With the NFL Combines closely approaching it is interesting to note that the number of underclassmen who\’ve been granted draft eligibility is up for 2012. The 2012 NFL Draft will be held April 26-28 this year. According to the NFL, 65 players met the NFL\’s three-year eligibility rule, a jump from just 56 in 2011. The new numbers show that this year\’s numbers set an all-time high for underclassmen filing their written applications renouncing their eligibility by the Sunday deadline.
With movement in NFL team offices across the league, it will be an important year for general managers as they scramble to scout the underclassmen. In the past underclassmen scouting started later because clubs would wait to see if players decided to return to school or declare. NFL teams with intentions of hiring new general managers may have an even more difficult time if they can\’t secure that office position in time to thread their way through an even larger draft class.
Underclassmen who meet the special eligibility are typically redshirt sophomores and juniors. Add those 65 players to an already large senior class and you get a better understanding of the task ahead for managers, agents and scouts. The first regional NFL Combine will start at the end of January in Los Angeles. They will continue around the league in Houston, Baltimore, Tampa, New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Cleveland through Mar. 17, 2011. The main 2012 NFL Combine will be held Feb. 22-28, 2012, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis followed by a super-regional even Mar. 30-12, 2012, at Ford Field in Detroit.
It will be a busy Spring for most teams as they scurry to fill empty player positions and do their homework on players that might fill those positions and possibly become key players in their organizations.
The players granted special eligibility for the 2012 NFL Draft include (in alphabetical order):
|
Player Name |
Position |
College |
|
Alexander, Alvester |
Running Back |
Wyoming |
|
Allen, Dwayne |
Tight End |
Clemson |
|
Baker, Edwin |
Running Back |
Michigan State |
|
Ball, Mike |
Running Back |
Nevada |
|
Berryhill, Jamison |
Running Back |
Texas |
|
Blackmon, Justin |
Wide Receiver |
Oklahoma State |
|
Brockers, Michael |
Defensive Tackle |
Louisiana State |
|
Brown, Bryce |
Running Back |
Kansas State |
|
Burfict, Vontaze |
Linebacker |
Arizona State |
|
Charles, Orson |
Tight End |
Georgia |
|
Claiborne, Morris |
Defensive Back |
Louisiana State |
|
Cox, Fletcher |
Defensive Tackle |
Mississippi State |
|
DeCastro, David |
Guard |
Stanford |
|
Eure, Tiree |
Tight End |
Minnesota |
|
Forston, Marcus |
Defensive Tackle |
Miami |
|
Gilmore, Stephon |
Defensive Back |
South Caronlina |
|
Givens, Chris |
Wide Receiver |
Wake Forest |
|
Graham, Dorian |
Wide Receiver |
Syracuse |
|
Griffin, Robert |
Quarterback |
Baylor |
|
Hampton, Jewel |
Running Back |
Southern Illinois |
|
Harris, Cliff |
Defensive Back |
Oregon |
|
Hightower, Dont\’a |
Linebacker |
Alabama |
|
Hill, Stephen |
Wide Receiver |
Georgia Tech |
|
Hillman, Ronnie |
Running Back |
San Diego State |
|
Holloway, Max |
Defensive End |
Boston College |
|
Hosley, Jayron |
Defensive Back |
Virginia Tech |
|
Jackson, Janzen |
Defensive Back |
McNeese State |
|
James, LaMichael |
Running Back |
Oregon |
|
Jeffery, Alshon |
Wide Receiver |
South Carolina |
|
Johnson, Aldarius |
Wide Receiver |
Miami |
|
Johnson, Damaris |
Wide Receiver |
Tulsa |
|
Jones, Chandler |
Defensive End |
Syracuse |
|
Kalil, Matt |
Tackle |
Southern California |
|
Kirkpatrick, Dre |
Defensive Back |
Alabama |
|
Konz, Peter |
Center |
Wisconsin |
|
Kuechly, Luke |
Linebacker |
Boston College |
|
Lewis, Ronnell |
Defensive End |
Oklahoma |
|
Luck, Andrew |
Quarterback |
Stanford |
|
Manning, Terrell |
Linebacker |
North Carolina State |
|
Martin, Jonathan |
Tackle |
Stanford |
|
Massie, Bobby |
Tackle |
Mississippi |
|
Mercilus, Whitney |
Defensive End |
Illinois |
|
Miller, Lamar |
Running Back |
Miami |
|
Osweiler, Brock |
Quarterback |
Arizona State |
|
Page, Eric |
Wide Receiver |
Toledo |
|
Paige-Moss, Donte |
Defensive End |
North Carolina |
|
Perry, Nick |
Defensive End |
Southern California |
|
Pierce, Bernard |
Running Back |
Temple |
|
Plue, Ken |
Guard |
Purdue |
|
Poe, Dontari |
Defensive Tackle |
Memphis |
|
Randle, Rueben |
Wide Receiver |
Louisiana State |
|
Reiff, Riley |
Tackle |
Iowa |
|
Richardson, Trent |
Running Back |
Alabama |
|
Robinson, Josh |
Defensive Back |
Central Florida |
|
Samu, Mohamed |
Wide Receiver |
Rutgers |
|
Scott, Darrell |
Running Back |
South Florida |
|
Streeter, Tommy |
Wide Receiver |
Miami |
|
Thomas, Darron |
Quarterback |
Oregon |
|
Thomas, Johnny |
Defensive Back |
Oklahoma State |
|
Thomas, Phillip |
Defensive Back |
Syracuse |
|
Trotter, Barrett |
Quarterback |
Auburn |
|
Vernon, Olivier |
Defensive End |
Miami |
|
Washington, Brandon |
Tackle |
Miami |
|
Wilson, Davis |
Running Back |
Virginia Tech |
|
Worthy, Jerel |
Defensive Tackle |
Michigan State |
