2012 NFL Mock Draft: Advance Warning on the Draft's Riskiest Prospects

Not every prospect in the 2012 NFL draft class is as safe of a selection as Andrew Luck or Trent Richardson. 

There are plenty of talented guys coming into the league, but many of them definitely carry risk for one reason or another. 

These are the three top-end players that could become great NFL players but could just as easily become big-time busts at the next level. 

Landry Jones

Early in the 2011 college football season, Jones was the consensus No. 2 quarterback behind Andrew Luck of Stanford. 

Not anymore. 

Obviously, Robert Griffin III hopped ahead of the Oklahoma signal-caller, as did USC's Matt Barkley in the eyes of many. 

Jones is big at 6'4'', 230 and has a relatively strong arm, but he didn't exactly have the greatest end to the season after star wide receiver Ryan Broyles went down with a devastating knee injury. 

He lost two of his last three games and threw five interceptions with no touchdown passes. 

Having played primarily in the shotgun out of the spread, there's a chance he was a product of a superb system in Norman. 

Sam Bradford has tons of potential and won the Rookie of the Year last season, but he was a much more impressive prospect coming out of college. 

Drafting a quarterback in the first round is no joke. That guy has to turn into your franchise guy. 

Is Jones ready to be a franchise QB at the next level?

Brandon Jenkins

Although Jenkins has a respectable seven sacks this year, remember, this was a guy that exploded onto the national scene with 13.5 sacks in 2010. 

At 6'3'', 265, is he a 4-3 defensive end or a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL?

With offensive game plans focused on limiting him off the edge, Jackson only had 39 tackles compared to 56 the year before. 

There was talk of him being the first pass-rusher taken at the beginning of the season, but after his drop-off in production, there are questions surrounding his label as a "playmaker" at the next level. 

Luke Kuechly

There is no questioning Luke Kuechly's tackling ability. 

This year's Bronco Nagurski Trophy winner had 191 tackles for Boston College in 2011. He had 183 in 2010 and 142 in 2009. 

Yikes. 

However, at 6'3'', 235, is he big enough to take on and shed blocks as a professional?

Not exactly ACC lineman blocking you anymore.

He obviously has great form and is a smart football player, but I'm not sure if he's fast enough from sideline to sideline, either.  

2012 NFL Mock Draft

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