Yahoo! Sports is busy counting down the best third day draft picks of the 2011 NFL Draft, and linebacker Sam Acho comes in ranked number four (one of four NFC West players to be included). The Cardinals drafted Acho in the 4th round with the 103rd pick overall and the Texas Longhorn product made an immediate impact filling in for the injured Joey Porter to the tune of seven sacks - most for a Cardinals rookie since Simeon Rice cracked skulls for a collective 12.5 sacks in 1996.
Great Starts: 2011′s best third-day draft picks | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
As with many young Cardinals defenders, Acho thrived in the aggressive schemes put up by underrated defensive coordinator Ray Horton, and head coach Ken Whisenhunt was impressed as well. "It doesn't take very long to figure out when you're around Sam how smart he is," Whisenhunt said last November. "He's got athletic ability, but he makes plays because he understands where he needs to be and what he needs to do. What a good young man and a good young player.
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