Senior Bowl 2012 Roster: Doug Martin and Underrated Players Sure to Impress

Elite players like Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III may not be taking part in the Senior Bowl, but there are still several players to watch. Quite a few surefire first-rounders will be involved in the game, but at the same time there are some underrated players who will be looking to make a name for themselves.

The Senior Bowl may be an exhibition game, but it is extremely important with regards to the draft stock of many players. Not every player will go high in the draft and not every player will even be drafted, but this is a golden opportunity for players to put themselves on the map.

Here are three underrated players who are sure to impress and improve their draft stock at the Senior Bowl.

QB Russell Wilson, Wisconsin

Despite three straight seasons with at least 3,000 passing yards and 28 touchdowns, Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson hasn't gotten much love to this point in the draft process. Some of that probably has to do with the fact that he is just 5'10" and a bit over 200 lbs.

Short quarterbacks have excelled in the NFL before, namely Doug Flutie, so Wilson simply needs to prove that he can play.

Wilson was a key piece to the puzzle at Wisconsin this season as he led the Badgers to a Rose Bowl appearance. Wilson incredibly completed nearly 73 percent of his passes this year and threw 33 touchdowns as opposed to just four interceptions. The numbers are there, but Wilson will need a good performance in the Senior Bowl.

He is receiving the starting nod for the North team, so I expect some magic out of Wilson.

WR Juron Criner, Arizona

Arizona wide receiver Juron Criner may not possess the top-end speed of some of his counterparts and he may not have played on a particularly successful team, but I have no doubt that he has first-round ability. Criner has great size at 6'2" and 220 lbs., so he figures to be a matchup problem at the next level.

On top of that, few players in recent memory have been as capable of making circus catches as Criner.

Criner was also very productive over the past two seasons as he caught 11 touchdowns in back-to-back years and had close to 2,200 receiving yards in 2010 and 2011 combined.

Criner seems to be one of those players who are much more impressive in game situations than in shorts and a t-shirt. Because of that, the Senior Bowl will be his time to shine.

RB Doug Martin, Boise State

With quarterback Kellen Moore and the passing game taking center stage most of the time at Boise State, it's understandable why running back Doug Martin might get lost in the shuffle. The fact of the matter is, though, that Martin was one of the most consistent producers in the nation at running back over the past few seasons.

Martin has 43 touchdowns over the last three years and two consecutive seasons of at least 1,200 rushing yards.

Martin is compact at 5'9", but he packs a lot of punch in his 219-lbs. frame. On top of that, Martin can get involved in the passing game as well with consecutive seasons of 28 catches.

Trent Richardson and Lamar Miller are clearly the top two backs in the draft, but with a strong Senior Bowl, I could see Martin sneaking into the second round.