NFL Draft 2012 Results: Exceptional Late-Round Picks That Are Going Overlooked

When a player that should go early or in the middle rounds of the NFL draft, it's easy to see how that's a late-round steal.

A side effect of that happening, though, is that exceptional late-round picks get overlooked. Take Texas linebacker Emmanuel Acho for example. The Browns needed a sound linebacker to complement D'Qwell Jackson in the front seven and help defend more consistently against the run.

We'll take a deeper look at Acho later on, but until then let's take a look at some other late-round selections that deserve more recognition.

(Round 5) Atlanta Falcons: Jonathan Massaquoi, DE (Troy)

Considering how old John Abraham is, the Falcons desperately needed to get younger at defensive end. Troy's Jonathan Massaquoi is an awesome selection, because he joins the fraternity of dominant Trojan pass-rushers (DeMarcus Ware, Osi Umenyiora).

The past two seasons for the Trojans, Massaquoi collected 18.5 sacks, 128 tackles and had 31 tackles for a loss. A sound defender against the run and an ever better pass-rusher, Massaquoi's size also allows him to occasionally sink into coverage to defend the quick slants and pop-passes.

In the pass-heavy NFC South, Massaquoi's addition, at the very least, brings talent and depth to the Falcons front seven.

(Round 5) Indianapolis Colts: Vick Ballard, RB (Mississippi State)

Right now the Colts have promising ball-carriers in Donald Brown and Delone Carter. The addition of Mississippi State's Vick Ballard in Round 5, though, significantly enhances Indy's backfield.

Ballard was the lone threat on the Bulldogs' offense that faced a brutal schedule in the SEC. Ballard, however, remained consistent with 1,074 total yards and 20 touchdowns in 2010 and 1,376 total yards with 11 touchdowns in 2011.

His size and acceleration combo works well for Indy in the AFC South, as the Colts play two stellar defenses in Houston and Jacksonville. And since the man has a nose for finding the end zone, Ballard helps Andrew Luck in setting up play-action and fielding a more balanced attack.

(Round 6) Cleveland Browns: Emmanuel Acho, LB (Texas)

The Cleveland Browns needed to improve against the run and Texas' Emmanuel Acho fits the mold in Round 6. A prospect that had late Round 3/early Round 4 potential, Acho has the speed, instincts and lateral quickness to play both inside and outside linebacker.

Since the Browns run a 4-3, Acho will contribute more on the outside and limit the perimeter ground game to complete D'Qwell Jackson. Between 2010 and 2011, Acho collected 189 tackles, and 23 were for a loss.

Even better, Acho defended 11 passes throughout his career and forced four fumbles. Therefore, when facing strict passing situations, don't be surprised to see Cleveland go with a 4-2-5 or 3-4 look.

This utilizes Acho's awareness on the inside of the front seven against the intermediate passing game and allows the pass-rushers a bit more time to apply pressure. In short, Cleveland doesn't give up many big plays and defends better against play-action.

(Round 7) Tennessee Titans: Scott Solomon, DE (Rice)

Scott Solomon was a consistently dominant performer for the Rice Owls during his tenure. More than anything, Solomon's reliability is most notable because he played in 47 games and had only three games where he didn't record a solo tackle.

As a pass-rusher, Solomon developed more as a senior than in previous seasons but finished with 24 sacks and 207 tackles (43 tackles for a loss).

Tennessee needs a force off the edge to free up linebackers like Akeem Ayers and the newly drafted Zach Brown. With Solomon's knack for making plays in the backfield, the Titans will improve against the run and be less vulnerable to play-action.

John Rozum on Twitter.