2012 NBA Mock Draft: Sneaky Selections Who Will Have Immediate Roles

It's never too early to look forward to the 2012 NBA draft, and that's exactly what we're going to do here.

While there are high-level prospects like Anthony Davis, Harrison Barnes and Bradley Beal who will get drafted high in the first round, there are also a lot of players who will get drafted after them who will make an immediate impact in the NBA.

Players like Draymond Green, Kim English and Quincy Acy already have the maturity and amount of experience it takes to excel at the next level, and that's exactly what they'll do in their rookie seasons.

Ahead is a list of draft prospects who will have an immediate impact in the NBA once they find their way onto an NBA roster.  

John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt

2011-12 NCAA stats: 19.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG

Sneaky factor: Court awareness 

John Jenkins helped the Vanderbilt Commodores make a solid run in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, and he did so with his impressive pure ability to score.

There's no way that Jenkins and his smooth jump-shot will fall out of the first round. There are just too many teams that will be looking for a true shooting guard in this year's draft. One of those teams is the Chicago Bulls, and there's a high likelihood that Jenkins will find his way onto their roster come late June.

Jenkins will certainly benefit from being selected late in the first round, as he'll be drafted by a playoff-ready NBA team. No matter where Jenkins gets drafted he will make an immediate impact because there's no doubt that his pure ability to score will lead to success for him in the NBA.

Possible landing spot: Chicago Bulls, No. 29 overall 

Royce White, F, Iowa State

2011-12 NCAA stats: 13.1 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 5.1 APG

Sneaky factor: Perimeter shooting ability   

Royce White is a product of March Madness. Before Iowa State made a little run in this year's NCAA tournament, not a lot of people outside Iowa knew who White was or how good he was.

At 6'8'' and 270 lb., White has a solid NBA frame, and his versatility out on the perimeter will make him an absolute nightmare to guard.

On the right team, like the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Boston Celtics, White can certainly make an instant impact on both sides of the ball, as the physicality he brings to the game will help whoever drafts him in late June.

Possible landing spot: Boston Celtics, No. 23 overall

Kim English, SG/SF, Missouri

2011-12 NCAA stats: 14.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.6 APG

Sneaky factor: Basketball I.Q. 

Kim English is the kind of guy who will be the first one in and the last one out no matter which team selects him in this year's draft.

While English isn't the most explosive offensive talent in the 2012 draft, he is certainly one of the best defenders available, and that will help him not only find a spot on an NBA roster but also make an immediate impact wherever he lands.

I could see English developing into a player similar to Kawhi Leonard, who's effective and efficient within the offense that he plays in, but doesn't try to do more than he's asked to do. One thing is for sure, and that is that English has the skill and the maturity it takes to make an instant impact for the team that drafts him.

Possible landing spot: L.A. Clippers, No. 53 overall  

Fab Melo, C, Syracuse

2011-12 NCAA stats: 7.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.9 BPG

Sneaky factor: Shockingly mobile  

Fab Melo didn't have the luxury of playing in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, and he only has himself to blame for that.

Luckily for Melo, he has his 7'0'', 255 lb. frame to fall back on. NBA teams will undoubtedly be infatuated with the potential that exists within Melo's game, and for good reason because he certainly has the physical gifts it takes to excel at a high level at the next level.

Due to Melo's immaturity and lack of legitimate experience, teams will forgo drafting him high in the first round, which is certainly to his benefit. Melo will fall to the late first round, and that means he'll most likely find himself on an already competent NBA roster.

With the right coaching, Melo can certainly have an instant impact, based purely on the fact that he has a seven-foot frame. Look for Melo to have a solid rookie campaign in 2013 coming off the bench for a legitimate playoff contender.

Potential landing spot: Miami Heat, No. 27 overall 

Quincy Acy, SF/PF, Baylor

2011-12 NCAA stats: 11.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 0.9 BPG

Sneaky factor: Work ethic 

If you know who Reggie Evans is, then you'll kind of know the player that Quincy Acy is going to be.

While Acy will undoubtedly be a more complete and effective offensive player than Evans, he will be the physical and intense defender that Evans is for the Clippers, and he will be that kind of player immediately.

One of Acy's biggest strengths is the fact that he stayed in school for four years, unlike the vast amount of players in this draft. Acy's experience and maturity will be at the forefront of the impact he'll make within his first few games in the NBA.

Acy has the potential to have a productive NBA career because he's the kind of player who will outwork everyone both on the court and in the gym. Acy will find his way onto an NBA roster late in the draft, which is good news for him, as he won't have an immense amount of pressure to live up to.

Possible landing spot: Dallas Mavericks, No. 55 overall

Dion Waiters, PG/SG, Syracuse

2011-12 NCAA stats: 12.6 PPG, 2.6 APG, 2.3 RPG

Sneaky factor: Defensive abilities 

Before the Big East Tournament and the 2012 NCAA Tournament, not many had Dion Waiter high on their draft boards, but that changed after he averaged around 20 points per game on a team that desperately needed his production.

Waiters' biggest strength is his ability to play the game as a combo guard. Teams will fall in love with his versatility to either run the point or kill teams with his pure ability to score.

Unlike most rookies, Waiters doesn't have an ounce of fear in his game, and that will be one of the reasons why he will be one of the few rookies who will make an immediate impact in the NBA.

Waiters will never be a bona fide superstar in the NBA, but he will have a long and productive career as a bench player who provides his team with a consistent spark of offensive production.

Possible landing spot: Cleveland Cavaliers, No. 23 overall 

Draymond Green, PF, Michigan State

2011-12 NCAA stats: 16.1 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 3.6 APG

Sneaky factor: Athleticism

I honestly think Draymond Green will be the steal of the 2012 NBA draft, and here's why.

Green led the Michigan State Spartans to a number of solid runs in the NCAA tournament, and he did so by quietly accounting for double-doubles, which is something he'll be able to do at the next level as well.

Green will be a double-double machine in the NBA because of his ability to step outside of the paint and hit perimeter shots like he's a shooting guard or a small forward.

Aside from Green's on-the-court abilities, he's also one of the most mature and experienced players in the draft, and that will help him earn respect in whichever NBA locker room he finds himself in.

Green is also surprisingly athletic, and he will use his size and athleticism to create mismatches at the next level for whichever team takes the risk on him.

Possible landing spots: Miami Heat, No. 27 overall