2012 NFL Mock Draft: Michael Floyd and Top Prospects with Baggage
Every professional draft has its dangerous buzz word. The NBA draft, for instance, is all about "upside."
In the NFL draft, red flags tend to fly whenever things like "baggage" and "attitude" crop up, especially when labels of that sort are slapped on supremely talented prospects.
The 2012 edition will be no different, with these three soon-to-be-former collegians checking in atop that list, albeit as they slip down draft boards around the league.
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Michael Floyd took the phrase "Cheers, cheers for ol' Notre Dame" a bit too literally during his time in South Bend. Floyd got into a spot of trouble back in March when he was cited for driving drunk, for which he was suspended from the team by head coach Brian Kelly until August.
That didn't exactly inhibit Floyd's ability to post yet another 1,000-yard receiving season for the Irish.
His penchant for operating motor vehicles under the influence aside, Floyd is a tremendous talent out wide, with the size (6'3, 224 pounds), speed and acrobatic ability to serve as someone's favorite deep threat for a long time.
Assuming, of course, he doesn't end up in the slammer first.
Vontaze Burfict
Vontaze Burfict must be thanking his lucky stars that a bad score on the Wonderlic test won't keep him from playing football. The star linebacker struggled to get his academics in order at the start of his collegiate career, forcing him to switch his commitment from USC to Arizona State on National Signing Day.
Burfict proved to be nearly as big of a liability on the field as in the classroom, earning a reputation as a dirty player after racking up personal fouls like nobody's business in 2010. It got so bad that, at one point, head coach Dennis Erickson had to bench Burfict to cool off his hot head.
NFL scouts will probably interpret Burfict's tendencies as a mean streak that could use a bit of tweaking. The 6'3", 250-pounder has drawn favorable comparisons to the likes of Ray Lewis and James Harrison, which certainly bodes well for his on-field potential.
So long as he keeps his nose (and his helmet) out of trouble.
Janoris Jenkins
The Cincinnati Bengals will be all over Janoris Jenkins if he falls in their lap. The one-time Florida Gator was kicked off the team this past summer after a series of arrests and citations related to bar fights and marijuana possession, but not until Urban Meyer left Gainesville.
Jenkins landed on his feet at North Alabama, where he continued to show off his skills as a defensive back, albeit in relative anonymity.
Without the spotty legal history, Jenkins could very well be the first corner off the board in 2012. Even so, he figures to land somewhere in the mid-to-late first round.
Bleacher Report's 1st Round Mock Draft
*Draft order determined by combination of current record and projected finish.
| 1. | Indianapolis Colts (1-13) | Andrew Luck, QB |
| 2. | St. Louis Rams (2-12) | Justin Blackmon, WR |
| 3. | Minnesota Vikings (2-12) | Matt Kalil, OT |
| 4. | Jacksonville Jaguars (4-10) | Matt Barkley, QB |
| 5. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-10) | Dre Kirkpatrick, CB |
| 6. | Cleveland Browns (4-10) | Trent Richardson, RB |
| 7. | Buffalo Bills (5-9) | Riley Reiff, OT |
| 8. | Miami Dolphins (5-9) | Robert Griffin III, QB |
| 9. | Washington Redskins (5-9) | Landry Jones, QB |
| 10. | Carolina Panthers (5-9) | Quinton Coples, DE |
| 11. | Philadelphia Eagles (6-8) | Michael Floyd, WR |
| 12. | Kansas City Chiefs (6-8) | Jonathan Martin, OT |
| 13. | Seattle Seahawks (7-7) | Morris Claiborne, CB |
| 14. | San Diego Chargers (7-7) | Alfonzo Dennard, CB |
| 15. | Arizona Cardinals (7-7) | Devon Still, DT |
| 16. | Tennessee Titans (7-7) | Vontaze Burfict, LB |
| 17. | Cincinnati Bengals (via OAK) (7-7) | Lamar Miller, RB |
| 18. | Chicago Bears (7-7) | Peter Konz, C |
| 19. | Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) | Janoris Jenkins, CB |
| 20. | Dallas Cowboys (8-6) | Luke Kuechly, LB |
| 21. | Detroit Lions (9-5) | Melvin Ingram, DE |
| 22. | New York Jets (8-6) | David DeCastro, OG |
| 23. | Denver Broncos (8-6) | Fletcher Cox, DT |
| 24. | New York Giants (7-7) | Zach Brown, LB |
| 25. | Houston Texans (10-4) | Mark Barron, S |
| 26. | Baltimore Ravens (10-4) | Dont'a Hightower, LB |
| 27. | Cleveland Browns (via ATL) (9-5) | Alshon Jeffery, WR |
| 28. | New England (via NO 11-3) | Courtney Upshaw, DE |
| 29. | Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) | Cordy Glenn, OG |
| 30. | San Francisco 49ers (10-3) | Kendall Wright, WR |
| 31. | New England Patriots (11-3) | Mohamed Sanu, WR |
| 32. | Green Bay Packers (13-1) | Nick Perry, DE/OLB |
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.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
