2012 NFL Draft: 25 Prospects Who Made the Most Money During Bowl Season

After a long, endless bowl season, I think my eyes are falling out of their sockets.

Bowl season kind of makes me feel like this.

For the players, however, there is the travel, the pageantry and the extension—even for just a moment—of their season.

There is an added bonus, beyond the obvious, for seniors and juniors leaving school early whose teams land in Bowl games.

It is their last chance to show, on a big stage (big being relative, right Belk Bowl?), on television and, hopefully, catch the eye of scouts and NFL teams.

Players can raise their profile or solidify their ranking in their position class with a special game.

This means more money. Sometimes it's a ton, sometimes it just appears that way.

The following 25 players are all guys who made some cash over the last two months of endless Bowl games. Some are names you know, some might be enigmas to you. Some are making a lot of cash, some not so much. Either way, it could be more than they were making before.

Remember: It's all relative.

1. Andrew Luck Stanford QB— Fiesta Bowl

Is it possible to up your draft stock when you are considered not only the top player at your position but the overall top pick of the draft?

Well, Luck might have done just that—not a bad thing with Robert Griffin III breathing down  his neck.

Luck went for an outstanding 27 for 31 passing for 347 yards and a pair of touchdowns.  He was also incredibly deadly when in the pocket, calm and poised and never missing his top receiver, freshman Ty Montgomery.  Luck was also cool as ice when he led his team on a 63-yard drive in under three minutes, which should have won him the game in overtime.

Can a guy improve already pristine draft stock? Luck just did. Even if the Colts don't take him, he's not dropping past two, and more than likely a trade would be made for that first pick.

There is no more doubt that Luck will be making top dollar in the 2012 NFL Draft barring a disastrous Combine or Pro Day.

2. Brandon Weeden Oklahoma State QB—Fiesta Bowl

We can talk about Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck all day, but the performance by his opposite number on Oklahoma State was equally impressive.

Weeden gets flack for being 28, and that will be a concern for teams since he’s likely to start as a mid to late round backup and could take some time to develop.

What we saw in the Fiesta Bowl is that age might not matter if you can ball.

Weeden can ball.

In what wasn’t even his biggest game this year, Weeden racked up 399 yards and three touchdowns in a near-flawless effort.

It’s one thing for Luck to do it. It’s an entirely different thing for a guy like Weeden to keep up.

While this won’t bump him magically into the first two rounds or erase age concerns, it’s going to catch the attention of NFL Scouts and GMs, and give him the chance to make a more solid impression during the Draft process.

Weeden's performance definitely opened the door for him to jump into the mid-rounds and that will net him a big bump from what could have been a late-round selection.

3. LaMichael James Oregon RB—Rose Bowl

James’ game is predicated on speed, but during the Rose Bowl game against the Wisconsin Badgers, he showed he can run inside as well.

People look at his size and don't realize what a tough runner he is—something that showed on inside runs the team had him do frequently during the game. James did a great job of feeling out his lanes and getting to his spots, breaking some tackles and then turning the speed on when he got to the second level.

While he had four runs over 15 yards (two of which were over 20) James showed skill and determination running for the short, grind-it-out yards as well.

He’s a back whose performance will get teams to look at him more closely and bump him up some boards.

With a good follow up to this performance at the Combine and his Pro Day, James could see someone reach a little in the second for fear he'll be gone before they pick in the third.

4. Chris Polk University of Washington RB—Alamo Bowl

While it was a fumble by Polk which allowed Baylor to lock the game away, for the most part, he played a very good game and likely solidified his status as one of the top five backs in the draft.

Especially when you consider that he hadn’t coughed up the ball all year prior, and just once the year before.

If you want to know why he doesn't cough it up much, look at the way he holds the ball in the picture accompanying this caption. The ball is high and tight, just like it should be.

Polk ran hard, broke tackles and had success running inside. He also showed some ability to get to the edge, though he doesn’t appear to possess the speed to regularly do it against NFL defenses, which are far quicker than anything in the NCAA.

Polk showed many of his best attributes otherwise on a big stage. Everyone tuned in to see Robert Griffin III, but instead saw a running back show with Polk and Baylor running back Terrance Ganaway putting on a display.

I’ve yet to fall in love with this running back class. Polk is a guy who definitely was on my radar, and stood out in this game. I’m betting he did the same for scouts.

Speaking of Ganaway...

5. Terrance Ganaway Baylor RB—Alamo Bowl

Terrance Ganaway got a Senior Bowl invite on January 4th. If there was any hesitation on the part of the selection committee, he wiped it away with a ridiculous 200-yard, five touchdown performance in the Alamo Bowl on December 28th.

Ganaway showed good burst and better than expected speed against the Washington Huskies defense, and he took advantage of their attention to his quarterback, Robert Griffin III. He also looked very good in short and goal line situations.

In my opinion, there’s a glut of middle-tier running backs in this draft. Ganaway has to separate himself from some of the other big power backs in the draft.

The performance in the Alamo Bowl gets him off to a good start.

6. Case Keenum Houston QB—TicketCity Bowl

Keenum, only the second quarterback in NCAA Division I history with more than one 5,000-yard seasons (the other is Texas Tech's Graham Harrell), capped off a career where he broke multiple school records with an impressive performance against Penn State in the TicketCity Bowl.

In the game, he ended up with 532 yards, after setting a record for 227 passing yards in the first quarter.

That he did against a defense which was allowing just 162 passing yards per game was even more impressive.

Keenum showed a very quick release and lots of poise as he picked apart the Nittany Lions and ran his team's no-huddle offense.

With USC's Matt Barkley and Oklahoma's Landry Jones both returning to school for another year, quarterback desperate teams will be scrambling to find potential options for this year.

Keenum may have just jumped himself to the head of that pack.

7. Gerell Robinson Arizona State WR—MAACO Bowl Las Vegas

I want to start by saying that this is one of the most painful names a bowl game can have. I had to read the name three times. It's like a word scramble—I know the order the words should go in but they aren't there.

On to Robinson.

Admittedly, a good chunk of his 241 yards came when the game was way out of reach (and out of control), but Robinson showed good skills in compiling them anyway, flashing some quickness and a willingness to make contested catches as well as a general mental and physical toughness.

That kept him fighting even when the outcome was already decided.

Robinson is a player who is at the middle of his position class, and an effort like this—especially in a losing cause—will get a team to take a chance on him, where he might otherwise get lost in the shuffle and maybe not even drafted.

8. Jonathan Martin Stanford OT—Fiesta Bowl

Martin had one of the more critical tasks in collegiate football—protecting the blind side of Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

He continued to do so very, very well during the Fiesta Bowl.

During the game, Martin displayed all the skills which caught the attention of NFL scouts throughout his junior year. He showed good foot quickness, blitz pickup and an ability to get his hands on a defender and direct him away from Luck.

Martin also did a good job run blocking for Stepfan Taylor, who produced 177 yards and two touchdowns in what was ultimately a losing effort.

With Iowa Hawkeyes tackle Riley Reiff having a game which, while not bad, didn't stand out against Oklahoma in the Insight Bowl, Martin could find himself with the inside track to be the second offensive tackle taken in the 2012 NFL Draft.

9. Courtney Upshaw Alabama OLB—Allstate BCS National Championship Game

LSU was trashed and torn apart from almost the beginning of the game.

The Crimson Tide defense rolled over them and washed away any chance of a National Title, as well as any lingering doubts as to whether Alabama belonged in the BCS Title game.

Upshaw was—as is almost always the case—more than a little responsible for the havoc wrought on the Tigers' offense. His six tackles (five solo and one assist) and his sack don't quite capture the pressure he helped bring to LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson and the mess he made in the backfield in general.

There's a reason that he heard the loudest roars of the crowd when he was awarded the Defensive MVP.

His performance certainly closed the gap a little between South Carolina's Melvin Ingram, who many believe is the top outside linebacker in this draft.

A good draft season by Upshaw could make up more ground—and ultimately fill his bank account as well.

10. Lavonte David Nebraska OLB—Capital One Bowl

Despite doing it in a losing effort, David's 11 tackles and two sacks stood out as he showed good explosion when attacking the quarterback (when Nebraska could get there), and despite his size, he proved once again he has the strength to bring the ball carrier down.

This effort will go a long way towards making teams reconsider his size and lack of top end speed as an issue when showed he can more than make up for it in athleticism, instinct and effort for all four quarters.

Someone could have fallen in love with him and his effort and grab him a little earlier now than they had before this game.

11. Isiah Pead Cincinnati RB—Liberty Bowl

Pead always seems to play with a chip on his shoulder because of his size, and that was as evident as ever in the Bearcats' victory over the Vanderbilt Commodores in the Liberty Bowl.

Pead ran hard, hitting his holes on the inside and slipping through smaller creases when the there was traffic at the line. He locked the win up with a 12-yard touchdown run with 1:52 left, and walked away with the MVP title to go with their victory.

As I said previously, there is some room for movement among the second and third tier running backs, and Pead is the type of player who will attract attention with his effort and speed.

When coaches see this game tape, Pead may raise a few eyebrows—and expectations—before April.

12. Nick Toon Wisconsin WR—Rose Bowl

When you're the son of a first-round draft pick for the New York Jets and a Badger legend like Nick's dad Al was, expectations are high.

I've heard a few people express disappointment in Toon Jr's performance in the Rose Bowl, but I liked what I saw, and that was a physical receiver, willing to fight off the line and make tough catches.

He looked better than he has coming out of his cuts, not slowing down as often before he made them.

Scouts and GMs will see the same thing when they look at the tape.

While he certainly has his issues, Toon had a very solid game and likely moved himself into a late second, early third-round spot—assuming he continues to improve over the course of the draft season.

13. Justin Blackmon Oklahoma State WR—Fiesta Bowl

If anyone had any doubt as to whether Justin Blackmon was the best receiver in the draft, his 186-yard, three-touchdown performance wiped that thought away.

Out of 10 targets, Blackmon caught eight balls and even when Stanford's defense knew it was going to him, they couldn't stop him.

His physicality and 'my ball' mentality were on full display in the Fiesta Bowl and his touchdowns showed him to be a deeper threat as well.

He's not a Calvin Johnson or an AJ Green can't-miss prospect, but there's nothing close to him in this draft and he proved it in this game.

He'll go early in this draft, book it.

14. Ryan Lindley SDSU QB—New Orleans Bowl

Yes, it was against Louisiana-Lafayette.

Yes, his opposite number actually had more stats.

Yes, he's unlikely to be going exceptionally high in April.

All that said, Lindley had a better completion percentage than he's had all year, showed very good arm strength as well as some great touch on shorter throws.

There's plenty of jockeying in the quarterback class right now, and teams are going to be looking hard for potential backups with upside.

Lindley has plenty of that, and it was on display in New Orleans in late December.

15. Robert Griffin III Baylor QB—Alamo Bowl

I'd like to start by pointing out that I think those socks have a cape on them. On that alone: first-round pick.

In all seriousness, RGIII did nothing but take over as the No. 2 quarterback in the 2012 NFL Draft in the Alamo Bowl as he showed he can throw the ball accurately (24 of 33) as well as run the ball.

His ability to run as well as pass made the defense think twice and allowed his receivers and running backs to find clearer lanes and more room to move.

With quarterbacks like Cam Newton and Tim Tebow emerging (and perhaps Jake Locker in the wings), the NFL is looking at dual threat quarterbacks in a new light.

Griffin is his own guy—he's not Tebow or Newton—but teams see his upside and smile.

They smiled wider post-Alamo Bowl.

16. Keenan Robinson Texas OLB—Holiday Bowl

Robinson is a product coming off a so-so season, but he was all over the field during the Holiday Bowl. He showed great instincts on a screen pass that he read and ran down for a loss. He nearly made an interception later on, as he was unable to hang onto it.

All day he showed his ability to read a play and be where he needed to be to make a play or at least have a chance to make one.

His performance and effort in the Holiday Bowl definitely put him in the running as a second-day pick, maybe late second, early third assuming he keeps the effort up during the draft process.

17. Dwight Jones UNC WR—Independance Bowl

Jones had a game that is best described as an up and down, but in the end showcased his size and speed enough to where the good outweighed the bad.

Several times he showed some great vertical leap when going up against a cornerback for a high ball, timing his jump perfectly so he could take the ball from the defender. Jones also did a great job getting yards after the catch by breaking tackles.

He definitely isn't weak and not afraid of contact.

He did have a few dropped passes, but overall we saw enough good from him to hop into Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

18. Cordarro Law Southern Miss DE—Hawaii Bowl

Law had a heck of a game against Nevada, sacking the quarterback twice and causing an interception on a pressure that nearly resulted in another sack. Of his seven tackles, four were for a loss and Nevada quickly became overly concerned with where he might be on any play.

A bit raw in many ways, overall, Law has the athleticism, motor and strength that will draw scouts and coaches to him. It may take a bit, but he'll make plays at the next level.

His work in the Hawaii Bowl will get him drafted, in the third or fourth rounds rather than the middle-to-late rounds he could have seen before.

19. Zach Brown UNC OLB—Independance Bowl

Sometimes when your team struggles, you do well anyway. The Tar Heels were bad and that really only gave Brown more time to shine.

Since their offense couldn't stay on the field, Brown saw more time and racked up 14 tackles and an interception as well.

In fact, Brown looked much better than he has all season, in many respects, he showed good strength and a better than advertised ability to read and react.

As I have said many times in this piece, all it takes is a little momentum and a player like Brown can climb the ranks. He's off to a good start.

20. Tank Carder TCU OLB—San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl

I can't even joke about this bowl's name. All I know is, it's proof that there are too many bowl games.

Carder may have played in a silly bowl but he sure as heck took it seriously and it definitely made him some money. Sure, he had just four tackles, but he also forced an incompletion on a well-read screen pass.

It wasn't the only time he did that, either.

Like that play, his impact was more than just about stats. If he didn't make the play he was in the right place to support it—pass or run.

The fact that he also shines in Special Teams play will only help. I think Tank is very underrated and tape from this game will prove to be a huge boost for him in the months to come. His effort, motor and ability to be where he needs to be when he needs to be there will be an asset to any team.

21. Jake Bequette Arkansas DE—Cotton Bowl

Bequette had a great last game for the Razorbacks, compiling a trio of tackles and a pair of sacks.

On his first sack, he absolutely blew by the left tackle, and when he hit the quarterback, Bequette knocked the ball out of his grip and Arkansas recovered.

He did struggle a little, but he showed his high, non-stop motor and his strength all night long. There's a good chance he played himself into an early third-round pick, possibly higher.

22. Kelechi Osemele Iowa State OT—Pinstripe Bowl

It can be hard to grade an offensive lineman from just one bowl game, but Kelechi Osemele had a very solid effort in the Pinstripe Bowl.

He didn't allow anybody to get their hands on his quarterback, and didn't even allow any pass pressure on him. He also did a tremendous job opening up running lanes and blocking during run plays, including getting up to the second level on occasion.

Tackles are always at a premium in the NFL Draft, and Osemele will definitely get a long look from Scouts to see if he fits the bill. He's looking like a very good Day Two prospect after his performance in this bowl.

23. Cordy Glenn Georgia OT—Outback Bowl

Glenn had a fine day against Michigan State, having success opening holes for the run game and doing OK in passing situations.

His size and patience as well as his long arms allow him to hold off defenders as well as punch them back on a run. There is a good chance he will transfer to a guard position in the NFL, but if so he'll be the first or second guard off the board.

24. Whitney Mercilus Illinois DE—Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl

Mercilus led an Illinois defense that ranked in the top-10 nationally in total defense, passing defense, sacks and tackles for loss. So pounding on UCLA in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (seriously?) only reminded us what an absolute beast he is.

Sure his stats for the game aren't drool inducing five tackles and  1.5 sacks, but his presence constantly had the Bruins on their heels and attention paid to him just freed other Illini up to do damage elsewhere.

He constantly moved along the line, lining up at the edge or at tackle and fired off the snap with such force that I think most of the offensive line didn't know he was on them until it was too late.

Mercilus certainly solidified his status as a top defensive line pick this April.

25. Dont'a Hightower Alabama ILB—Allstate BCS National Championship Game

Hightower had an outstanding game for Alabama, zipping around the field and making plays all night. Whether it was against the run or blitzing, he got the job done.

Towards the end of the game, he hammered LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson multiple times, stripping him of the ball on a sack once and clobbering him another time.

One of the big questions this year has surrounded his recovery from a knee injury two years ago.

The answer as of this game? A resounding yes.

That alone will solidify his presence in the mid-to-late first round of April's Draft. If he checks out medically at the Combine, he could even move up further into the first round.