2012 NFL Draft: Combine Warriors Who Will Rightfully Jump Up Draft Boards

Many things factor in as to why players rise and fall on NFL draft boards, but the combine might just have the biggest effect.

The combine may not be fresh on our minds, and you might not think it's that important, but you can rest assured NFL personnel are paying close attention to all those silly drills.

It's still important to remember who the biggest studs were, because those are the players that will see meteoric rises and surprise us on draft day.

Here's my look at three.

Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

Before the combine, Poe was widely seen as an early second- or maybe even late first-round pick. He was a big, strong, fast player who could shore up a team's defensive interior.

But then Poe, who stands at 6'4'' and weighs 346 pounds, ran a ridiculous 4.87 40-yard dash and had an even more ridiculous 1.70 10-yard split. He also benched 225 pounds 44 times, which was the most of any defensive lineman. 

So it turned out Poe was actually stronger and faster than anticipated.

He's now being talked about as the first or second defensive tackle off the board and a legitimate top-15 pick, and rightfully so. 

Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

Here is what I, and many other pundits, thought about Kuechly before the combine: He's incredibly smart and knows how to tackle, as evidenced by his fantastic numbers in college. He's as safe as it gets. However, he doesn't have the speed or athleticism to make plays in the backfield. 

Well, his 4.58 40-time at the combine—third best for all linebackers—kind of changed those impressions.

Kuechly still isn't someone who will rack up a ton of sacks or tackles for loss, but he proved at the combine he will make a lot of plays outside of the box.

He's now the best available linebacker and could go as early as No. 12.

Ron Brooks, CB, LSU

Poor Ron Brooks.

The impressive corner would have started for 99 percent of college teams, but he had to play behind Tyrann Mathieu (finalist for the Heisman) and Morris Claiborne (a likely top-five pick in this draft).

As a result, Brooks didn't get a whole lot of attention. That doesn't mean he can't play. 

Brooks, who was already known as someone who provides solid coverage, established himself as a combine star.

His 4.37 40-time was second best among cornerbacks and his 38-inch vertical was third best. Both of those are attributes that you love your secondary players to have.

Brooks probably won't be drafted until Saturday, but don't be surprised if he's currently rising up a lot of draft boards.