DRAFT TRACKER 2012

James Rodgers, the older brother of Falcons RB Jacquizz Rodgers, plays with a similar style to 'Quizz, although he works mostly out of the slot and in the return game. He is undersized at 5'7" 180 pounds, but he runs with strong balance and overcomes most of his deficiencies by playing fast and smart. He has late-round value to a team that needs a returner and an option in the pass game. Rodgers broke his leg before taking a redshirt and coming back for a fifth year, so it remains to be seen if he can fully recover from an injury that left him limited throughout much of his last year in school.

Byrd has been a backup for the majority of his time at Miami, but is still coveted by scouts as a big-bodied receiver. He uses his size and strength well in space and has the ability to torque his body to make plays on the ball. He is also physical going across the middle and at the line of scrimmage. He is an imposing presence for the Hurricanes despite the fact that younger players have worked their way into starting roles ahead of him. Byrd is considered by many to be a better NFL prospect than he was a player at Miami, and he has late-round value based off his size and understanding of how to go up and make plays on the ball.

Galippo has been an off and on starter for the Trojans the past three seasons because of injuries and demotions due to the play of younger, more athletic linebackers. A herniated disc kept him out for a year and has limited him at times throughout his career. He is an instinctive middle linebacker who is quick to reach when the ball is snapped and almost always is involved in the tackle on run plays. Despite all this, Galippo is a solid backer whose instincts and production over a five-year period give him late-round value to a team looking for a backup at the position capable of competing on special teams.

Scott was the consensus top recruit out of high school in Southern California and has had to rely on that name to get playing time throughout his career, as he has struggled to develop and become a consistent starter. After a disappointing stint at Colorado, Scott sat out his third year of college before starting eight of 11 games for South Florida in 2011. A big back but needs to learn to use his frame to his advantage and play with power; he has late-ound value at this point.

Jackson came to UT after leaving USC during the grace period granted to players there during the NCAA-imposed sanctions, and has really blossomed during his time in the SEC, becoming a two-year starter for the Volunteers. Although severely undersized for the defensive tackle position (he had to gain weight early in his career at USC to even see playing time at DE), Jackson has gotten upwards of 270 pounds and been an effective scheme player when slanting and stunting for Tennessee. He will likely switch back to DE in the NFL, but 3-4 base defense teams could be excited about him playing DE considering his time spent inside. He has seventh-round value as a versatile d-lineman.

Powell is in contention with Drew Butler of Georgia to be the top punter in the nation, although Louisiana Tech's Ryan Allen won the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top punter during the 2011 season. He has incredible leg strength, gets the ball high in his kicks, and can place it within the 20-yard line consistently, all of which are key attributes when assessing NFL transferability. Look for him to possibly be selected in the late rounds to a team looking for a franchise punter.

Guy is a big safety from Kentucky who, not unlike last year's draft gem Randall Cobb on the offensive side, was a defensive jack of all trades for Kentucky throughout his career. He played corner as a freshman before moving to safety for his second and third years, and ultimately ended up at outside linebacker. Projects as a safety in the NFL and has the special-teams ability to contribute early; late-round value.

Presley started one game at QB as a freshman, one game at WR as a sophomore, started every game at QB as a junior, and moved to corner out of team necessity as a senior. He is an explosive athlete who has starter-like talent for the NFL once he hones his skills on the defensive side of the ball.

Goode is a bit of a tweener in that he bounced around from inside to outside linebacker much in his career at West Virginia. NFL teams will have the same troubles when deciding where to play him. He played outside for much of his career, serving as the flow tackler for a defense that featured classmate Bruce Irvin at outside linebacker. Goode had a solid year working from the inside and is strong to defeat offensive linemen, he has 3-4 and 4-3 base defense versatility as well, which all comes together to make him a late-round prospect.

Madsen is a prospect with good size for the position and the ability to play both left and right tackle and capacity to also develop inside. That versatility makes Madsen a late-round value. He has played both tackle positions and he could benefit from a move inside considering he has better size as a guard. He is likely to stay outside because of his pass-blocking skills, which are more polished, but he seems like a linemen that is ready and willing to compete in a camp at either outside or in.

Nortman has been a steady, reliable punter for Wisconsin, employing a strong leg and consistency. He can routinely boot it more than 45 yards and has potential to be drafted in the late rounds by a team with a need at the position.

Tupou is a try-hard, unathletic, low-production player, but also a high-character type nose tackle. He has been a presence on the USC frontlines for four years, though he struggled returning from a year-long hiatus this past year after taking a redshirt year due to a torn ACL. Tupou has late-round value for a team looking to select an active player for the inside of their d-line.

A three-year contributor for the Golden Eagles (and primarily handling kickoffs at SE Louisiana in 2007 before sitting out the following year to transfer to Southern Mississippi), who hasn’t shown much in terms of technique but has an active and strong leg. His leg strength is his greatest asset, as he projects to be capable of consistent touchbacks at the pro level. As one of the top kicking prospects this year, a team could take a shot on him late in the draft.

Benford is a wide receiver out of Tennessee Tech, where in his senior year he was the OVC player of the year. He is a decent-sized receiver who understands how to run routes and get defensive backs on their heels. Benford has become a late rising prospect after an impressive showing at the East-West Shrine Game, where he displayed the ability to compete with the country's finest senior prospects.

Beachum is an undersized offensive tackle from SMU who started every game in his career after redshirting as a freshman. He is undersized for the position in the NFL, but he improved steadily throughout his career and displays the level of athletic ability, body control and footwork to be drafted in the late rounds of the draft. Beachum has significant strength deficiencies which are constantly evident in his play. His ability to physically develop within an NFL program in his first year will likely be the driving force of his football future.

Baker is an early-entry junior who was a full-time starter in 2010 but only sparingly in 2011. He is a straight-line runner who had a very productive sophomore year until he was beat out by a younger back this past year. He returned kicks for Michigan State but didn't display the type of ability to contribute there in the NFL.

Kuhn is a big interior defensive lineman who only started for one year at North Carolina State. He showed good effort in that year in all areas of his play, is good to run down plays from the backside and will be a force working from within. He struggles when getting blocked by double teams and doesn't play very instinctively yet, but he is a developmental project and has late-round value to a team that can afford to wait on his development.

Ewing is the beneficiary of a thin fullback crop this year, although there's growing sentiment that the position is being eliminated entirely from offenses in the NFL. A throwback player -- a block first guy who will need to be selected by an offense that intends to use him that way, and as a special teams contributor. Ewing came into Wisconsin as a running back, and was Wisconsin's special teams player of the year as a senior.

Baker has started for two years at outside linebacker for one of the top collegiate defenses. He was the prototype linebacker at LSU -- the undersized, fly-around style that this defense has played with the past few years and brought terror to the SEC. He is a fast player who can get to the ball from anywhere on the field. Given his size and physicality, Baker could be attractive to teams that run a 3-4 base defense. Teams could play him at ILB, where he would be relied upon to shed blockers and work within the box to make a lot of tackles. Baker struggles with certain movements and isn't a great cover guy, so he could get exposed covering tight ends from a 4-3 base defense OLB position at the next level. Baker could get selected in the late rounds given that he will likely be a special teams contributor early.

Second-team all Conference USA as a Senior, a conference which has surprisingly produced pro-ready quarterbacks over the years. He is a good athlete and an accurate short-intermediate passer. Started a lot of games and has the pocket presence to stand behind an NFL line early in his career. His prospects are hurt by the general elimination of the third-string quarterback in the NFL, and if he is selected on a flier late, will likely need some time to develop on a practice squad.

Teggart is a soccer-style kicker who has decent leg strength and, unfortunately, issues with consistency. The NFL's rule change, moving kickoffs up, will hurt Teggart's pro prospects, as kickers are ultimately relied upon to kick touchbacks more than 50 percent of the time, and it's unlikely Teggart will ever be in that range. He is a decent sized athlete, but he likely does nothing well enough to garner a draft selection; he's a free-agent prospect who could get selected late by a team desperate for someone to compete for the position.

Johnson is a fifth-year player who didnt start for Kansas until his senior year. He was a former walk-on who worked his way to a scholarship and eventually a starting role, which is a testament to his key attribute as an NFL prospect: competitiveness and smarts. Johnson makes up for athletic hitches in his play by keying into the offense and flying around at top speed. He could get drafted late, but regardless stands a shot to make a roster as an immediate special teams contributor.

Lindsey is a big defensive end who has been durable for Pittsburgh. He won't blow you away with his play, and is just as adequate rushing the passer as he is defending the run. Lindsey has a good frame to compete in a rotation, and could stand to add a little more weight to be more of a stalwart on the edge. He is a low-ceiling prospect who could be drafted late.

Massie is a massive offensive tackle who was nearly a three-year starter for Ole Miss and chose to forgo his last year of eligibility. He is four years removed from high school after a year at the renowned Hargrave Military Academy. Massie was not a standout player in college and will have to find the right opportunity to land a spot on a roster as a rookie; he could get drafted late to a team with a need.

Stahovich is a solid punter who has been consistent for four years at San Diego State. He has good hands to get the ball to his foot and good overall accuracy and leg strength. He hasn't done much of anything special at the collegiate level, but enough to get a shot in camp to compete against a veteran. He has late-round value but it's more than likely that he signs as a free agent.

Dimke is a classic kicker coming out of college. He was a three-year starter with average size for a kicker and just average leg strength, but has been accurate enough throughout his career that he will get a shot at the next level. He is not effected by pressure or weather, and has been a consistent performer. It will be tough for a team to justify a draft pick on this kid, but look for him to be competing in a camp this August.

Morris is a thick running back out of Florida Atlantic who was productive throughout his career as a featured back. Morris is a bit of a tweener -- not big enough to be a physically imposing back in the NFL, but far from fast or athletic enough to impress with his athleticism. He is a serviceable runner who at best could carry a load like BenJarvus Green-Ellis of New England, but he will have to prove he has the speed and athleticism to deserve a shot. He carries late-round or free-agent value.

Tiller has NFL size for the guard position. He is a below-average athlete, which hurts his ability to contribute early at the next level. A strong, positional blocker who really excels in the run game, where he can overpower defenders. His footwork is his Achilles heel and the likely reason he will probably be delegated to the practice squad during his first few years.

Howell is a polished, undersized safety who has shown the maximum ability he will bring to the NFL. Has decent speed for his size, and is good in man coverage. A fluid backpedaler, he is usually in the right position. It is unlikely he will be drafted, but he could be sought-after as a free agent who could provide depth and special-teams help early on.

Wolfe is a big interior lineman, and plays very instinctively to be a factor in the run game. He is a slow-moving, non-explosive athlete, but this doesn't define his games and he finds other ways to be a factor. He can get overpowered by double teams, and will need to continue to develop his technique to not get erased there. Based off his frame and potential, he has late-round value in the draft.

Bentley has started for four years at Louisiana-Lafayette and is a classic, undersized corner from a small school that has displayed the athletic ability to contend for an NFL spot. He is very quick in short movements and is an instinctual player. He could definitely be knocked for his size and the conference he played in, but he is a good option for a team that needs to bring corners into camp and let them compete. He could have trouble in man coverage, but teams might take a flier on him in late rounds to see if they can continue to develop a good athlete at the position.

Hughes is a fifth-year senior from Cincinnati who started for two years at defensive tackle. He has the size to compete inside at the next level, but he lacks athletic ability and has been rather unproductive to this point in his career. He could get selected in a later round by a team that falls in love with him, but he is more likely to get a shot as a free agent. The pre-draft process will be of extra importance for Hughes, as he needs to prove he has the skills to match his frame.

Leary is a big offensive lineman who was a three-year starter for Memphis and a stalwart at the end of his career. Although he played outside at tackle throughout his collegiate career, he projects as an NFL guard, where his height (just over 6-foot-3) won't be as much of a hindrance to him. He performed well in the run game and will always have the frame to compete against interior defensive linemen. He could be selected in the later rounds out of team need, but he is more likely to get a shot as an undrafted free agent.

Peterson is an undersized tight end who really is more of a tweener, as he was used in both wide receiver looks and at tight end at LSU. He definitely won't be a blocking bruiser working off the line of scrimmage at the next level, and is more of a mismatch candidate who will need to work out of the slot to get looks against slower linebackers or smaller safeties in the NFL. He is a good athlete, but hasn't shown the consistency or production to warrant a top pick; but given the nature of NFL offenses at the moment, being mismatch driven, Peterson has late-round talent and could rise even higher to the middle rounds to a team that wants to develop his talents.

Dever started at tackle for Notre Dame in his senior year, and he displayed some traits that garner some late-round consideration. He plays with his pad level too high, an obvious hitch in his game, but he has a strong anchor and fought to win many one-on-one battles throughout the year. He will have to hope to be given an opportunity to develop in the right situation in the NFL, as he could be years away from being able to compete on game days.

Harkey was rather unheralded for much of his career at UCLA, where he only had one pass thrown his way as a senior and was used mostly as an extra blocker. Has good size as a blocker, but it is unlikely he will work upfield much as a pass catcher in the NFL.

Hanna is a thick tight end who is much more of a crafty receiving threat than he is a blocker, and has been consistent throughout his two years as a starter at Oklahoma. He is a good catcher and can adjust well to poorly thrown balls, even with a man draped over him. Hanna is a straight-line runner who isn't very good at maneuvering in his routes, but his speed is deceptive and he just possesses the "it" factor when it comes to making a catch at the top of his routes. He is a limited prospect who could be taken in the late rounds of the draft, but will come in, compete and potentially make a team based off his willingness to play special teams and ability as a pass-catching tight end. He only had two catches for 18 yards against Iowa in the Insight Bowl, which wasn't far off his average and about what type of player he is: Reliable to make a few tough catches, but not going to have any sort of "Rob Gronkowski-type production" from the position anytime soon.