Courtney Upshaw: 3 Best Landing Spots for Steal of the Second Round

Boy is this draft loaded.

After 32 picks, Alabama linebacker Courtney Upshaw is still on the board. That is simply outrageous. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper had him ranked as the 25th-best prospect overall, and many other experts had him even higher.

He made big play after big play at Alabama, emerging as one of the real leaders of a defense that will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time. Upshaw led the team with 18 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, while ranking third with 52 total tackles. Throw in two forced fumbles and an interception and you have one of the most accomplished prospects in the entire draft.

So, who will end up with this future perennial Pro Bowler?

No. 34 Indianapolis Colts

New head coach Chuck Pagano is going to re-shape the defense in Indianapolis. Landing a proven leader like Upshaw would be a dream come true.

With the incredible turnover on the roster, landing a potential star that can quickly become one of the voices of the locker room for years is a terrific idea.

The Colts defense is starting from scratch. Shoring up the linebacker position, sooner rather than later, is the right move.

No. 35 Baltimore Ravens

Upshaw is the perfect outside linebacker for the Ravens' 3-4 scheme, and can line up as an inside linebacker and defensive end as well.

Allowing him to learn under the tutelage of 16-year veteran Ray Lewis will give Upshaw the chance to learn from a Hall of Famer. Eventually, Upshaw can become the captain of this defense. Landing him in Round 2 is borderline criminal.

The rich get richer.

No. 39 St. Louis Rams (via Washington)

Yes, they have the first pick of Round 2 (33). However, if they don’t pick a receiver, I feel like Sam Bradford is going to hold out.

With another pick just six slots later, Upshaw would be the perfect pupil for Jeff Fisher’s new defense.

There are a ton of holes on this team, and plugging one of them with a guy who can start right away and be extremely productive would be a dream come true for a Rams team that needs to rebound quickly. 

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