2012 NFL Draft: Stars Not Worth the Risk in the Top 10

The 2012 NFL Draft has several players whose play will not translate from the college game to the NFL and are a risk to be selected in the first 10 picks.

We have seen it happen many times before. Players get over-hyped or under-hyped during the last one or two months before the NFL draft and see their draft stock waver.

As a result, many stars at the college level with Top-10 potential never pan out. I think we may have a few of those in the draft this year.

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

There is no denying Griffin has great speed and athleticism to match his great arm. And as we witnessed with Cam Newton during his superb rookie season, those attributes can translate successfully to the NFL.

However, we've also seen several other quarterbacks come into the NFL and sit for a year or two while they learn a pro-style offense.  Griffin may be one of those quarterbacks.

He came from Baylor, which had nothing close to a pro-style offense.  And although he is smart and will catch on fast, is he a player worth picking in the Top 10 if he will be forced to catch up to the NFL mind-set once selected?

I guess it matters how desperate the teams in the Top 10 are to acquire a quarterback.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

Running backs are a dime a dozen in the NFL these days, causing them to not be in demand at the top of the draft. However, Richardson seems to be the exception this season.

His good speed and considerable physical assets are attractive to teams in the Top 10 looking for backfield help.

Although he may be ready to play right away in the NFL,  that "running-backs-are-a-dime-a-dozen" line still rings in some team's ears. How much of a shock would it be if Chris Polk or Lamar Miller went on to have better NFL careers than Richardson?

These days, that is probably not that big of a shock.

Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

Coples may the riskiest player in the Top 10. He is one of the more athletic players in this draft, but the indecision about what position he will play in the NFL has him being selected anywhere from No. 5  to falling completely out of the Top 10.

The problem is that Coples' 6'6", 285-pound frame does not allow him to play defensive tackle and does not make him the prototypical defensive end.

He will get drafted within the first 15 picks based on his athleticism and a team's hope that he can become a real athlete in the NFL at whatever position he plays. But he is quite a gamble for any team at the next level.