Senior Bowl 2012: Underrated College Stars That Will Bust on Big Stage

The Senior Bowl is a terrific opportunity for underrated players to prove once and for all that they can compete at a high level against other top prospects. Not all of them succeed, however. For every breakout star that emerges, there will be a couple players who fail to seize their chance.

Here are three college stars who won't shine like they need to in Mobile.

Kellen Moore (North)

Moore never got the amount of respect he deserved for his career at Boise State because the critics were too busy complaining about his team's BCS worthiness. He finished with nearly 15,000 yards passing and 142 touchdowns for the Broncos.

His biggest problem with scouts has always been size. He checks in at under six feet, which is far from ideal for an NFL signal-caller. That makes it extremely difficult for him to stand out from the crowd at a marquee event like the Senior Bowl, both figuratively and literally.

He just needs to hope his stock doesn't drop to the point where he doesn't get drafted at all. It's a distinct possibly, though, especially with over quarterbacks having good showings during the week.

Chris Polk (North)

It's been a wild ride for Polk over the past month. His stock rose as high as the first-round fringe after a dominant performance in the Alamo Bowl, but it's leveled out as of late with a couple other running backs starting to make their move.

He's going to have to exhibit more explosiveness to stop himself from dropping behind rising prospects like LaMichael James or Bernard Pierce. Due to the evolution of NFL offenses, teams are looking for players who can change the game in a heartbeat. Polk hasn't proven that yet.

There's no way to predict exactly where his draft position will be right now, but it's fair to guess he could go late in Round 2 if things don't turn back in his favor quickly. That would be a full round from his peak status.

Dwight Jones (South)

Jones has prototypical size for the wide receiver position, but he continues to struggle against tight coverages. It's was a problem during his time at North Carolina and has carried over to Senior Bowl work this week.

It's a major problem for a player like Jones, whose strength should be one of his biggest advantages, not a disadvantage. So, regardless of how intriguing his other skills may be, his stock will continue to fade until he shows he can get off the line much easier.

Since the opposing cornerbacks will be wanting to show off their best attributes, you can bet every time Jones sees the field he'll be pressed hard. It will ultimately lead to a disappointing performance.