NFL 2012 Predictions: Who Will Be Next Year's Busts and Breakout Stars?

Every year in the NFL there are some players that jump out and surprise us with breakout seasons, and every year there are players that simply bust.

2012 will be no different.

I will use the information I currently have to determine which players will break out of obscurity into stardom and which ones will become hated for their dismal seasons. 

Enjoy.

Bust: Blaine Gabbert, Quarterback, Jacksonville Jaguars

Blaine Gabbert has three major issues that will lead to him ultimately earning the "bust" label.

The first issue is that he is afraid to get hit, and he constantly short-arms passes when there is pressure coming up the middle. He gets this deer-in-the-headlights look in his eyes and panic ensues, causing him to forget everything he's ever learned about mechanics.

The second issue is that Gabbert seems to possess absolutely no pocket presence, and he gets drilled or stripped on a regular basis as a result.

Gabbert barely breached the 50 percent mark for the season, completing just over half of his passes. Accuracy, more than anything else, is what makes for great quarterbacks. 

Gabbert's 2012 season will be abysmal, and I have pity on any Jaguars fans that are hoping otherwise.

Breakout Star: Sergio Kindle, Outside Linebacker, Baltimore Ravens

Sergio Kindle, remember him? The Baltimore Ravens invested a second-round pick (43rd overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft and then Kindle fell down two flights of stairs at his home and fractured his skull.

The trauma of that terrible injury was difficult to overcome, but Kindle has been active for the Ravens lately, and he has impressed head coach John Harbaugh. 

Harbaugh said this about Kindle in a recent interview:

"

He just has a better understanding now. I think in some ways, he started over from a football standpoint. He had been out for so long, and then the injury maybe had some kind of an effect. But he's been working very hard and he's been studying very hard. I credit (outside linebackers coach) Ted Monachino; he's done a great job with him—just some learning technique things he's done with him, kind of one-on-one type stuff. Also (special teams coordinator) Jerry Rosburg has him out at practice, after practice, every day doing extra stuff.

"

Harbaugh had previously been down on Kindle, who wasn't even dressing earlier in the year.

I know this is a dark-horse pick as far as breakout stars are concerned, but I like Kindle to come out next year and put his past behind him as he makes a huge impact in the Ravens starting lineup.

Bust: Jacquizz Rodgers, Running Back, Atlanta Falcons

Jacquizz Rodgers is a player in the same mold as Darren Sproles. He will be in his second year in 2012, and I have no hopes of him becoming anything other than a bust for the Atlanta Falcons.

It's not really his fault, though. 

After watching the performance orchestrated by Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey in their NFC Wild Card Game loss to the New York Giants, I came away with a bad taste in my mouth. I mean, I really threw up a little bit in my mouth. It was disgusting.

Never in my life have I seen such a waste of talent as I saw with the game plan the Falcons managed to scrape together using some odd bits of paper they found out by the trash. 

That being said, I have absolutely no confidence that they have any idea how to use the unique talents of Rodgers, and I expect him to have a terrible year in 2012. 

Breakout Star: Prince Amukamara, Cornerback, New York Giants

Prince Amukamara was one of the most highly rated cornerbacks coming out of college for the 2011 NFL Draft. The New York Giants were thrilled that he fell all the way to them with the 19th overall pick. 

Amukamara unfortunately broke his leg on the day after signing his rookie contract and was unable to play for the Giants until Week 11. He immediately made his presence known, intercepting a Vince Young pass on his first drive as a professional. 

He will likely become the starter next year for the Giants or, at the very least, he'll become the nickelback. Either way, Amukamara will see plenty of action and have a breakout season in 2012. 

Bust: Jon Baldwin, Wide Receiver, Kansas City Chiefs

Jon Baldwin is an impressive athlete, and the Kansas City Chiefs became enamored by his potential. They selected him with the 26th overall pick of the 2011 NFL Draft in the hopes that he'd turn into a receiver worthy of taking heat off Dwayne Bowe. 

What they got instead was a frustrated young man that broke his thumb in a locker room fight, missing the entire preseason.

Baldwin never did show enough to warrant his lofty draft pick, and I suspect he'll continue to disappoint in 2012, becoming a bust. It doesn't help his cause that the Chiefs organization hasn't been stable since the Marty Schottenheimer years.

Breakout Star: Kendall Hunter, Running Back, San Francisco 49ers

No disrespect to Frank Gore, but I hope Kendall Hunter earns his spot as the featured back in the San Francisco 49ers offense in 2012. 

I have been talking to many of you about Hunter, and the common perception is that he isn't a good runner between the tackles. With all respect to those who believe this, I have been watching tape that shows me he is a damn good runner between the tackles. 

Hunter shows the kind of burst and agility that is rare in the NFL. He explodes through the slightest hole and hits top gear in a heartbeat. 

In addition to being an excellent runner, where Hunter really shines is in the passing game. Although his opportunities have been few, Hunter is as dangerous as any of the top playmakers in the league in open space. 

I expect head coach Jim Harbaugh to optimize the 49ers offense over the course of the offseason and into training camp, as he and his staff will have plenty of time to really get into their personnel and their abilities.

Hunter will stand out in 2012, and I expect him to have a breakout year.

Bust: Cameron Jordan, Defensive End, New Orleans Saints

Cameron Jordan has been starting at left defensive end for the New Orleans Saints since the start of the 2011 regular season as a rookie out of California. That sounds pretty impressive.

He has been about as impressive as a plow horse. He works hard, and he can be dangerous, but he rarely is.

As a 16-game starter this year, Jordan only tallied 31 tackles and one sack. 

Jordan may have already peaked, and that's bad news for him and for the Saints, who spent a first-round draft pick (24th overall) in the 2011 NFL Draft. I expect him to have another stale season in 2012 and earn the infamous "bust" label.

Breakout Star: Sam Acho, Outside Linebacker, Arizona Cardinals

Sam Acho was rarely used by the Arizona Cardinals for the first six games of the 2011 NFL season. After the team got off to a 1-5 start and after Joey Porter went down with an injury, Acho stepped in and became the starter for the rest of the season.

Acho tallied seven sacks and four forced fumbles in the final 10 games for the Cardinals. He was one of the reasons they made a late-season push and were hoping against all hope for a chance to get into the playoffs for a few weeks.

Acho will get the benefit of having an entire offseason with a full training camp and all the mini-camps he missed in his rookie year, and I fully expect him to be the starter next year for the Cardinals.

He should explode and have a breakout year. Not bad for a fourth-round pick in last year's draft.

Bust: Nick Fairley, Defensive Tackle, Detroit Lions

Nick Fairley was a hot commodity after his senior season at Auburn. For a while he was being considered as a potential top-five pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. In the end, the Detroit Lions picked him up with the 13th overall selection.

Fairley hardly saw the field in 2011 as he was injured. 

To be perfectly honest, I don't have any solid evidence with which to pin the bust label on Fairley, and I hope he proves me wrong. 

The truth is that I can't stand the Lions' "wide-9" defense. I think it is abominable, and Fairley will end up becoming a bust if they continue to run it. 

Give the Lions a good, old-fashioned Tampa-2 and I think both Ndamukong Suh and Fairley will thrive and dominate.

Unfortunately, I don't see that happening.

Breakout Star: Denarius Moore, Wide Receiver, Oakland Raiders

Denarius Moore almost had a breakout year in 2011, but injuries kept him from becoming the kind of player he will become in 2012. 

The Oakland Raiders found a diamond in the rough when they picked Moore in the fifth round (148th overall) of the 2011 NFL draft. He will become one of Carson Palmer's favorite targets next year, and I am expecting to see him haul in more than 10 touchdowns.

His speed and quickness, along with a surprisingly good set of hands, will make Moore one of the most dangerous playmakers in the NFL in 2012.

Bust: Bruce Carter, Linebacker, Dallas Cowboys

Jerry Jones has been looking for the next Ken Norton, Jr. since Norton, Jr. left Dallas. The Cowboys defense needs another stud inside linebacker to pair with Sean Lee or teams will keep figuring out how to run against them.

Bruce Carter out of North Carolina is not that man.

The Cowboys spent a high-second-round draft pick (40th overall) on Carter in the 2010 NFL Draft, and so far he has yet to show any signs of becoming a player of worth.

I expect him to go the way of Bobby Carpenter and Jones will keep searching for his thumper by the end of 2012.

Breakout Star: Greg Little, Wide Receiver, Cleveland Browns

Nobody will be surprised to see Mike Holmgren and the Cleveland Browns take Robert Griffin III out of Baylor with the fourth overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft. Whatever they do, the Browns need to get their offense going.

Greg Little will be part of the solution, and I expect him to have a breakout sophomore campaign as he will work on those hands in the offseason (he had 14 drops, second worst in the NFL in 2011). 

Little is an athletic, tall receiver with the ability to gain yardage after the catch, and he will prove to be worthy of the second-round pick the Browns spent on him. 

Little had a breakout game in Arizona against the Cardinals, catching five passes for 131 yards and one touchdown. He will have more days like that in the future, and Browns fans will come to love his heart.

Bust: Da'Quan Bowers, Defensive End, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Before a questionable knee tanked his draft status, Da'Quan Bowers was widely considered to be a top-10 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. In the end, his stock did fall and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were able to "steal" him with the 51st overall pick.

Maybe everyone else knew what they were doing when they didn't pick him up with the first 50 picks.

Bowers didn't even crack the starting lineup until Week 12, and his 2011 season was largely unimpressive. He had trouble getting off blocks, and he routinely ended up getting pushed around and manhandled by NFL tackles.

I expect his 2012 campaign to go the same, and I expect Bowers to become a bust.

Breakout Star: Jake Locker, Quarterback, Tennessee Titans

Call me crazy, but I believe Jake Locker can be just as dangerous as Cam Newton.

The Tennessee Titans surprised me when they took Locker with the eighth overall pick of the 2011 NFL draft. I thought he was a good prospect, but I didn't expect anyone to jump that early for his services.

It's a good thing I'm not the Titan's general manager, eh?

Locker held a mean clipboard for most of the 2011 season, but the times he did step onto the football field caused me to believe he will become one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL in 2012.

Locker displayed excellent pocket presence, accuracy in the pocket and on the move (especially on the move), a cannon for an arm and leadership that you can't coach.

He will be the biggest breakout star in 2012.