NFL Draft 2012: Late Small-School Picks That Will Surprise

While the 2012 NFL draft mainly focuses on the top two players in Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, there are many late-round picks from small schools that aren't getting the recognition they deserve.

For the most part, there is usually one player who stands out from a smaller school that everyone has their eye on. The most notable in recent times was current Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. He was coming out of Division I-AA Delaware and had hype surrounding him. He has proven to be a solid NFL quarterback (or the best, depending on who you ask) that Baltimore can rely on.

This year's class doesn't have as much hype surrounding small-school players, but there are still some out there. Let's take a look at a few of them.

Ronnie Hillman

The San Diego State running back ran a 4.41 at the combine, which proved how fast he really is. Many believe that Hillman is too small to be an every down running back in the NFL. However, at 5'9" and 200 pounds, he has almost identical size to Ravens running back Ray Rice. His strength may not be as good as Rice's, but he makes up for it with his speed.

In the NFL, Hillman should get the opportunity to be a great running back to pass to out of the backfield. But when given the opportunity, he will prove that he is capable of being a starter in the NFL.

Case Keenum

Keenum sent many records during his senior season at Houston. He threw for 5,631 yards and 48 touchdowns while completing 71 percent of his passes. All of this came after his 2010 season when he hurt his ACL, which ended his season after three weeks.

Keenum is a very accurate and smart quarterback. He doesn't make many silly mistakes that many coaches have to worry about with their quarterbacks. He has great touch with his short and intermediate passes and knows where to put the ball in a spot that benefits his receivers the most.

T.Y. Hilton

Hilton can very well be the next great kick returner in the NFL. He is a small player at 5'10", 183 pounds and has great speed. He ran a 4.34 during his pro day after sitting out the combine with an injury.

He is an elusive player who will be hard to take down in the open field. Hilton's ability to find the open lane reminds me a lot of Devin Hester.

He can also be a solid slot receiver for a team that needs one. He is very good at catching the ball and rarely has any drops. He caught 72 passes for 1,038 yards last season at Florida International.

Lookout for all three of these players during the draft and see which team will steal them with a late pick.