Alabama Football: Previewing the Tide Prospects in the Senior Bowl

Alabama ended its season on the highest of notes with their win over LSU in the BCS National Championship Game, but a handful of Tide stars have earned the right to strap on their helmets one more time.  

Seven members of Alabama’s senior class will get a chance to represent the Crimson Tide with one final game in their home state at the 2012 Senior Bowl held in Mobile.  

Linebacker Courtney Upshaw, center William Vlachos, defensive back Dequan Menzie, tight end Brad Smelley, safety Mark Barron, defensive tackle Josh Chapman and wide receiver Marquis Maze are the players who received invites.  

However, Chapman will not be able to play due to upcoming surgery on his knee, and Maze and Barron are both unlikely to play due to injuries suffered late in the season.  

Upshaw will be one of the main attractions for NFL scouts, and after a brilliant senior season culminating with a dominant performance in the national-title game, the Eufaula, AL native has seen his stock rise to where he’s now considered a surefire first-round pick.  

Vlachos will put the finishing touches on a banner career after being named a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, which is given annually to the best center in the nation.  

The Mountain Brook, AL native could use a strong week against some of the nation’s best defensive linemen to boost his stock, as CBS Sports draft analyst Rob Rang ranks him as just the seventh-best center available while potentially coming off the board in the late rounds (6-7) of the draft. 

Menzie is another Tide star who could climb up draft boards with a good showing this week.  

While teammates Barron and junior Dre Kirkpatrick received their share of accolades and are both projected as first-round picks, Menzie quietly put together a nice senior season, recording 74 tackles, 15 pass breakups and an interception.  

Rang projects Menzie as a third- or fourth-round choice heading into the All-Star-game circuit.  

Chapman’s status is uncertain after having surgery on his torn ACL, which he ended up playing on for most of the 2011 season.  

Before the injury, Chapman was projected as high as a second-round pick.  

Maze, Alabama’s leading receiver in 2011, hurt his hamstring on a first-quarter 49-yard punt return in the BCS title game. 

Currently, Maze has a late-round (6-7) grade, but the inability to improve his case in Mobile would be a tough break for the second-team All-SEC receiver and return man. 

Smelley received a late invite to the Senior Bowl with a strong performance in the rematch against LSU (seven catches for 39 yards).  

While Smelley may not be on the radar of draft analysts, the Tuscaloosa native—like several of his teammates—will have another shot to prove his value to the legion of NFL scouts in attendance.  

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