2012 NFL Mock Draft: Andrew Luck and Players with Most to Lose in Bowl Games

The 2011 college football season has come to an end, and as bowl season draws near, many NFL scouts will be waiting to see which star players deliver on the big stage and which ones fail. 

Since it's the final game of the year, it's the last chance a lot of players will have to improve their draft status. Sure, pre-draft workouts help, but when you shine in a bowl game, scouts take notice much more than they do when you're bench pressing or running a 40-yard-dash. 

With that said, here are three players with the most to lose in the 2011 bowl season. 

Andrew Luck, QB 

Yes, the Stanford quarterback is a sure-fire lock for the top overall pick, as he has been hyped up all season long. However, if Luck falls flat on his face in the Fiesta Bowl against the Oklahoma State Cowboys, there will be major cause for concern. 

This is a high-pressure game for Luck, and the fact that he's up against the a defense ranked No. 107 in the nation means a disaster game would definitely turn some heads. 

Luck shouldn't have any problem against the Cowboys, but on the off chance he does, it will have a huge impact on his standing in the draft class, especially if the Indianapolis Colts get the first pick. After all, they do have Peyton Manning, and if Luck can't put up great numbers against a less-than-stellar defense in the national spotlight, the Colts may look elsewhere. 

Robert Griffin III, QB 

The 2011 Heisman Trophy winner has one year of eligibility left, but he would be much better off by going pro early. The only thing left for him to accomplish would be winning the Big 12 and a national championship, but neither of those are going to happen. 

RGIII has the potential to be the second quarterback drafted, but only if he has another dominant bowl game and really impresses everyone at the combine and his pro day. 

Of course, a sloppy performance in the Alama Bowl against the Washington Huskies, and his draft stock will plummet. 

Washington ranks 94th in the total defense, and since RGIII and the Bears have the No. 3 offense in the country, expect him to thrive. If he doesn't, then the first-round could be out of the question for RGII, and he might even decide to return for his senior season.

Alshon Jeffery, WR 

The South Carolina Gamecocks' top wideout has had his worst season ever, but he still projects as a top 10 pick because of how many teams are in desperate need of a playmaking receiver. 

He is a junior, so coming back in an option, but I don't see that happening since the quarterback issues this year prevented him from having mind-boggling stats.

At 6'4" and 229 pounds, Jeffery is a beast on the field, and he can catch most anything thrown his way. He needs to have a great showing the Capital One Bowl against Nebraska, or his draft stock will fall, which is not a good thing considering how deep this year's class is at receiver.

Jeffery will of course benefit from the combine and a pro day, but his in-game action is also very important. Nebraska does have the No. 17 pass defense in the country, which means a solid game from Jeffery will greatly help him.

However, another lackluster performance will have a detrimental impact on his draft status. 

*Draft order determined by combination of current record and projected finish.

No.	Team (Record)	Player, Pos.
1.	Indianapolis Colts (0-13)	Andrew Luck, QB
2.	St. Louis Rams (2-10)	Justin Blackmon, WR
3.	Minnesota Vikings (2-11)	Matt Kalil, OT
4.	Miami Dolphins (4-9)	Matt Barkley, QB
5.	Carolina Panthers (4-9)	Morris Claiborne, CB
6.	Buffalo Bills (5-8)	Robert Griffin III, QB
7.	Cleveland Browns (4-9)	Trent Richardson, RB
8.	Jacksonville Jaguars (4-9)	Alshon Jeffery, WR
9.	Washington Redskins (4-9)	Landry Jones, QB
10.	Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-9)	Quinton Coples, DE
11.	Philadelphia Eagles (5-8)	Michael Floyd, WR
12.	Seattle Seahawks (5-7)	Dre Kirkpatrick, CB
13.	Kansas City Chiefs (5-8)	Riley Reiff, OT
14.	San Diego Chargers (6-7)	Jonathan Martin, OT
15.	Arizona Cardinals (6-7)	Alfonzo Dennard, CB
16.	Tennessee Titans (7-6)	Vontaze Burfict, LB
17.	Cincinnati Bengals (via OAK) (7-6)	Lamar Miller, RB
18.	Chicago Bears (7-6)	Peter Konz, C
19.	Dallas Cowboys (7-6)	Devon Still, DT
20.	Cincinnati Bengals (7-6)	Janoris Jenkins, CB
21.	Detroit Lions (8-5)	Luke Kuechly, LB
22.	New York Jets (8-5)	David DeCastro, OG
23.	Denver Broncos (8-5)	Brandon Thompson, DT
24.	Cleveland Browns (via ATL) (8-5)	Jarvis Jones, LB
25.	Houston Texans (10-3)	Mark Barron, S
26.	Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3)	Dont'a Hightower, LB
27.	New York Giants (7-6)	Zach Brown, LB
28.	New England (via NO 10-3)	Chase Minnifield, CB
29.	Baltimore Ravens (10-3)	Courtney Upshaw, DE
30.	San Francisco 49ers (10-3)	Kendall Wright, WR
31.	New England Patriots (10-3)	LaMichael James, RB
32.	Green Bay Packers (13-0)	Cordy Glenn, OG