2012 NFL Draft Prospects: Introducing the All-Mascara Team

Would it be accurate to say Baylor's Robert Griffin III is overrated? Not necessarily.

Would it be accurate to say some of his flaws are being ignored? Absolutely.

We see it every year. Certain prospects' weaknesses are overlooked, and they are drafted higher than they should be. Some of these prospects are drafted right where they should be, but still, they aren't quite the players that were expected.

At Notre Dame, Brady Quinn was praised as a top-level prospect. A franchise quarterback. A star.

What many failed to recognize was Quinn's awful accuracy. He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Only Charlie Weis's system and some great weapons covered up Quinn's flaw.

Now, this isn't the same as being overrated. Andrew Luck is the best player in the draft no matter how you slice it, but some of his weaker attributes are sometimes overlooked.

The All-Mascara team may not be full of busts, but it is full of players with more weaknesses than are discussed.

Quarterback: Robert Griffin III, Baylor

Of course people are going to love Robert Griffin. He is a Heisman winner. He makes electrifying plays. He is a smart, likeable guy. He should be a top-10 draft pick.

However, Griffin is not the Andrew Luck-esque prospect many believe him to be. At just 6'2", Griffin is often criticized for his short stature. His other flaws are not as widely publicized.

To put it bluntly, Griffin's footwork is terrible. He doesn't use his lower body much in his throwing motion, and, as a result, his velocity sometimes struggles.

With Griffin, the talent is there, and he is undoubtedly one of the best and most electrifying players in the draft. He just has more weaknesses than we are led to believe.

Running Back: David Wilson, Virginia Tech

In 2011, David Wilson rushed for more than 1,600 yards. The 205-pounder displayed great speed, athleticism and play-making ability. Many have graded him as a first-round draft pick.

What has been ignored is Wilson's lack of running back ability. At this point, Wilson is a productive player with a ton of potential, but he isn't truly a running back. The Virginia Tech star is more of an athlete at running back than an athletic running back, in other words.

Wilson doesn't possess great vision, and he doesn't seem to have a great feel for the position. Often, these types of players are still able to find great success, though, and Wilson could be an excellent player.

He just isn't as good as some might suggest.

Wide Receiver: Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

Justin Blackmon's Heisman candidacy, awards and incredible production have all helped him become one of the most beloved wide receiver prospects in recent years. Blackmon has great size, outstanding numbers and excellent character.

The only thing missing is speed.

At 6'1", 215 pounds, Blackmon has good size, but isn't big enough to dominate physically. Because of this, Blackmon needs to be faster in order to develop into an elite player.

Now, Blackmon isn't slow by any means. He just lacks elite speed and explosiveness. His hands are fantastic and he will be a good player in the NFL. He just won't be elite.

Blackmon's fame has caused many to not realize this.

Wide Receiver: Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina

Prior to the 2011 season, Alshon Jeffery was viewed as a top-five draft pick. He was this year's A.J. Green. A stud, in other words.

There was nothing not to like. Jeffery weighed in at 6'3", 230 pounds with some of the best hands to ever enter the draft. He had gained 1,500 yards in 2010. Every South Carolina game added more highlight-reel material for him.

Then in 2011, Jeffery fell hard. He looked overweight and sluggish while gaining 900 yards less than he had a year before. Sure, Jeffery still made outstanding catches. He just wasn't looking like the same player he had a year ago.

Many will allow 2010's tape to dominate 2011's. They will see Jeffery's catching ability and potential while ignoring his potentially fatal flaws.

Offensive Tackle: Jonathan Martin, Stanford

As Andrew Luck's blind-side protector, Jonathan Martin receives more publicity than the typical lineman. Because of Luck's outstanding athletic ability and pocket presence, Martin is rarely credited with a sack.

It is only natural that a quarterback like Luck would make his lineman look better than they are. Martin is a first-round draft pick, but his poor play is often insignificant.

When Martin gets beaten in pass protection, Luck either throws the ball or evades the rusher. Martin's gaff is irrelevant. Luck still made the play.

In the NFL, this won't work so well. Martin will, in all likelihood, be protecting a typical quarterback, and he can't afford to blow his protection.

Offensive Guard: Cordy Glenn, Georgia

Many have fallen in love with Cordy Glenn's size and strength. The 6'5", 350-pounder is a mammoth with the ability to dominate interior offensive linemen. He often looks like Shawn Andrews prior to his fall from fame.

Don't expect Glenn to look that way in the NFL. Because of his size and strength, Glenn's lack of quickness is often covered up. When a player is as powerful as Glenn is, he doesn't need to be overly quick or light on his toes.

At the next level, however, Glenn will have to pull and play in space. Few teams run a pure power scheme, and Glenn can't do much else. Cordy Glenn matched up against speed is not a pretty sight.

The Georgia lineman's size is both his blessing and his curse.

Defensive End: Quinton Coples, North Carolina

Last year, Quinton Coples racked up 10 sacks. He weighs in at 6'6", 285 pounds and is an outstanding athlete. He has the size and athleticism of an elite pass-rusher.

Coples' play simply doesn't match up with the numbers. The North Carolina defensive end is incredibly inconsistent, and disappears for games at a time. He can be a complete non-factor.

Many defensive linemen have had questions about their motors, but most are more explosive than Coples is. As weird as it seems, Coples simply doesn't possess a great first step.

People love to talk about Coples's size and athleticism, but they seem to forget about his play on the field.

Defensive Tackle: Devon Still, Penn State

A big-time recruit, Devon Still had always been an underachiever. Then in 2011, Still broke out and is now being discussed as a mid-first-round pick.

At 6'5", 310 pounds, Still looks like the prototype defensive tackle. He is big, fast, strong and has all the talent in the world. Even the production is there now.

But Still just isn't that good. Though the Penn State defensive tackle occasionally makes big plays, he is often dominated. Sometimes, Still's play actually hurts the Nittany Lions.

Linebacker: Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State

At 6'3", 255 pounds, Vontaze Burfict is a living highlight reel. Game after game, Burfict lays out crushing blows, while running sideline to sideline. He's the most talented linebacker to enter the draft in a long, long time.

Unfortunately, Burfict has a problem with over-aggressiveness. He often receives multiple personal fouls in a game, and he tends to overrun plays as well.

This isn't Burfict's only issue, either. Despite his huge size, Burfict sometimes struggles to disengage from blocks and isn't as dominant as one would expect.

Most fans will be thrilled with Burfict on their team. Everyone loves a big-hitter. It's too bad that this will probably cause him to be over-drafted.

Linebacker: Dont'a Hightower, Alabama

After Rolando McClain left Alabama for the NFL, Dont'a Hightower filled the role as Alabama's stud linebacker. Hightower plays in the middle of one of the country's best defenses, on one of the best teams in college football.

Hightower is also a huge hitter and has been discussed as a first-round pick for years, so he is obviously well-known by fans. However, Hightower's lack of speed is often ignored.

At 6'4", 260 pounds, Hightower obviously isn't a speedster. Hightower takes a bit further, though, and he is actually a bit of a plodder.

The Alabama linebacker is great against the run, but in space, he struggles. His limited athletic ability likely limits Hightower to the 3-4 defense, and you really don't want to see him in coverage too much.

Cornerback: Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama

Dre Kirkpatrick is an outstanding athlete with a great 6'3" frame. Few players in college football possess the raw talent that Kirkpatrick does. He is a legitimate shutdown cornerback.

Though he has been excellent, Kirkpatrick really hasn't done much for Alabama. This isn't to say he hasn't been fantastic. He has been. But we have never really seen Kirkpatrick play in anything other than press coverage.

With his long arms, Kirkpatrick does an excellent job playing physically at the line of scrimmage. His ability to play off and run with wideouts is a huge unknown, though, and he might struggle to adapt in the NFL.

Safety: Mark Barron, Alabama

I really hate putting three Alabama players on here (especially in a row), but they all fit.

Mark Barron has been discussed as, at the very least, a second-round draft pick. He is yet another star on an NFL-caliber defense.

Often the talent-around-him logic is nothing more than an excuse. In Barron's case, it is a legitimate cause for concern.

With so many great players in front of him, Barron has never been asked to do much. The 218-pounder benefits form outstanding linebackers and defensive linemen in run support, and phenomenal cornerbacks in coverage.

There are many players superior to Barron on Alabama's defense, and Barron feeds off of them. He may not look so good when he is asked to make the plays.