NFL Draft 2012: Matt Kalil and Sure-Fire Pro Bowlers in the Making

The 2012 NFL draft is littered with talent, but several guys stand out as sure-fire future Pro Bowlers.

The following four guys are sure to end up in the Pro Bowl eventually.

Matt Kalil, OT, USC

If Andrew Luck wasn't in this draft, I would have Kalil ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the class. At 6'6" and 306 pounds, the USC product is essentially a perfect specimen at left tackle. He has all the tools you could possibly want in a franchise player at the position. 

Kalil is quite simply the best offensive lineman to enter the NFL since the Miami Dolphins made Jake Long the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NFL draft. How good is he? The Dallas Cowboys made fellow USC tackle Tyron Smith the No. 9 pick in the 2011 NFL draft. While with the Trojans, Smith was forced to play right tackle, because Kalil had the left side locked down. 

I would not be surprised at all if Kalil reaches the Pro Bowl in his rookie season and has a spot reserved there for the next decade.

David DeCastro, G, Stanford

DeCastro will immediately be one of the best guards in the NFL the day he begins his career. At 6'5" and 316 pounds, the Stanford product is massive, strong, technically sound and has a mean streak that should scare the heck out of opposing defenders.

He has prototypical measurables for the position, and he started all 39 games during the past three seasons for the Cardinal. He has a hard-nosed, blue-collar mentality and works extremely hard to get better. He is already as good a run-blocker as anyone in the NFL.

It takes a while for interior linemen to establish themselves in the NFL, and it may take a year or two for DeCastro to reach his first Pro Bowl. But make no mistake, health is the only thing standing between him and repeated appearances in the game.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

Richardson is the rare running back prospect who is worth a top-five pick. At 5'9" and 228 pounds, the kid out of Alabama has an outstanding combination of size, strength, quickness and top-end speed.

He was a team captain and led the Crimson Tide to a BCS title last season, while racking up 1,679 yards and 21 touchdowns on 283 carries. On 312 touches in 2011, Richardson only fumbled once. 

He is solid as a receiver coming out of the backfield and can also step up as a pass-blocker. Richardson is the best all-around running back to enter the NFL since Adrian Peterson in 2007. Don't be surprised if he is one of the NFL's best backs within three years.

Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

It is difficult to put Luck on this list because the team surrounding him in Indianapolis will be severely lacking in talent. That said, given Luck's tools, I really can't see him not developing into a Pro Bowl quarterback eventually.

During his final two seasons at Stanford, Luck completed 71 percent of his passes for 6,855 yards, with 69 touchdowns and just 18 interceptions. In fact, 1,064 passes in his career at Stanford, Luck threw just 22 picks. That is a remarkable number.

Luck is a once-in-a-generation prospect and will develop into one of the NFL's best quarterbacks eventually.