2012 NFL Mock Draft: Is the Stock of North Alabama CB Janoris Jenkins Falling?

There's a solid argument to be made that no player in the 2012 NFL draft is as polarizing as North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins. 

While his on-the-field talents are undeniable, NFL decision-makers haven't been swayed during the last few months about his off-the-field character—and his draft stock is feeling the repercussions.

According to Greg Gabriel of the National Football Post, NFL teams are starting to "shy away" from Jenkins as the draft draws near. 

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Clubs are beginning to shy away from Jenkins because he did do poorly in interviews. While Jenkins has excellent talent, many are feeling he’s not worth the baggage.

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Jenkins already has three arrests on his record, including one taser incident, plus a boot from Florida head coach Will Muschamp last spring.

Off-the-field problems are not a career killer, especially for a guy as talented between the white lines as Jenkins. But the maturity to own up to one's actions is something football people are struggling to gauge from Jenkins.   

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The thought process is he is unaccountable and just doesn’t get it and maybe never will. It’s too bad because he has great talent. But that is all part of the process; finding out everything about a player, not just his football talent.

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There was also news last week that North Alabama head coach Terry Bowden, who does exhaustive research before taking on transfers, didn't have a clue that Jenkins had four children from three different mothers. 

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Bowden said he didn’t find out until last week that Jenkins also has four children ranging in age from 3 years to 3 months, reportedly by three different women. But Bowden knew enough to realize Jenkins was an NFL first-round talent with very few options.

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That should be another red flag for NFL executives. Not only may Jenkins' focus be other places than playing in the NFL, but he also kept a fairly important detail about his life from coach Bowden throughout his time at North Alabama. Trust would be a huge issue for the team taking Jenkins, regardless of round.

In the end, NFL teams invest a ton of resources into a first-day pick, and character is given more and more value every April. 

Is there going to be a franchise that gives the go-ahead on such a potential down-the-road problem as Jenkins early in this draft?

Every single team that comes on the clock during Thursday of the 2012 NFL draft is going to ask themselves an important question:

"Is this guy really worth it?"

The answers to that will decide how far Jenkins drops in April.  

2012 NFL Mock Draft 

1.  Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2.  Cleveland Browns – Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor (via trade with St. Louis Rams)

3.  Minnesota Vikings – Matt Kalil, OT, USC

4.  St. Louis Rams – Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State (via trade with Cleveland Browns)

5.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

6.  Washington Redskins – Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame  

7.  Jacksonville Jaguars – Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

8.  Miami Dolphins – Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE, Alabama

9.  Carolina Panthers – Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

10.  Buffalo Bills – Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

11.  Kansas City Chiefs – Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

12.  Seattle Seahawks – Nick Perry, DE, USC  

13.  Arizona Cardinals – Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

14.  Dallas Cowboys – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

15.  Philadelphia Eagles – Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

16.  New York Jets – Mark Barron, S, Alabama  

17.  Cincinnati Bengals – David DeCastro, G, Stanford

18.  San Diego Chargers – Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

19.  Chicago Bears – Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

20.  Tennessee Titans – Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia 

21.  Cincinnati Bengals – Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

22.  St. Louis Rams – Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State 

23.  Detroit Lions – Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

24.  Pittsburgh Steelers – Dontari Poe, NT, Memphis

25.  Denver Broncos – Devon Still, DT, Penn State

26.  Houston Texans – Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

27.  New England Patriots – Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame

28.  Green Bay Packers – Whitney Mercilus, DE/OLB, Illinois

29.  Baltimore Ravens – Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

30.  San Francisco 49ers – Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

31.  New England Patriots – Rueben Randle, WR, LSU

32.  New York Giants – Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama