NFL Combine 2012: Justin Blackmon and Draft Prospects with Most to Lose in Indy

The NFL scouting combine can be a fickle beast for college football stars looking to go pro, particularly those whose measurables might easily be picked apart.

That certainly holds true for the 2012 NFL draft class, which boasts plenty of fine football players but quite a few, including these three, whose stock could take a serious beating if the scouts present don't like what they see.

Justin Blackmon

There's no doubt that Justin Blackmon is the most dynamic talent at wide receiver in the draft right now. He's smart, he runs crisp routes and he sure knows how to shake and bake his way to big yardage after the catch.

But while Blackmon has the requisite skills to be a No. 1 receiver in the NFL, questions still abound about the Oklahoma State star's size, speed and explosiveness. He'll need to finish the 40 in under 4.5 to lock himself in as a top-five pick.

Otherwise, Blackmon could slip several spots before landing with a team in dire need of a potential pass-catching prodigy. 

Brandon Weeden

As for Blackmon's quarterback in college, Brandon Weeden isn't likely to go in the first round regardless of how well he tests in Indianapolis, though a poor performance could drop him from the second round into the third, fourth or even fifth round, if not lower.

Weeden showed during his time in Stillwater that he can be a strong and accurate passer, though his greatest strengths—his maturity, professionalism and poise under pressure—are the byproduct of his most glaring weakness—his age.

No NFL team would likely be willing to spend a valuable pick during the first or second day of the draft on a 28-year-old who can't already do anything and everything that coaches and player personnel folks demand.  

Alshon Jeffery

Alshon Jeffery has seen his stock tumble down mock drafts in recent months, from that of a potential top-10 pick to that of a borderline first-rounder.

And if the former South Carolina Gamecock doesn't show up to the combine in immaculate shape, he may well find himself firmly in the second round, and falling. Jeffery is a big, athletic playmaker with terrific ball skills and the ability to make circus catches with jaw-dropping regularity.

But scouts remain skeptical about Jeffery's conditioning, concerned that his size may be a drain on his speed and suggest that his commitment to football isn't what it needs to be to succeed at the next level. That being said, if Jeffery shows up looking slim and trim and registers a 4.5ish time in the 40, he may yet be able to save his draft stock from an all-out free fall.

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