Sanchez's girl Kate Upton top fav to appear on Sports Illustrated cover

NFL star Mark Sanchez's girlfriend Kate Upton is one of the top contenders to clinch the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition cover.

The Victoria's Secret model, recently linked with the Jets quarterback, is considered the top candidate for the cover this year, which will be unveiled Monday on "The Late Show with David Letterman."

According to sources, Upton's blond, all-American looks made her a top contender even though the magazine crowned Russian lingerie model Irina Shayk, the girlfriend of soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, as its cover star last year.

Michigan-born Upton, 19, who made her SI Swimsuit debut last year, was at Tuesday's ribbon-cutting at Lincoln Center to mark the kickoff of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, but the bombshell played coy about her chances of landing the cover - a guaranteed giant career boost.

"All I can really say is that I'm in the issue," The New York Post quoted Upton as telling Page Six.

She said that she's missing the New York shows because she'll be promoting the SI issue, including at a launch party at Pure in Las Vegas next week, where Bruno Mars will perform. But she added, "Fingers crossed!"

Other cover candidates include swimsuit veteran Chrissy Teigen, the fiance of R and B crooner John Legend, and blond Russian model Anne V., the Victoria's Secret model who was dating Adam Levine.

Also in the running are Genevieve Morton, a South African stunner who debuted in the 2010 SI Swimsuit issue, and Alyssa Miller, a California girl who made her SI debut last year. (ANI)