Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and the Five Future Faces of the NFL

Every season the National Football League welcomes hundreds of rookies into the fold, and while many won't even make their respective teams and others will toil in mediocrity for years a select few, such as Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton a season ago, will blossom almost instantly into stars.

The top two picks in this season's draft have already been labeled stars before ever setting foot on an NFL gridiron, and while Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and Baylor signal caller Robert Griffin may well achieve that lofty goal there are other players entering the NFL this season that could easily join them, including this group of collegiate standouts.

Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

Cinderella crashed the ball in college football in 2011, as quarterback Robert Griffin of Baylor went from relative unknown to Heisman Trophy winner after gaining nearly 5,000 total yards with his arm and legs while electrifying fans with his dazzling athleticism.

There are some that believe Griffin should be the first overall choice in this April's NFL draft, but it's much more likely that the 6'2" 223-pound Griffin will land in the nation's capital after the Washington Redskins traded their next three first round picks to the St. Louis Rams for the rights to the second overall selection.

The pressure is going to be immense on Griffin given the price paid to acquire him, but not only does he seemingly have all the physical tools to be a great quarterback in the NFL but the show he put on in interviews at the combine is indicative of the sort of marketable personality of which superstars are made.

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

There really isn't much to say about Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, who many people consider the best quarterback prospect to enter the NFL draft in several years, that hasn't already been said.

Luck's fantastic pocket presence, ability to read defenses, and accuracy have all drawn comparisons to Peyton Manning, so in a way it's fitting that it will be Manning that Luck appears set to replace if the Indianapolis Colts draft the Stanford star first overall as expected.

Those are big shoes to fill, but as Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers has shown it's possible for a quarterback to have plenty of success in the NFL following in the steps of a legend.

Given Luck's considerable talents there's no reason to think he can't accomplish that feat as well, and so long as Andrew Luck performs as advertised he should be making car insurance commercials in no time.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

Alabama running back Trent Richardson gained over 2,000 total yards in 2011 while helping to lead the Crimson Tide to the National Championship, and the 5'10" 224-pound back's scintillating blend of speed and power have led some experts to call Richardson the best running back prospect since Adrian Peterson.

Richardson has a very good chance of being the first running back taken in the top five of an NFL draft since the Oakland Raiders chose Darren McFadden fourth overall in 2008, and not only does Richardson have the talent to justify the pick but the All-American has all the makings of becoming the NFL's next superstar ballcarrier.

Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

Before February's NFL scouting combine not many folks outside draftnik circles and the Memphis area had heard of defensive tackle Dontari Poe.

That all changed after the 6'4" 346-pound beefeater tore the roof off Lucas Oil Stadium, turning in a sub five-second 40-yard dash time and benching 225 pounds a gaudy 44 times.

Poe's display of strength and speed in Indianapolis has vaulted him into consideration as a top 10 pick in April's draft, and while it's hard for a defensive tackle to garner a lot of notoriety in the NFL (unless it's for all the wrong reasons) if anyone can break that trend it's Dontari Poe.

Dont'a Hightower, ILB, Alabama

Linebacker Dont'a Hightower of Alabama was a key component of one of college football's stingiest defenses a season ago, and while the 6'2" 265-pound junior struggled somewhat at the scouting combine he rehabbed his draft stock with a decent pro day and will likely be chosen in the first round of April's draft.

The first team All-American is also a punishing tackler, and even in this day of increased awareness about player safety folks still enjoy seeing a big hit.

So, should Hightower land on a team such as the Pittsburgh Steelers or Baltimore Ravens where defensive players are every bit the rock stars that their offensive counterparts are fans may start clambering on board the Hightower train almost as soon as it pulls into the station.