2012 NFL Draft: Latest News and Rumors About Top Draft Prospects

The 2012 NFL draft is less than two weeks away, and as the big night in New York City draws near, news and speculation about this year's top draft prospects is flying around the internet, Here's a look at some of the latest reports, and how this news could potentially affect how the NFL draft shakes out.

There may have been no more talked-about prospect over the past couple of weeks than Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill, as any number of NFL teams have been linked to the player widely considered the third-best signal-caller in this year's draft.

A rather unexpected squad has now reportedly been added to the mix, as even though the Seattle Seahawks recently acquired quarterback Matt Flynn in free agency, Peter King of Sports Illustrated reports that Seattle wouldn't hesitate to jump on Tannehill if he's available with the 12th overall pick.

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You can write this down: If Tannehill were to be there at 12, Seattle would take him, even though the Seahawks just paid medium dollar for Matt Flynn in free agency. That's how much Seattle loves him. "At Tannehill's workout,'' one source told me, "[coach] Pete Carroll was giggling like a schoolgirl watching him throw. His attitude was like, 'What are we even doing here? He'll never be there for us.' ''

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However, as Carroll allegedly stated, there's next to no chance that Tannehill will make it to the 12th overall pick. The Miami Dolphins are desperate for a starting quarterback and would undoubtedly take Tannehill with the eighth overall pick, and it's entirely possible that the team will trade up if it fears that the 6'4", 221-pounder won't make it to them.

King doesn't limit his draft news to the offensive side of the ball, however, as the SI scribe also goes into some detail about the fluctuating draft stock of Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe, whose stock is coming back to earth a bit after a monstrous showing at February's NFL scouting combine.

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For a guy with such athletic talent, I heard more comments like, "I see no production,'' or "The guy just disappears in games.'' But one AFC personnel man did compare him to Ngata and said, "He could be one of the most versatile tackles in our league. Ngata didn't come into the league without questions either.'' Here's my biggest question about Poe: For such a marvelously disruptive pocket-presser, how did he have eight tackles for loss and one sack in 12 games last year? I can't see Carolina reaching for Poe at 9, and I can't see Kansas City taking him because of his poor college production, but I do think he'll go somewhere soon after that.

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The Chiefs would seem a logical landing spot for Poe, given the team's need at nose tackle and the fact that Poe, at 346 pounds, has the prototypical size for that position in the 3-4.

However, if King is right and the Chiefs pass, there are still 3-4 teams such as the Pittsburgh Steelers that could use help up front, so while Poe may no longer be the top-10 pick that some thought he may be after his explosion at the combine, he's still likely to hear his name called on April 26.

We'll close today's news with an update on a player whose stock appears headed in the opposite direction as Poe. Dan Pompei of the National Football Post reported Sunday that South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore has climbed draft boards to the point that the 6'0", 190-pound junior may be a top-10 pick later this month.

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One of the players who has risen the most in recent weeks is South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore. At one point he was considered the third cornerback behind Dre Kirkpatrick. Now he not only has passed Kirkpatrick, but he also has risen to the point where he could be a top 10 pick. Gilmore worked out well at the combine, has all the qualities teams look for in a cornerback and is relatively clean. There is no reason for him not to be chosen pretty high.

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Gilmore, who has long been a favorite of the NFL Network's Mike Mayock, shined at South Carolina's recent pro day. Even with that stellar performance, it may a stretch to say that Gilmore will be selected in the first 10 picks, but with numerous teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals in need of a boost at the cornerback position, it wouldn't be surprising at all if Gilmore is off the board in the first 20 selections.

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