2012 NFL Draft Predictions: Quinton Coples and Top Prospects Bound to Drop

The 2012 NFL Draft is less than two weeks away, which just might be too long a wait for some of the most talked-about college football stars hoping (and expecting) to hear their names called early on.

For most, it's an feeling rooted in a deeper desire to celebrate the future with family and friends after finally finding out where they'll begin their pro football careers.

For some, like these three, it's about getting off the big board before they fall too far.

Quinton Coples

Quinton Coples came into the pre-draft process as arguably the most enticing defensive line prospect in the class of 2012, and rightfully so. Few in this pool can match the North Carolina product's combination of size, strength and skill to be a supremely productive pass rusher for years to come.

Trouble is, Coples doesn't have a particularly lengthy track record of success. What he does have, though, is a reputation as a loafer, a talented kid whose motor isn't always running as high as it should.

That, in itself, may be enough to drop him out of the top 10, perhaps to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 12, if not lower.

Courtney Upshaw

Effort (or rather, a lack thereof) isn't and won't likely ever be cause for concern with Courtney Upshaw. The Alabama star is as good as anyone at shedding blocks and pursuing the quarterback, in addition to his ability to make plays just about everywhere else on the field.

Upshaw's problem, rather, is his lack of a clear position. He's not quite fast enough to be an every-down outside linebacker, and he's not quite big enough to battle offensive tackles from the end.

That would seem to make him a perfect fit for a 3-4 scheme, though his 'tweener status could be enough to drop him into the latter stages of the first round. 

Janoris Jenkins

Janoris Jenkins is a top-10 talent, plain and simple.

So why isn't he going to be a top-10 pick? Check his rap sheet. The North Alabama grad was kicked off the team at Florida after multiple arrests—twice for drug-related issues, once following a bar brawl—and wasn't exactly an exemplary citizen after transferring prior to his senior season.

Even more telling was Jenkins' recent split from super-agency CAA, one that hints at potential maturity problems that may continue to dog him as a pro.

As such, don't be surprised if Jenkins drops out of the first round and into the second or third, where more than a few teams will be willing to take a chance on a talented-but-troubled kid.

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