One reason that players "slide" is the influx of Juniors who declare. Which mock drafts done after the NFL Draft don't take into consideration.
Other things that happen includes:
The player not getting better or worse while others do get better.
Off-field issues such as arrests, drugs, dui, attitude.
Player being observed under a finer microscope, so their deficiencies stand out more.
For Adams, a few things stand out to me. He's a 5th year senior. He had a medical redshirt in 2009 because of shoulder surgery. During this last year, he only had 3 interceptions and 10 Passes Defended all year. On the surface, those numbers look pedestrian until you realize that he was named to the All-Big Ten Team by Coaches..
One thing that does stand out is that his coaches said "We constantly put him on an island and he responded to the challenge. "
At 5'10 6/8", he's not exactly tall, which could be why there are knocks on him.
As for Jenkins, he missed 4 games with various injuries, including a foot injury that required surgery and may cause him to be unable to fully participate in the Combine. Many people felt he should have returned for his senior season. Supposedly has some attitude issues.
There is a line from Gainesville Sun Reporter Talal Al Masry that sums up the players and draft process the best.. "Injury, opportunity, coaching, character, desire are just a few ambiguous factors that can define a career. The measurables, like 40-yard dash times, can tell us how quickly a player can get to the ball but not how willing a player is to tackle once he gets there."
