2012 NFL Mock Draft: Top Prospects That Need Big Bowl-Game Performances
One great thing about the layoff between the regular season and bowl season is the extra time allotted to catch up on tape you haven't seen yet or want to see.
Then, after a good refresher course and possible new opinion, you can take that and see what happens in the bowl matchups. Some players drop off and it is evident they didn't put much work in during their time off. For those that did, it is a nice boost.
Here are a few players that need a big bowl-game performance to help their 2012 NFL draft stock.
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Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
Jones has had an up-and-down 2011 season with the Sooners and it is evident he's missed receiver Ryan Broyles when he blew out his knee.
He's still considered a first-round pick in most regards and that shouldn't change.
However, the heat that Baylor's Robert Griffin III is generating right now as well as the heat that comes with Andrew Luck being Andrew Luck is hard to live up to.
Throw in the fact that Matt Barkley closed the season as strongly as any player in the nation, and Landry Jones is on the outside looking in at the top three quarterbacks—a place in which he was firmly entrenched at the beginning of the season.
NFL teams have a great barometer of what Jones is capable of and one bowl game isn't going to change hours and hours of tape, but in terms of buzz a big game would certainly help.
Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
RGIII has done everything scouts have wanted to see so far this year. Baylor's matchup with Washington shouldn't test him too much, but his teammate and fellow potential first-round receiver Kendall Wright will have a good test against cornerback Desmond Trufant.
Trufant has put together a solid campaign of his own this season and may enter the draft himself. These two will be a great matchup to watch, but it is Wright who has a lot to gain.
He's a fringe first-round prospect right now and could elevate that status with another strong showing in the Valero Alamo Bowl.
Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina
This has been coming for a long time and I, for one, couldn't be more excited that the Gamecocks and Cornhuskers will do battle.
Alshon Jeffery is the most physically gifted wide receiver in this class. He hasn't played that way though and has struggled with quarterback inconsistency and inconsistency of his own.
In the Capital One Bowl he'll take on another potential first-round defensive back in Alfonzo Dennard.
Dennard played alongside 2011 first-rounder Prince Amukamara and scouts have been onto him for some time. He's not exceptional, but he's solid all the way around.
Jeffery could benefit more than almost any other prospect from a big showing in his bowl game.
*Draft order determined by combination of current record and projected finish.
| 1. | Indianapolis Colts (0-12) | Andrew Luck, QB |
| 2. | St. Louis Rams (2-10) | Justin Blackmon, WR |
| 3. | Minnesota Vikings (2-10) | Matt Kalil, OT |
| 4. | Miami Dolphins (4-8) | Matt Barkley, QB |
| 5. | Jacksonville Jaguars (4-8) | Michael Floyd, WR |
| 6. | Arizona Cardinals (5-7) | Jonathan Martin, OT |
| 7. | Carolina Panthers (4-8) | Morris Claiborne, CB |
| 8. | Cleveland Browns (4-8) | Trent Richardson, RB |
| 9. | Washington Redskins (4-8) | Robert Griffin III, QB |
| 10. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-8) | Quinton Coples, DE |
| 11. | Philadelphia Eagles (4-8) | Alshon Jeffery, WR |
| 12. | San Diego Chargers (5-7) | Dre Kirkpatrick, CB |
| 13. | Kansas City Chiefs (5-7) | Riley Reiff, OT |
| 14. | Seattle Seahawks (5-7) | Alfonzo Dennard, CB |
| 15. | Buffalo Bills (5-7) | Landry Jones, QB |
| 16. | Tennessee Titans (7-5) | Vontaze Burfict, LB |
| 17. | Denver Broncos (7-5) | Lamar Miller, RB |
| 18. | Chicago Bears (7-5) | Peter Konz, C |
| 19. | Detroit Lions (7-5) | Luke Kuechly, LB |
| 20. | Cincinnati Bengals (7-5) | Janoris Jenkins, CB |
| 21. | New York Giants (6-6) | Zach Brown, LB |
| 22. | Cincinnati Bengals (via OAK) (7-5) | David DeCastro, OG |
| 23. | New York Jets (7-5) | Cordy Glenn, OG |
| 24. | Cleveland Browns (via ATL) (7-5) | Jarvis Jones, LB |
| 25. | Houston Texans (9-3) | Mark Barron, S |
| 26. | Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3) | Dont'a Hightower, LB |
| 27. | Dallas Cowboys (7-5) | Devon Still, DT |
| 28. | New England (via NO 9-3) | Chase Minnifield, CB |
| 29. | Baltimore Ravens (9-3) | Courtney Upshaw, DE |
| 30. | San Francisco 49ers (10-2) | Kendall Wright, WR |
| 31. | New England Patriots (9-3) | Mohamed Sanu, WR |
| 32. | Green Bay Packers (12-0) | Brandon Thompson, DT |
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