Senior Bowl Thread

Norwood would have about 100 yards already if he had caught that pass from Carr.

That TD was reminiscent of the Glennon-to-Jackson TD in Week 14 vs. Buffalo

Senior Bowl provides Alabama's Kevin Norwood an opportunity to prove he's 'faster than a 4.6'The numbers brought a confused scowl to Kevin Norwood's face.The first time Norwood heard the numbers "4" and "6" mentioned in his direction came shortly after his Alabama career came to a close. In an interview with a prospective agent, Norwood learned that some scouts believed he was a "4.6" guy in the 40-yard dash.While incredibly fast for most humans, a 4.6-second 40-yard dash time is not good for those who hope to play wide receiver in the NFL. Only four wide receivers ran a 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds or more at last year's NFL Combine. None were drafted."It's not slow, but it's not fast. It's not what they want," Norwood said. "I never ran that in my life."Do I look that slow on film? Do I?"As one of the South team's top wide receivers at this week's Senior Bowl practices, Norwood received the first of many opportunities to erase any of the preconceived notions that surround not just him, but an Alabama receiving corps that has seen just two receivers selected in the past 10 NFL Drafts.Certainly, there are receivers with better numbers than Norwood, who caught 67 passes for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Alabama, and he knows it. That's why his focus has centered on re-affirming what he's already been told by scouts: his future in the NFL relies on his ability to turn third downs into first downs and make tough catches inside the red zone."I'm hoping my film work will do a little bit of the work," Norwood said. "On top of that, I just want to stay consistent. Just basically getting better and just working on press and basically doing what I need to do to try to get in the NFL."That's what I pride myself on and that's what I want to continue to do."In a draft chock full of talented wide receivers -- as many as seven could go in the first round -- Norwood ranks 34th, according to CBSSports.com. He's 40th on ESPN Insider.If those rankings held, Norwood would likely go undrafted. Only 28 wide receivers were selected in last year's draft.How he performed in this week's Senior Bowl practices, though, could ultimately vault him up the draft board. Jacksonville Jaguars coach Gus Bradley, who is coaching the South team, singled him out during a Wednesday post-practice interview. "I like the way he competes," Bradley said. "He comes in every day. He's bright-eyed. He's into it. He loves football. I think he's done a nice job out on the field competing."Norwood's caught the eyes of others, too.

Dion Caputi @nfldraftupdateAlabama WR Kevin Norwood has a really wide catch radius and plucks well off-body. He's quietly impressed me. Have to do more work on him.

Mark Dulgerian @MarkDulgerianOSAnother WR observation from South. Kevin Norwood may be a slot only guy in the NFL. VERY raw vs press. Took to coaching well though

Norwood grew up idolizing the likes of Jerry Rice, but his focus has shifted to a less heralded receiver ever since he found his "niche."When Seattle and San Francisco played for a shot at the Super Bowl on Sunday, Norwood's eyes were on 49ers veteran Anquan Boldin, who has logged 11 productive seasons in the NFL after infamously running a 4.72-second 40-yard dash at the Combine."He's about my size but a little bit bigger," the 197-pound Norwood said of the 220-pound Boldin. "I feel like I have a lot in common with him as far as getting open and being in the right spot at the right time."The next few months will provide Norwood the opportunity to prove he can get to that spot faster than expected."I want to prove that I can be a top receiver, too," he said. "That I can be consistent on a daily basis, every day. Just basically, I can prove that I'm fast; faster than a 4.6."