2012 NFL Draft: Dont'a Hightower and Players That Will Have Epic Slips

For one reason or another, multiple players slide down the board during the NFL draft on a yearly basis. Whether it's due to positional needs, off-the-field issues or red flags during the evaluation process, there are bound to be prospects who are selected much later than originally thought.

It isn't always an indictment of the player, and it certainly isn't always a bad thing. Several years ago quarterback Aaron Rodgers was in the running to be the No. 1 overall pick of the San Francisco 49ers, but he fell to No. 24 and was selected by the Green Bay Packers. The rest is history as he is now the best quarterback in the league and has won both an MVP award and the Super Bowl.

There is no guarantee that there will be a similar success story this year, but here are three players who are sure to slip in the draft.

Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama

Versatility is something that simply cannot be understated in the NFL, and Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower has plenty of it. He has the ability to play pretty much any linebacker position in either the 4-3 or 3-4 and that makes him extremely valuable.

With that said, though, there is a bulk of rush linebackers in this draft so he will be overshadowed by many of them, and middle linebackers generally aren't selected with high picks unless they are generational talents like Patrick Willis.

All of that points to Hightower sliding quite a bit in the draft. Many mock drafts have him going to the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 24 as their inside linebackers are aging, but I project nose tackle Dontari Poe to still be on the board, so it will result in an even bigger drop for Hightower. My best guess is the Baltimore Ravens will take him with the 29th selection. That may not seem ideal as he will be low on the totem pole to start, but learning from Ray Lewis will only be good for Hightower's career.

Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

After the 2010 season there was a thought that South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery was the best in the nation at his position. After a terrible junior season in which his production was cut in half, however, Jeffery's draft stock has taken a critical hit. He has most definitely been surpassed in the pecking order by the likes of Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd and Kendall Wright, and it appears as though there may be three or four other receivers ahead of him as well. With that said, it seems highly unlikely that he will be taken in the first round.

Entering this past season, Jeffery seemed like a sure bet to be taken in the top 10, but at this point he should consider himself lucky to go in the second round. Jeffery has good size and a lot of skill, but he couldn't get the job done last season with opposing defense keying on him, and that is an issue. If he is going to become an elite receiver at the next level, he'll have to deal with double-teams and learn how to create separation.

Some team will take a chance on his skill set in the second round, but he has the aura of a bust at the moment.

Devon Still, DL, Penn State

Despite the turmoil surrounding the Penn State football program, defensive tackle Devon Still had a spectacular season in 2011 and was considered one of the top defensive linemen in all of college football. Few tackles were able to penetrate into the backfield with as much regularity and ferocity and that made him the best player at his position initially. Throughout the process, however, he has been overtaken by Michael Brockers, Dontari Poe and even Fletcher Cox in the opinion of many.

Still once looked like a good bet to go in the top 10 or top 15 at worst, but at this point he is a borderline first-rounder at best. Because of his athletic ability Still can be a 4-3 defensive tackle or a 3-4 defensive end, so that will help his case somewhat.

The first possible spot I can see him coming off the board, though, is at No. 28 to the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay needs a defensive overhaul and he could be a good fit as a space-eating end. While it would be a huge drop from initial expectations, it wouldn't be a bad fit at all.