NFL Combine 2012: Top Prospects Who Need to Boost Their Stock in Indy

We're less than a week away from the start of the NFL scouting combine. In no time at all, we're going to see all of the top NFL draft prospects running, jumping and standing still as part of an effort to boost their draft stock.

Every prospect will head to Indianapolis with something to prove, even the best ones. There are, however, a few top prospects who could stand to prove a little more than their comrades. Their draft stock depends on it.

Let's take a look at four players in particular.

Vontaze Burfict, ILB, Arizona State

It's been said countless times that Vontaze Burfict has all the talent in the world—all he needs is a coach who will straighten him out, and he'll be great.

It's not even a given that Burfict is worth drafting based on his talent. The word from DraftInsider.net is that Burfict's work ethic has been called into question:

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I was told at the Senior Bowl when he showed up for combine training in January, Burfict looked soft and out of shape. Latest word has him completing less than 15 reps on the bench recently and Burfict has been slowed by a leg (hamstring) issue. All that we’ve talked with say the biggest issue surrounding the often times dominant linebacker is work ethic.

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If you ask the NFL Network's Mike Mayock, he'll tell you that Burfict shouldn't even go in the first round (the Houston Chronicle has the quote).

Burfict simply can't let his draft stock plummet any further. He needs to show up at the combine and prove to everyone that he still has top-shelf athleticism. He also needs to hold up well in interviews, which may be even more important than the workouts as far as he's concerned.

Quinton Coples, DL, North Carolina

Quinton Coples did himself a huge favor by playing well at the Senior Bowl, but there are still concerns about his motor. For all his athleticism, the book on Coples is that he just doesn't seem to care the majority of the time.

Mayock says he's not a fan of Coples, either. Pro Football Talk summarized Mayock's stance on Coples by saying that he "looks the part, but doesn’t play like it." When it comes to Coples, that's more or less par for the course.

Coples is only going to be able to prove so much about his motor in workouts, but he could alleviate some concerns in interviews. He's going to be pressed to answer questions about his desire, particularly why the effort he showed in his junior season wasn't there in his senior season.

Coples is going to be a first-round draft pick one way or another, but his performance at the combine could determine whether he's a Top-10 pick or a late-first round pick.

Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

A couple of weeks ago, Alfonzo Dennard was a shoo-in for the first round.

Now, ESPN's Mel Kiper thinks Dennard could fall as far as the third round. Via Evan Silva of Rotoworld and Pro Football Talk:

It's not such a huge surprise that Dennard has fallen so far so quickly. He did not have a good week at the Senior Bowl, and scouts seem to be seeing Dennard for what he is for the first time. He had a solid career at Nebraska, but he's undersized and overmatched against big wide receivers. He'll run into a lot of those at the next level.

There will be a home for Dennard in the NFL one way or the other, but the loose consensus now is that he's just not worth a first-round pick.

Dennard's measurements at the combine aren't going to blow anyone away, so he'll have to wow scouts in workouts. Essentially, he'll need to show that he's worth a gamble because of his physical skills. He may not shoot up big boards right away, but he could very well start trending upwards again.

Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller loves Alshon Jeffery, and for good reason. Jeffery is a big wide receiver who owns jump-ball plays. He's sort of like a lesser version of Calvin Johnson, which is not an insult.

The trouble with Jeffery is that he just doesn't move very well. He's a big dude, so it's no surprise that he's a slow dude.

Our friend Mayock is not a fan.

“Alshon Jeffery does not separate,” said Mayock, per PFT. “What those guys run [at the Combine] is important. He needs to run somewhere in those mid-4.5s.”

Mayock is talking about the 40-yard dash, of course. Running in the mid-4.5s is not great for a wide receiver, but it would be pretty good for a guy like Jeffery, who goes 6'4" and roughly 230 pounds.

If Jeffery doesn't run well, we're probably going to see his draft stock start to slide.