2012 NFL Mock Draft: 7 Senior Draft Prospects NFL Teams Should Pull Trigger on

With the college football season officially over, following an absolute blowout by Alabama in the BCS title game, it's time to start looking towards the 2012 NFL draft.

Sure, there are players like Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Justin Blackmon who are locks to be stellar in the NFL.  But there are also players who aren't guaranteed next-level talent that teams should still pull the trigger on in the 2012 NFL draft.

Ever year there are players who come out of the late rounds of the draft who turn into solid NFL talent and become better NFL players than most thought they would be. 

Here is a list of college seniors that NFL front offices should keep their eyes on as April 26th, the start of the 2012 NFL draft, approaches. 

Baylor RB Terrence Ganaway

I think Terrence Ganaway will be one of the biggest steals of the 2012 NFL draft, and it isn't just because of how well he played in the 2011 Alamo Bowl when he ran for 5 touchdowns and 200 yards on only 21 carries. 

He will be the steal of the draft because he has an absolutely dangerous mix of size and speed at 6'0'' and 240 pounds. 

In 2011, as the main running back option for the Baylor Bears, Ganaway rushed for 1,547 yards and 21 touchdowns on 250 carries, for an average of 6.2 yards per carry.  Some will say that Ganaway benefited from having RGIII under center, forcing defenses to focus on him rather than Ganaway, but there is no doubting that Ganaway is a freakish athlete with tremendous upside.

If Ganaway wants to move his draft stock up and take his game to the next level, he must work on his ability as a receiver out of the backfield, which I have no doubt that he can do.  

I wouldn't be surprised if Ganaway gets picked up in the sixth or seventh round, but, if I was a GM, I would move up into the 5th to make sure Ganaway is on my roster come next August.   

Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins

There are other senior quarterbacks in this year's NFL draft like Kellen Moore and Case Keenum who put up better numbers than Kirk Cousins, but the one thing that truly sets him apart is playing in Michigan State's pro-style offense for so long.

In the Big Ten, with top-25 defenses across the board, Cousins put up career numbers to the tune of 9,131 yards, 60 touchdowns and 30 interceptions, with a career completion percentage of 66.5%.

Kirk Cousins won big games throughout his career, and he did so under center in a pro-style offense, which is something that can't be said about a majority of this year's "top-tier" draft prospects at the quarterback position.  

NFL teams should be salivating at the chance of getting Cousins in the third or fourth round of the draft, because he could very well be a franchise quarterback someday.

Florida RB Jeff Demps

Sure Drew Brees has been an absolute monster this season and that is a large reason for the Saints' success, but their offseason acquisition of running back Darren Sproles has been the spark that the Saints were in desperate need of this year.  

Florida running back Jeff Demps is almost a mirror image of Sproles, with both players weighing in at around 190 pounds and Demps measuring one inch taller at 5'7".

Jeff Demps, throughout his entire four year career at Florida, has been nothing short of explosive.

In four years as a starter, Demps accounted for 2,470 yards and 23 touchdowns on 367 attempts for a yards per carry average of 6.7.  In addition to his production on the ground, Demps also accounted for 481 yards and a touchdown coming out of the backfield as a receiver.  

Sure Demps lacks the size and strength of an NFL running back, but so did Sproles and look at him now.  Demps will be a draft-day steal, as many experts predict him falling as far as the sixth round.  

As Demps continues to work on his football IQ and his ability to be utilized in a team's passing game he will become a more complete player, ultimately being the next Darren Sproles of the NFL.  

Based on his upside and his speed, I would be willing to grab Demps as early as the late fourth round, and NFL GMs should do the same.  

Stanford TE Coby Fleener

Aside from having a pretty awesome name, Coby Fleener is one of the best tight end prospects in the 2012 NFL draft, and it's not just because he played with Andrew Luck his whole career.

Fleener, at 6'6'' and 244 pounds, is a beast when it comes to blocking, but he also has a knack for catching the ball down the field and being difficult for defenses to bring down.

In his career at Stanford, Fleener accounted for 1,543 yards and 18 touchdowns on only 93 receptions for a career yards per catch average of 15.3 yards.  

Sure there are some concerns about Fleener's breakaway speed at the next level.  But to be one of the best pass catching and blocking tight ends in the league you don't necessarily have to be the fastest, right Tony Gonzalez?

If the Colts do indeed draft Andrew Luck first overall, they would be wise to trade their way late into the second round in an attempt to grab onto Luck's main targets while at Stanford.  

Fleener could spend time behind Dallas Clark, ultimately replacing him in the next few years, or they could use him in a two tight end formation that could help Luck's transition into the NFL be that much smoother.  

San Diego State QB Ryan Lindley

Ryan Lindley is another quarterback that most "experts" might not have high on their draft boards, but definitely should.  He is comfortable in the pocket, has played his college career under center in a pro-style offense and has a cannon for an arm.

Aside from Lindley's impressive career statistical production of 12,690 yards, 90 touchdowns and 40 interceptions, with a completion percentage of 55.53%, he started all four years at San Diego State.

Some will say that Lindley was an above-average quarterback who went to San Diego State to exploit weaker defenses, but no matter how you look at it there is no denying that Lindley has the potential to be a starting quarterback in the NFL someday, especially at 6'4'' and 220 pounds.  

In the fifth round, teams looking for a solid quarterback with football IQ should jump at the possibility of getting Lindley. 

Wisconsin WR Nick Toon

Nick Toon is a receiver that teams need to keep their eyes on heading into the 2012 NFL draft, and it isn't just because of his cool name.  Nick Toon, the son of Jet's pro-bowler Al Toon, had a productive career at Wisconsin, despite not being targeted as much because of Wisconsin's run-first style of offense.

In his four year career with the Badgers, Toon accounted for 2,447 yards and 18 touchdowns on only 171 receptions, for an average of 14.3 yards per catch.  Toon missed four games this past year which impacted his production during his senior season.  Toon still grabbed 64 receptions for 926 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2010, which included an impressive Rose Bowl performance of 104 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions.

Nick Toon lacks the elite speed of top-tier NFL receivers, and there are questions about his durability.  But he has great hands that that will earn him paychecks at the next level and can run routes with precision.  

Toon could drop as low as the late second or early third round, but with a solid combine performance he could move back into the early-second range and that is where I would pull the trigger on him.   

Florida International WR T.Y. Hilton

T.Y. Hilton isn't the strongest, biggest or tallest receiver in the NFL draft, but he may very well be the fastest.  Hilton became a four-year starter at Florida International because he was the fastest guy on the field every Saturday, no matter who the Golden Panthers played.

That is why he will earn a paycheck in the NFL. 

Hilton went for 1,000-plus yards in his freshman and senior seasons, producing career totals to the tune of 3,531 yards and 24 touchdowns on 229 receptions, for an average of 15.4 yards per catch.  Hilton, because of his elite speed, is also a serious threat on kickoffs and punt returns, returning 108 punts for 1,194 yards and two touchdowns in his career. 

Hilton could very well be this year's Antonio Brown, who was drafted by the Steelers with the 195th pick of the 2010 draft.  In his second year with the Steelers Brown caught 69 passes for 1,108 yards and two touchdowns in addition to earning himself a spot on the AFC pro-bowl roster as a return man.  

Any NFL GM would be wise to pick up Hilton in the 2012 NFL draft, and I would go as high as the late fourth to early fifth round to get him.