2012 NFL Mock Draft: 5 Under the Radar Players Who Will Become NFL Stars

There are prospects in every NFL draft who completely shock when given the opportunity to shine in the National Football League.

You can't blame NFL teams for being hypercritical when evaluating who could contribute to their future, but sometimes it's best to look at what a player brings to the table first and foremost. In short, evaluating what he does instead of what he lacks.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is the prime example of this. Although Newton was selected No. 1 overall in this year's draft, there were plenty of questions about his accuracy and if his legs would be contained in the faster NFL.

What people failed to realize is that he was a game-changer by nature, which is why he's looked every bit the franchise quarterback in his rookie season.

Most of the players on this list aren't even being considered as second-round prospects, but what they bring to the table has them pointed toward NFL stardom.

Here are five under-the-radar players who will become NFL stars.

5. Jermaine Kearse, WR, Washington

Jermaine Kearse has good size at 6'2", 208 pounds, the speed to go deep and he's passed plenty of tests against top competition.

Despite Jake Locker's departure, Kearse has still looked like the real deal. Against Nebraska, Kearse racked up 69 yards and two touchdowns. And recently against Utah, Kearse added 70 yards and a TD.

I don't doubt that several NFL teams will be looking at him in the later rounds. The question is, should they look for him earlier in the draft? I think they should.

4. Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia

NFL scouts have questions about Stedman Bailey's size, listed at 5'10", 190 pounds, but smaller receivers have proven they can have a place in the National Football League (Wes Welker, ahem).

I'm still puzzled why so many people are sleeping on Bailey. All he has done in his last four games is flat-out dominate anyone in his way, with four-straight 100-yard games.

Against one of the best defenses in the country, LSU, all Bailey did was catch eight balls for 115 yards and a touchdown. This was after he caught eight balls for 113 yards and a TD against Maryland. Last game against Connecticut? Try 178 yards and two touchdowns.

Bailey has gone beyond his measurements. We can no longer ignore his game-changing ability.

3. Jake Knott, LB, Iowa State

I understand why Jake Knott is being overlooked. He plays for Iowa State, after all.

But if you see this kid play for just one game, you know he could be something special. After racking up 131 tackles, forcing four fumbles and adding four interceptions for good measure last season, Knott is at it again with 59 tackles to his name after five games.

And you can forget the argument about him only feeding off poor teams. In his biggest test of the season against Robert Griffin III and Baylor, Knott was everywhere, ending up with 18 tackles on the day.

Knott is simply making a case as the top defender in the Big 12 and he's currently ranked 13th in the nation in tackles.

He keeps playing like this, he'll soon have the whole nation's attention.

2. Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

Rutgers may not be the Big East leader for long, but one of the main reasons they are atop the conference right now is because of junior receiver Mohamed Sanu.

Like Knott, Sanu doesn't play on the most buzzworthy football team, but his numbers so far speak for themselves. Sanu has racked up 45 catches for 455 yards and five touchdowns through five games this season.

He broke the Big East record for receptions in a single game this season against Ohio State, and he made sure to make them all count, racking up 176 receiving yards and two touchdowns along the way.

He had a rough game against Pittsburgh, but for the most part he's been lights-out in his breakout campaign as a receiver.

Did I mention he can run? Last season, Sanu rushed 59 times for 309 yards and four touchdowns.

On top of all this, Sanu has size at 6'2", 215 pounds.

What's not to like?

1. Dan Persa, QB, Northwestern

Despite being a Heisman candidate coming into this season, Dan Persa sure hasn't gotten a lot of respect in NFL mock drafts.

He missed the first three games of this season after surgery on an Achilles injury, but in the two games he's been back, he's completed over 72 percent of his passes for 454 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

The Wildcats have lost both games, but it has more to do with a defense giving up 27.8 points per game than Persa.

Persa has the ability to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL.