Senior Bowl 2012: 5 Bold Predictions for This Year's All-Star Game

This past week of practice and today's Senior Bowl game is one of the many opportunities NFL draft prospects have to impress scouts. A strong finish to the week could potentially mean the difference between coming off the board in the first or second round. So much of the NFL draft process is about impressions and hype.

The results of today's game will make an impact, but only a minor one.

Evaluators want to see effort, a feel for the game and aggressiveness. The players who come out, give it their all and show explosiveness will help their stock the most. Poor decisions and sloppy play will result in negative impressions.

Michigan State's Kirk Cousins Will Be the Game's Offensive MVP

Michigan State's Kirk Cousins may be the most polished and NFL-ready quarterback at the Senior Bowl. He boasts enough arm strength to make all the necessary throws and combines that with good anticipation. However, it's his experience in a pro-style offense and ability to recognize the defense that will allow him to earn MVP honors.

Someone like Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden may have better physical tools but only has experience in the spread attack. Expect to see Cousins efficiently move the offense and limit his mistakes.

He might not deliver flashy plays, but his consistency is what will stand out. The same traits that will help him succeed today is what makes him a good NFL prospect.

Boise State's Shea McClellin Will Record at Least Two Sacks

Today's game will not feature exotic blitz packages, which means the pass-rush will come from one-on-one situations. Boise State's Shea McClellin possesses the quickness and savvy needed to exploit one-on-one matchups.

He will use his sharp snap-awareness and quick first step to attack the edge and generate pressure on the quarterback.

McClellin will be matched up against offensive tackles like Illinois' Jeff Allen, Georgia's Cordy Glenn and Florida State's Zebrie Sanders. His ability to employ both a speed and power rush will allow him to exploit the weaknesses of each opponent.

Arizona State's Gerell Robinson Will Drop at Least Two Passes

Arizona State's Gerell Robinson struggled with dropped passes throughout the week of practice. Most of the drops came because of a lack of focus and poor technique. This issue will show up today and continue to hurt his draft stock. Robinson's talent will be overlooked because of his struggles holding onto the football.

NFL coaches absolutely hate missed opportunities and dropped passes. They want to a wide receiver who is capable of helping the quarterback and catches every ball that touches his hands. Ideally, pass-catchers use their hands to pluck the ball out of the air, not allowing it to touch the body. Robinson has a tendency to let the ball hit his pads, which is one of the major contributors to his drops.

North Alabama's Janoris Jenkins Will Snag an Interception

North Alabama's Janoris Jenkins boasts a combination of excellent quickness and instincts. He excels at reading the quarterback's eyes, jumping the route and pulling down an interception. His ability to create turnovers is thanks to his excellent ball skills and short area burst.

Today offers a great opportunity for an instinctual player like Jenkins to make his mark. The timing and feel between the quarterback and wide receivers are not where they need to be. One week of practice isn't enough time for them to establish a strong relationship. Expect to see several miscommunications which will open up opportunities for interceptions.

Boise State's Kellen Moore Will Thrown an Interception

Boise State's Kellen Moore was able to overcome his limited arm strength in college thanks to game planning and weaker competition. The type of athletes in the Mountain West Conference don't match up with the prospects he's going to face in today's Senior Bowl.

The offensive playbook is going to be very generic and not tailored to one specific player. This is going to expose some of Moore's weaknesses, especially his limited arm strength. He will have a hard time fitting the ball into tight spaces, which will result in at least one interception.

It's also important to mention that Moore's ability to anticipate his throws will not be able to save him today. There just wasn't enough time to develop a relationship with his receivers.