NFL Draft 2012: 8 Draft Prospects You Must Watch in BCS National Championship

With the BCS national championship game between Alabama and LSU under a week away (Jan. 9, 8:30 p.m. ET), let's take a quick look at the top 2012 NFL draft prospects who will be taking part in that contest:

ALABAMA

RB Trent Richardson

A Heisman Trophy finalist, Richardson is hands-down the No. 1 back in the 2012 running back class. He has that rare combination of speed and physicality that all NFL GMs, whether they preside over a passing offense or not, want on their 53-man roster. 

LB Dont'a Hightower

Hightower is big (260 pounds) and always around the ball, but his size makes him slower than most want in an inside linebacker. Still, there is value in a guy with the power and instincts that Hightower possesses. Many see him as a Brandon Spikes type at the next level. 

LB Courtney Upshaw

Upshaw has really come on in 2011, and there is a lot of potential in his game as a pass-rushing outside linebacker at the next level. Alabama will line him up all over the field to take advantage of his special skill set. 

S Mark Barron

Few safeties in college football play the run as well as Barron, and by the time April rolls around, he could find himself as the top safety in the draft class. Still, Barron has things to work on, especially in pass coverage. A liability at the back end is scary in this day and age of passing football.

CB Dre Kirkpatrick

You won't find many cornerbacks that combine Kirkpatrick's height (6'3"), speed and natural ball-skills into such a well-polished product. He should hear his name called sometime in the first 20 picks in April. 

WR Marquis Maze

NFL teams are going to like the speed and elusiveness they see on film from Maze. He can turn a bubble screen into a touchdown in a flash. But Maze's size (5'8", 190) will limit him from being picked as high as his skill set might suggest. 

LSU

CB Morris Claiborne

You won't find many draft analysts who rate a cornerback in the 2012 class higher than Claiborne. He has the size (6'0"), quickness (4.45 40-yard dash) and breathtaking ball skills that every team wants in a shut down cornerback. Add in his explosive return skills, and you get a player that should get picked as high as Patrick Peterson, Claiborne's former teammate, was last April. 

WR Rueben Randle

Randle certainly needs polish to his game, but it's hard to ignore a 6'4" receiver with 4.5 speed. With the right coaching, that size and speed could become a game-changer. Keep an eye on his matchup with Dre Kirkpatrick to see how he handles an NFL-ready cornerback.