Arizona Wildcats Top NFL Prospects for 2012 and Beyond

This will be my first in-depth look at the Pac 12, even though we have had scouting on Oregon and USC from some outside sources and fans, including a report on the Trojans from staff member Nick Castillo.

8 Nick Foles, Quarterback, 6’5″ 240 (Senior)

Foles likely will finish his college career as the best quarterback in Arizona history, or at least he will be very, very close to the top of the list, and will find himself holding many school records. One thing that I have noticed about Foles is that he’s a bit overrated, even by myself going into this season. He has the size to hold up in the NFL, and he’s been fairly consistent over the last two seasons as a starter, completing 64 and 67 percent of his passes, throwing 39 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. The biggest issue I take with Foles right now is his yards per attempt (6.08 and 7.49 over last two years), and the fact that he took 23 sacks in 2010 compared to 11 in 2009. I think he’s a better athlete than that, and I’d like to see him become a star player like he showed he could be against Iowa early last season. He has good accuracy, but that’s to be expected as a lot of the throws I saw him make were short passes and underneath routes as well as check downs. When Arizona hit the meat of its schedule last year, Foles was putting up big numbers but the Wildcats were not winning. They finished the season with five straight losses, and I’d like to see Foles come of with an upset or two this year and show he is capable of winning games for his team rather than put up hollow statistics.

2 Keola Antolin, Running Back, 5’8″ 195 (Senior)

Antolin is a very compactly built back at 5’8″ but he has good speed and very good vision, and he never gives up on a play. Antolin is sort of like a Danny Woodhead type of player, where he can help your team in a multitude of ways. He really emerged last season as a junior when he rushed for 668 yards with seven touchdowns, also catching 28 passes for 204 yards and two more scores. He is on the 2011 Doak Walker watch list, and for good reason. If the Wildcats give him more touches, he could really get on the radar of NFL scouts. He definitely has the speed and work ethic to make it in the NFL, and he can contribute on all four downs. He might not be a high pick because of his size, but he will likely find his way on to the field and on a 53 man roster at the start of the 2012 season.

82 Juron Criner, Wide Receiver, 6’4″ 210 (Senior)

Criner will likely be the most talked about and most hyped Arizona prospect coming out this year, as he has a rare combination of size and speed at the receiver position. After showing what kind if playmaker he could be in 2009 as a sophomore by scoring nine touchdowns, he followed it up with a fantastic junior season where he caught 82 passes for 1,233 yards and 11 scores. Another good sign is that Criner seemingly got better and better as the season wore on, showing the coaches that he was not just a big play guy, but a possession receiver as well. Criner will be facing some of the nation’s top teams playing in the Pac 12, and I think he has a good chance to be a first round pick if he can come close to matching or even exceed his 2010 numbers. The wildcats like to get him the ball in space, but also stretch the field with their vertical threat.

85 David Douglas, Wide Receiver, 6’1″ 205 (Senior)

Not a speedy guy, but a good, reliable target in the passing game who will probably get a tryout to make an NFL team next offseason. His statistics aren’t flashy, but he has made some plays for the Wildcats, catching 86 passes in his career, including a career high 52 last season. He scored six total touchdowns last year, one coming on the ground and five receiving.

1 Robert Golden, Cornerback, 5’11” 200 (Senior)

Good size for a cornerback and has shown versatility throughout his career by playing both cornerback and safety. Had 60 tackles and 12 passes broken up last season, a number that led the team. He is a player who is likely going to come in and contribute right away on special teams and try to make an NFL roster that way, at least initially. Because of his versatility, he is a more valuable prospect and I could see him getting looks in the later rounds.