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2012 NFL Draft Potential Busts: Defense

2012 NFL Draft Potential Busts: Defense
2012 NFL Draft Sleepers: Offense | 2012 NFL Draft Sleepers: Defense
2012 NFL Draft Potential Busts: Offense | 2012 NFL Draft Potential Busts: Defense
2012 NFL Draft Boom or Bust Players

Published April 4, 2012
By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

In recent weeks there have been a lot of questions about which players to avoid in the 2012 NFL Draft class. Every draft has some players who are selected highly only to becoming massive disappointments in the NFL. Here we breakdown some potential busts in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Andre Branch, DE, Clemson
Branch is a streaky player who was somewhat of a one-year wonder. He had 77 tackles with 17 tackles for a loss and 10.5 sacks this season. He did not play well against Florida State and its tackle combination of Andrew Datko and Zebrie Sanders. Branch recorded almost half of his sacks in one game against Virginia Tech when he had four sacks.

In his career at Clemson, Branch got a lot of help from players around him, specifically defensive tackle Brandon Thompson. As a junior, teams were focused on Da'Quan Bowers and Thompson, but Branch had only five sacks, with three of them coming against North Texas and Presbyterian.

Branch (6-4, 259) is a good athlete with speed, and, in my opinion, he has a better shot of panning out as a 3-4 outside linebacker. There is a definite athletic skill set with Branch, but he looks like a finesse player and it wouldn't be surprising to me if he doesn't pan out. The consensus view is that Branch will go in the late first or early second round.

Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State
Worthy is the kind of player who can drive coaches crazy. He is very streaky and inconsistent. He is completely dominant at times, while he's a ghost who makes zero impact in other instances. Worthy even goes through that pattern during games. In the Big 10 Championship against Wisconsin, he started out slowly in the first half. By the third quarter, he was overwhelming and unstoppable. However, in crunch time in the fourth quarter, he slowed down.

Worthy has a special combination of speed and strength, yet he never produced up to his physical talent. He had 3.5 sacks with 30 tackles and 10.5 tackles for a loss this season. That was roughly on par with his four sacks and eight tackles for a loss as a junior. Worthy could follow a similar pattern in the NFL, and that could be a season-killer to have him disappear in a critical game in December or January. Worthy has potential, but there is a real possibility that he will be a bust at the next level.

Bruce Irvin, LB, West Virginia
Irvin is another finesse defensive player whom I think could go bust in the NFL. Irvin (6-3, 245) is an undersized edge rusher who had a massive junior season with 14 sacks as a situational pass rusher. In his senior campaign, he was an every-down lineman and a complete liability against the run. He still managed some pass rush with 8.5 sacks, but offensive tackles only needed to get their hands on him, and he was done. Irvin would constantly get treated like a rag doll by linemen and shoved around the field. He could dance and dart his way by some linemen, but he was a one-trick-pony speed rusher.

Irvin is going to need to get stronger and increase his physicality for the NFL. Many project him to be a second-day pick, and it wouldn't be a shock if his one trick isn't all that effective at the next level when he takes on more athletic offensive linemen. Irvin also has some off-the-field concerns. He was arrested in March for allegedly destroying a sign outside of a restaurant.

George Iloka, S, Boise State
Many project Iloka (6-4, 225) to be a potential second-day pick, but big safeties who are weak in coverage are targeted and exploited in the passing-driven NFL. Iloka helped his stock by playing well at the Senior Bowl. The big safety was physical and stood out by being around the ball and making some plays in the short to intermediate part of the field. His tightness was exposed at the Combine, as he was too stiff to turn his hips and run. He was the epitome of high and tight in the field drills. That will be a big issue for Iloka in the NFL. He will struggle to turn and run with receivers or receiving tight ends.

Iloka had zero interceptions in 2011 despite Boise State blowing out many opponents with offenses forced to pass the ball while playing from behind. He had seven picks in four years of playing time. Iloka looks like a run-stuffing safety who could be a liability in coverage. He could be a bust pick who is beaten for touchdowns at the next level.

2012 NFL Draft Sleepers: Offense | 2012 NFL Draft Sleepers: Defense
2012 NFL Draft Potential Busts: Offense | 2012 NFL Draft Potential Busts: Defense
2012 NFL Draft Boom or Bust Players

03-10-2013 02:12 am xxx.xxx.xxx9.43 (total posts: 16)

Samuel 11-10-2012 11:25 am xxx.xxx.xxx4.98 (total posts: 1)

Wow do you know what your crafting day remnided me of? When I was in school we used to make hats for Easter. I now, so want to make a grown up and yet girly fun hat for Easter and see who of my circle of friends would want to get silly like that I must ponder and noodle on this.Your studio is beautiful

willie 05-20-2012 12:57 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.152 (total posts: 1)

dude you write like a 7th grader,your knowledge of football is very very elementery and your suppositions are based on what?you vast in depth scouting?learn the craft

James 04-22-2012 06:35 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.226 (total posts: 1)

Adams will do fine

bearfan21 04-19-2012 05:22 pm xxx.xxx.xxx4.23 (total posts: 1)

KirK Cousins threw the ball 80 yards? lol you moron

lionsfan88 04-19-2012 06:05 am xxx.xxx.xxx24.4 (total posts: 1)

Kirk Cousins can be a starter, just not right away. I have personally seen him throw a ball 80 yards, think his arm strength is good, how bout u? And his mismatch for anyone whos seen tape, is his running ability. He never uses it, but when he does, he can get 20 yard gains and he has more than enough football IQ to choose when he should do that.

I love sun tan man 04-15-2012 09:35 am xxx.xxx.xxx.152 (total posts: 1)

Ryan Tannehill, clearly.

akryan 04-12-2012 10:15 pm xxx.xxx.xxx7.40 (total posts: 1)

The problem with this list is that it's full of guys that aren't expected to be drafted high anyway. Part of the definition of busting is that you fall way short of expectations. No one has that high of expectations for these guys to begin with.

This is proper bust prediction: "I think that Dontari Poe may be a bust. He's going in the first round based more on his combine performance than on his production in college. That's huge red flag for a potential bust"

haha 04-06-2012 11:56 pm xxx.xxx.xxx5.31 (total posts: 1)

In the right system I could see James being effective. Maybe not quite as good as Jamaal Charles.

Even a blind man could see Cousins will be a bust.

Art Vandelay 04-05-2012 12:40 am xxx.xxx.xxx4.88 (total posts: 1)

You have the Rams drafting 2 out of the 6 guys on this list...sounds about right.

Packer Backer Steve 04-04-2012 11:38 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.226 (total posts: 2)

Dirk -

Normally I would 100% agree with your statement. But the biggest problem I saw with LSU WR Reuben Randle was his lack of seperation and drops. He just flat out was not open, even against single man coverage. I also felt that on too many occasions he would not cut his route off when facing over the top S help; he would just continue to run his route, almost completely unaware that a S was shadowing him. Now maybe he was coached that way at LSU, I don't know.

I will say this, the LSU offense is boring, lacks play making ability and is something from the 1950s or 1960s. Run - run - incomplete - punt.

Maybe the problem with the LSU WRs is the coaching and the system more so than the players. Again, I just don't know.

Dirk 04-04-2012 11:31 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.112 (total posts: 1)

I think it's insanely tough to say Randle will b a bust in the nfl. Imagine someone throwing him the ball that could get it within 10 feet and have mild Zip on it. I think he could b a boom

Packer Backer Steve 04-04-2012 11:07 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.226 (total posts: 2)

Pretty good list.

I completely agree that the "Bust Alert" is high on LSU WR Rueben Randle. I was completely unimpressed with him throughout his entire college career. I wouldn't touch him before round five.

Another guy that I agree with you about is Michigan State QB Kirk Cousins. I see him strictly as a career back-up; nothing wrong with that - pay and benefits are great. However, when I see him, I see a near carbon copy of current Redskins QB John Beck.

Georgia C Ben Jones might have to move to G to have any kind of an effective NFL career. I think he best fits a zone blocking scheme - the Houston Texans or maybe my Green Bay Packers - but not before round four.

**********

A couple of other guys I would throw on the list are:

(I know this is going to be very unpopular.) WR Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State) - 1) Coming out of the spread offense. 2) The Big 12 has been down, especially on the defensive side of the ball, and he hasn't really faced any great defenses the past couple of years. 3) Not nearly as big / tall as advertised while with the 'Pokes.

WR Kendall Wright (Baylor) - He's only 5' 11" and 190 lbs, but he is super fast and runs a great "go" route. Sounds a little bit like former Ohio State WR Teddy Guinn Jr. Drafting a return specialist and at best #3 WR is hardly ever a good call in round one. Whoever drafts him will hope he is the next Mike Wallace (Current Steeler and former Missisippi Rebel) and not the next Guinn.

OT Zebrie Sanders (Florida State) - I wouldn't touch this guy before round four or five. He looks soft and not very strong. I watched FSU several times over the past couple of seasons - I was totally unimpressed with Sanders.

CB Janoris Jenkins (North Alabama) - Does anybody really think this guy is going to stay out of trouble with the law? I certainly do not.

BalcoBomber25 04-04-2012 10:11 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.171 (total posts: 1)

Number 1 on this list should be RG3, classic system QB who was unheard of until his senior year when he put up ridiculous numbers. We have seen this player countless times before, Akili Smith and Vince Young are prime examples who were both taken in the top 3.

Joe 04-04-2012 09:21 pm xxx.xxx.xxx1.50 (total posts: 1)

I think Tannehill will be a bust. A few months ago, every mock I saw had him in the 2nd round. Now, without stepping on the field since then (except for the combine, which shouldn't move players up the board only confirm that they're not too high), he's projected to go in the top 5 or 10. He moved up the board because of a shortage of QBs not because of his own talent.

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2012 NFL Draft Potential Busts: Defense

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