Up: Nebraska
S Daimion Stafford (72)
Stafford has forced a turnover in each of the last three games. He tracked an interception well against Michigan, and delivered a big hit to force a fumble against Michigan State the following week. His pick against Penn State is the most impressive of the three, though, with Stafford reading Nittany Lions QB Matt McGloin and jumping in front of the intended receiver at a key point in the game. Finally, teams rarely tolerate disrespectful players, but there'’s a difference between being insubordinate and a heat-of-the-moment argument like the one Stafford had with coach Bo Pelini last week. Stafford's passion will help him more than it hurts him.

Down: Georgia ILB Alec Ogletree* (92)
Ogletree is a rangy run defender with above-average closing speed and third-down potential, but he's disappointed in two areas. First, he hasn't gotten any more stout at the point of attack and his tackling has been inconsistent. Durability and character issues are also at play here. Ogletree missed six games with a broken foot in 2011, and any team interested in taking him will want doctors to take a look at that foot. In terms of character, it should be noted that Ogletree was one of the team's David Jacobs Award winners in 2011, an award given to players who portray courage, spirit, character and determination by example. However, Georgia suspended him for one game of the 2010 season and for the first four games this year. Add it all up, and Ogletree could easily slide out of the first round.

Up: Central Michigan
OT Eric Fisher (90)
I've studied plenty of coach-copy tape on Fisher recently and come away impressed. At 6-8 and 305 pounds, he has wide range when protecting the edge. He is light on his feet and plays with balance, and you rarely see Fisher overextended. Fisher also displays good footwork when pulling around the edge and the ability to adjust to moving targets in space, and he also appears to have the inline power base to create movement at the point of attack. He has solid intangibles and definitely looks like an early second-rounder at this point, and I won't be surprised if Fisher works his way into the late first round and strengthens the offensive tackle class after scouts have a chance to really digest his tape.

Down: USC S T.J. McDonald (73)
McDonald flashes athleticism at times and shows good ball skills when in position to make a play. Problem is, he is often more interested in delivering a knockout blow than making a football play. He takes inconsistent angles in run support, and misses more than his share of tackles because he comes in too hot in pursuit. McDonald is lacking in overall awareness, vulnerable to play-action and overzealous in coverage. He's also committed several foolish personal foul penalties, and on the whole has done more to hurt his team than help it. He's hanging on to the fringe of Day 2 at this point.

Muench: Special teams rarely make or break the stock of an early-round prospect, but that facet of the game does matter. Return skills like those shown by North Carolina RB Giovani Bernard* (Grade: 82) on a game-winning 73-yard punt return touchdown against N.C. State are one of the reasons Bernard is the top back on our board. On the flip side, Wolfpack CB David Amerson (85) is sliding because of struggles in coverage, but his special-teams play hasn't helped, either. Amerson didn't look ready when the Tar Heels muffed the snap on the PAT following Bernard's return and they ended up scoring a two-point conversion. He also gave Miami a first down when he jumped offside trying to block a third-quarter field goal attempt, and the Hurricanes punched it in on the next play. Special-teams contributions are more important for Day 3 prospects, and there are two defensive ends worth mentioning in that regard: Missouri's Bradley Madison (52) is also the team's long snapper, while SMU's Margus Hunt (48) has blocked 17 kicks in his career, including three this season.