NFL Draft 2012: 7 Overrated Prospects Who Won't Be First-Round Selections

They all get talked about. They all get picked on, treated like cattle at the NFL combine and re-evaluted at the various pro days.

But when it comes time to being drafted, for some reason, they slip through the cracks and fall out of the first round.

Sometimes, it is the player's value. Sometimes it is another player who comes through in the last few days and wows a few teams. For others, there is no explanation.

But it always happens.

Then there are those who are overrated by scouts and teams and yes, the media. They are hyped as the "next big thing" and a "can't miss prospect." But in the end when it comes to the first night of the draft, mysteriously, they are not heard from.

Let's not hope they are waiting in the green room.

These players, no matter who talks about them, or how often they are mentioned as "great," will not hear their names called in the first round on Thursday night.

Vinny Curry, Marshall

For all the good things he did at the Senior Bowl, and considering he was on everyone's radar after February, Curry may still be a viable option for teams needing depth and a speed rusher but just not in the first round.

Curry is a "tweener" in my opinion. He is about 265 pounds, which means he could be a stand-up linebacker or situational pass-rusher on the end.

Is he another Eric Kumerow? Is he Terrell Suggs? Is he another Tony Brackens?

There are too many unknown variables with him right now. It is a "wait and see" process.

Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

When the college football season started, he was a top-10 talent and one of the best receivers to come out of the SEC in decades.

Now, he is nothing more than a second-round talent with a lot of questions.

I don't think there is any doubt if Jeffery can play football or grow into a No. 1 receiver, and he could exceed all of our expectations. But for now, Alshon Jeffery will be a second option on some team in the NFL and a good, tall and complementary piece to a receiving unit's puzzle.

Whitney Mercilus, Illinois

He had 16 sacks last season to lead the college football landscape, and yes, he is a terror on the outside as a pass-rusher.

But it was for one year. Mercilus needs to prove he can do it consistently over more than a few months.

I thought he would be a great fit for the Chicago Bears or even the Cincinnati Bengals, but I haven't heard much about him lately. And with players like Courtney Upshaw and maybe Quinton Coples sliding into the middle of the first round, Mercilus' chances of being taken in the first round are wearing thin.

Someone will scoop him up in the second round and have a good football player.

Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama

Which player are you going to get?

The one at Florida who was suspended and kicked off the team for multiple run-ins with the law? Or the one who went to North Alabama to try to be a model citizen and make a name in the NFL?

Or is it the kid with the checkered past, who has many questions about him and scouts are all over the place about him. There is no separation between Jenkins the person and Jenkins the player.

Personally, he has New England Patriot written all over him, but I think he slips into the second or third round of the draft.

He may be one of the best cover defenders in this draft, but bad decisions off the field will hurt him.

Zach Brown, North Carolina

If he was more intense and more skilled as a player, then he would be a late first-round pick.

At 6'1" and 244 pounds, Brown looks the part of a middle linebacker with good instincts and skills. But he does not play enough consistent ball to warrant a first-round grade.

It's ironic, though, mainly because there are questions about his teammate Quinton Coples as well and because Coples is 6'6" and 285 pounds and an edge rusher, he will still be chosen in the first round.

Peter Konz, Wisconsin

He is the best center in this draft. But because of other positions being more needful than the middle of the offensive line, Konz will slip a bit.

He may be a bit overrated as well, but this is mainly because defensive tackle is going to get a lot of play in the second half of the first round.

Wherever Konz is drafted, the team will have the luxury of playing him at center or posting him up at either guard slots.

He can anchor a line for a decade or more.

Mike Adams, Ohio State

He was a high priority for many teams after his outstanding performance at the Senior Bowl.

Then Adams disappointed at the combine and tested positive for marijuana while he was there.

Is he as good as he once was in the postseason or is he a large and average lineman who will get drafted but not make much of an impact?