NFL Combine 2012: Examining the Best Senior Prospects

This year's junior class will dominate the 2012 NFL draft. 

That doesn't mean there isn't a handful of outstanding seniors that will make names for themselves on Sundays in the NFL this fall. 

Before the nation's best prospects slip on the Under Armor and go through a variety of positional, speed and strength drills, let's look at the best senior participants in this year's combine. 

Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina 

Ingram is one of the few elite defensive end/outside linebackers that offers a great deal of schematic and positional versatility. 

He can get after the quarterback, track down shifty running backs and drop comfortably into coverage. 

This senior can do it all. 

At 6'2'' and nearly 280 pounds he's got the feet of a tight end and has otherworldly lateral agility. 

He's truly a special athlete. 

With a strong showing in the 40-yard dash and the cone drills, Ingram has a chance to cement himself in the top-15 and could even sneak into the top-10. 

Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama 

Upshaw's showing at the Scouting Combine will ultimately decide whether he or Ingram will be selected first. 

Upshaw is easily the safer prospect, and is quite simply a well-rounded football player. 

He was one of the leaders on the nation's best defense this season and used his deceptive quickness and strength to overpower offensive tackles. 

I don't expect him to dominate the drills, but he should provide one of the more steady overall efforts. 

Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina 

Coples was everyone's top senior prospect entering this college football season. Unfortunately for the 6'6'', 285-pound defensive end, his production slipped and he was hit with the "low motor" label as a guy who occasionally takes plays off. 

However, he has a real chance to shine in Indianapolis. 

He runs extremely well for his size and there's not much he can't do as an athlete. 

If he burns up the 40-yard dash and is impressive in the strength and lateral agility drills, he could solidify his top-10 draft stock. 

Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

Amidst a group of tall, big-bodied wideouts in the 2012 draft class, Wright is the top slot guy with astonishingly blazing speed. 

He was an integral facet of Robert Griffin III's Heisman Trophy campaign, as he reeled in 108 passes for 1,663 yards with 14 touchdowns. 

Wright can burn past most cornerbacks on go-routes, but is devastating on those quick bubble screens due to his premier ability to make defenders miss in the open field. 

Wright is a DeSean Jackson-type of player who plays the game with a bit more tenacity and possesses softer hands. 

Follow @ChrisTrapasso