NFL Draft 2012: Fast-Rising Prospects to Keep an Eye on

These NFL prospects are on the way to earning themselves a lot of money. From the time the season ended, they have all shot themselves up the draft boards and are only going to keep moving up. If you're a fan of the NFL, do yourself a favor and familiarize yourself with these studs. 

Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

Tannehill has firmly established himself as the third quarterback in the draft, which is a great place to be. According to NFL Draft Scout, he is a firm first-round pick. When trades start to go down, that is going to become clear. 

Considering Tannehill was once a receiver while at Texas A&M, his stock is clearly on the rise. He wasn't a firm first-rounder for most of the season—or even after the season—but his raw skills and athleticism are beginning to show. 

As a former receiver, he clearly possess tremendous mobility. What's more, at 6'4" and 222 pounds, his size is more than ideal to play the position. Looking at the first half of the draft after the Colts pick, the Browns, Redskins, Dolphins, Seahawks and possibly the Chiefs all have pressing quarterback needs. 

One of those teams will certainly land Griffin, but after that, the race for Tannehill is wide open. 

Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

The league is becoming dominated by tight ends with players like Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham, Aaron Hernandez and Vernon Davis taking over and dominating games. 

Fleener is cut from a similar mold. Standing 6'6" and weighing more than 240 pounds, his size and speed makes him a matchup nightmare for teams. This is a name you're going to want to get used to, as he will go in the first round and make an immediate impact. 

Looking at the teams that made the playoffs, the Patriots, 49ers and Packers wouldn't take Fleener, but any other team could. Look for him to fall into that range, if not higher. 

Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

At 6'4", 208 pounds, this receiver has the ideal size for the NFL. The only question surrounds his speed, which we'll get a glimpse of at the combine.

Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal Constitution quoted Hill talking about his speed in a recent article:

"My 40 time has improved a little bit...It’s going to be interesting...I want to run a 4.4...But I feel like I can run a 4.3."

With his size, anything below a flat 4.5 is going to move him up draft boards. Given how hard he's been working since the end of the season, that's a lock. 

I can't imagine Hill going in the fist round, but by the time April rolls around, he will be a strong second-rounder.

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