2012 NFL Draft: 12 Prospects with the Most to Gain This Bowl Season
The college football bowl season may not be the number one thing that scouts look at when coming to the conclusion about players and how they translate to the NFL. That is usually reserved for the Senior Bowl, Pro Days and the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis.
That said, there are a number of different players that could use a strong bowl performance in order to pick up some momentum heading into the offseason.
Some of these players have shot up recent draft boards, while others have seen their stock drop.
In mixing this article with the New Year's holiday, I am going to focus on 12 different players that have the most to gain this bowl season.
12. Devon Still, DL, Penn State
1 of 12Devon Still will be taking on what has become a really solid Houston offensive line in the Ticket City Bowl next Monday.
His stock has dropped a little bit in my books over the course of the last couple months due to a variety of different concerns such as an inability to get to the quarterback on a consistent basis or being drowned out by double-teams up the middle.
However, he has the athleticism and ability to be a solid 3-4 DE or 4-3 DT at the next level and this game against an upper-echelon offense will show us what he is made of.
It's almost a guarantee that Still will go in the first round, but his stock could rise a great deal if he shows the ability to control the interior of the line and get to the passer on a more consistent basis.
My Big Board Ranking: 21
11. Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin
2 of 12Oregon's secondary is much better than you would think, but their major concern in regards to Wisconsin's offense has to be Montee Ball, who has dominated opposing defenses over the course of the regular season. This will enable Russell Wilson and Nick Toon to find some plays over the top and on the outside.
Wilson has surprised me a great deal with his accuracy since coming over to Wisconsin from North Carolina State.
He has shown the ability to be spot-on in regards to the intermediate routes and shows great touch on down field passes.
He isn't a prototypical NFL quarterback in terms of size but makes up for it with great athleticism, a solid arm and good accuracy.
With a bunch of mid-tier quarterback prospects available, Wilson's performance this bowl season and into the offseason is going to be huge for his draft stock.
As of right now, I have him as either a fourth- or fifth-round pick, but that could shoot up to the second- or third-round with a solid performance.
My Big Board Ranking: 96
10. Markelle Martin, S, Oklahoma State
3 of 12With T.J. McDonald deciding to return to USC for one more season, the safety position in April's draft all of a sudden looks pedestrian at best.
Markelle Martin will have an opportunity to prove that he can be a top pick in the 2012 draft in the Orange Bowl against the Stanford Cardinal and Andrew Luck.
Martin has the ability to play both strong and free safety at the next level. He is incredibly good in coverage and can stuff the run in the box.
While Justin Blackmon has been getting more of the press for Oklahoma State, Martin has quietly proven himself to be one hell of a defensive player.
As of right now, he is probably a second- or third-round pick, but a good showing against Stanford could go a long way in Martin's stock rising heading into the offseason.
Of course, it is going to be one heck of a test for both his run stopping and coverage skills
My Big Board Ranking: 52
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9. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
4 of 12I might have raised some eyebrows with the prediction that Tannehill will be selected in the first round in April.
While that may be a long shot, I love how his game translates to the next level. He can make every throw on the football field, reads defenses extremely well and has above average pocket presence.
Texas A&M will be going up against a Northwestern defense that gave up an average of 32.8 points per game in Big Ten action this season.
With Matt Barkley returning to USC, there is room for another quarterback to slip into the first round, and I believe Tannehill may be next on the list.
My Big Board Ranking: 38
8. Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
5 of 12Is Kendall Wright a beneficiary of Robert Griffin III and his great accuracy or is he just a damn good receiver?
These are two questions that scouts have been asking themselves for the better part of the 2011 season.
One thing is for sure, Wright has seen his draft stock rise a great deal as the year has progressed.
Baylor will be taking on what has proven to be a surprisingly tough Washington defense in the Alamo Bowl on Thursday. This will give Wright the opportunity to prove that he isn't just a product of Griffin's amazing Heisman season.
Wright has all the tools necessary to be an elite receiver at the next level with the exception of his 5'10'' height.
He is extremely fast and runs really good routes.
I believe that Wright will slip into the later half of the first round, but his bowl performance and showings in offseason programs could enable Wright to surpass Michael Floyd and Alshon Jeffery in April.
My Big Board Ranking: 23
7. Nick Toon, WR, Wisconsin
6 of 12I gave Nick Toon a first-round grade early in the 2011 season. He has since dropped completely out of my top 50.
In Toon, I see someone that has prototypical size for a receiver at the next level but lacks some of the necessary tools.
Toon doesn't always trust his hands, and lets the ball travel to his body too much; this has caused issues in regards to dropped passes and lack of consistency on the outside.
With a strong showing against the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl, Toon could gain some momentum heading into the offseason on the biggest of all stages.
If he continues to struggle with some of the finer things at the wide receiver position, Toon could find himself out of the first two rounds and into the mix of third-tier receivers come April.
My Big Board Ranking: 87
6. Dre' Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
7 of 12If you read my first mock draft on Christmas Day, you now know that I am not a huge fan of Kirkpatrick.
He seems to be more of a system player that lacks the necessary fluidity in the hips to be a premiere corner at the next level.
Nick Saban makes a point of telling his players to go pro if they are going to be a first-round pick, which Kirkpatrick will be. That said, some more seasoning would do him a world of good.
I will say that his matchup with Rueben Randle, who I project at a second-round pick, will go a long way in determining how Dre' can perform against top-tier receivers.
My Big Board Ranking: 15
5. David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech
8 of 12Virginia Tech will be going up against a vastly improved Michigan defense in the Sugar Bowl next week.
They are going to be relying a great deal on David Wilson to move the ball on the ground.
As of right now, I have the back as a tweener, first- or second-round pick, but that could change with seeing more of him a real game situation.
This game will be on ESPN in primetime, so Wilson will have an opportunity to show that he can be that premiere back moving forward.
To say that the ACC lacks top defensive talent would be an understatement, so he has an opportunity to do something against a much better opponent next week.
My Big Board Ranking: 26
4. LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
9 of 12I have seen projections of LaMichael James going anywhere from the first to the fourth round so far this mock draft season.
I understand the hesitancy with James. He doesn't have ideal size to be a featured back at the next level and has been injury prone.
That said, you cannot question his production with Oregon throughout his career.
Pac-12 defenses have struggled a great deal this season, so they don't seem to be a great representation of playing against top-tier talent.
James did gain only 132 yards on 38 carries against USC and LSU this season: the top two defenses Oregon played.
Going up against a Big Ten defense in Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl is going to be another story.
If James wants to prove he can get it done against elite competition, this is the time.
My Big Board Rankings: 74
3. Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
10 of 12It does seem that Michael Floyd has lacked the consistency this season that made him such a star in 2010.
While remaining Notre Dame's top target in the passing game, he has struggled in bigger games against top-tier defenses.
I am not going to go as far to say that Florida State is a top-tier defense, but this game will challenge Floyd to make big plays on national television with some of the top scouts watching.
If he is able to show that consistency this week and continue it into the offseason, Floyd could very well be a top 15 pick.
My Big Board Ranking: 12
2. Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina
11 of 12Alshon Jeffery will be going up against another projected first-round pick, Alfonzo Dennard, in the Capital One Bowl. This will give us a better idea as to where he stands with the elite prospects in April's draft.
Without an above average quarterback to throw to him, Jeffery has struggled against elite competition in the SEC.
He needs to have a good showing during bowl season and heading into the offseason in order for my projections of him to increase in April.
As of right now, I envision Michael Floyd being more of an impact player at the next level.
Sure, Jeffery's ceiling is extremely high right now, but there is a “bust” factor that I am sure scouts are going to take into account.
There is no doubting his premiere athleticism, we just need to see more consistency in terms of areas of the game that translate to the next level.
If not, you could see Alshon Jeffery drop to the end of the first round.
My Big Board Ranking: 20
1. Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
12 of 12Mock drafts have Jones going anywhere from the top six all the way to the late teens.
This means that scouts are not sold on him as a franchise quarterback at this point, and for good reason.
I understand that lack of success of previous Oklahoma quarterbacks in the NFL should have absolutely nothing to do with Jones, but it does. It says a lot about the scheme and offense that the Sooners have run over the last two decades or so.
Jones will have the NFL Scouting Combine and Oklahoma's Pro Day to prove that he can be a franchise quarterback that multiple teams are looking for in 2012.
I will say that the decision of Matt Barkley to return to USC will help Jones, who is the third best quarterback prospect in the draft.
My Big Board Ranking: 16
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