Senior Bowl 2012 Roster: Stud Players Sure to See NFL Draft Stocks Soar

The Senior Bowl is about one thing and one thing only: NFL draft stock.

You'd be silly to think that it's just another All-Star Game. You'd be silly to think that the players are just enjoying themselves out at practice and enjoying the "experience."

Reality check: This is a job interview.

Every NFL team and scout is down in Mobile watching these practices or at least somehow keeping a watchful eye on how these players matchup with each other, respond to adversity and listen to coaching.

Some consider the practices to be the most important, but keep in mind that it's the game in itself where scouts can actually see these players move at game speed, compete against an actual opponent and perform when all the pressure and spotlight is on them.

You can make or break your draft stock in the Senior Bowl. A good performance can bump you up significantly, while a bad one may cause you to slip.

Here's a player from each team to watch, as they are sure to have great games.

North Team

Click here for the North roster.

Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State

Cousins comes into this game looking to be a mid-round draft pick. He has solid fundamentals, good football IQ and is overall a very safe pick.

The thing about Cousins is that he doesn't stand out in any way. He was mainly a game manager at Michigan State, and he had a great running game and defense to back him up.

Most project him to come into the NFL as a backup quarterback and be a very good one. He can turn some heads though by lighting it up at the Senior Bowl.

Granted, things are dumbed down a little bit on both sides and the pressure on him will be non-existent, but if he can make some big-time throws over the top and to the sideline, I think the rest of his intangibles may be enough to convince a team that he's more than just a backup.

If he plays well, I wouldn't be surprised if one of the quarterback-desperate teams starts looking at him real hard in the second round.

South Team

Click here for the South roster.

Chris Rainey, RB, Florida

I firmly believe Rainey comes into this game with a ton of potential, but he has to prove that by being the most explosive running back in this game—period. No exceptions, and that's a tall order with guys like Doug Martin, Isiah Pead and Chris Polk on the other side.

Thing is, Rainey has what it takes to be a very valuable draft prospect in my opinion. He's a small player, but he's lightning quick. He's got great field vision, great cut backs and has that second gear you always hear scouts talking about.

Because he's so small, it makes it hard for defenders to see him behind the line of scrimmage and then he uses his speed and elusiveness to his advantage.

His speed could also come into play as a receiver coming out of the backfield or even lined up in the slot.

He's a very versatile and very explosive player that good coaches can use creatively in their game plan.

With a good Senior Bowl game that features that explosiveness, I think we could see Rainey rise all the way from a fourth- or fifth-rounder to a third-round prospect.