Wisconsin's O'Brien Schofield raised his stock by earning defensive MVP honors at the East-West Shrine Game, but his NFL career just took a big hit.
The defensive end tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left leg during practice for the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama on Monday, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Schofield had three solo tackles and an interception while playing outside linebacker in the East's win over the West in Orlando on Saturday. Many project the all-Big Ten selection as a linebacker in the NFL.
"Schofield could have taken the easy way out at the East-West Shrine game by spending most of his time at defensive end, doing what he does best -- rush the passer. Instead, he opted for on-the-job training at linebacker in front of hundreds of NFL coaches and scouts," ESPN football analyst Todd McShay said on Monday night. "There were some bumps in the road early on, but by week's end Schofield was playing at a higher level than any other linebacker in that all-star game. In my opinion, the mental toughness, competitiveness and versatility shown by Schofield was enough to elevate his draft stock to the third-round range."
An NFL team also thought that Schofield's stock had risen dramatically.
"That kid earned his way here this week," Green Bay Packers director of college scouting John Dorsey said of Schofield, about 30 minutes before the injury, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "He really did a nice job last week and opened eyes. A good player."
Schofield was taking on Massachusetts tackle Vladimir Ducasse in one-on-one drills when the injury happened.
"What happened to him, I'm a little down about that right now," Ducasse said, according to the newspaper.