NFL Combine 2012: Day 5 Winners and Losers

Day five of the 2012 NFL Scouting Combine has arrived, and that means that the attention has turned to the defensive side of the ball and stars such as North Carolina's Quinton Coples and Alabama's Dont'a Hightower as the defensive linemen and linebackers take the field.

As was the case with the positions that came before them, there were players that likely helped their draft stock considerably with a solid showing in Monday's drills, while others would have been better off staying home. So here's a look at the pop and fizzle from Monday's action in Indianapolis.

Winner: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe was a monster at the combine Monday, as the second team All-Conference USA selection led all players with 44 reps on the bench press and turned in an alarmingly fast sub-five-second 40-yard-dash time.

Poe also ran the 10-yard split in 1.7 seconds, a ridiculous time for the 346 lb. beefeater. And given Poe's appeal to 3-4 teams with a need at nose tackle, it's possible that he has lifted and run his way into the back end of the draft's first round.

Loser: Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

As good a show as Poe put on in Monday's drills, LSU defensive tackle Michael Brockers was equally as bad, as the 6'5", 322 lb. redshirt sophomore looked sluggish in the 40-yard dash and agility drills, and managed a measly 19 repetitions on the bench press.

Brockers, who had 54 tackles, a forced fumble, two sacks and an interception last year, has been pegged by some as a potential Top 10 pick in April's draft. But, unless he can erase the bad taste left by his poor combine showing at LSU's pro day, that's looking quite a bit more unlikely now.

Winner: Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC

Nick Perry was a very successful defensive end at the University of Southern California in 2011, where the 6'3", 271 lb. junior racked up 54 tackles, 9.5 sacks and three forced fumbles on his way to being named a First Team All Pac-12 performer.

However, many scouts project Perry as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL, fearing that he's neither big nor strong enough to hold the point of attack against NFL offensive linemen.

Perry showed off the sort of athletic versatility at the combine that indicates that that may not be the case. Not only did Perry do well in agility drills, but he also ran a very respectable 4.64 40-yard dash and put up 35 reps on the bench press.

Loser: Audie Cole, MLB, North Carolina State

North Carolina State middle linebacker Audie Cole was among the top handful of prospects available at his position entering the combine after a 2011 campaign in which the 6'4", 246 lb. senior tallied 108 tackles, 5.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.

Cole's stock got punched in the mouth when he flopped at the combine, however, as the Wolfpack star turned in a very mediocre 4.81 second 40-yard dash and posted some of the worst bench press numbers at his position, with only 15 repetitions of 225 lbs.

Winner: Luke Kuechly, MLB, Boston College

The combine was much kinder to the top middle linebacker in this season's draft class, as Luke Kuechly of Boston College showed a solid combination of strength, athleticism and speed with 27 reps in the bench press, a 4.58 second 40 time and a third-place finish among linebackers in the vertical leap.

The 6'3", 242 lb. All-American, who won the Nagurski and Lombardi awards last year after leading the nation with a gaudy 191 tackles, gave his chances of being chosen in the NFL draft's first round a shot in the arm with his big day at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Loser: Vontaze Burfict, ILB, Arizona State

Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict is an immensely talented player capable of taking over football games, but as has seemingly been the case during his entire collegiate career the 6'1" 242-pound oft-penalized Sun Devil just couldn't get out of his own way at the combine.

After deflecting blame for many of his troubles while in college Burfict proceeded to run a slower 40 time than Dontari Poe (who's over 100 pounds heavier), and his pedestrian performances in other drills and poor showing in interviews have sent Burfict's already lagging draft stock into full-on free fall.

Winner: Mychal Kendricks, ILB, Cal

Although linebacker Mychal Kendricks was the the Pac-12 defensive player of the year in 2011 after racking up 105 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 2 interceptions the 5'11" 239-pound Cal standout wasn't a player that had generated much buzz entering the combine.

That all changed after Kendricks tore up the field in Indianapolis, as the senior led all linebackers in the 40-yard dash (4.47 seconds), vertical jump (39.5 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 7 inches), which likely sent Kendricks' draft stock jumping as well.