be high first-round selections. But questions remains about other players, who will need to prove their talent, maturity or consistency to NFL scouts to justify a top selection.

Here are seven NFL players who need a strong pro day.

Lamar Miller, Running Back

Lamar Miller is a University of Miami underclassman who declared early for the draft. He was a one- year starter and wracked up an impressive 1,272 rushing yards on 227 attempts (5.6 per carry). He also had 17 receptions for 85 yards and scored nine touchdowns.

All together, it added up to an excellent season and earned him second-team, All-ACC honors.  

Miller was viewed as an elite talent out of high school and chose Miami over Florida. He was the team's primary backup in 2010 and rushed for 646 yards on 108 carries, which suggests his 2011 performance was in line with his talent. Although he needs work on his blocking and receiving, Miller is clearly a top talent.

But NFL executives remain leery of drafting an unproven one-year starter at running back in the first round. Miller has top-25 talent and can get into the first round if he has a strong pro day. At the NFL Combine, he needs to show on-field skills and that he is coachable.

 He is one of the prospects who has the most to gain or lose during the pre-draft process.  

Michael Floyd, Wide Receiver

Notre Dame's Michael Floyd, the 2012 draft's second-best wide receiving prospect, still has a lot to prove to NFL executives.

His best season came in 2010 when he had 79 catches for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns.  But that impressive performance was marred by off-the-field incidents and injury concerns.

NFL scouts and executives know what Floyd can do when he is healthy, motivated and behaving. He is a big-time talent with the prototypical size to be a big receiver who thrives on bulldozing defensive backs and securing yards after the catch.

But there is significant concern over both his off-field problems and on-field consistency.  Floyd will have to prove to scouts that he is ready to contribute—and behave—at the pro level if he is to break into the first round.

Whether he does that on the field or in the face-to-face interviews at the combine is another question, but the pre-draft process will be critical in determining his draft placement.

Orson Charles, Tight End

Orson Charles is the third-best tight end in the 2012 draft. The Georgia junior led the team in receiving with 572 yards on 44 catches and was an All-SEC tight end.  He is agile for his size, becoming more skilled and showed improvement in both of his years as a starter at Georgia.

But Charles is only a junior and, while NFL executives are tantalized by his potential, there is not quite enough there to justify a first-round selection.

He will need to perform well on Georgia's Pro Day and answer questions at the NFL Combine to sneak into the top 25.

 If he shows immaturity or performs poorly, he could fall to the third round.  

Jonathan Martin, Offensive Tackle

Jonathan Martin, Stanford's junior left tackle, was a critical part of the Cardinal's success the past few seasons.  Although all of the headlines have been about quarterback Andrew Luck, it was Martin who protected his blindside during the last two seasons when Stanford set numerous offensive records and went to two BCS bowls.  

NFL scouts know Martin is a talented, well-rounded and smart prospect, so there are no real questions about his ability to contribute to a winning team. But NFL executives remain unsure if he can remain at left tackle in the NFL.

That is why his pro day and NFL Combine performances are crucial. If Martin proves himself a future left tackle, he will be a top-10 selection. If scouts are unconvinced, he could fall to near the end of the first round.  

Nick Perry, Defensive Lineman

Nick Perry was a standout defensive lineman for USC in 2010 and 2011. Last year, he was the best defensive lineman in the Pac-12.

Perry had 54 tackles, including 13 for loss, three pass breakups and three forced fumbles.  Perry is also a tough player with a team-first attitude and a penchant for playing hard all the time.

So, why does he need a good pro day?

NFL scouts and executives still have lingering concerns about Perry that could keep him out of the first round. He lacks prototypical size and length, and has trouble roaming the whole line, which could limit him in the NFL to an interior defensive tackle position in a 3-4 alignment.

That is still value, of course, but if teams believe he is a niche player, it will hurt his draft stock and take him down to late in the first round.  

Michael Brockers, Defensive Tackle

Michael Brockers, LSU's redshirt sophomore defensive tackle, is one of the most talented defenders in the 2012 draft. He was as active defensively as any LSU player this season, recording  54 tackles, including 10 for loss en route to earning second-team, All-SEC honors.

Brockers is talented and capable, but he may have left NFL scouts wanting more as a potential first-round selection. That's because he only has one year of starting experience, which limits the amount of tape there is on him.

He will need to show his elite size and physicality at the pro day and NFL Combine, as well as demonstrate his maturity, to earn a first-round selection.  

Courtney Upshaw, Outside Linebacker

Courtney Upshaw was Alabama's best pass rusher in 2011. Given the opportunity to star, he excelled, recording 52 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

But Upshaw struggled to produce in his first two seasons, totaling only 37 tackles. NFL scouts will be intrigued by his talent, upside, and 2011 production, but he will need to use his pro day and the NFL Combine to show them that he matured in 2011 and will be able to keep up his game-changing production.