NFL Draft 2012: 7 Prospects Who Are Destined to Fail

With all the hype of the current NFL draft prospects moving up and down the charts faster than stock on the NASDAQ, it is easy to understand some NFL teams will have a hard time choosing between a player or two or three when the team is on the clock in April.

There are names we all know that will get called early, some will get called later than expected and some will be surprised they had to wait a day or two to hear something from a scout or a team's head coach.

It is the nature of this beast and part of the problem with the "problem" is highlight reels and marketing campaigns and reality are not always the same.

So there will be draft picks who will rise, some will fall, some will surprise and some will fail. Here is a look at a few who could take a tumble when all is said and done.

Jeff Fuller, Receiver, Texas A&M

Want to watch a prospect's draft stock tumble? Watch him have a poor outing at the Senior Bowl.

Fuller was a first- or second-round prospect coming into the All-Star game last week and had some issues with dropped passes and separation from defensive backs. This was his opportunity to shine in a game that meant everything for guys who were trying to improve their draft stock.

At 6'4" and 217 pounds, Fuller is one of the taller prospects in the draft. Hopefully, he can turn it around at the combine or his pro day outing.

Ben Jones, Center, Georgia

Jones is rated as the second-best center prospect in this draft by cbssportsline.com. But in the Senior Bowl, Jones looked lost against the talent from the North.

Mike Martin, a defensive tackle from Michigan, had his way with Jones, pushing him into the backfield on many occasions. At center, Jones needs to be more stout and grounded from the point of attack.

At 6'3" and 316 pounds, he may need to add more bulk to handle quicker and stronger defensive tackles in the NFL who are more experienced and will move him around like a spinning top.

Ryan Tannehill, Quarterback, Texaas A&M

I am really on the fence about Tannehill for a few reasons.

At 6'4" and 222 pounds, he is tall enough and agile enough to be a good quarterback in the NFL. While scouts will be looking for the next "Andy Dalton" or "TJ Yates," it seems Tannehill is the guy most likely to get that calling this season.

He could be a late first-round selection (I have Dallas trading back into the first round to take him) or an early second-rounder (maybe to a team like Cleveland) who does enough to start a few games this season.

He broke his foot and did not play in the Senior Bowl and a good combine or pro day showing will boost his stock. But there is something about him that to me is a mystery.

Zebrie Sanders, Tackle, FSU

Looking at him, Sanders is a prototypical tackle prospect in the NFL.

Big (6'6") and strong (308 pounds), yet it does not translate when it comes to his performance in the postseason. While there is a belief (according to cbssportsline.com) that he could be a late first-round pick or a second-round selection, I see a kid who needs to be more consistent.

The problem is the ACC is not the "hot bed" the SEC or Big 10 is when it comes to offensive line prospects and other linemen have stepped up, lowering his stock.

He will need to prove he can play at a high rate on every snap to get a look in the first two rounds, in my opinion.

Kellen Moore, Quarterback, Boise State

I know we scrutinized the heck out of him last week. But maybe he is the "surest" bet on this list to not have the intangibles to make it in the NFL.

At 5'11" and 191 pounds, Moore is an enigma of sorts. He was all-world as a quarterback in leading Chris Petersen's offense at Boise State to a 50-3 record as a starter. I liken him to a Danny Wuerrfel from Florida.

He was a great college quarterback, but in the NFL, he just did not have it. Steve Spurrier tried to use him in his offense with the Washington Redskins and it failed.

You want to pull for kids like Moore, but he is not Doug Flutie and he had a bad Senior Bowl experience. It will be hard for him to latch on to a team for an extended period of time.

LaMichael James, Running Back, Oregon

There are five or six running backs who could make an impact in this draft. Of those on the list, maybe James has the most question marks.

At 5'9" and 195 pounds, is he Barry Sanders-like, Warrick Dunn-like or like none of the above. And if he is to be successful in the NFL, can he prove to be a Darren Sproles type of back and returner?

James was an exciting player in college with the Ducks, but his stock has been steady (I think second or third round) while others like Chris Polk of Washington and Lamar Miller of Miami have seen their stock rise.

James was an exciting player and could be a show stopper. But he will have to prove that each week as a return specialist and a third-down back first.

Whitney Mercilus, Defensive End, Illinois

Every year there is one selection that has scouts drooling over the prospect of adding them to the team.

While a player like Jared Allen may not get the attention in the draft he gets in the pros, some are given that "label" early on and they don't pan out. Are you listening, Mike Mamula?

This year, I think Mercilus may be that pick.

A junior out of Illinois and the nation's leading sack artist with 16, he was a beast in the Big 10. But does it translate in the NFL? He has all the size at 6'4" and 265 pounds to play on the line or standing up in a 3-4 defense. But something tells me he will not be the sack machine he was in college.

One season does not always define a player. This is a perfect case of how that one season could have scouts jumping at a chance to draft a player with minimal investment on their return.