The annual Senior Bowl begins later today at 3 P.M., featuring some of the best college football players in the country. Scouts have been in Mobile, Alabama all week taking a look at some of the players, many of whom will be drafted come April.
After the jump, we'll take a look at some of the players that not only we should be looking out for as fans, but also at players that the Arizona Cardinals will be looking at as possible draftees.
In case you haven't seen which athletes will be participating in the event, here is the 2012 Senior Bowl South roster and here is the North roster. All of these players will be looking to show their skills in order to find their way onto an NFL roster next season. Here are a few players that the Cardinals may be keeping their eyes on.
Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State
We have already looked at Adams a little bit and many have scouts have praised his skills as a left tackle in the drills and workouts leading up to the big game. Adams would be a guy that the Cardinals could probably grab with the 13th overall pick. He would presumably replace Levi Brown at left tackle from day one, providing a much needed piece to protect Kevin Kolb and John Skelton's blind sides.
Courtney Upshaw, DL, Alabama
Upshaw has been talked about a lot around ROTB, especially since his Crimson Tide won the BCS National Championship just a short while ago. He has great size and although he was a defensive end in college, the Cardinals could convert him to become an outside linebacker, much like they did with Sam Acho. Rushing the passer is one of the things that the Cardinals still need to improve on and if Upshaw is still on the board when the Cardinals are on the clock, this is a direction that they'll certainly look.
Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M
Fuller is a player that hasn't been talked about much, but I think he would be a perfect fit in a Cardinals uniform. At 6'4", he would be a great, physical receiver to line up across from the Pro Bowler, Larry Fitzgerald. I believe that Fuller could really provide some of the edge to this Cardinals team that has been missing since the departure of Anquan Boldin. He broke plenty of records as an Aggie, including becoming the first player ever to log 3,000 receiving yards in his collegiate career. He has been somewhat underwhelming in the days leading up to this game, according to reports, but the Cards could still ideally get him in the 3rd or 4th round.
Emmanuel Acho, LB, Texas
Where have we heard this name before? Emmanuel's brother, Sam Acho, was one of the great young rookies to play for the Cardinals last season. Emmanuel could be the 2nd Acho that the Cards could add to the mix. He primarily played as a middle linebacker as a Longhorn, but with his size and skill, he could be converted to play the outside. He's not a gigantic player, nor is he an incredibly fast one, but in the later rounds, Emmanuel might be a good target for Arizona.
Drew Butler, P, Georgia
Yes, I know what you are thinking, why would the Cardinals ever draft a punter? Well, it's quite simple, really. Ben Graham was cut because he couldn't get enough hangtime on his kicks. Dave Zastudil will become an unrestricted free agent and his punts were not all that great, either. Butler could be a game changer at the position, being able to punt not only for big time yards to change the field position, but also to get the ball down inside the 20-yard line. He also has experience as a holder, which will really help whoever the placekicker is for the Cardinals in 2012. Although, a punter isn't really necessary if the Cardinals can just manage to avoid 4th down altogether.
What do you think? What players will you be keeping an eye out for this afternoon? Sound off in the comments section below.
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