2012 NFL Draft: First-Round Talents with Biggest Risk Attached

As the NFL draft approaches, teams are compiling their final big boards and making the necessary adjustments to their draft-day strategy. One thing that is extremely hard to account for is potential a prospect has for being a bust, and there are a few guys in the first round with some big risk.

While guys like Ryan Tannehill and Michael Floyd are shooting up draft boards, there are also those who haven't impressed enough at the combine and/or their pro day to warrant staying in their position.

It's hard to pinpoint who is going to be a bust, and while most teams likely understand that certain players come with certain risks, it's also hard to watch a guy with immense talent on tape and not expect him to translate that into success at the next level.

Here are the three guys with the most risk in the first round.

Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

Jenkins, the former Urban Meyer recruit that was once considered the best cornerback in the country, ran into some problems at the University of Florida that led to his dismissal and the rest of his career with the Division II North Alabama Lions.  

While he ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, teams have to wonder about his ability to stay out of trouble. The fire, passion and intensity that make him a competitor on the field also have shown to be a trend in not conforming to authority and finding himself on the wrong side of some off-the-field confrontations.

The history of shoulder problems will also likely be on the radar of teams looking to select him in the first round. Is the speed, tenacity and coverage ability make him attractive enough to draft, knowing he could be the next Pacman Jones?

Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

Coples might be the guy that baffles NFL teams more than any other player available. He's got the size (6'4"), the motor (4.78 40-yard dash at 278 lbs.) and the ability to line up at defensive end in college and still collect 10 sacks.

However, he's another character-issue guy. He doesn't always go 100 percent on tape, which is why his skill set might be deceiving going against guys fighting for a paycheck each week.

I see him going anywhere from late in the top 10 or falling all the way into the 20's. Whether a team is getting a dominant, versatile pass-rusher or just another guy with wasted talent remains to be seen.

Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

Wright has the speed and the hands to be one of the better receivers to come out of the 2012 class. However, he didn't run many routes at Baylor that showed off his ability to run the tough patterns in the NFL, mostly only giving Robert Griffin III a down-the-field talent.

He lost some luster after running a 4.6 40-yard dash at the NFL combine but has moved back up most draft boards after he corrected that number at the Baylor pro day.

The speed and ability to stretch NFL defenses will certainly win out in the long haul. However, there are guys that never really learned how to run possession routes in the NFL, and when the speed goes, the career goes right with it.