Mel Kiper, Jr. 2012 NFL Mock Draft: Prospects Ranked Poorly by ESPN Draft Guru

Mel Kiper, Jr., who is one of those most prominent NFL draft experts after all his years at ESPN, recently released an updated mock draft. Even though most prospects were rated within a reasonable range, some players were clearly misplaced.

Here are three players Kiper should take a longer look at before he sends out his next mock.

Dre Kirkpatrick

It wasn't long ago Kirkpatrick was inside the top 10 of most mock drafts, but he's all the way down to No. 17 in Kiper's edition. While recent off-field issues may warrant a minor drop, there's no reason for the Alabama star to fall to the Cincinnati Bengals.

He still has the potential to become an elite corner. Since NFL offenses are so reliant on the pass, it's important for teams to have multiple corners capable of containing the aerial attack. Not enough of them have depth at the position, so Kirkpatrick will still be highly sought after.

After his pre-draft workouts are complete, don't be surprised if Kirkpatrick inches closer to the top of Round 1 where he belongs.

Devon Still

There was a time Still being selected by the Denver Broncos with the 25th pick would have made sense, but his stock has risen too much for it still to be considered good placement. He has too much potential to slide that far down.

It is going to take a couple seasons before Still reaches his peak because he needs to figure out the finer points of playing defensive tackle, but his raw tools are off the charts. Once scouts get a closer look at him, it's hard to imagine him lasting beyond the first dozen picks.

He's in a battle with Michael Brockers to be the first tackle taken, and with more than a few teams in need of an upgrade, he'll be selected well before No. 25 on draft day.

Harrison Smith

The first two players on this list were rated too low by Kiper, but Smith is ranked too high. While the Green Bay Packers could certainly improvement at the safety position, reaching for the Notre Dame product with the 28th selection would be a major mistake.

That placement is at least a full round too early. He was a highly rated recruit coming out of high school but never lived up to the hype with the Irish. While his size and speed still give him a chance to excel in the NFL, there are too many question marks to risk a first-rounder on him.

Antonio Allen would be a wiser choice if the Packers are truly that desperate for a strong safety, but they would be much better off filling another hole in Round 1 and tackling the safety issue later on.