Height and athleticism certainly aren't lacking for our next player on our top 25 countdown:
No. 21: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama, Jr.
Preseason rank: Not ranked in the preseason top 25 countdown.
2011 numbers: He finished the season with 30 total tackles, including 24 solo stops and four for loss. He also defended nine passes and forced two fumbles. He was voted a second-team All-American and a second-team All-SEC member as well.
Why he's here: He didn't have eye-popping numbers in 2011, but that didn't mean that Kirkpatrick didn't have a solid final year in Tuscaloosa. He failed to record an interception, but the number of interceptions does not always tell the whole story of a corner's season. Throwing Kirkpatrick's way was usually a no-no for quarterbacks. With his 6-foot-3, 192-pound frame, he made it nearly impossible for quarterbacks to consistently throw toward his side. His aggressive style got the best of him sometimes, but Kirkpatrick had a very short memory on the field and never had an issue bouncing back. Kirkpatrick has real lock-down ability and can take an entire side of the field away with his range. He is also considered one of the top defensive prospects in April's NFL draft.
No. 21: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama, Jr.
Preseason rank: Not ranked in the preseason top 25 countdown.
2011 numbers: He finished the season with 30 total tackles, including 24 solo stops and four for loss. He also defended nine passes and forced two fumbles. He was voted a second-team All-American and a second-team All-SEC member as well.
Why he's here: He didn't have eye-popping numbers in 2011, but that didn't mean that Kirkpatrick didn't have a solid final year in Tuscaloosa. He failed to record an interception, but the number of interceptions does not always tell the whole story of a corner's season. Throwing Kirkpatrick's way was usually a no-no for quarterbacks. With his 6-foot-3, 192-pound frame, he made it nearly impossible for quarterbacks to consistently throw toward his side. His aggressive style got the best of him sometimes, but Kirkpatrick had a very short memory on the field and never had an issue bouncing back. Kirkpatrick has real lock-down ability and can take an entire side of the field away with his range. He is also considered one of the top defensive prospects in April's NFL draft.
Edward Aschoff | email
College Football- ESPN.com SEC blogger
- Joined ESPN.com in 2011
- Wrote for The Gainesville Sun
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Chris Low
Low joined ESPN.com in 2007 after 10 years with The (Nashville) Tennessean covering the University of Tennessee and SEC. The Rock Hill, S.C., native lives with his wife in Knoxville and has three sons.
Edward Aschoff
Aschoff joined ESPN.com in 2011 after spending four years covering the University of Florida for The Gainesville Sun. He grew up in Oxford, Miss., before attending UF, graduating with a B.S. in journalism.
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