2012 NFL Draft: Overrated Players Destined to Bust

The following players need to enjoy the upcoming draft because that is going to be the highlight of their NFL career. Those careers are going to start off with high expectations and abundant hype.

Unfortunately, these players are not equipped to handle either of those things. For various reasons, these guys are going to be remembered as draft busts. 

Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State

Blackmon is widely regarded as the best receiver in the draft and a top-10 pick. He is neither. This productive WR has been putting up eye-popping stats the past two seasons at Oklahoma State, but he is coming from a system that makes it easy to put up those kinds of numbers.

Blackmon has solid hands, good strength and the innate ability to go up and get the ball. However, it is going to be hard for him to showcase those attributes in the NFL because he is only 6'1" and has far less than elite speed.

He is not going to be able to go over the bigger defenders in the NFL, and he is not going to be able to get separation. 

He will enter the NFL with the reputation of a big-play receiver, and he is going to be relegated to being a possession receiver. 

Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

Coples is widely projected in the 7-15 area in the first round. He is not good enough to be drafted this high. 

This is a player that does not have a natural position in the NFL. He is too small to be a tackle and too big to be a 4-3 end. At 6'6" and 285 pounds he will be best served to be a 3-4 defensive end. 

However, Coples has struggled all season with double teams, and he would be facing a steady diet of them as a 3-4 end. 

Coples has succeeded as a bull rusher in college. This is not going to work on the interior of NFL lines. He will be decent at slowing up opposing run games, but he will bring little else to the table.

That is not enough for a prospect drafted in the first half of the first round. 

Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

Kirkpatrick's draft stock has been on a steady rise all season. He has been shutting down opposing receivers and getting plenty of attention in the process.

Kirkpatrick has tremendous size at 6'2" and 192 pounds. However, he lacks the first step quickness to hang with speedy NFL receivers. If he is not able to get a good jam at the line of scrimmage he is going to get torched. 

He is also susceptible to double moves. This weakness was hidden at Alabama due to the fact that he received great safety play behind him, and that the opposition seldom had time to run double moves. Kirkpatrick will not have this luxury in the NFL.