2012 NFL Draft: 5 Players Slipping After Pro Days

The path to the draft is comically intense for prospects. They are forced to jump through a bunch of hoops in order to determine their worth: Senior Bowl, NFL Combine, an endless amount of interviews and lastly their Pro Day.

The Pro Day is a relatively relaxing event compared to the NFL Combine. Surrounded by familiar coaches and collegiate teammates most prospects are able to thrive.

However, this is not the case for all athletes. Whether it is injuries, the weather or the fact that they are overrated, some guys turn out busted performances.

This article is about the guys who ruined their draft stock due to disappointing Pro Day performances.

Orson Charles: Georgia, TE

Orson Charles was considered one of the best tight ends in this year's draft class; this is no longer the case.

Standing at 6'3", Charles already lacks the supreme height that makes tight ends like Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski so dangerous. To make him a true mismatch, he needed to put up a good 40-yard dash time.

Charles decided not to run the 40-yard dash at the combine, opting to bet all his marbles on his Pro Day performance.

Bad decision; he ran it between 4.75 and 4.9 seconds. His time was reportedly affected by the high winds. Regardless, he needed to impress and was unable to do so.

His less than stellar sprint speed combined with his recent DUI has him in a free fall. He was once a favorite to go to the New York Giants with the final pick of the first round but now may fall as far as the third round.

Chase Minnifield: Virginia, CB

After recording 13 career interceptions, Chase Minnifield looked poised to be a future first rounder. But his dreams of being one of the first corners selected in the NFL Draft are long gone.

Nagging injuries kept Minnifield from excelling in his senior season. He only recorded half as many interceptions in 2011 (3) as he did in 2010 (6). 

The injuries carried over into the offseason and forced him to miss the Senior Bowl and combine.

Minnifield's Pro Day was his last opportunity to show scouts what he is made of. But after running in the mid-4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash, he may fall all the way to the third round. 

Not only will scouts be concerned about Minnifield's durability, but now his speed is in question. Terrible news for a guy who was planning on buying a mansion with his first-round money a season ago. 

Ronnie Hillman: San Diego State, RB

Ronnie Hillman is one of the most underrated running backs in the draft.

Despite rushing for 3,243 yards and 36 touchdowns in his two seasons with the San Diego State Aztecs, he will probably not be drafted until the mid-to-late rounds.

Hillman's lean frame (5'9", 200 pounds) gives him the scat back label, but if you watch his film, it is evident that he has the potential to be the next great do-everything speed back.

Hillman needed a good showing at his Pro Day to prove his worth. Unfortunately he missed out on the event due to a bad hamstring.

While he ran a decent 4.45 40-yard dash at the combine, Hillman needed a faster time to show that his speed can make up for a lack of size at the next level.

Instead, his name will be forgotten among the many talented speed backs in this year's draft (Lamar Miller, David Wilson, LaMichael James and Chris Rainey).

Nick Foles: Arizona, QB

Nick Foles has the prototypical size for an NFL quarterback. He also has a strong arm and good pocket presence.

However, the fact that his interception total has increased every season is incredibly concerning.

Still, Foles looked poised to be one of the first quarterbacks off the board after Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. All he had to do was prove that he could be accurate.

His Pro Day performance left much to be desired. 

He reportedly was unable to throw a spiral and struggled with his accuracy. Windy conditions did not help, but you would expect a strong armed quarterback to be able to overcome bad weather.

Foles was once considered a second rounder but now may have to wait until the third day of the draft to hear his name called. 

Vontaze Burfict: Arizona State, LB

Vontaze Burfict needed to be on his best behavior this offseason following a collegiate career marred by personal fouls and arguments with his coaches.

This has not been the case.

Burfict was terrible both on and off the field at the NFL Combine. Instead of taking responsibility for his immature attitude in college, he blamed coaches for his inconsistent play.

He needed an incredible Pro Day to prove that his athletic potential is enough to warrant a selection in the draft. 

Again, this did not happen.

He reportedly looked bad in his positional drills and only put up 16 reps on the bench press. 

Early on in his career he was compared to Patrick Willis and Ray Lewis. Those comparisons are now lost in cyber space and are being replaced by one of the biggest bust labels ever produced.

This guy is a first-round talent with an un-draftable attitude and work ethic.