2012 NFL Mock Draft Round 2: Dark Horse Prospects Who Will Become Stars

The 2012 NFL Draft is literally just around the corner.  Andrew Luck has already been tabbed as the top overall pick by the Indianapolis Colts, and fans already have a good idea of what the rest of the first round will look like. 

Robert Griffin III, Morris Claiborne and Trent Richardson look to round out the top five, while offensive tackle Matt Kalil might make an appearance.

The second round is where the waters grow murky.  

The "elite" talent will already be off the board, so teams are looking for either the next diamond in the rough or a player they can develop into a solid role player for the franchise.

Drew Brees, Mike Singletary, Brett Favre and Isaac Bruce are just a few of the players picked in the second round that have gone on to be stars in the NFL. 

Will the 2012 NFL Draft have another great name to add to the list? 

Let's find out. 

2012 NFL Mock Draft: Round 2

Pick 33. St. Louis Rams: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State

Pick 34. Indianapolis Colts: Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

Pick 35. Minnesota Vikings: Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

Star Watch—Alshon Jeffery should really be in the first round, but he plays in a position that simply has too many talented players.  If Jeffery falls to the second round, the Vikings will surely jump on the opportunity to add another weapon next to Percy Harvin for quarterback Christian Ponder to throw to.

Jeffery can't be described as anything but a "beast" while at South Carolina.  He put his  6"4', 230 lbs. stature on display, hauling in tough catches and becoming one of the most lethal red-zone threats.

With Percy Harvin taking care of the underneath game, Alshon Jeffery would be an ideal pick to stretch the field for the Vikings.  He is the second best receiver in the draft behind Justin Blackmon and has leaping ability similar to Andre Johnson or Calvin Johnson, two receivers that have had plenty of success in the NFL.

Pick 36. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Lavonte David, OLB, Nebraska

Pick 37. Cleveland Browns: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State

Pick 38.  Jacksonville Jaguars: Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech

Pick 39. St. Louis Rams: Doug Martin, RB, Boise State

Pick 40. Carolina Panthers: Rueben Randle, WR, LSU

Pick 41. Buffalo Bills: Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State

Star Watch—Brian Quick is a second-rounder who has received almost no media attention at all.  This is probably due to the fact that he played for the Division I FCS Appalachian State Mountaineers.

Nevertheless, Quick created plenty of production for the Mountaineers.  He was the second-fastest receiver to reach 2,000 career receiving yards and averaged over 17 yard per catch during 2010.

Quick lives up to his name as well.  Despite a 6"4', 220 lbs. frame, he ran a 4.45 forty-yard dash time and is under 1.5 seconds in the first 10-yard split.

Playing at Tennessee-Chatanooga didn't stop Terrell Owens from becoming a big name receiver in the NFL and although Brian Quick may not have as big of a personality as Owens, his skills on the football field could translate just as well.

Pick 42. Miami Dolphins: Nick Perry, DE, USC

Pick 43. Seattle Seahawks: Mychal Kendricks, ILB, California

Pick 44. Kansas City Chiefs: Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson

Pick 45. Dallas Cowboys: Ronnell Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma

Pick 46. Philadelphia Eagles: Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama

Star Watch—Janoris Jenkins was a lockdown corner while at Florida, playing on their 2008 National Championship squad.  That was before Jenkins' off-field issues caught up to him.  After numerous run-ins with the law, Will Muschamp booted him from the team and Jenkins ended up playing his senior year at North Alabama.

NFL scouts and analysts simply forgot about him and it appears as though he will be lucky to land in the top 50 picks.

Make no mistake, the character issues are definitely a reason for concern, but Jenkins is easily one of the best corners in the draft.

Remember Joe Haden out of Florida? He was picked seventh overall by the Cleveland Browns and has emerged as their premier defensive back heading towards a successful career.

Jenkins has the same opportunity.

Pick 47. New York Jets: Andre Branch, DE, Clemson

Pick 48. New England Patriots: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

Pick 49. San Diego Chargers: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

Pick 50. Chicago Bears: Kevin Zeitler, G, Wisconsin

Pick 51. Philadelphia Eagles: Josh Robinson, CB, Central Florida

Pick 52. Tennessee Titans: Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall

Pick 53. Cincinnati Bengals: David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

Star Watch—Though David Wilson has not gathered a lot of attention during his time at Virginia Tech, he is one of the more explosive running backs in the 2012 NFL Draft. He has been clocked in the low 4.3s for his forty time and ran for over 1,700 yards last year.  Speed kills.

Wilson's talents extend to the receiving game as well.  He made 22 catches last year and averaged over 15 yards per catch in 2010.

While Wilson is one of the more electrifying running backs available he will likely serve as a change-of-pace back in the NFL. Durability will be the primary concern, due to his 5"10', 205 lbs. stature.

While Wilson has been criticized for his size throughout most of his career, but he has proven he can make big plays both in the running game and the passing game. 

Something a team like Cincinnati desperately needs.

Pick 54. Detroit Lions: Kelechi Osemele, G, Iowa State

Pick 55. Atlanta Falcons:  Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson

Pick 56. Pittsburgh Steelers: Bobby Massie, OT, Ole Miss

Pick 57. Denver Broncos: Chris Polk, RB, Washington

Pick 58. Houston Texans: Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California

Pick 59. Green Bay Packers: Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati

Pick 60. Baltimore Ravens: Josh Robinson, CB, Central Florida

Pick 61. San Francisco 49ers: Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia

Pick 62. New England Patriots: Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina

Pick 63. New York Giants: Mike Martin, DT, Michigan