Iowa State Cyclones Top NFL Prospects for 2012 and Beyond

72, Kelechi Osemele, Offensive Lineman, 6’6″ 347 (Senior)

Big, athletic, powerful offensive lineman who has been a pre-season All American by most major outlets, either first or second team. One of the best interior offensive line prospects in the country, Osemele will spend this season playing left tackle for the Cyclones so he has versatility to play outside if the need should arise, but most scouts are projecting him to move into the guard position in the NFL. He is an All Big 12 performer and has started every game over the last two years. One of the captains of the Iowa State football team, Osemele enters this season as a projected lock for the top 64 picks in the 2012 NFL Draft.

23 Leonard Johnson, Cornerback, 5’10” 202 (Senior)

Johnson is a Thorpe Award watch list cornerback prospect who has been an All Big 12 performer and even a first team All American as a freshman as a return specialist. Johnson is sort of stuck somewhere in the middle in terms of the best cornerbacks in the class of 2012, but he’s certainly not your typical prospect in that regard as this is a very deep year for cornerbacks and he is certainly one of the best in the nation. He has good size, and his school biography calls him the best cover man Iowa State has had in recent memory, which may or may not be saying a lot–I put some real stock into that statement. He has been a starter since he was a freshman, and has totaled 175 tackles, five interceptions, and 18 pass breakups. There are not a lot of people who talk about this guy, but he could certainly be a gem in next year’s draft, as he can contribute in a variety of ways as well as develop into a starting cornerback in the NFL.