Head to SB Nation's College Football headquarters to have all your 2011 Senior Bowl questions answered.
The ACC has an impressive 18 players in the 2011 Senior Bowl, coming in second to the SEC's 20 representatives. Headlining the group are OL Anthony Castonzo, DL Allen Bailey, and LB Mark Herzlick. Of the 18 players, 12 are ranked in Mocking The Draft's Top 200.
According to SB Nation's mock draft, two of the ACC's Senior Bowl players (and five ACC players total) are expected to go in the first round. Their picks, and reasons:
19. New York Giants: Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College. The Giants need to begin grooming a better long-term replacement for David Diehl at left tackle; William Beatty has been a disappointment. Tom Coughlin's BC connection is well-known, and Castonzo is a sound technician that could start on either side - but perhaps not right away.
30. New York Jets: Allen Bailey, DE, Miami (FL). This is the type of player that the ultra-creative Rex Ryan would find ways to use; Bailey is a 285-pound end-tackle 'tweener with the speed to play outside and the strength to play inside. He'd be a jack-of-all-trades in Ryan's system.
Mocking Dan lists 10 intriguing players, two of whom are from the ACC playing in the Senior Bowl:
Rodney Hudson | G | Florida State: At just under 290 pounds, some don't think Hudson has the bulk to placard in the NFL. We'll find out if the paid professionals think the same if he's lined up at center this week. If he isn't, Hudson will have o display his athleticism to secure his spot in the second round.
Allen Bailey | DE/DT | Miami: Bailey is somewhat of an enigma. He's excellent as a blitzer, but only out of the defensive tackle spot. However, at 285 pounds, Bailey may not have the size to player tackle in the pros. Bailey is a good 3-4 end prospect, but will need to show he can anchor.
And finally, he has five storylines to watch for, including the battle for top offensive lineman in the draft including Castonzo, the fight for middle linebacker notoriety featuring Nate Irving, and Mark Herzlick and the play of the outside linebackers.
Two former ACC players were picked to play in the Senior Bowl, but will not be able to due to injuries: North Carolina linebacker Quan Sturdivant and Virginia defensive back Ras'I Dowling.
Below is a handy chart if you want to follow the ACC players in the game. The rank listed is from SB Nation's Mocking The Draft. It is not a projected draft order, but a rank done by overall talent.
Team |
No. |
Name |
Pos. |
HT/WT |
School |
Rank |
North |
74 |
Castonzo, Anthony |
OL |
6-7 / 308 |
Boston College |
28 |
South |
57 |
Bailey, Allen |
DL |
6-3 1/4 / 278 |
Miami |
29 |
South |
56 |
Irving, Nate |
LB |
6-1 1/4 / 242 |
NC State |
42 |
South |
62 |
Hudson, Rodney |
OL |
6-2 1/4 / 291 |
Florida State |
44 |
South |
2 |
McDaniel, DeAndre |
DB |
6-0 1/8 / 213 |
Clemson |
65 |
South |
99 |
Jenkins, Jarvis |
DL |
6-3 7/8 / 309 |
Clemson |
66 |
North |
44 |
Herzlich, Mark |
LB |
6-4 / 244 |
Boston College |
75 |
South |
86 |
Hankerson, Leonard |
WR |
6-1 5/8 / 205 |
Miami |
82 |
South |
7 |
Ponder, Christian |
QB |
6-2 1/8 / 222 |
Florida State |
87 |
South |
46 |
McCarthy, Colin |
LB |
6-1 1/4 / 235 |
Miami |
120 |
North |
8 |
Burney, Kendric |
DB |
5-9 / 190 |
North Carolina |
132 |
North |
21 |
Carmichael, Rashad |
DB |
5-11 / 186 |
Virginia Tech |
144 |
South |
82 |
Aiken, Danny |
DS |
6-4 1/2 / 246 |
Virginia |
|
South |
18 |
Allen, Anthony |
RB |
5-11 3/4 / 223 |
Georgia Tech |
|
South |
12 |
Gilchrist, Marcus |
DB |
5-9 7/8 / 193 |
Clemson |
|
North |
33 |
Scott, Da'Rel |
RB |
5-11 / 200 |
Maryland |
|
North |
22 |
Searcy, Da'Norris |
DB |
6-0 / 215 |
North Carolina |
|
South |
16 |
Van Dyke, DeMarcus |
DB |
6-1 / 185 |
Miami |