2012 NFL Draft All-Overrated Team

Over the course of the last five years, players such as Gerald McCoy, Tyson Jackson, Aaron Curry and Vernon Gholston have all been highly sought-after top-10 NFL draft picks. These players have not lived up to expectations, and while it might be premature to call them busts, they were not worthy of where they were selected.

This is the case every single season in the NFL draft, as scouts place too much stock in one thing or another and certain players go much higher than they should.

This will definitely be the case in the 2012 NFL draft as well. You will see a multitude of different players selected incredibly high that do not live up to expectations and struggle at the next level.

Today I am going to give you my All-Overrated Team for the 2012 draft.

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

Landry Jones seems to get happy feet when facing pressure in the offensive backfield. He struggles getting past the first read and tends to stare down receivers far too often. While this might not be much of an issue in college, it will have an adverse effect on his ability to succeed as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

We have seen a wide array of issues in regards to quarterbacks being selected in the first round in recent drafts. While scouts tend to look at accuracy and arm strength, they do not look at other things that it takes to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Landry Jones reminds me too much of a Heath Shuler or David Carr. It isn't just a gut feeling but what I see from him on tape and in games.

"Stay far away from him" is the opinion that I would give most NFL scouts.

LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

Some mock drafts have LaMichael James going in the first round, which is absolutely absurd. He will be nothing more than a change-of-pace back at the next level. Simply put, James doesn't have the size or endurance to carry the load between the trenches and run the ball 20 to 30 times.

I do think that he can be a Darren Sproles type of player, but that isn't enough to warrant a first-round pick, especially when value has been the word of the day when it comes to running backs in the NFL draft.

At the end of the day I expect James to be a third- or fourth-round pick. This doesn't mean he won't have a stellar career as a change-of-pace back at the next level.

Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

Some scouts have gone with Coby Fleener as the No. 1 tight end prospect in the 2012 draft. I just don't see it that way. While this version of the draft does lack a true consensus top player at that position, Fleener has been more of a product of his system and the performance of Andrew Luck at Stanford.

I see him being more of a Kevin Boss type of tight end, which isn't worthy of a second-round grade. While his speed is above average for a tight end, Fleener struggles to an extent between the tackles and isn't the greatest blocker in the world.

I have Dwayne Allen (Clemson) and Michael Egnew (Missouri) graded higher than Fleener.

Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

After having eight 100-yard games in 2010, Jeffery has been held under triple digits every single game this year. Some of that has to do with South Carolina's issues at the quarterback position and Stephen Garcia getting kicked off the team, but his production just hasn't been there in 2011.

He appears to have all the athletic skills to be a No. 1 receiver in the NFL. At 6'4", Jeffery has the size to dominate on the outside and in the red zone. This is a primary reason many draft outlets have him going in the first half of Round 1.

Still, you have to be somewhat worried about production, especially with the likes of Michael Floyd possibly on the board when Jeffery's name is called.

Matt Kalil, OT, Southern California

"Very good starting offensive tackle" is the term that continues to get thrown around when talking about Matt Kalil. Is that really worth a top-three pick?

Think about this for a second. When talking about a top-five pick, you expect to hear the words "elite" and "dominating" thrown around, not "very good."

Personally, I believe that Jonathan Martin (Stanford) is going to be a better offensive tackle at the next level. Kalil needs to bulk up a bit and play with a mean streak on the outside. You are talking about going up against elite defensive ends and outside linebackers, some of whom don't just get to the outside with speed but have the ability to bull rush as well.

While I do think Kalil is a hands down top-15 pick, I highly doubt any team selecting him in the top five will be getting great value, especially with the other tackles in this draft.

Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia

For the purpose of full disclosure, I have Cordy Glenn going in the first round in my most recent mock draft. This has more to do with team needs than anything else. I have usually been against going guard in the first round of the draft, and there are multiple reasons for this.

First, you can find excellent prospects at this position later in the draft. Second, you can always select a tackle with a tremendous amount of upside and move him inside if it doesn't pan out on the outside.

While Glenn is your prototypical guard prospect, he is a far cry from David DeCastro, who will be the first guard off the board. In fact, Joel Foreman (Michigan State) and Joe Looney (Wake Forest), who are projected middle-round picks, would be much better value than Glenn.

Still, a team like Pittsburgh that needs an upgrade at that position may take a flyer on Glenn towards the end of the first round.

Jerel Worthy, DL, Michigan State

Some scouting services have Jerel Worthy as a top-10 talent. Heck, I even have him going in the top 10 to the Carolina Panthers.

This doesn't mean that teams shouldn't be worried about a few different things when it comes to the Michigan State defensive tackle.

First, he doesn't appear to be a three-down player, and that could dramatically affect his ability to live up to pre-draft ratings.

Second, he doesn't seem to go 100 percent all the time. Some of this has to do with taking on double-teams and the frustration that comes with that, but this should be another concern.

Devon Still, Melvin Ingram and Fletcher Cox are other defensive tackles that could give teams better value in the late first or early second rounds.

Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois

Whitney Mercilus has skyrocketed up recent draft boards because of his excellent 2011 season. I really do think that he is going to be a solid player at the next level.

My major issue with him is the fact that he doesn't appear to have the speed to be an elite pass-rushing defensive end at the next level and might not be a prototypical end for a 3-4 defense either.

He needs to acquire more than just one pass-rushing move and become an every-down player in order for me to buy into the hype of him being a top-20 pick, despite the fact that I have the Jets taking him in the first.

Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State

I got a lot of flak for omitting Vontaze Burfict from the first round in my recent mock draft, but there are a wide array of reasons for this.

First, he is absolutely horrendous in coverage and doesn't read offensive schemes too well for a player that continually talks trash about opposing football players.

Additionally, there seems to be a thought that indicates Burfict is a tweener-type player. He doesn't translate well as an outside linebacker in the 3-4 scheme and doesn't have the man coverage skills to be a great OLB in a 4-3.

These are serious concerns that he is going to have to fix in order for his draft stock to rise after a month of it falling.

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised to see him go in the first round, but I think it will be a major mistake.

Zach Brown, LB, North Carolina

For a player that is getting a first-round grade from a lot of scouts, Zach Brown sure does have some holes in his game. He doesn't have prototypical 3-4 OLB size and isn't the best of tacklers either.

One thing that I would be worried about if I were a scout is that speed alone will not enable him to perform at the next level. Instead, Brown needs to be able to shed blockers better and understand offensive formations more often. He also needs to put on 15 to 20 pounds.

Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

The first player that pops into my mind when thinking about Dre Kirkpatrick is Aaron Ross, the New York Giants' first-round selection in 2007. I just don't see the appeal with the Alabama corner at this point. 

He is way too stiff in the hips, gets turned around by elite receivers and doesn't have great on-ball coverage skills. Moreover, Kirkpatrick seems to be a product of the system that he plays with the Crimson Tide and their above-average front seven.

Some mock have him going in the top 10. With the exception of a team needing an immediate upgrade in the secondary or reaching for an area of need, there is no way that Dre should go in the top 20.

That said, I have Tampa Bay taking him for both of the reasons listed above. This is where teams get themselves into difficult situations, if you ask me. Value or need?