2012 NFL Draft: Analyzing Prospects Whose Stock Dropped the Most at the Combine

Whether the pressure got to the athlete or it was a lack of motivation, the NFL Scouting Combine definitely saw a drop in stock for more than a few players.

That said, for their sake, hopefully the pro days will be more impressive but until then, the immediate future looks a little more bleak. So, let's look at some prospects who faltered in late February.

Quinton Coples: DE, North Carolina

With awesome size at 6'6", 285 pounds, North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples was expected to be the next Julius Peppers.

Well, that wasn't the case at the combine and with an average showing (at best), Coples will be fortunate to selected at the back end of Round 1. Although he ran a solid 40-yard dash time of 4.78 seconds, he was roughly adequate the rest of the way.

A 31.5-inch vertical jump bodes well for his height, so that's not much of a concern, but his three-cone drill of 7.57 seconds was near the bottom among defensive linemen. Coples also had the same 40 time of 4.78 seconds on his 20-yard shuttle.

Ideally, that time needs to be anywhere from 0.3 to 0.5 seconds faster than the 40-yard dash, not the exactly same. And if they are the exact same, like in Coples' case, this displays good acceleration forward but not laterally.

Additionally, Coples also lacks agility and consistent explosion off the snap that will allow him to get blocked in one-on-one situations. Plus, Coples must also improve at backside pursuit, because making plays when they go away from him will be crucial in the pros.

Alfonzo Dennard: CB, Nebraska

With much to prove to himself and the NFL world, Nebraska corner Alfonzo Dennard was not overly impressive at the combine.

He ran a solid 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds and jumped a respectable 37 inches vertically and 10'1" horizontally.

If anything, Dennard had an average combine and what outperformed by his cornerback brethren such as LSU's Morris Claiborne, South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore, Northern Alabama's Janoris Jenkins and Central Florida's Josh Robinson.

Already lacking in size at 5'10", Dennard has the weight (204 pounds) but he also needs to get stronger. There's no doubt that he can do work because of his physical play, but the even more physical receivers will overpower him off the snap.

Plus, Dennard must also learn to improve at playing soft coverage. Always playing press coverage in the NFL will surely put him at risk of getting burned right away. So, provided that Dennard proves he can be a dynamic corner at disguising coverages while being consistent, he will increase his stock.

That said, this remains to be seen and right now Dennard is looking like a mid second-round pick come late April.

Vontaze Burfict: LB, Arizona State

Arizona State's Vontaze Burfict simply disappointed at the NFL combine.

With proven explosion and lateral agility throughout his college career, despite not possessing consistent numbers, Burfict was as good as anyone at tracking down backs outside the offensive tackles and making plays in the backfield.

Unfortunately, we may not get to see that kind of dominance in the NFL after his combine performance. There, Burfict ran 5.09 seconds on the 40-yard dash (slowest among linebackers), had the second-lowest vertical jump at 30 inches and the worst broad jump at 8'8".

It's clear the Burfict wasn't in playing shape and if there's any evidence by his on-field antics in regards to penalties, his off-the-field attitude hasn't proven to be any different.

Plus, Burfict has neglected to take any responsibility for his actions. In an article by Ian Rapoport of the Boston Herald, Burfict appears cocky:

"

I just know that I’m the best linebacker in this draft. I thought I played average last year, I should’ve played better. Coaches kinda messed me up. I didn’t know if I was going to start a game, didn’t know if I was going to be benched, it hurt me. I tried to fight through it.

"

In short, barring an awe-inspiring pro day, Burfict will be lucky to be a fourth-rounder.

Dwight Jones: WR, North Carolina

Another Tar Heel prospect to see his draft stock falling was receiver Dwight Jones.

The only difference between Jones and Coples, however, is that Jones's value appears to be plummeting. For starters, Jones wasn't overly impressive at the Senior Bowl but didn't see his stock drop considering that the combine would simply be more telling.

Well it was, and Jones was only made aware of by his lack of effort and ability. There, Jones ran 4.55 seconds on the 40-yard dash, which put him in the middle of the pack.

His 14 reps on the bench press was near the bottom and hitting just 33 inches on the vertical jump was among the five worst for receivers.

And it didn't get any better with a 10'1" broad jump that was the worst of all the receivers and then Jones proceeded to run ineffective routes while dropping numerous passes. Heading into the combine he was potential late second/early third-rounder.

So, unless he provides a strong showing at his pro day, Jones will be fortunate to get selected by the back end of Round 4.

2012 First-Round NFL Mock Draft

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB (Stanford)	17. Cincinnati Bengals (From OAK): Trent Richardson, RB (Alabama)
2. Cleveland Browns: (From STL): Robert Griffin III, QB (Baylor)	18. San Diego Chargers: Cordy Glenn, OG (Georgia)
3. Minnesota Vikings: Matt Kalil, OT (USC)	19. Chicago Bears: Dwayne Allen, TE (Clemson)
4. St. Louis Rams (From STL): Justin Blackmon, WR (Oklahoma State)	20. Tennessee Titans: Alshon Jeffery, WR (South Carolina)
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Morris Claiborne, CB (LSU)	21. Cincinnati Bengals: Mike Adams, OT (Ohio State)
6. Washington Redskins: Riley Reiff, OT (Iowa)	22. St. Louis Rams (From CLE via ATL): Courtney Upshaw, LB (Alabama)
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: Michael Floyd, WR (Notre Dame)	23. Detroit Lions: Quinton Coples, DE (North Carolina)
8. Miami Dolphins: David DeCastro, G (Stanford)	24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kendall Wright, WR (Baylor)
9. Carolina Panthers: Nick Perry, DE (USC)	25. Denver Broncos: Stephon Gilmore, CB (South Carolina)
10. Buffalo Bills: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB (Alabama)	26. Houston Texans: Dontari Poe, DT (Memphis)
11. Kansas City Chiefs: Melvin Ingram, DE (South Carolina)	27. New England Patriots (From NO): Whitney Mercilus, DE (Illinois)
12. Seattle Seahawks: Devon Still, DT (Penn State)	28. Green Bay Packers: Zach Brown, LB (North Carolina)
13. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Martin, OT (Stanford)	29. Baltimore Ravens: Dont'a Hightower, LB (Alabama)
14. Dallas Cowboys: Janoris Jenkins, CB (Northern Alabama)	30. San Francisco 49ers: Mark Barron, S (Alabama)
15. Philadelphia Eagles: Luke Kuechly, LB (Boston College)	31. New England Patriots: Jerel Worthy, DT (Michigan State)
16. New York Jets: Michael Brockers, DT (LSU)	32. New York Giants: Coby Fleener, TE (Stanford)

John Rozum on Twitter.