2012 NFL Mock Draft: Alshon Jeffery and 5 Locks to Become NFL Stars

With the college football season nearing the halfway point, the top NFL draft prospects are starting to separate themselves from the pack. The next wave of pro stars looks like it will be especially rich with talent in the passing game.

One of the top prospects on every board will be South Carolina wideout Alshon Jeffery. The sure-handed Jeffery looks to have the size and skills to become a Plaxico Burress-type pro with fewer accidental shootings.

Read on for more on Jeffery and four other college standouts who will thrive at the next level.

5. DE Quinton Coples, North Carolina

Any defensive lineman drawing comparisons to Julius Peppers is doing something right. Quinton Coples doesn’t just play for Peppers’ alma mater, he also boasts a combination of size and athleticism that can put him in the same conversation as the veteran star.

The 6’6”, 285-pound Coples has seen his sack totals dip in his junior year, but he’s still putting pressure on the QB while also standing firm in run support.

His all-around game should earn him an NFL starting job before his rookie season is out.

4. CB Morris Claiborne, LSU

In a draft class that's absolutely loaded at the cornerback position, Morris Claiborne looks like the top playmaker of the lot. He doesn’t have the size of Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick, but Claiborne’s speed and ball skills are unmatched.

Like former teammate Patrick Peterson, Claiborne is also a special teams threat who already has a kick return for a TD this season.

He should become an immediate starter on both the return team and in the secondary when he arrives in the NFL.

3. WR Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

Alshon Jeffery isn’t a game-breaking speedster, but there are few other faults to find in his game. His enormous 6’4”, 233-pound frame and sure hands make him a sure-fire red-zone target at any level.

Jeffery’s raw numbers are pedestrian in the Gamecocks’ Marcus Lattimore-focused offense, but his talent is unmistakable. He’ll become an elite NFL receiver in short order.

2. WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State’s offense has scored more points than any in the nation this year, and Justin Blackmon has been front and center once again. The playmaking wideout has caught 46 balls for 534 yards and six TDs through five games.

Blackmon has respectable size at 6’1”, 215 lbs. and he’s a solid blocker in addition to his receiving talents.

Expect him to make at least as big a splash as former Cowboy Dez Bryant at the pro level.

1. QB Andrew Luck, Stanford

Just because it’s the obvious pick doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Andrew Luck continues to dominate in 2011, even without departed head coach Jim Harbaugh and his top receivers from last season.

There’s no tougher position to project to the NFL level than QB, but Luck appears to have everything going for him. His decision-making, arm strength and accuracy all appear to be ready for prime time.

Whatever team lands him in the draft should be set for the next decade.