Who has me intrigued for 2012: Skill Positions.

I won’t pretend to know what the Chiefs are going to look like in draft season of next year.

But we can assume, I’d imagine, the following: they will still be searching for QB depth, more WRs, an every down RB, OL help inside and out, a stud nose guard, front seven depth, interior linebackers, and depth at safety.  Maybe even a kicker, should the value arise and Succop has a down year…

If that were to be the case, we can pretty much look forward to certain players at certain points of the draft, and some of them are extremely intriguing to me. This post will give you some of my favorite sleeper skill position players. Future posts will examine other parts of the field.

These players are just a few that will fire up my DVR when college football commences. Players that are less obvious, players that you might not have heard from.

QB Dominique Davis, East Carolina — My love of Boston College prospects continues to ridiculous extents. Davis almost transferred there, but instead redirected to East Carolina. The result has been stellar, as Davis has put up amazing numbers in ECU’s offense.

QB John Brantley, Florida — Brantley has been a disaster in Florida’s offense.  In the time I was watching Mike Pouncey tape, my eyes constantly felt strained watching Brantley look absolutely pathetic trying to improvise on the field.  I have a feeling that will change in 2011, with Charlie Weis calling plays.

RB Taren Poole, Tennessee — A bigger back that isn’t all that big, Poole may not be a goal line slammer but he’s going to be able to handle 20 carries a game if given the chance.  I think Poole is a sleeper, that Tennessee offense gave him no help last year and he still put up good numbers.

RB Bernard Pierce, Temple — One guy that really stood out to me when I watched Temple the past two years was Pierce.  Pierce was sidelined for good portions of 2010 with injury, but looked brilliant in 2009. If he’s healthy again, and puts up 1,300+ yards again, I think he could be a major sleeper.

WR Phillip Payne, UNLV — Every now and again, the UNLV will churn out somebody worth looking at. But only every now and again. I have a hard time imagining Payne will do anything but fall like a rock on draft day; he simply has no help in that program and he’s not very fast. But he’s a sharp route runner that could be fashioned into an intriguing #4 option.

WR Marquis Maze, Alabama — I thought Maze was always a ton of fun to watch, and I think he’s got a lot to offer the team that picks him up in 2012. He’s that classic burner/kick returner that this team has long since needed. He’s a midrounder entering the 2011 season, in my estimation.