2012 NFL Mock Draft: 3 Prospects Who Have Most to Gain in Bowl Season

As we've seen many times before, a huge showing in a final bowl game can springboard a college football player up many draft boards across the NFL. 

There are a handful of guys on the fringe of the late first or early second-round that could use a solid performance in their bowl game to cement themselves into the first 32 selections. 

Some guys could even move from a current mid-round grade to one of the top two rounds 

Let's take a look at which prospects have the most to gain during bowl game season.   

Landry Jones, QB Oklahoma

There was a point earlier in the college football season that Jones was the consensus No. 2 quarterback in the 2012 NFL draft class. 

Then legendary Oklahoma wide out Ryan Broyles torn his ACL, and Jones' production suffered. 

Without Broyles, he finished the season 1-2, with five interceptions and no touchdowns and completed just a shade over 52 percent of his passes in the Sooners' wide open system.  

Not the best way to stay in the first round. 

At 6'4'', 230 with a strong arm, Jones has the skill set to become a good quarterback at the next level but he needs to end on a high note.

He plays Iowa in the Insight Bowl on Dec. 30 in a game that airs on ESPN. 

The Hawkeyes' secondary ranks 56th in the nation, allowing 236 passing yards per game. 

Alshon Jeffery, WR South Carolina

At the beginning of the season, Alshon Jeffery was the top wide receiving prospect. 

Hands down. 

Scouts were comparing him to the Detroit Lions' phenom Calvin Johnson. 

While the size (6'4'', 230) is still there, the South Carolina pass-catcher had only 45 receptions and 614 yards this season compared to 88 grabs for 1,517 yards in 2010. 

A lot of the production drop off was due to quarterback issues and a offensive system change, but in order to cement himself in the top 10, he needs a monster game against Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 2. 

In his last three games, Jeffery caught a combined nine passes with two touchdowns. 

Vontaze Burfict, LB Arizona State

Burfict is the final guy who's dropped from "premier, must-have prospect" to an afterthought in the first round of the 2012 draft. 

He was said to be the next Patrick Willis coming into the season, but he had a "sub-par" 2011 in the eyes of many despite accumulating five sacks compared to none in 2010. 

Burfict's tackle numbers were down and a lot of that was due to the fact he was seemingly going for the big hit rather than simply wrapping up, and offenses were devoting much more of their game plan to take him out of the game. 

He'll get a decently large stage against the Boise State Broncos on Dec. 22 in the MAACO Bowl Las Vegas. If he can take down Kellen Moore and make a few game-altering plays, he'll once again shoot up draft boards and will be a lock for the first round. 

2012 NFL Mock Draft

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck	17. Cincinnati Bengals: Trent Richardson
2. St. Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon	18. Chicago Bears: Michael Floyd
3. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III	19. Denver Broncos: Lamar Miller
4. Minnesota Vikings: Morris Claiborne	20. Cleveland Browns: Dwight Jones
5. Arizona Cardinals: Matt Kalil	21. New York Giants: Janoris Jenkins
6. Carolina Panthers: Vontaze Burfict	22. New York Jets: Alameda Ta'Amu
7. Cleveland Browns: Alshon Jeffery	23. Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Minnifield
8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Johnathan Martin	24. Baltimore Ravens: Luke Kuechly
9. Seattle Seahawks: Matt Barkley	25. Houston Texans: Jerel Worthy
10. Miami Dolphins: Landry Jones	26. Detroit Lions: Alphonzo Dennard
11. Kansas City Chiefs: David DeCastro	27. Dallas Cowboys: Stephon Gilmore
12. San Diego Chargers: Riley Reiff	28. New England Patriots: Courtney Upshaw
13. Buffalo Bills: Zach Brown	29. Pittsburgh Steelers: Cordy Glenn
14. Tennessee Titans: Melvin Ingram	30. San Francisco 49ers: Devon Still
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Dre Kirkpatrick	31. New England Patriots: Quinton Coples
16. Philadelphia Eagles: Dont'a Hightower	32. Green Bay Packers: Brandon Jenkins