2012 NFL Draft's 10 Biggest Sleepers

We all know the 2012 NFL Draft belongs to Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

He will be the top pick.

But we all know that drafts aren't always made by the top players taken. No, it's the guys in the second half of the first round and even some taken in the later rounds who often determine the viability of an NFL draft class.

This year there are a lot of guys flying under the radar who could make a serious impact at the next level. Here are the 10 players who are the top sleepers for the 2012 NFL Draft.

Janoris Jenkins, Cornerback, University of North Alabama

After being recruited extremely high and starting his opening game as a freshman at Florida, Jenkins appeared to be on a smooth path to NFL success.

But after several arrests, including two drug-related arrests in just a three-month span, Jenkins was dismissed from Florida's football program.

Luckily, he got a second chance at the University of North Alabama under coach Terry Bowden. While Jenkins is a man among boys at the Division-II level, he has shown the fantastic quickness and instincts that made him a freshman All-America pick at Florida. In addition to that, the 22-year-old senior has been outstanding as a punt returner. 

While character questions have taken him off the radar, Jenkins has begun to repair his reputation this season.

Coby Fleener, Tight End, Stanford

While quarterback Andrew Luck and offensive tackle Jonathan Martin get most of the attention, Stanford has a third guy who could make a serious impact at the next level. Coby Fleener is a massive 6'6" and a solid 252 pounds at tight end but possesses surprising athleticism.

Fleener is a redshirt senior who has seemingly come out of nowhere this season to become one of the most reliable tight ends in the country. When Luck is scanning the field for an open receiver, he can almost always find Fleener by tossing the ball up in his direction.

The redshirt senior is faster than he looks, is incredibly tough, a solid blocker and has made big catches in clutch situations this season. While not incredibly athletic, he has all the attributes that make a tight end successful at the next level. 

So far this season the 23-year-old has 24 catches for 487 yards (20.3 yards per catch) and eight touchdowns.

Fleener is the type of guy a team could draft and plug in to the tight end spot for the next five to 10 years and never worry about the position during that time. He will make a team very happy on draft day.

Nick Perry, Defensive End, USC

Nick Perry came out of high school as one of the most highly-recruited defensive players in the country. Landing at USC, the Michigan native redshirted before recording eight sacks in his second year on campus, earning freshman All-Amercan honors in 2009.

Since then, much has been expected out of the 6'3", 250-pound defensive end, but thanks to some injuries in 2010, and a lower profile this season, we haven't heard a whole lot from him. 

Well, after this past weekend, Perry has started to assert himself again. The redshirt junior had 2.5 sacks in USC's 40-17 thumping of Washington on Saturday, and he leads the Trojans with 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss this season.

Perry is incredibly quick and very fast for his size and may profile as a 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level. He has a relentless motor, and watching film from this season it's fairly obvious that he'd have at least twice as many sacks as he does if not for some "creative" blocking by opposing tackles.

By that I mean he gets held on almost every play.

Perry currently profiles as a third-round pick, but some expect him to declare for the draft after this season because of family financial considerations. He will likely be a workout warrior at the combine, and if scouts go by his film, not his raw numbers, he could shoot up much higher as the draft approaches.

Kendall Reyes, Defensive Tackle, UConn

While the Connecticut Huskies have struggled mightily this season, senior defensive tackle Kendall Reyes has made a name for himself. 

Reyes checks in at around 6'4" and 291 pounds—but plays even bigger. He is an incredibly powerful run defender, and despite not having ideal bulk for his position, he has been nearly impossible to push around.

Reyes reminds me a little of a poor man's Tommie Harris when he came out of Oklahoma, a guy who didn't have ideal size but whose strength and fundamentals made him too good to pass up.

So far this season the 22-year-old has 4.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss despite being the focus of almost every opponent's offensive game plan.

On draft day, Reyes' lack of ideal size for a tackle may work against him, but whoever takes him will get a strong, stout run defender who could develop into something special.

Ryan Lindley, Quarterback, San Diego State

There is a reason this is called a sleepers' list, and Ryan Lindley is the perfect guy to fit that description.

San Diego State's senior quarterback has several of the things scouts drool over at the quarterback position. He has ideal size at 6'4" and 230 pounds, and the kid has an absolute howitzer for an arm.

Lindley might actually have the strongest arm in the 2012 draft class, but playing against Mountain West competition and without top-level receivers making plays for him, he has remained off the radar nationally. 

In 2010, with several experienced receivers (including 2011 third-round pick Vincent Brown) at his disposal, Lindley threw for 3,830 yards and 28 touchdowns. This season he has fallen off a bit, and through nine games the senior has thrown for 1,957 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Still, Lindley's size and arm strength will get him drafted, and in the right situation he will be able to sit and work on his accuracy and decision-making. You can't teach the kind of natural gifts he has, and someone will fall in love with those on draft day.

Vick Ballard, Running Back, Mississippi State

Other than Alabama's Trent Richardson and Miami's Lamar Miller, running back is a thin position in the 2012 NFL Draft. That could mean a guy like Mississippi State's Vick Ballard jumps up the draft board.

Ballard is a load at 5'11" and 220 pounds, and the guy has been productive against SEC defenses. This season the senior back has rushed for 811 yards and seven touchdowns on 143 attempts. In 2010, he rushed 186 times for 968 yards but had a ridiculous 19 touchdowns, so he clearly knows his way around the goal line.

My NFL comparison for Ballard is New England Patriots running back Stevan Ridley. Ridley was also a stud in the SEC for LSU, and while he may have a little more burst on the edge than Ballard, the Mississippi State star might be better around the end zone. 

Ballard is excellent in pass protection and can catch the ball out of the backfield even though he isn't asked to do it much in Mississippi State's scheme. He has a very strong lower-half and almost never goes down on first contact. He has good vision and is a straight north/south runner with the ability to make short, quick cuts when needed.

Ballard should be off the board by the middle of the third round, as most NFL teams are switching to two-back stables and need a bruiser to bang between the tackles. Ballard will give someone that and do the job well. 

Devon Still, Defensive Tackle, Penn State

While Penn State's defense has been phenomenal all season, no individual players have really jumped into the headlines. But defensive tackle Devon Still is as big a reason as anyone for the Nittany Lions' success this season.

The 22-year-old is a massive 6'5" and 310 pounds and has become an incredibly disruptive force for Penn State in the middle of its defense. So far this season Still has a whopping 16.5 tackles for loss to go along with four sacks. 

The thing about Still, is that while he's massive, he could even carry a bit more weight on his frame while still maintaining his quickness. 

The senior is a dominant player for a Big Ten school, so he may not fit everyone's definition of a "sleeper." But given the relative lack of attention defensive tackles receive relative to their importance, I think he belongs on the list.

When you consider that Nebraska's Jared Crick, Clemson's Brandon Thompson and Michigan State's Jerel Worthy have all been hyped this year, I think Still fits perfectly as a sleeper who will make a team very happy for years to come.

Ryan Tannehill, Quarterback, Texas A&M

You may not have heard of Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill until this season, and there's a good reason for that: He spent his first two years in College Station as the Aggies' leading receiver.

Last year, Tannehill stepped in under center in the team's seventh game, replacing Jerrod Johnson. The results came immediately.

Watching film on Tannehill, it really is incredible that he was a productive player at another position before switching to quarterback midway through his junior year.

So far this season, the 23-year-old has been very good, completing 259 of 415 passes (62.4 percent) for 2,911 yards, with 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

He has great size at 6'4" and 220 pounds and possesses the arm strength to make all the throws. While he's a tick below "elite" status, he has a very good, compact delivery that helps him spin the ball out with good zip on it.

Naturally, as a former receiver, Tannehill can also make plays with his legs, but unlike some runners he doesn't focus on that. He sits in the pocket, goes through his entire progression, then takes off if he needs to.

Tannehill's rapid development has been really impressive, and I'd be shocked if he lasts past the first 50 picks on draft day. While he won't be ready to step in right away, he is clearly a gamer with a great attitude and excellent intangibles.

Coaches will become enamored with him and scouts will love his tools. 

Tank Carder, Linebacker, TCU

With juniors like Arizona State's Vontaze Burfict, Notre Dame's Manti Te'o and Boston College's Luke Kuechly all expected to enter this year's draft, it will be difficult for any senior inside linebackers to crack the first round.

Still, all TCU's Tank Carder has done during his four-year career is make plays. Carder—who has one of the best names for a linebacker in football history—jumps off of the screen on tape, and regardless of where he is drafted, should step in and start in the NFL right away. 

At 6'2" and 232 pounds, Carter may be a little light for an inside 'backer in a 4-3 scheme, but in a 3-4 he would fit perfectly. Plus, considering he is a guy who went from lightly recruited to terrorizing Wisconsin in last year's Rose Bowl upset, would you bet against him?

Carder is a team leader who is incredibly disciplined in his assignments and is a fantastic tackler. He is enough of an athlete to excel in coverage and reacts well and takes near-perfect paths to the ball against the run.

With Carder, a team will get an extremely hard worker who may not have the long-term upside of the juniors mentioned, but he certainly won't disappoint anyone who drafts him.

Chris Polk, Running Back, Washington

Like Ballard, Washington running back Chris Polk is not getting the hype of Trent Richardson or Lamar Miller, but he has been incredibly productive and seems to be what most NFL teams are looking for out of the backfield. 

Polk is a redshirt junior, but most experts expect him to make the jump after this season—and why wouldn't he? All he's done is become one of the most effective running backs in Washington history and shown the versatility that could make him a starting running back at the next level.

Polk checks in at 5'11" and 222 pounds, which is ideal for a running back in a pro set. He is a smart, high-character player and is relentless with the ball in his hands. His awareness out of the backfield may be the best in college football among draft-eligible players, and his vision is second to none. 

While he is strong and can run like a power back, Polk also has great burst in the open field. He can truck defenders but may also have the speed to run in the 4.4 40-yard dash range at the combine. After watching him on film, I really don't know why more people aren't talking about him as one of the top backs in the country.

So far this year Polk has 1,132 yards on 216 carries (5.2 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns. He is also a great receiver out of the backfield and has 280 yards and three touchdowns on 25 receptions. 

Polk is a bit off the radar right now for some reason, but as the draft approaches and scouts start dissecting his film, expect him to rocket up draft boards.