Pac-12 Football: Top 25 Prospects for the 2012 NFL Draft
So the 2011 NFL draft has just wrapped up and now you are already beginning to suffer withdrawals as you await next years draft.
Not to worry.
Though this slide show will feature only the new Pac-12 conferences players, it does highlight 25 very good players whose names will be heard next year on ESPN.
Some of these players are only juniors so there is no guarantee that they will throw their names into the hat for next year.
But if they do, they will be chosen (sort of like “build it and they will come”).
Though this is an ordered list that offers players by numerical value, it is not an “end all, be all” evaluation of their relative worth and it must be acknowledged that it is subject to change pending injuries or uninspired play.
So let’s get started shall we?
No. 25: Travis Long (Washington State, defensive end, junior)
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Travis Long is a talented defensive end who combines good speed with size (6’4”, 260 lbs.) to form the Cougars most dominant defensive player.
A good pass rusher, Long must work on his run defense to make himself as attractive as possible to NFL scouts.
If he does, he will be a fairly high draft choice.
No. 24: Chris Owusu (Stanford, wide receiver, junior)
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Chris Owusu is a good sized (6’2”, 200 lbs.) receiver who runs good routes and does it with 4.47 forty speed.
Owusu will be a favorite target of Andrew Luck this season and if he puts together a good season he may just declare early.
However, he will also have to show that he can stay healthy as he has had a prior knee injury.
No. 23: Tony Dye (UCLA, strong safety, senior)
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Make no mistake about it, Tony Dye is a player.
Unfortunately for him though it is where he will play that will provide a conundrum for NFL scouts.
Not big enough (5’11”, 205 lbs) to play safety in the NFL and not fast enough (4.58 forty) to play corner, Dye will have to improve either his strength or speed to find riches at the next level.
Still, he does have a nose for the ball as evidenced by his leading the Bruins in tackles in 2010 and this alone gives him a shot.
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No. 22: Lance Mitchell (Oregon State, strong safety, redshirt senior)
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Mitchell is much like Tony Dye in that he is not really big enough to play safety in the NFL nor is he fast enough to play cornerback.
However, he is still recovering from a knee injury so with a good senior season and diligence in getting the knee back to 100 percent, perhaps he can add some quickness and increase his appeal to some NFL team in need of a hard-nosed football player.
No. 21: Chris Polk (Washington, running back, junior)
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After two consecutive 1000+ yard rushing seasons, Polk has definitely thrust himself on to the radars of the NFL.
Possessing good size (214 lbs.) and speed (4.48 forty), Polk will be a hot commodity if he follows up his last two solid seasons with another good one in 2011.
No. 20: Nick Perry (USC, defensive end, redshirt junior)
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Of all of the players featured in this slide show, perhaps the one with most potential is Nick Perry.
Combining good size (6’3”, 250 lbs.) with excellent speed (4.55 40), Perry has all the tools to make it into the top ten in the 2012 NFL draft.
If he can stay healthy that is.
If he can, expect Perry to have a monster 2011 season for the Trojans and if he leaves, Perry will be a high draft choice.
No 19: Omar Bolden (Arizona State, cornerback, redshirt senior)
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One of the finest college cornerbacks in the nation, Omar Bolden has been a starter at ASU since arriving as a freshman.
With seven interceptions and over a 100 solo tackles to his credit at ASU, Bolden displays an uncanny knack for finding the ball (he has 21 pass breakups as well) and to top it off, is a dynamic kick returner also.
Bolden is coming off a knee injury but if he bounces back as expected, look for him to be a high draft choice.
No. 18: Coby Fleener (Stanford, tight end, redshirt senior)
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After an incredible game in the 2010 Orange bowl, Coby Fleener is now directly on the radar for NFL scouts in 2011.
Fleener, who combines good size (6’6”, 244 lbs.) with a soft pair of hands, should find continued success with quarterback Andrew Luck this year thus elevating his draft stock even higher.
He will need to work on his blocking at the next level but should make some team very happy in the NFL when the time comes.
No. 17: Matt Kalil (USC, offensive tackle, redshirt junior)
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Matt Kalil, whose brother Ryan is already an all pro in the NFL, is destined for greatness.
Beginning his second year as a starter at the left tackle position for the Trojans, Kalil is blessed with excellent size (6’7”, 300 lbs.) and mobility and will be one of the first O-linemen off the boards should he come out after this year.
He has a chance to really shine for the Trojans who are experiencing a dearth of “big uglies” and will be depending on him to hold the fragmented line together.
No. 16: Jermaine Kearse (Washington, wide receiver, senior)
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Jermaine Kearse combines good size and speed in a package that has terrorized Pac-10 opponents over the last couple of years.
After recording 63 catches and 1006 yards in 2010, Kearse will look for a repeat in 2011 to move up in next year’s draft.
A good blocker as well, Kearse will be one of the more complete wide receivers offered to the pros next year.
No. 15: TJ McDonald (USC, safety, junior)
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TJ McDonald burst upon the scene last year in a big way for the Trojans and quickly became a leader for the defense.
A ferocious hitter, McDonald’s size and quickness has elevated him as one safety that NFL scouts are keeping a close eye on.
If McDonald builds on his 2010 campaign, look for him to be one of the first safeties off the board in 2012.
No. 14: David Paulson (Oregon, tight end, senior)
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David Paulson is a very good athlete who has nice size (6’4”, 241 lbs.) and very good intelligence (All Pac-10 academic team) to go along with his savvy football acumen.
Like most college tight ends, he will have to work on his blocking but Paulson can and will excel at the next level given his work ethic and ability.
Paulson has a chance to go very high if he has a good 2011 season.
No. 13: Delano Howell (Stanford, defensive back, senior)
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A converted running back, Delano Howell has found his niche at safety for the Cardinal.
After leading Stanford in tackles last year, Howell, who goes 5’ 11”, 200 lbs, uses his quickness and nose for the ball, especially in the area of run support.
Though undersized for a safety at the next level, Howell has the speed to become a cornerback in the pros and will excel in nickel and dime packages.
No. 12: Mychal Kendricks (Cal, linebacker, senior)
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After going for 8.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss in 2010, Kendricks has positioned himself well for consideration as a high draft choice in 2012.
Kendricks has NFL size and quickness and only needs a repeat of his 2010 exploits to make himself one of the first linebackers off the board next year.
No. 11: Juron Criner (Arizona, wide receiver, senior)
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To put it simply, Juron Criner has everything an NFL team is looking for in a wide receiver.
Big (6’4”, 215 lbs.) and quick, Criner was simply a beast last year when he led the Wildcats with 82 receptions and 11 scores.
If he approaches his 2010 numbers in 2011, he will be a high first round draft choice to be sure.
No. 10: David DeCastro (Stanford, offensive line, senior)
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Without a doubt, Stanford has the best offensive line in the Pac-12 this year and guard David DeCastro is a big (no pun intended) reason why.
An excellent run blocker, DeCastro has the size (6’5”, 310 lbs.) and fundamentals to be effective at the next level.
If he can fine tune his pass blocking skills there is no telling how high he will go in next year’s draft.
No. 9: Sean Cattouse (Cal, safety, senior)
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Blessed with prototypical NFL size (6’2”, 213 lbs.), Sean Cattouse is simply a demon in the Bears defensive backfield.
An honorable mention all Pac-10 player the last two years, Cattouse simply has a knack for being around the ball at all times.
Look for Cattouse to be a high draft choice if he stays healthy and continues his ball hawking ways.
No. 8: Alameda Ta’amu (Washington, defensive tackle, senior)
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Talk about your “rocks in the middle,” Ta’amu is more like a massive boulder.
At 6’3”, 330 lbs, Ta’amu is an immovable force for the Huskies and only needs to improve his pass rushing prowess to be a top ten pick next year.
He was wise to wait to enter the draft until next year when big defensive tackles will be at more of a premium and that good sense should pay off big.
No.7: Matt Barkley (USC, quarterback, junior)
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Okay, call me a conspiracy theorist, but did anyone else notice that Pete Carroll didn’t draft a quarterback when the Seahawks clearly need to start planning ahead for the position?
Could it be that Carroll is planning a 2012 reunion with his former Trojan quarterback, Matt Barkley?
Barkley, who Carroll had a man crush on when he was the Trojans coach, has everything you could want in a signal caller.
He has good size, a great arm and a passion for the game that meshes well with the desires of NFL coaches.
So is Barkley destined to be a Seahawk?
Maybe, and no, I don’t live on the “grassy knoll.”
No. 6: Cliff Harris (Oregon, cornerback, junior)
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As a cornerback, Harris was dominant and as a kick returner, he was simply electric.
In 2010, Harris was an All American as an all purpose player and overall, he won too many awards to list here.
Suffice to say, the guy is a big time player.
The only knock on Harris is that he is undersized (165 lbs.) but if he can pack on some weight, the sky is the limit for this talented defensive back/special team’s player.
No. 5: Nick Foles (Arizona, quarterback, senior)
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At 6’5”, 240 lbs, Foles has the size and arm that makes NFL scouts drool.
After a 2010 season that saw Foles throw for 3191 yards and 20 touchdowns, he only needs to stay healthy and approach those numbers to be a very high draft pick in 2012.
With wide receiver Juron Criner back, look for Foles not only approach those numbers but likely exceed them.
No. 4: Vontaze Burfict (Arizona State, linebacker, junior)
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At 6’3”, 252 lbs, and with a motor that never stops, Vontaze Burfict is a maniac on the field.
Unfortunately, that is also a problem for Burfict who sometimes lets his emotions get the best of him and loses sight of the team objective.
Having said that, he is also one of the most talented linebackers in the country.
If Burfict can keep his head in the game in 2011, he will undoubtedly be one of the first players off the NFL board in 2012.
No. 3: Jonathon Martin (Stanford, offensive tackle, senior)
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As stated in the David DeCastro slide, Stanford has one of the best offensive lines in the country and Jonathon Martin is the best of that line.
At 6’6”, 306 lbs, Martin’s athleticism at tackle keeps quarterback Andrew Luck upright and he will do the same in the NFL.
If Martin adds a few pounds to a frame that certainly can accommodate it without losing is mobility, he has that talent to be the first offensive lineman off the NFL boards in 2012.
No. 2: LaMichael James (Oregon, running back, junior)
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Perhaps he is placed a bit too high in this list but LaMichael James is a special running back.
Though a bit small for NFL scouts tastes, James nonetheless is a prolific runner who is a threat to go all the way every time he touches the ball.
A first team All American and a finalist for the Heisman trophy, look for James to add to his legend in 2011.
When he does, he will also be a first round pick and probably the next big thing in running backs at the next level.
No. 1: Andrew Luck (Stanford, quarterback, senior)
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If Andrew Luck had come out for the 2011 NFL draft, he would have been the first player taken.
Instead, he chose to come back for his senior year and though some may question the decision, there is no doubt that he has everything an NFL team is looking for in a signal caller.
Big, mobile and with a cannon of an arm, Luck will no doubt be the first overall player taken in 2012 if he stays healthy.
Stay healthy? That’s the only kind of luck Andrew will need in 2011.
Conclusion:
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Many say that the SEC is the most talented conference in college football.
Perhaps, but the new Pac-12 is closing the gap and in 2011, the margin between the two is razor thin.
Beyond the 25 players featured here are at least another 25 who a strong argument can be made for as belonging on this list.
So Pac-12 fans, get ready for a stellar college football season where you will see some of the finest players in the nation.
But enjoy these players now because in 2012, most of the players on this list will be getting paid to play on Sundays.
Assuming the NFL is even playing next year right?
Right?
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