NFL Draft 2012: First-Round Talents That Will Fall to Second Round

In every draft, there are a couple of players who slip through the cracks. Whether it's because of teams trying to fill holes instead of selecting the best player available or a prospect simply being overlooked, there are always a few first-round talents that don't get picked until the second.

Here are three college stars likely to suffer that fate at the 2012 NFL draft in April.

Dontari Poe

Since he played his college ball at Memphis, it's not a big surprise Poe isn't receiving much national hype leading up to the draft. That said, the monster defensive tackle has all the tools to become a force in the NFL right away.

At 6'5'' and 350 pounds, he's the type of run stopper defensive coordinators dream about. He'll be able to clog the middle and, once he acclimates himself to the next level, will likely demand double teams to keep him under control. That of course opens up more opportunities for his teammates.

The reason Poe will likely slide out of Round 1 is the inordinate amount of defensive tackles expected to be taken in the same range. Fletcher Cox, Jerel Worthy and Brandon Thompson are his biggest competition, and there are only one or two teams late in the round in need of a tackle.

Dont'a Hightower

Hightower played a major role in Alabama's national title run. His calming presence in the middle of the team's vaunted defense allowed his teammates to take some chances, which commonly turned into game-changing plays for the Tide.

There's little doubt he will become a productive member of some team's linebacking corps, but he isn't flashy, which will cause some teams to shy away in the opening round. Teams are always looking to land playmakers with their first pick; Hightower is more of the consistent variety.

Another problem for Hightower's draft stock is team needs late in the round. There will be a lot of wide receivers and cornerbacks selected in that range to fill remaining holes on contenders, which means Hightower is destined to fall into the second.

David Wilson

A massive uptick in production during his junior season led Wilson to leave Virginia Tech in hopes of landing in the first round. He gained over 1,800 total yards for the Hokies and scored 10 touchdowns to lead an otherwise sluggish offense.

Unfortunately for him, the overall value of running backs as a whole is on the decline. Every season, more teams start to follow the trend of high-powered passing attacks as the way to build an offense, leaving previously coveted RBs to slide in the draft.

For Wilson to make a late charge into the first, he would need some extremely impressive workouts over the next couple of months. It's more likely he'll be picked up by a cellar dweller in Round 2, however.