Kendric Burney of North Carolina Dominating Senior Bowl Practices

Kendric Burney continued his amazing week of Senior Bowl practices on Thursday, picking off a pair of Ricky Stanzi passes and nearly intercepting Colin Kaepernick. Burney has looked great all week and he took it to another level today.

The North Carolina product displayed an exceptional ability to read offenses and anticipate the quarterback's reads during practice according to NFL.com's Pat Kirwan. Kirwan also noted Burney's ability to make up for his lack of straight line speed with his quickness and knack for getting a jump on the ball.

Burney sat out much of the of the 2010 season for the Tar Heels while serving a six game suspension for illegal contact with an agent. In the three seasons prior to that however, he started every game for North Carolina and was the epitome of a shutdown cornerback.

A bit undersized at just 5'9'', Burney makes up for his height with above average leaping ability and elite ball skills. Despite not being thrown out during most of his days down in Chapel Hill, Kendric Burney compiled 11 interceptions in his four year career.

The 2011 NFL Draft boasts a deep cornerback class and with his recent performance Burney is shooting close to the top of that group. After LSU's Patrick Peterson and Nebraska's Prince Amukamara the battle for the third corner is up for grabs.

Burney is certainly making a strong case for that distinction. Brandon Harris of Miami is the leader in the clubhouse and Utah's Brandon Burton, Virginia's Ras-I Dowling, Colorado's Jimmy Smith, and Texas corners Aaron Williams and Curtis Brown are all in the mix as well.

Kendric Burney has been fighting an uphill battle since being suspended at the beginning of the season. He still has a ways to go but I think he has played his way into first round consideration.