| Acho will look to follow in the footsteps of his older brother Sam Acho, another Longhorns linebacker who made an immediate impact with the Arizona Cardinals last season, registering seven sacks. Sam got drafted with the sixth pick of the fourth round, which likely represents the beginning of the range in which Emmanuel Acho could get taken off the board in 2012. Acho was the brightest spot on a Texas defense that largely underachieved in 2011, totaling a team-high 131 tackles, 19 for loss, and three sacks while also forcing a fumble. He was similarly strong as a junior, managing 87 total tackles and three sacks despite being limited to 11 games by a knee injury. He also can contribute on special teams. Acho has good instincts at his position and is intelligent, but will have to overcome being undersized for a linebacker to succeed at the next level. He participated in the combine but did not rank among the leading linebackers in any category there. Acho's talent and leadership ability should be enough to help him latch on to an NFL roster and merit a selection in the middle or later rounds. |
