NFL Draft 2012: 7 Tantalizing Prospects Who Could Be Huge Mistakes

The 2012 NFL draft is all the rage right now, and these tantalizing prospects could prove to be huge mistakes. While these prospects have certain reputations surrounding them for better or worse at the moment, they are a gamble in this year's draft.

With the NFL Scouting Combine just weeks away, these players will need to impress in all facets of their game.

Some of the hyped are supported by outstanding college stat lines while others withhold freakish athletic talent. 

While the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine will help NFL GMs with their big decisions in the near future, these guys must perform and carry themselves as professionals over the next 77 days in order to sway teams in their favor.

Yes, only 11 weeks until the biggest day of their lives—only 11 weeks until hungry NFL fans get some new pieces to their puzzles.

Whether those pieces will fit remains to be seen.

Honorable Mention: Jerel Worthy Shouldn't Be a First-Round Choice

At one point Jerel Worthy was considered a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft.

Throughout the season, he played himself out of that distinction.

While it's true that he's a load to handle for an offensive line, it's evident that he takes plays off.

Worthy could be the best defensive in this draft, but he must prove that he's committed to a strict training regimen. He must build enough stamina to last four quarters of NFL football.

With an improved work ethic, Worthy will be a steal for a team like the Minnesota Vikings in the second round.

Hype: Ryan Tannehill Before the Fourth Round Would Be a Mistake

Ryan Tannehill is a prime example of how a player entering the draft can cause an infectious fever among football fanatics.

Before breaking his foot in January, there was talk of Tannehill going as a first-round selection.

He does have an NFL-caliber frame at 6'4", 222 pounds, but he only threw 29 touchdowns to 15 interceptions in his final season at Texas A&M.

He threw three interceptions three times in 2011. This tells one that he needs to make better decisions before releasing the football.

Tannehill only made 19 starts in his career at Texas A&M—he's a work in progress to say the least. 

The NFL slows down for no one and with Tannehill's growth slowed by injury he shouldn't go before the fourth round.

A team like the Washington Redskins will want him if they can't land Robert Griffin III, but even taking Tannehill in the second round would be a mistake. 

Stats: Luke Kuechly May Be Tempting, but Won't Go Before the Third Round

Luke Kuechly may have been a tackling machine in 2011, but that doesn't mean he'll be a first-round choice in the NFL draft this year.

Kuechly did amass an amazing 191 tackles, but the Boston College Eagles only won four games.

He's only listed at 237 lbs. which means that he'll need to put on 20 pounds of muscle over the next six months.

Kuechly's production may have been in part to the lackluster Eagles' offense. The Eagles' defense, led by Kuechly, was always on the field.

Numbers can be deceiving, and Kuechly's fit the bill. He has a good skill set, but he needs more speed and mass.

Don't be surprised to when Kuechly drops to the third round and is selected by the Chicago Bears.

Hype: Dre Kirkpatrick Is Innocent, but the Damage Has Been Done

The good news for cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick is that he's not being charged for possession of marijuana.

The bad news—unfortunately he's guilty by association.

This will hurt his stock in the upcoming draft, although he won't fall from the first round.

Great cornerbacks are hard to come by in the NFL, and Kirkpatrick is worth the risk.

He did help Alabama win the BCS National Championship after all, which proves he knows how to win.

Kirkpatrick must clear the air and focus on football over the next three months in order to win the respect of NFL GMs. If he doesn't, he'll already be considered a letdown.

Expect the New England Patriots to roll the dice on Kirkpatrick with 31st-overall pick come April.

Stats: Is Whitney Mercilus Going to Be a Sack Leader in the NFL?

Whitney Mercilus came out of left field and led the nation with 16 sacks and nine forced fumbles in 2011 at Illinois.

The results were surprising considering that he only had two career sacks in his first two college seasons.

This will leave questions in the minds of NFL GMs as to Mercilus' real ability.

To avoid big risk, expect Mercilus to get drafted by a 2011 playoff team with a strong defensive line that he can learn from such as the New England Patriots with the No. 27 pick. 

An extra 25 pounds of muscle wouldn't hurt Mercilus either.

Freakish Ability: Michael Brockers Is a Beast, but Is He Ready for the NFL?

Michael Brockers was a red-shirt sophomore at LSU before hightailing his talents to the NFL.

He's the definition of the new-age monster athlete. At 6'6", 300-plus pounds he has intense size and skill.

While there is no doubt he'll go in the first round of the draft, Brockers' talent is just beginning to blossom.

For a team like the Carolina Panthers who need interior defense, Brockers could remedy their problems.

The only question is Brockers ready for the Panthers?

The Panthers need production now, not a project.

Hype: Quinton Coples in an Enigma

Quinton Coples' standing in the first round of the upcoming NFL draft is questionable at the moment.

Coples is highly hyped—some love him while others are beginning to think less of his talent.

Coples in very powerful with long arms but often gives up on plays easily.

In order to win over NFL GMs, Coples must show that he's ready to play hard whistle-to-whistle.

He has much to prove at the NFL Scouting Combine, and fans won't know where to expect him to land until afterword.

There's no mediocre in Coples—he's either boom or bust.

Freakish Ability: Alshon Jeffery Has the Plenty of Talent, but Does He Want It?

Alshon Jeffery was once considered the best receiver in the country.

With more discipline and a season that wasn't marred with quarterback controversy at South Carolina, Jeffery may have ended up as the nation's best.  

While the jury is still out on Jeffery on whether he's prime NFL material because of attitude, this will pique interest in his abilities.

There's nothing some NFL coaches like more than a project. Jeffery definitely has potential and promise.

A gamble is what he is at the moment.

Jeffery has to polish his route running and mature if he's to become an All-Pro. He'll create quite a stir come April and could do himself a world of good with a positive showing at the combine.

He'll go anywhere in between Jacksonville at No. 7 and Philadelphia at No. 15.

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