NFL Draft 2012: Top Prospects Falling Fast Entering Combine

The NFL scouting combine is an opportunity for draft prospects to showcase nearly every bit of their athletic talent and mental aptitude. Although football is not played in shorts, a player's potential has a lot to do with when he's selected.

Ideally, a player would like to come in with rising or even stock. Unfortunately, that isn't the case for everybody and some players have to rescue falling stock.

Between the close of the Senior Bowl and the opening of the scouting combine, talent evaluators go back and watch tape on a number of players. Here are a few who've been damaged by that process and are falling fast down the draft board as we get set to roll through Indy.

Vontaze Burfict, LB, ASU

The more film people watch of Burfict, the less thrilled they are with him. The underclassman linebacker from ASU has long been considered a great talent, but his questionable on-field antics and maturity have been issues for a while, and his tape is not going anything to help evaluators justify taking too high a risk on him.

Albert Breer of NFL Network tweeted (part 1, part 2):

"

When I did a mock last month, initially had Burfict at end of Round 1. Sent it to 6 or 7 personnel guys. All told me to take Burfict out...One of these execs thought I was particularly crazy for having him at 31 or 32, and called Burfict a "fake tough guy." Ouch.

"

None of this bodes well for the Sun Devil at all. Many see him as not only a risk, but a player who hasn't shown nearly enough to warrant even late first-round consideration.

Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

Can Alshon Jeffery separate against NFL corners? This is, literally, the million-dollar question.

Rumors surfaced that the Gamecocks receiver has been out of shape and running tremendously slow. However, most are waiting to see how he performs at the combine.

That said, there are many who believe he's overrated to begin with.

If he runs in Indy, he better be in shape. 

Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

One particular player that got into with Jeffery this season—they were both ejected from the Capital One Bowl for fighting—is also falling down boards.

Entering the season Dennard was considered one of the senior prospects in the country. He then battled an injury, was slow to regain form and followed it all up with a relatively disappointing Senior Bowl. 

He loves to get physical, but he lacks ball skills and deep speed. At the combine he'll get a chance to show, and answer, all the questions about his game.

Dennard is very capable of being an NFL player, but he's tumbling out of the first round.