NFL Combine 2012 Results: 3 WRs Who Will Shoot Up the Board

With Oklahoma State Cowboys wide receiver Justin Blackmon sitting out the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine with a hamstring injury, the floor was open to all prospects to show why they deserve to be a first-round pick in this year's NFL draft.

A lot of this year's wide receivers were quite impressive at the combine, many of them being surprises.

The following receivers impressed many, and could potentially find themselves climbing up draft boards.

Travis Benjamin, Miami Hurricanes

While many didn't see Benjamin as a top wide receiver candidate heading into this draft, he impressed many with his speed and ability at the combine.

Benjamin is just 5'10", so he will be compared to Baylor WR Kendall Wright, which could spell trouble for him.

That being said, he still recorded the highest 40-time in this group with 4.36 seconds to his name. It was quite impressive, but many had known that he has the speed. He's now proved it with everyone else taken into account.

With the Hurricanes this past season, Benjamin had only 41 receptions for 609 yards and three touchdowns. Those are some discouraging numbers, but he is also a strong returner who could potentially echo former Hurricanes stud Devin Hester.

It will remain to be seen if teams were sold high on his performance at the combine, but for now he is definitely entering their discussions.

Stephen Hill, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Coming out of nowhere at this year's event was Yellow Jackets wide receiver Hill.

Standing at 6'4" and 215 pounds, there was no doubt that Hill was a big man. What he showed us at the combine was that he is not just big, but he is a freakish athletic specimen as well.

He tied Benjamin in the 40-yard dash, recording a time of 4.36 seconds as well. Not only that, he looked quite impressive during the passing drills, which was surprise to many. Hill only had 28 receptions for 820 yards and five touchdowns this past year.

However, the Yellow Jackets were not a pass-first team, which meant that Hill had a lot to prove to the world. He certainly did, and he could very well be challenging many of the previously regarded top receivers in this draft.

Kashif Moore, Connecticut Huskies

At just 5'9", Moore was always going to have a tough shot at making a real climb on the board. However, after his showing at the combine, he may have a real shot now.

His 40-yard time was not far off from the leaders, clocking in at 4.42 seconds. He also not only led the group in the vertical jump, but he set a recent best with a 43.5" leap. Considering his height, that gives teams a lot of confidence in how high up he can get.

He also had some real solid results with the broad jump, as he recorded a 126" leap. 

His numbers from this past season were not that great, as he only had 41 receptions for 604 yards and five touchdowns.

While becoming a first-round pick is still quite a long shot, Moore definitely now has a better chance of being taken in the second or third round—which is huge considering he arguably was going undrafted coming into the draft.

Jeff Chase is a Featured Columnist for the Chicago Cubs and Arizona State football.
Follow @Real_Jeff_Chase