Hyped Up: Vontaze Burfict has good chance of playing Sunday

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Burfict was considered the most highly ranked football prospect Arizona State ever signed to a letter of intent, but had an up-and-down career for the Sun Devils. An All-American in 2010, Burfict was projected an early first round pick for the 2012 NFL Draft on the eve of his junior season. However, a mediocre on-field performance and poor pre-draft workouts deteriorated his draft stock.

While microfrature surgery often presents a steep climb, there is no question Burfict is one of the premiere all-around linebackers in football. The team seems to have waited patiently enough and Burfict received clearance from his surgeon and the team’s medical staff.

When he entered his junior season, Burfict was regarded as one of the best linebackers available in the 2012 NFL Draft, projected to go as high as the No. 5 pick. Problems on and off the field at Arizona State, however, caused his draft stock to plummet. In October 2011, Sports Illustrated′s Tony Pauline still ranked him as the No. 20 prospect on his midseason draft board, but noted that he has been “a loose cannon on and off the field, which has raised red flags.”

Burfict entered the NFL Combine rated as the No. 3 inside linebacker, behind Luke Kuechly and Dont’a Hightower, but his “disappointing” performance—including a 5.09 sec in the 40-yard dash, slowest among linebackers—caused some analysts to project him as a third day (Rd. 4-7) draft pick. NFL scouts also faulted him for his interview process, in which he blamed the ASU coaching staff for his mediocre junior season. Later it was also reported that Burfict tested positive for marijuana at the combine.