Nick Perry is one of the top defensive ends in the 2012 NFL Draft class, but he's far from a sure thing. The USC defensive end was originally considered a top talent, but as time has gone by he's lost a little. Mike Mayock of NFL.com has Perry ranked as one of the top 5 defensive ends, but isn't ranked as high as he probably could be. Michael Lev of the Orange County Register reports that Mayock thinks Perry has strengths and weaknesses.

After watching his tapes, Mayock said Perry was “up and down” in 2011. Sometimes, Perry looked like a first-rounder. Other times, he looked like a second- or third-round pick.

“That lack of consistency will hurt him a little bit,” Mayock said.

But Perry is among the players who really could boost his stock during next week’s NFL scouting combine and USC’s March 7 pro day.

“I think he’s going to test extremely well,” Mayock said. “He’s going to be one of those guys the combine and pro day helps because he’s a bit of an athletic freak.”

It's interesting to think of what would've happened if Perry had actually stuck around for another season at USC. Perry would probably have developed into a top draft pick as a defensive end. Now he probably will struggle trying to get past those issues if he doesn't excel in the combine.

To talk about Perry with USC football fans, head on over to Conquest Chronicles. To learn about Mayock, check out Mocking The Draft.