Inconsistency is a common word with many of these prospects and some have slipped down the board since mid season.
Other prospects haven’t necessarily been super productive, but offer upside at the next level. That potential may never be fully realized, such is the gamble when drafting this type of prospect.
1. Michael Floyd - wide receiver - Notre Dame. Slimmed down for his senior year and responded with a fine season. Some teams have just been unable to cover him and he's made plays even against double coverage.
2. Janoris Jenkins – cornerback - North Alabama. Rating is based primarily from his body of work at Florida prior to his dismissal, where he did well in matchups against A.J. Green and Julio Jones.
3. Devon Still - defensive tackle - Penn State. Came into the year with a reputation of inconsistency, but he's put that behind him with a fine year. He should draw interest from 3-4 and 4-3 teams alike.
4. Alfonzo Dennard – cornerback – Nebraska. Started the season slowly due to an injury, but during the last month of the season was looking a dominant player. Completely shut down two Michigan State's B.J. Cunningham and Iowa's Marvin McNutt.
5. Quinton Coples - defensive end - North Carolina. At times it has looked like he's been playing not to get hurt. Has shown flashes of his talent and does have the perfect frame for 4-3 defensive end, so his rating is still fairly high.
6. Mark Barron - strong safety – Alabama. Like Floyd, Barron has looked more explosive this year. He's a very reliable tackler and has even shown some man coverage skills. Perhaps doesn’t offer the upside of some other prospects, but is very well coached and should be able to contribute right away at the next level.
7. Mike Adams - offensive tackle - Ohio State. Missed the first five games of the season due to suspension, but came back in good form. Has the skills to be a pro left tackle, but does have a bad habit of switching off from time to time and giving up negative plays.
8. Brandon Thompson - defensive tackle – Clemson. Didn't play as well in the last month of the season, so he drops below Devon Still. He's very quick off the ball for a big man and that combination of size and speed should still earn him a first round slot.
9. Vinny Curry - defensive end – Marshall. He has dominated Conference USA competition on his way to a second double digit sack season in a row. Flashes elite speed off the edge and has a high motor. Very disciplined against the run also.
10. Kendall Wright - wide receiver – Baylor. Big play receiver has made several highlight catches to help Robert Griffen III to a Heisman Trophy. His ability to stretch the field should see him draw interest in the first round, despite being a little undersized.
11. Coby Fleener - tight end – Stanford. Hasn't had a huge season in terms of production, but projecting him forward he's a top prospect. Has the ability to stretch the field and has excellent hands. A Jimmy Graham type tight end.
12. Alameda Ta'amu - defensive tackle – Washington. Hasn't had the best senior year, but has still flashed his quickness. Has drawn double teams more and struggled to make as many highlight plays.
13. Melvin Ingram - defensive end - South Carolina. A first year starter, Ingram has made several big plays this year including running a fake punt in for a touchdown against Georgia. Can play at end or tackle and even stand up, his versatility will fit well with modern NFL defenses.
14. Keenan Robinson - outside linebacker – Texas. Showed his explosion in the Baylor game, running down Robert Griffin III from behind. He does take a little too long to diagnose plays at times, but the upside is high for him.
15. Nate Potter - offensive tackle - Boise State. College left tackle projects to right tackle as a pro due to his struggles against top edge speed. However, he's a very good technician who should be a long time NFL starter.
16. Billy Winn - defensive tackle - Boise State. Graded on his flashes, Winn would be much higher. But he's been very inconsistent and although he does have significant upside, there is a high level of risk for the team that selects him in April.
17. Lavonte David - outside linebacker – Nebraska. One of several undersized linebackers in this class. An ideal fit for a Tampa-2 system. He's very comfortable in coverage, but does get overwhelmed by bigger blockers.
18. Kevin Zeitler – guard – Wisconsin. More athletic than former team mate and Seahawks 2011 third round pick John Moffitt. Doesn't get a whole lot of publicity and does need a little technique work in pass protection, but is a fine prospect.
19. Coryell Judie – cornerback - Texas A&M. Has struggled with a nagging hamstring injury for much of the season. His grade remains high based on his body of work over his career, but he will need to remind scouts of his ability in the post season process.
20. Markelle Martin - strong safety - Oklahoma State. A very athletic safety who can get downhill in a hurry. Missed too many tackles in 2010, but did clean this up to begin with in 2011, only for the problem to creep back into his play late in the year.
21. Kirk Cousins – quarterback - Michigan State. Had a bad outing against Nebraska, but otherwise has had an excellent senior year. More advanced than any other senior prospect in terms of his ability to go through his progressions and use his eyes to move defenders.
22. Jared Crick - defensive tackle – Nebraska. Tore his pectoral muscle early in the year and has missed most of the season. Seems best suited to a one gap system where he can use his quick get off the ball.
23. Kelechi Osemele – guard - Iowa State. College left tackle projects to right tackle or guard as a pro due to his struggles against edge speed. Shows solid technique and good power.
24. Courtney Upshaw - outside linebacker – Alabama. Has the ability to take over and dominate games, but has not been consistent in doing so. That’s a concern as if Nick Saban can't consistently motivate him, then who can…?
25. Leonard Johnson – cornerback - Iowa State. Drew national attention with a feisty performance against Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon. Best in off man coverage, where he can break on shorter routes very well.
26. Zach Brown - outside linebacker - North Carolina. Undersized 4-3 weakside linebacker prospect. Like Lavonte David is comfortable in coverage, but isn't quite as instinctive as the Nebraska man.
27. Jeff Fuller - wide receiver - Texas A&M. Big receiver has struggled with a turf toe injury which has limited his ability to stretch the field. Has still been able to separate on comeback routes though.
28. T.Y. Hilton - wide receiver - Florida International. Started off the season with a bang, but suffered from niggling injuries down the stretch and wasn't as productive. Has the speed to take it the distance on any given play and is a dynamic returner.
29. Dan Herron - running back - Ohio State. Returned after a six game suspension in good shape and his production was good. Not the fastest back in the world, but he has power and the ability to create when blocking is poor.
30. Chase Minnifield – cornerback – Virginia. Has all the tools to be a top press man corner. Unfortunately he has too many breakdowns in his play and has given up some big plays.
31. Marvin McNutt - wide receiver – Iowa. Has the ability to make some highlight catches, but will lose concentration and drop some routine balls.
32. Cordy Glenn – guard – Georgia. Started out the season giving up three sacks, he struggled against edge speed throughout the year, but did play better down the stretch.
33. Markus Zusevics - offensive tackle – Iowa. Doesn't have a huge amount of upside as he's a limited athlete, but he should be able to contribute very early in his pro career.
34. Cam Johnson - defensive end – Virginia. Looks to have a natural feel for the game, he's able to read the game nicely. Flashes speed and good hand use as a pass rusher.
35. Trumaine Johnson – cornerback – Montana. Plays mostly in a three deep zone system, but has the size to be a top press corner. Has two interceptions so far in the FCS playoffs.
36. Sean Spence - outside linebacker - Miami (FL). Another undersized 4-3 weakside linebacker prospect. Plays the game at full speed in an attacking Miami defense. Is somewhat limited as he struggles to get off blocks.
37. Kendall Reyes - defensive tackle – Connecticut. Hard worker flashes ability to penetrate and cause problems. Can get off blocks and make plays, but again isn't always consistent.
38. Audie Cole - inside linebacker - North Carolina State. Shows the ability to read and react with explosion up the field. Struggled hugely getting off blocks against Boston College though and hasn't been consistent.
39. Doug Martin - running back - Boise State. Tough running all around back does a nice job running low to the ground and fighting for extra yardage after contact. Has enough speed to turn the corner, but is best inside the tackles.
40. Trenton Robinson - free safety - Michigan State. His experience in man coverage puts him above other safety prospects. Has a nice backpedal and break out of it to the ball plus exhibits the ability to turn and run deep with his man.
41. Michael Egnew - tight end – Missouri. Hasn't had a great statistical year as Missouri have had to replace quarterback Blaine Gabbert. Does have a large catching radius and very soft hands.
42. Donnie Fletcher – cornerback - Boston College. Missed the start of the season with a back injury and took some time to get back to full speed. Has the size to project as a press corner and offers some upside.
43. Travis Lewis - outside linebacker – Oklahoma. Has played the season with a broken toe which has robbed him off some explosion, particularly in terms of getting downhill.
44. Andre Branch - defensive end – Clemson. Not always consistent, but did put together a double digit sack year. Had four of those in one game against Virginia Tech. If he can find consistency he can be a solid NFL starter.
45. Matt Reynolds - offensive tackle - Brigham Young. College left tackle struggles against edge speed and therefore projects to right tackle as a pro. A solid technician with excellent power will suit a team like the Steelers.
46. Dwight Jones - wide receiver - North Carolina. Not the finished product yet in terms of route running, but has good size/speed, soft hands and offers significant upside.
47. Ladarius Green - tight end - Louisiana-Lafayette. A modern day Jimmy Graham type tight end. Not a good blocker and indeed does not relish this part of the game. However, he's very athletic and has soft hands.
48. Ryan Lindley – quarterback - San Diego State. Has a very nice arm and makes the 15-20 yard out route throw effortlessly. Accuracy is a problem which seems to be down to his footwork. He takes huge steps in his drop and therefore goes from a wide to a narrow base when throwing and overthrows.
49. DeVier Posey - wide receiver - Ohio State. Suspended for the first ten games in 2011. Returned and added a dimension to the Ohio State offense with his ability to stretch the field.
50. Mike Brewster - center - Ohio State. Seemed to be pressing early in the year when Mike Adams was suspended.Rebounded some down the stretch and remains a fine run blocker, particularly when getting to the second level.
Paul Emery - Paul Emery has been following the NFL Draft since the mid 80's and watches over 250 games a year in order to pick out the best ...
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