2012 NFL Draft Results: 6 Players with the Biggest Chips on Their Shoulders

It happens every year: highly touted draft picks find themselves plummeting on draft day. Aaron Rodgers was a potential top-five pick before he fell all the way to 24th, much to Green Bay's ultimate delight. The rest of the league is paying for it now.

This year was no different, with many picks once projected much higher falling, sometimes precipitously. Which ones fell hard enough to have a chip on their shoulders? Follow me to find out.

Janoris Jenkins

Once hailed as a potential top-10 pick, Jenkins' reefer habit got him booted from the University of Florida football team and transferred to North Alabama.

Despite his off-the-field issues, his draft stock remained firmly in the first round at the outset of draft season. 

Some experts thought Jenkins was still top-level talent at the position. Indeed, Greg Cosell labeled him the best pure cover corner in the draft just a few days before it kicked off.

When Jenkins fell out of the first and into the Rams' laps at No. 39, he had this to say according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk:

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“I know my off the field issue was a factor,” Jenkins told SiriusXM NFL Radio.  “But, you know, my past is my past, I put that behind me.  And everybody that skipped over me, they just gonna pay for it.”

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There you have it, straight from the corner's mouth.

Alshon Jeffery

Whereas Jenkins had tangible character flags that caused him to drop out of the first round, Jeffery's fall was caused by perception. 

Yes, Jeffery played overweight as a senior, and that could be part of the reason why his numbers were down as a senior. He did have poor quarterback play to contend with as well, however.

You would think Jeffery quashed those concerns by weighing in at 216 pounds at the combine and running a 4.37-4.47 40-yard dash at his pro day, but apparently that was not enough for teams to take him in the first round. Not only did they pass on him in the first round, but he had to wait until the middle of the second round to hear his name called by the Bears.

He found an excellent landing spot in Chicago opposite uber-talented, mercurial Brandon Marshall, however. Seeing his draft stock sink so low on perception must have been infuriating. Perhaps it will help keep him motivated to stay in shape and tear up the league.

Rueben Randle

While Jenkins and Jeffery had character and work ethic concerns respectively, the reason Randle fell all the way to the bottom of the second round is murky.

The big receiver is raw coming out of LSU, but he had cracked the first round on many dratniks' boards. His fall was a harbinger of things to come for wide receivers in the draft.

Randle's chip should not be nearly as big as Jenkins' or Jeffery's, but the fact that most other teams passed over him twice after being labeled a potential first-rounder could motivate him going forward. Randle is perhaps in the best position to show off that chip, having landed with Eli Manning and the New York Giants as the rich get richer.

The Giants may have solved their Z-receiver problem after Mario Manningham's departure by drafting Randle, who has a serious shot of starting opposite Hakeem Nicks on the outside. This would allow Victor Cruz to continue operating in the slot, where he thrives. The scenario is perfect for Randle to dominate rookie receivers.

Lamar Miller

The incredulity at Lamar Miller's fall grew exponentially as the draft wore on. Widely considered to be a dark horse for a first-round pick, and generally accepted as a second rounder, the former Hurricane experienced a stunning fall into the fourth round.

His loss was Miami's gain, however, as the Dolphins found themselves unexpectedly staring at the local product in the fourth round. Although running back was not a particular area of need, Jeff Ireland could not resist moving up to take the incredible talent and value Miller presented at that stage in the draft.

Here is what Miller had to say according to Susan Miller Degnan of the Miami Herald:

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“My childhood dream was to hear my name picked for the NFL and it has come true,’’ said Miller, who was selected 97th overall—the second pick in the fourth round. “I feel the decision I made was the right decision. I don’t regret anything I did. Now I have to prove myself and showcase my talent. I’m ready to go to work for the home team.

“I’m going to play with passion the game that I love, and do everything possible to get the Miami Dolphins back on the map.”

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While he does not sound particularly angry, there is subtext in his words. 

Miller might have to wait a little while behind Reggie Bush and Daniel Thomas as he develops, but he will be punishing NFL defenses soon enough for passing on him multiple times.

Tommy Streeter

26.

That is the number of wide receivers whose names were called before Tommy Streeter's.

To be fair and frank, Streeter's excellent combination of size and speed may have made him more attractive to draftniks than to NFL scouts. After all, he only had one real year of production in college, and his numbers from last season were nothing spectacular. Like Randle, Streeter is raw.

Still, falling almost all the way out of the draft has to sting for Streeter, who came out early like fellow Hurricane Lamar Miller only to see their names fall much further than their projected landing spots.

He could be in a better position to make teams pay with that chip on his shoulder, however. Anquan Boldin is on the decline, and the Ravens have little competition after him and Torrey Smith.

Kellen Moore

No quarterback was more heavily scrutinized and criticized than Kellen Moore this offseason, at least not from a physical standpoint.

The quarterback out of Boise State is backed by a rabid fanbase who thinks he should have been drafted highly, but the NFL had other ideas.

A problem with Moore potentially having a chip on his shoulder is that he will likely not get the chance to make good on it. Stuck behind Matthew Stafford and Shaun Hill, and with limited height, arm strength and athleticism, Moore is behind the eight ball as a NFL quarterback. 

All this could be the ultimate motivator for a guy who went 50-3 as a starter in college yet did not sniff the NFL Draft.