David Nwabuisi, OLB

03/06/2013 - 2013 Northwestern Pro Day: Scouts from 27 National Football League teams descended on Evanston on Tuesday to look at prospects for April's NFL draft. Northwestern's annual pro day began with prospects from smaller schools around the Chicagoland area showing their mettle for the scouts. In the afternoon, eight former Wildcats took the field to push their bodies to the limit for a chance at playing in the pros. "This is an exciting day," coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "It's an opportunity for them to showcase their skills and hopefully prolong their football careers ... 98 percent of the work is already done. This is 2 percent of the evaluation; you either confirm that you can run and that you're really athletic, or you're not."

Cornerback Quinn Evans clocked the fastest unofficial time in the 40-yard dash at around 4.40 seconds. He also set the best mark of the day with a 10-foot, 3-inch broad jump. Defensive tackle Brian Arnfelt showcased his strength with 38 repetitions of 225 pounds in the bench press, tying the high at the official NFL Scouting Combine in February. The day was actually easier than anticipated for some former Cats. Linebacker David Nwabuisi and offensive tackle Patrick Ward both said they trained at a much higher level in order to make this day a little bit easier and that they felt comfortable in front of the scouts. - Josh Walfish, Daily Northwestern

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After finishing third on the team in tackles last season in his first year as a starter, Nwabuisi returns as one of the defensive veterans of a young Northwestern offense. Recently named to the pre-season watch list for the Butkus Award (nation's top linebacker), he is arguably the Wildcats' best defensive player.

Nwabuisi was recruited more as an athlete out of high school with most schools viewing him as a fullback, picking the Wildcats over Arizona State and Air Force.

After redshirting in 2008, he spent his freshman and sophomore seasons mostly as a reserve and on special teams, earning one start. Nwabuisi became a full-time starter at strongside linebacker last season, finishing with 84 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and two forced fumbles.

Known as a speedy athlete, Nwabuisi is a rangy player with the foot quickness and fluidity to cover a large area. He has streaky instincts and doesn't always trust what he sees, taking too many false steps and struggling to disengage blocks. Nwabuisi produced respectable numbers as a first-year starter, but it's his senior performance this season that will determine whether or not he will be considered draftable next April.

--Dane Brugler