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2012 NFL Draft: Courtney Upshaw or Melvin Ingram For The Arizona Cardinals?

By Jesse Reynolds

Imagine you're the GM of the Arizona Cardinals and by some strange act of the football magic both Courtney Upshaw and Melvin Ingram drop to you at #13, who would you pick?

Being the well prepared GM you are, you of course have done some homework and wrote down some notes on each player. Take a look at your notes after the break...

Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
Height: 6-1. Weight: 264.
40 Time: 4.66. 10-Yd Split: 1.72.
Bench: 28.
Arm: 31 1/2. Hand: 9 1/4.
Highlights 		ourtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama
Height: 6-2. Weight: 272.
Projected 40 Time: 4.70.
Bench: 22.
Arm: 32. Hand: 8 5/8.
Highlights

Pros:
Tenacious - Will chase down players and fight through blocks
Power - Can and will bull rush through lineman
Speed - Explosive, can get around most tackles with
his speed
Agility - Ingram has shown enough agility to lead most to
believe he can convert to a 3-4 OLB.

 Pros:
Huge: Upshaw weighs in at 272 lbs and can bully
offensive lineman
Speed - Upshaw ran a 4.7, just 0.04 slower than
Ingram. He can move for his size.
Relentless - Never stops moving his feet and is a
solid tackler.
Cons:

Experience - Primarily played as a 4-3DE in college.
Over aggressive - Ingram will often over pursue and does
not anticipate the snap well. Ingram will also miss a few
tackles.


Cons:
Padlevel - Will let blockers get below his pad level
and blow him off the ball
Average hips - Upshaw could struggle in coverage
not appearing very athletic in space.

After looking at your notes, who would you pick at #13?

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