Josh Norman has been invited to his second All-Star Game of the season. The Coastal Carolina cornerback will be a late addition to the Senior Bowl roster after an injury to Nebraska's Alfonzo Denard, according to WMBF News. Norman will play on the North team.
Josh Norman invited to 2012 Senior Bowl
Last week at the East West Shrine Game, Norman elevated his stock to mid-round status with a tremendous week of practice. The lengthy defensive back is playing his best football and getting a chance to prove himself against top competition.
After the jump, check out a brief scouting report of Norman based on what I’ve seen.
Strengths: Josh Norman is a big body at 6-feet-1-inches tall (or 6-feet-2-inches depending on who you ask). His height gives him tremendous length at the position and allows him to play physically. Norman is a really smooth athlete and is excellent at playing the ball in the air. He also has surprisingly good hands for a defensive back. He picks up plays well, and seems like a high character guy from all acounts.
Weaknesses: Obviously, Norman hasn’t gotten too many chances to prove himself against top-level competition, which is something he will have to do at the Senior Bowl. He is also somewhat questionable in run support. As mentioned, he sniffs out plays fairly well, but his tackling leaves something to be desired. Also, adjusting to the speed of the pro game is a concern, but that is not a rare concern for scouts to have.
Verdict: Norman is a bit of an enigma as a small-school player, but you find football players where you find football players. I’m looking forward to hearing how he does the rest of the week and watching him play in the Senior Bowl on Saturday. With another strong showing, don’t be surprised to see Norman come off the board in round three.
Note: The 2012 Senior Bowl will take place on Sat. Jan. 28 at 3 p.m. eastern time on NFL Network.
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