Chris Marve Scouting Report

Marve toyed with leaving early for the NFL, but he decided to return to Vanderbilt for his senior season. It was probably a good decision, although that's not to say Marve has not been impressive for the Commodores. The inside linebacker tallied 80 total tackles in 2010, good for second on the team (despite missing one game with a knee injury and being hampered in a few others with the same problem). He finished tied for first on the squad with eight tackles for loss while also recording 2.5 sacks and he was named a Second Team All-SEC performer.

One of the most experienced players in college football, Marve redshirted when he stepped on campus in 2007 and has been a starter ever since. So far this season (through seven games), Marve leads the team--by far--with 57 tackles (5.5 for loss) to go along with a sack, and interception, and a forced fumble.

Marve is slightly undersized at his position, standing at 6'0'' and 242 pounds (although he did add some muscle in between his junior and senior campaigns). However, he can make up for any deficiencies with speed and he has been clocked as fast as 4.62 in the 40-yard dash. He is fundamentally sound in almost all aspects of the game, but is not exactly a physical specimen nor does he have that "wow" factor. A third-round selection is a good estimation in the 2012 draft depending on how Marve finishes the season and performs at the combine.