2012 NFL Draft: 25 Hidden Gems You Need To Know Now

Every fan and every NFL team is looking for sleepers in the 2012 NFL draft. Last year, the Seattle Seahawks signed Stanford's Doug Baldwin as an undrafted free agent.

Now, Baldwin has the fourth-most receiving yards of all rookies, behind only early round picks A.J. Green, Julio Jones and Torrey Smith.

Baldwin didn't play at some small school no one had ever heard of either; he played at Stanford—with Andrew Luck. How did so many people miss him again?

You can bet that a lot of general managers are wishing they had paid a little more attention to Baldwin, and maybe a little less to that Luck guy (not like Luck was in last year's draft anyway).

Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State

Brian Quick is a big, athletic wide receiver with considerable upside. Throughout his career, Quick has excelled at Appalachian State, and in 2011, he gained more than 1,000 yards through the air.

A 6'4", 220-pounder, Quick is capable of playing physically and overpowering wide receivers. As one would expect, Quick is still raw, but he is loaded with potential and could develop into a dynamic weapon in the NFL.

Mike Harris, CB, Florida State

It is unlikely that Mike Harris will ever be much of a starting cornerback. However, he is being overlooked. Harris isn't huge at 5'11", 195 pounds, but he is a physical player who can tackle in the open field.

Harris isn't overly fast or quick, and he doesn't excel at any one thing in coverage. The Florida State cornerback is decent in zone coverage and possesses above-average ball skills, however, and he should be a mid-round pick.

Jermaine Kearse, WR, Washington

At 6'2", 208 pounds, Kearse has good size and athletic ability.

The Washington receiver produced excellent numbers in 2010 and made plays down the field with Jake Locker as his quarterback. Kearse doesn't excel in any particular area but is relatively solid at every aspect of the game.

B.J. Cunningham, WR, Michigan State

More than anything, B.J. Cunningham's lack of elite physical ability is hurting him. Cunningham is nothing special physically, but he is a great route-runner with excellent hands.

Cunningham does a good job with the ball in his hands after the catch, and he fits a variety of schemes. Though Michigan State wideout will never be a true starter, he can contribute in many ways.

Trumaine Johnson, CB, Montana

Trumaine Johnson is a player who lives off of excitement. The 6'2", 205-pound cornerback had nine interceptions in 2010 and 2009 despite only playing in 11 games. 

In fact, Johnson is such an impressive athlete that he will be used some on offense in 2011. Johnson has the size and athleticism to be an incredible player in the secondary, but he gets burnt fairly often. It is unlikely that he will be drafted before the middle rounds, but he could be a sleeper to watch out for.

Markus Zuseviks, OT, Iowa

Markus Zuseviks isn't especially bulky at just 6'5", 300 pounds, but he is a decent athlete with good lateral quickness. Despite his small size, Zuseviks' best attribute is his run-blocking ability, and he does an excellent job pulling.

In the NFL, Zuseviks will likely play guard. The Iowa offensive tackle is raw and may lack the footwork to stay on the outside, though he could possibly play right tackle.

Dominique Davis, QB, East Carolina

Though he used to attend Boston College, Dominique Davis has found success at East Carolina. The 6'3", 215-pounder is an above-average runner with passing ability as well.

Davis doesn't possess great arm strength, but he is relatively accurate. There are always concerns about quarterbacks from spread offenses, yet Davis' production can't be completely ignored. He does need to improve his decision-making and cut back on interceptions, though.

Omar Bolden, CB, Arizona State

If not for a torn ACL, Omar Bolden may be a second-round draft pick. At 5'10", 195 pounds, Bolden has decent size and is a well above-average athlete.

Because of his injury, Bolden has fallen off the national radar and is dropping in the draft. However, Bolden could be an excellent value in the mid- or late rounds of the draft.

Shea McClellin, OLB, Boise State

McClellin might be the biggest sleeper in the draft. Despite playing for a highly publicized Boise State team, McClellin has largely been ignored in NFL draft circles.

The 6'3", 255-pound McClellin could play defensive end in the NFL, but he is much better suited as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. McClellin is a high-motor player with good athletic ability and the upside to be selected in the second round or higher.

Lance Lewis, WR, East Carolina

The 6'3", 210-pound Lewis is a good athlete with the size to dominate cornerbacks.

Lewis doesn't have great speed, but his size and physicality make him a quality receiving threat with big-play potential. The East Carolina wideout has the power to run through arm tackles and does a good job of gaining yards after the catch.

Dezman Moses, DE, Tulane

A former Iowa Hawkeye, Dezman Moses has found his niche at Tulane. The 6'3", 250-pounder recorded six sacks in 2010 and 9.5 in 2011.

Moses is an explosive athlete with the potential to be a threat off the edge. He does still need to work on his pass-rush moves, though, and he is incredibly raw.

Devon Wylie, WR, Fresno State

A tiny wide receiver, Devon Wylie weighs in at just 5'10", 180 pounds. Though the Fresno State star is fast, he is not exceptionally quick and lacks dynamic ability.

Wylie does not possess game-breaking ability, but his speed alone makes him a mid-round draft pick. Few players are as fast as Wylie is, and he is a potential deep threat.

Tom Compton, OT, South Dakota

An excellent athlete at the left tackle position, the 6'6", 330-pound Coyote is extremely raw. Crompton uses his size and quick feet to his advantage in the pass game but needs to work on his technique.

However, few players possess Crompton's athletic ability and he has the potential to be an excellent pass-rusher. While he's not an early round pick, Crompton has great potential for a late-round selection.

Adonis Thomas, RB, Toledo

Adonis Thomas is another extremely productive but undersized running back. Thomas has good speed and quickness, but is small at only 185 pounds. It is unlikely but not impossible that Thomas can handle an NFL beating as the primary ball-carrier.

With that said, Thomas is a good receiver and an exciting player, so he will likely get a chance to contribute somewhere. Thomas could gain weight and afford to lose some quickness, but too much would take away his effectiveness.

Carmen Messina, LB, New Mexico

The 6'2", 236-pound Messina has decent size but lacks athletic ability. The New Mexico linebacker isn't a pass-rusher at all and doesn't excel in coverage either. What makes Messina a good player are his superb instincts.

Messina may not ever be a star linebacker, but he can be a solid player who will make tackles. He is fundamentally solid and plays as well as his ability allows. If he continues to produce good numbers, Messina could be drafted as high as the third round.

Amini Silatolu, OG, Midwestern State

The 6'3", 325-pound Amini Silatolu is a powerful, run-blocking guard with huge upside. Silatolu has good but not great lateral quickness and pull with ease.

At guard, Silatolu's nastiness and power are best utilized. Silatolu is not, however, purely a power-blocker, and he can block in space or engage and overpower a massive nose tackle.

Miles Burris, LB, San Diego State

Burris is a phenomenal athlete who plays with incredible strength and speed. The 6'2", 240-pound Aztec accumulated eight sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss in 2010. Burris has limited experience in coverage, but he has the athleticism to be good at it.

Burris does a great job of attacking the line of scrimmage and making plays in the backfield. Few players possess the San Diego State linebacker's athleticism and he can play from sideline to sideline.

Logan Harrell, DT, Fresno State

Because he weighs in at just 6'2", 280 pounds, Logan Harrell will never be a starting defensive tackle in the NFL. The lineman is quick, though, and can earn a spot in the NFL as a situational pass-rusher.

Harrell is not capable of remaining stout against the run and taking up blockers. His technique is good, but Harell is simply too small and weak to survive in this aspect of the game. Harell's quickness and burst do offer an NFL role, however.

Demario Davis, LB, Arkansas State

Demario Davis possesses both the size and style of a WILL linebacker. At 6'2", 230 pounds, Davis is smaller and faster than the typical linebacker.

In many roles, Davis will falter because of his lack of size. In a Tampa 2 defense, however, Davis can use his athleticism to his advantage and roam the defense.

Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois

Chandler Harnish possesses great arm strength and is a talented player, but he needs a lot of work. At 6'2", 220 pounds, Harnish isn't overly tall but has good bulk.

A good athlete, Harnish needs to improve his accuracy and decision-making. Though he has been extremely productive, Harnish doesn't make many progressions and must learn to commit to the pass.

Dexter Heyman, LB, Louisville

A 6'3", 238-pound physical specimen, Dexter Heyman has all the physical tools to dominate in the NFL. But as we all know, physical tools do not make a football player great, and Heyman is far from the upper echelon of linebacker prospects.

Heyman's instincts hold him back, and he isn't a great tackler either. Currently, Heyman's speed and size are the sole reasons for his success, but if he is to play in the NFL, he needs to improve as a football player.

Tim Fugger, DE, Vanderbilt

A 6'4", 268-pound defensive end, Tim Fugger is a good but not great athlete. The Vanderbilt star hasn't been incredibly productive, but he is relatively talented.

Fugger is a dedicated player who simply lacks the burst and explosiveness to make a huge impact. With time, Fugger can develop into a rotational player, albeit one with little upside.

Rodney Stewart, RB, Colorado

At just 5'6", 175 pounds, Stewart obviously isn't an every-down back. The Colorado running back projects as a Darren Sproles-type player with a specific offensive role. Stewart isn't overly fast, but he is deadly quick and has a great eye for cutback lanes.

It is incredibly difficult to tackle the young runner in the open field, and he has great burst as well. Stewart isn't a great receiver, but he has decent hands and can make plays out of the backfield. His lack of size will cause him to be a late-round pick, but he could be very successful on the right team.

Matt Daniels, SS, Duke

A 6'0", 210-pound safety, Matt Daniels is an impact player against the run but needs to improve in coverage. As his size suggests, Daniels is strong, physical and aggressive when attacking the line of scrimmage.

Though he is an excellent athlete, Daniels is somewhat stiff in coverage and lacks great instincts when playing center field. At the very least, Daniels will make it as a special teams player, but he has the ability to become much more.

Tramain Thomas, FS, Arkansas

Tramain Thomas is great physically, but he needs to improve in the mental aspect of the game. Though the 6'1", 205-pound free safety possesses fluid hips and excellent speed, his instincts are lacking.

Thomas occasionally displays excellent tackling form, yet he is inconsistent in the open field and will miss on routine tackles. With five interceptions in 2011, Thomas displayed his ball-hawking skills.