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I was impressed with Laken Tomlinson. He handled Danny Shelton and everybody very well.
2015 Senior Bowl
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Sources Tell Us: Inside scoop on prospects at Senior Bowl
Editor's note: NFL Media's Bucky Brooks, Lance Zierlein, Chase Goodbread and Bryan Fischer are in Mobile, Ala., this week at the Senior Bowl. Besides watching the daily practices, they're also talking to NFL scouts, agents and the players themselves. Here is some of what they are hearing from NFL sources:
The scoop: "Brett Hundley scares me." -- AFC player personnel director
The skinny: The UCLA quarterback, who turned down an invitation to participate in the Senior Bowl this week, is an impressive athlete and playmaker, but the personnel director is uncertain about whether Hundley can be a franchise quarterback at the next level. He questioned Hundley's overall pocket poise and awareness, while also expressing concerns about his deep-ball accuracy and touch. Factor in the worry about his transition to a pro-style offense after playing in UCLA's version of the spread, and it appears Hundley is anything but a lock to be the third quarterback taken in the draft.
* * *
The scoop: "He should have shown up. His skill-set is intriguing, and for QB-needy teams, he could be a guy that somebody picks in the second round to start down the road. He could have solidified that (in Mobile)." -- NFC scout on Hundley's decision to skip the Senior Bowl
The skinny: The scout lamented the large dropoff at quarterback after Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. Neither Hundley nor Mariota made it to the Senior Bowl, and the guys who were left to fill their roster spots haven't inspired confidence from scouts after the first day of practice. Bryce Petty of Baylor is one guy who could capitalize in the absence of big names, but he had a shaky first day of practice.
* * *
The scoop: "He has the same type of body as Maurkice Pouncey and plays tough like Pouncey, too. I like him so far the best." - AFC offensive line coach on La'el Collins
The skinny: Collins played left tackle at LSU but projects to right tackle or inside to guard in the NFL. He was listed at 321 pounds at LSU but weighed in Tuesday morning at an athletic 308 pounds. Collins is known for his physicality and aggressiveness, and it was on display at the South practice throughout the day. While he had some hits and misses during his one-on-one sessions, the consensus was generally very positive about his performance with the idea that he very well could end up inside at guard.
* * *
The scoop: "I don't think Danny Shelton is a top-10 pick" -- AFC assistant general manager
The skinny: Despite the glowing reports media pundits have put on Shelton, there are some NFL executives worried about his impact potential at the next level as a nose tackle. While the scout is impressed with Shelton's ability to control the point of attack as a classic nose tackle, he doesn't see the position flexibility or pass-rush skills that would make the Washington star a dynamic playmaker as a pro. He compares Shelton to former Pro Bowl NT Casey Hampton -- a spectacular run-stopper but not a guy that you envision being a dominant pass rusher in the middle of the line. Given the premium evaluators place on players capable of impacting the passing game, Shelton's value could dip a bit as the draft nears.
* * *
The scoop: "I really liked what I saw from Phillip Dorsett. Some guys can run fast, but they have to work hard to do it, which limits what they can do out of their breaks. Dorsett is more natural with his speed and movement." -- NFC player personnel director
The skinny: The Miami wideout has blazing speed and is expected to be one of the fastest participants at the combine next month. At just 5-foot-9 and 183 pounds (Senior Bowl measurements), Dorsett is likely to be viewed as a slot receiver. But that shouldn't hurt his draft stock as much as it might have in the past with smaller burners like T.Y. Hilton, John Brown and Antonio Brown causing so many problems for NFL cornerbacks.
* * *
The scoop: "Both of them show a lot of ability on tape. I'm excited to see what they can do against better competition. Clemmings could be gone the first day of the draft. Either one could be a big problem for the defensive linemen this week." - AFC scout on offensive tackles T.J. Clemmings of Pittsburgh and Ty Sambrailo of Colorado State.
The skinny: Quality offensive tackles are difficult to come by, so a strong Senior Bowl performance can go a long way at that position. Clemmings, once a defensive lineman, finished his college career as an outstanding right tackle. Sambrailo figures to show excellent footwork and balance this week in practices. How could he not? He's a former champion slalom snow skier.
* * *
The scoop: "I thought the Senior Bowl was more geared toward players in the past than it is now. Phil (Savage) does a good job of making this event team friendly since that is his background, but I'm hearing from other agents that they may start holding guys out in the future." -- agent who represents several Senior Bowl players
The skinny: Savage, a former general manager of the Cleveland Browns, took over the Senior Bowltwo years ago. Under his guidance, the Senior Bowl has made slight alterations to the schedule to help make the trip to Mobile more efficient for NFL teams. The growth of the event and the quality of talent on the rosters has been lauded by most NFL insiders. Some agents believe their players' draft stock can be unfairly damaged by a subpar week of practice and that it diminishes reliance upon actual game tape. It's not certain whether these agents are focused on team discussions of their clients or if they are actually more concerned with the widespread media coverage these practices now generate.
Follow College Football 24/7 on Twitter @NFL_CFB.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...l-us-inside-scoop-on-prospects-at-senior-bowl
- By Bucky Brooks, Lance Zierlein, Chase Goodbread and Bryan Fischer NFL.com
- Published: Jan. 20, 2015 at 10:21 p.m.
- Updated: Jan. 20, 2015 at 10:32 p.m.
Editor's note: NFL Media's Bucky Brooks, Lance Zierlein, Chase Goodbread and Bryan Fischer are in Mobile, Ala., this week at the Senior Bowl. Besides watching the daily practices, they're also talking to NFL scouts, agents and the players themselves. Here is some of what they are hearing from NFL sources:
The scoop: "Brett Hundley scares me." -- AFC player personnel director
The skinny: The UCLA quarterback, who turned down an invitation to participate in the Senior Bowl this week, is an impressive athlete and playmaker, but the personnel director is uncertain about whether Hundley can be a franchise quarterback at the next level. He questioned Hundley's overall pocket poise and awareness, while also expressing concerns about his deep-ball accuracy and touch. Factor in the worry about his transition to a pro-style offense after playing in UCLA's version of the spread, and it appears Hundley is anything but a lock to be the third quarterback taken in the draft.
* * *
The scoop: "He should have shown up. His skill-set is intriguing, and for QB-needy teams, he could be a guy that somebody picks in the second round to start down the road. He could have solidified that (in Mobile)." -- NFC scout on Hundley's decision to skip the Senior Bowl
The skinny: The scout lamented the large dropoff at quarterback after Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. Neither Hundley nor Mariota made it to the Senior Bowl, and the guys who were left to fill their roster spots haven't inspired confidence from scouts after the first day of practice. Bryce Petty of Baylor is one guy who could capitalize in the absence of big names, but he had a shaky first day of practice.
* * *
The scoop: "He has the same type of body as Maurkice Pouncey and plays tough like Pouncey, too. I like him so far the best." - AFC offensive line coach on La'el Collins
The skinny: Collins played left tackle at LSU but projects to right tackle or inside to guard in the NFL. He was listed at 321 pounds at LSU but weighed in Tuesday morning at an athletic 308 pounds. Collins is known for his physicality and aggressiveness, and it was on display at the South practice throughout the day. While he had some hits and misses during his one-on-one sessions, the consensus was generally very positive about his performance with the idea that he very well could end up inside at guard.
* * *
The scoop: "I don't think Danny Shelton is a top-10 pick" -- AFC assistant general manager
The skinny: Despite the glowing reports media pundits have put on Shelton, there are some NFL executives worried about his impact potential at the next level as a nose tackle. While the scout is impressed with Shelton's ability to control the point of attack as a classic nose tackle, he doesn't see the position flexibility or pass-rush skills that would make the Washington star a dynamic playmaker as a pro. He compares Shelton to former Pro Bowl NT Casey Hampton -- a spectacular run-stopper but not a guy that you envision being a dominant pass rusher in the middle of the line. Given the premium evaluators place on players capable of impacting the passing game, Shelton's value could dip a bit as the draft nears.
* * *
The scoop: "I really liked what I saw from Phillip Dorsett. Some guys can run fast, but they have to work hard to do it, which limits what they can do out of their breaks. Dorsett is more natural with his speed and movement." -- NFC player personnel director
The skinny: The Miami wideout has blazing speed and is expected to be one of the fastest participants at the combine next month. At just 5-foot-9 and 183 pounds (Senior Bowl measurements), Dorsett is likely to be viewed as a slot receiver. But that shouldn't hurt his draft stock as much as it might have in the past with smaller burners like T.Y. Hilton, John Brown and Antonio Brown causing so many problems for NFL cornerbacks.
* * *
The scoop: "Both of them show a lot of ability on tape. I'm excited to see what they can do against better competition. Clemmings could be gone the first day of the draft. Either one could be a big problem for the defensive linemen this week." - AFC scout on offensive tackles T.J. Clemmings of Pittsburgh and Ty Sambrailo of Colorado State.
The skinny: Quality offensive tackles are difficult to come by, so a strong Senior Bowl performance can go a long way at that position. Clemmings, once a defensive lineman, finished his college career as an outstanding right tackle. Sambrailo figures to show excellent footwork and balance this week in practices. How could he not? He's a former champion slalom snow skier.
* * *
The scoop: "I thought the Senior Bowl was more geared toward players in the past than it is now. Phil (Savage) does a good job of making this event team friendly since that is his background, but I'm hearing from other agents that they may start holding guys out in the future." -- agent who represents several Senior Bowl players
The skinny: Savage, a former general manager of the Cleveland Browns, took over the Senior Bowltwo years ago. Under his guidance, the Senior Bowl has made slight alterations to the schedule to help make the trip to Mobile more efficient for NFL teams. The growth of the event and the quality of talent on the rosters has been lauded by most NFL insiders. Some agents believe their players' draft stock can be unfairly damaged by a subpar week of practice and that it diminishes reliance upon actual game tape. It's not certain whether these agents are focused on team discussions of their clients or if they are actually more concerned with the widespread media coverage these practices now generate.
Follow College Football 24/7 on Twitter @NFL_CFB.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...l-us-inside-scoop-on-prospects-at-senior-bowl
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Senior Bowl Day 1: Luc, Perryman shine, QBs disappoint as expected
BY CHRIS BURKE
Posted: Wed Jan. 21, 2015
MOBILE, Ala. -- Senior Bowl practices can be a little, let's say, rough around the edges. Players are fighting for their NFL futures in a pressure-packed environment, loaded with coaches and scouts, with unfamiliar teammates and coaches.
The first outing this week was no different. Everything ramps up from here, with the North and South teams pulling on full pads Wednesday and Thursday. So what was true on Day 1 may not be true on Day 2 or by game time on Saturday.
A few prospects did stand out Tuesday, though, for better or worse. Some thoughts from the first set of practices:
(Note: Because of logistics, I saw more of the North workout than that of the South. The practices started with a 15-minute difference, at locations 30-plus minutes apart. If the notes skew toward the North roster here, that's why.)
Quarterback play is as advertised, unfortunately
Tuesday's action was just another reminder that the 2015 quarterback class is Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston and a bunch of nondescript guys. In fact, only five of the six quarterbacks listed on the Senior Bowl rosters actually took snaps -- Auburn's Nick Marshall suited up with the South cornerbacks. (More on him in a moment.)
The best of the remaining quintet, to no one's surprise was Baylor's Bryce Petty. He showed decent touch on deep balls, though he did struggle at times getting passes to the perimeter. Behind him, only Colorado State's Garrett Grayson looked comfortable at the helm, and he fumbled a snap early during North practice. East Carolina's Shane Carden and Oregon State's Sean Mannion were extremely hit or miss, as advertised. And Alabama's Blake Sims may have been among the biggest disappointments on Day 1. Sims' sights were way off during simple pass-and-catch drills, with no defenders on the field. At one point, he sailed a hitch route to Devante Davis several yards off-target.
Adding to the quarterback headaches, UCLA's Brett Hundley was one of nine prospects highlighted by Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage as guys teams "should dig a little deeper on," because of their decisions to sit out this week. Savage noted that Hundley had an offer on the table to attend.
Hopefully, the quarterbacks settle in as the week progresses, thereby allowing at least one to emerge from the muck.
Nick Marshall at cornerback
The quarterback-turned-cornerback did not look out of place Tuesday. That's perhaps the highest praise Marshall could have asked for heading into the afternoon, as he transitioned to the secondary against some explosive wide receivers.
He allowed a few completions, including one deep ball to speedy Kansas State wide receiver Tyler Lockett, but mostly looked the part of a long-term defensive back prospect. The transition will not happen overnight, but it does seem possible after Day 1 here.
Jeff Luc is a beast
Luc was one of a few guys who turned heads during Tuesday morning's weigh-in, when he checked in at 5-foot-11 and a stout 263 pounds. Despite looking every little bit of that 263, the Cincinnati linebacker still flashed impressive movement during practice. Luc was able to turn and run with the North's running backs, save for one takedown of Ameer Abdullah during a pass route.
The inside linebacker spot is one to watch this week, and Luc, off a 134-tackle season, might not be far off the lead.
Two Hurricanes shine
While Luc started the week strong, the highest-rated inside linebacker headed into the week was Miami's Denzel Perryman. His coverage can be a little spotty -- theJaguars' coaches, in charge of the South team this week, chatted him up after a couple of plays where he was late getting to his man.
But there were no such concerns against the run. Midway through the South practice, the crowd in attendance let out a collective cheer, leading to this exchange between two scouts in front of me:
"What happened? I missed it."
"Perryman blew somebody up. Probably happens a lot."
Perryman's Miami and South teammate, WR Phillip Dorsett, also earned some cheers. More than once, he turned the cornerback responsible for him inside-out during one-on-one drills.
A rough start for Ty Montgomery
The Stanford wide receiver can set fire to the open field when he finds it, but Tuesday will not go down as his finest hour. For starters, he checked in at 5-foot-11, three inches shorter than he had been listed. Then during practice, Montgomery dropped multiple passes with no defenders present.
Carl Davis was good; Grady Jarrett was great
It can be tough to get a feel for matchups involving linemen when the players are in shells (basically, just helmets and shoulder pads). That said, both Iowa's Davis and Clemson's Jarrett won several times over up front, both in one-on-one drills and 11-on-11 action.
Davis found himself up against Duke guard Laken Tomlinson repeatedly, and that's a head-to-head worth tracking this week. Score that one from the North's Tuesday practice in Davis' favor. Jarrett later overwhelmed the South's linemen, consistently knifing through into the pocket.
Remember the name Lynden Trail
Senior Bowl week often makes a star of one or two small-school guys. Put the Norfolk State DE atop the list for 2015.
He measured in at 6-foot-6, 262 pounds and is impossible to miss when he's on the field. (For comparison's sake, Jimmy Graham is 6-foot-7, 265 pounds.) Trail covers a lot of ground quickly, a trait he showed off by diagnosing a South offense play-action, then chasing down QB Blake Sims for what would have been a crunching sack had contact been allowed.
Zack Hodges struggled
The North coaches moved him all over the place Tuesday, from rushing off the edge with a hand in the dirt to dropping in coverage as an inside LB. Nothing really worked. Hodges was raw, at best, when asked to play pass defense and Kent State's Casey Pierce blew him up twice on run plays.
The 6-foot-2, 242-pound Hodges carries a lot of upside as a pass-rusher. He may not be viewed as much more than that if he can't shake off Tuesday's showing.
Weigh-in numbers
All of the marks from the weigh-in are available on NFL.com.
A few to note, outside of the Incredible Shrinking Ty Montgomery: The 343-pound weight for flat-out huge Washington DT Danny Shelton, who pumped his fist after that number was announced; Owamagbe Odighizuwa, at 6-foot-3, 266 pounds with a wingspan of 81 3/4 inches; and Petty, who is a well-built 6-foot-2, 230 pounds.
http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/01/20/nfl-draft-senior-bowl-jeff-luc-denzel-perryman-nick-marshall
BY CHRIS BURKE
Posted: Wed Jan. 21, 2015
MOBILE, Ala. -- Senior Bowl practices can be a little, let's say, rough around the edges. Players are fighting for their NFL futures in a pressure-packed environment, loaded with coaches and scouts, with unfamiliar teammates and coaches.
The first outing this week was no different. Everything ramps up from here, with the North and South teams pulling on full pads Wednesday and Thursday. So what was true on Day 1 may not be true on Day 2 or by game time on Saturday.
A few prospects did stand out Tuesday, though, for better or worse. Some thoughts from the first set of practices:
(Note: Because of logistics, I saw more of the North workout than that of the South. The practices started with a 15-minute difference, at locations 30-plus minutes apart. If the notes skew toward the North roster here, that's why.)
Quarterback play is as advertised, unfortunately
Tuesday's action was just another reminder that the 2015 quarterback class is Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston and a bunch of nondescript guys. In fact, only five of the six quarterbacks listed on the Senior Bowl rosters actually took snaps -- Auburn's Nick Marshall suited up with the South cornerbacks. (More on him in a moment.)
The best of the remaining quintet, to no one's surprise was Baylor's Bryce Petty. He showed decent touch on deep balls, though he did struggle at times getting passes to the perimeter. Behind him, only Colorado State's Garrett Grayson looked comfortable at the helm, and he fumbled a snap early during North practice. East Carolina's Shane Carden and Oregon State's Sean Mannion were extremely hit or miss, as advertised. And Alabama's Blake Sims may have been among the biggest disappointments on Day 1. Sims' sights were way off during simple pass-and-catch drills, with no defenders on the field. At one point, he sailed a hitch route to Devante Davis several yards off-target.
Adding to the quarterback headaches, UCLA's Brett Hundley was one of nine prospects highlighted by Senior Bowl executive director Phil Savage as guys teams "should dig a little deeper on," because of their decisions to sit out this week. Savage noted that Hundley had an offer on the table to attend.
Hopefully, the quarterbacks settle in as the week progresses, thereby allowing at least one to emerge from the muck.
Nick Marshall at cornerback
The quarterback-turned-cornerback did not look out of place Tuesday. That's perhaps the highest praise Marshall could have asked for heading into the afternoon, as he transitioned to the secondary against some explosive wide receivers.
He allowed a few completions, including one deep ball to speedy Kansas State wide receiver Tyler Lockett, but mostly looked the part of a long-term defensive back prospect. The transition will not happen overnight, but it does seem possible after Day 1 here.
Jeff Luc is a beast
Luc was one of a few guys who turned heads during Tuesday morning's weigh-in, when he checked in at 5-foot-11 and a stout 263 pounds. Despite looking every little bit of that 263, the Cincinnati linebacker still flashed impressive movement during practice. Luc was able to turn and run with the North's running backs, save for one takedown of Ameer Abdullah during a pass route.
The inside linebacker spot is one to watch this week, and Luc, off a 134-tackle season, might not be far off the lead.
Two Hurricanes shine
While Luc started the week strong, the highest-rated inside linebacker headed into the week was Miami's Denzel Perryman. His coverage can be a little spotty -- theJaguars' coaches, in charge of the South team this week, chatted him up after a couple of plays where he was late getting to his man.
But there were no such concerns against the run. Midway through the South practice, the crowd in attendance let out a collective cheer, leading to this exchange between two scouts in front of me:
"What happened? I missed it."
"Perryman blew somebody up. Probably happens a lot."
Perryman's Miami and South teammate, WR Phillip Dorsett, also earned some cheers. More than once, he turned the cornerback responsible for him inside-out during one-on-one drills.
A rough start for Ty Montgomery
The Stanford wide receiver can set fire to the open field when he finds it, but Tuesday will not go down as his finest hour. For starters, he checked in at 5-foot-11, three inches shorter than he had been listed. Then during practice, Montgomery dropped multiple passes with no defenders present.
Carl Davis was good; Grady Jarrett was great
It can be tough to get a feel for matchups involving linemen when the players are in shells (basically, just helmets and shoulder pads). That said, both Iowa's Davis and Clemson's Jarrett won several times over up front, both in one-on-one drills and 11-on-11 action.
Davis found himself up against Duke guard Laken Tomlinson repeatedly, and that's a head-to-head worth tracking this week. Score that one from the North's Tuesday practice in Davis' favor. Jarrett later overwhelmed the South's linemen, consistently knifing through into the pocket.
Remember the name Lynden Trail
Senior Bowl week often makes a star of one or two small-school guys. Put the Norfolk State DE atop the list for 2015.
He measured in at 6-foot-6, 262 pounds and is impossible to miss when he's on the field. (For comparison's sake, Jimmy Graham is 6-foot-7, 265 pounds.) Trail covers a lot of ground quickly, a trait he showed off by diagnosing a South offense play-action, then chasing down QB Blake Sims for what would have been a crunching sack had contact been allowed.
Zack Hodges struggled
The North coaches moved him all over the place Tuesday, from rushing off the edge with a hand in the dirt to dropping in coverage as an inside LB. Nothing really worked. Hodges was raw, at best, when asked to play pass defense and Kent State's Casey Pierce blew him up twice on run plays.
The 6-foot-2, 242-pound Hodges carries a lot of upside as a pass-rusher. He may not be viewed as much more than that if he can't shake off Tuesday's showing.
Weigh-in numbers
All of the marks from the weigh-in are available on NFL.com.
A few to note, outside of the Incredible Shrinking Ty Montgomery: The 343-pound weight for flat-out huge Washington DT Danny Shelton, who pumped his fist after that number was announced; Owamagbe Odighizuwa, at 6-foot-3, 266 pounds with a wingspan of 81 3/4 inches; and Petty, who is a well-built 6-foot-2, 230 pounds.
http://www.si.com/nfl/2015/01/20/nfl-draft-senior-bowl-jeff-luc-denzel-perryman-nick-marshall
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Buzz-worthy and buzz-kill players from Day 2 at the Senior Bowl
Here's a look at four who are impressing, and a couple who have disappointed.
Buzz-worthy
Za'Darius Smith, DE, Kentucky
Smith opened a few eyes last week with his impressive MVP performance at the East-West Shrine Game and he is certainly building upon that momentum with his play in Mobile. The 6-foot-4 5/8, 270-pound pass rusher has flashed the quickness, burst and athleticism that scouts covet in nickel edge defenders. Smith is not only capable of bending and bursting around the corner, but he is slippery enough to win with nifty inside maneuvers against overaggressive blockers. In addition, Smith displays a high-revving motor that will allow him to rack up garbage sacks on extra-effort plays off the corner. With Smith dominating his peers on the all-star circuit, the Kentucky standout's stock is poised to soar in pre-draft meetings in a few weeks.
Kevin White, CB, TCU
White entered Senior Bowl week regarded as one of top cover corners in college football, but scouts worried about his size (5-9 3/8, 180) and frame at the next level. Although those concerns are certainly valid in today's game with big-bodied receivers dominating on the perimeter, White's outstanding footwork, short-area quickness and ability to transition allow him to shadow pass-catchers closely in space. After watching him work in drills, I'm convinced that his cover skills translate well to the pro game and it's easy to see him making a contribution as sub defender in a zone-based scheme that also features some "off"-man elements.
Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke; Rob Havenstein, OT, Wisconsin
Tomlinson and Wisconsin OT Rob Havenstein have really impressed scouts with their technical skills and awareness this week. Each player has shined in drills, despite facing some of the toughest run stoppers and pass rushers in the country. Part of their success can be attributed to their solid understanding of their respective games, which allows them to minimize their weaknesses by using clever tricks at the point of attack. Tomlinson, in particular, has been terrific working in tight quarters, utilizing a short set and quick punch to stone rushers in their tracks in one-on-one drills. In addition, he has shown the ability to anchor against power and protect the middle of the pocket to keep rushers out of the quarterback's face.
Havenstein has shown exceptional savvy and awareness neutralizing rushers off the edge. He does a great job of protecting his inside, yet displays the quickness and length to force rushers to take a wide angle around the corner. With Havenstein exhibiting sound technique and poise at right tackle, the former Badger has certainly helped his cause at the Senior Bowl.
Buzz-kill
Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor
Petty is squarely in the spotlight this week as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2015 class, but he needs to pick up his performance over the next few days to convince scouts that he is worthy of being the No. 3 quarterback on most draft boards. Petty has struggled stringing together completions in team drills over the past two days and the questions persist about his ability to transition into a pro-style system after thriving in Art Briles' innovative scheme at Baylor. From his raw, unrefined footwork under center to his inconsistent ball placement on intermediate and deep throws, Petty is a work in progress and he will need time to develop at the next level. Thus, teams considering Petty as a long-term prospect should carefully monitor his development over the week and see if he makes progress in the aforementioned areas with more repetitions. If Petty shows improvement on game day (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, NFL Network) and finds a way to play in rhythm, scouts will feel better about his potential to develop into a quality starter down the line.
T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
Clemmings was targeted by several NFL scouts as one of the offensive tackles with the athletic potential to develop into a blind-side protector as a pro, but he will need some time to refine his fundamentals and technique before manning the marquee position on the offensive line. Despite his impressive footwork, balance and body control, Clemmings struggled against pass rushers in one-on-one drills and isn't ready to face premier rushers as a left tackle. It's important to keep in mind that he has played on the offensive line for just two seasons after spending his early career as a defensive end, but he is not quite ready to handle the rigors of playing on the blind side. While scouts won't ding him harshly for his struggles in drills, evaluators will certainly temper their expectations about his transition from right tackle to left tackle as a pro.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...uzzkill-players-from-day-2-at-the-senior-bowl
-
- By Bucky Brooks
- NFL Media analyst
- Published: Jan. 21, 2015 at 05:46 p.m.
- Updated: Jan. 21, 2015 at 05:51 p.m.
Here's a look at four who are impressing, and a couple who have disappointed.
Buzz-worthy
Za'Darius Smith, DE, Kentucky
Smith opened a few eyes last week with his impressive MVP performance at the East-West Shrine Game and he is certainly building upon that momentum with his play in Mobile. The 6-foot-4 5/8, 270-pound pass rusher has flashed the quickness, burst and athleticism that scouts covet in nickel edge defenders. Smith is not only capable of bending and bursting around the corner, but he is slippery enough to win with nifty inside maneuvers against overaggressive blockers. In addition, Smith displays a high-revving motor that will allow him to rack up garbage sacks on extra-effort plays off the corner. With Smith dominating his peers on the all-star circuit, the Kentucky standout's stock is poised to soar in pre-draft meetings in a few weeks.
Kevin White, CB, TCU
White entered Senior Bowl week regarded as one of top cover corners in college football, but scouts worried about his size (5-9 3/8, 180) and frame at the next level. Although those concerns are certainly valid in today's game with big-bodied receivers dominating on the perimeter, White's outstanding footwork, short-area quickness and ability to transition allow him to shadow pass-catchers closely in space. After watching him work in drills, I'm convinced that his cover skills translate well to the pro game and it's easy to see him making a contribution as sub defender in a zone-based scheme that also features some "off"-man elements.
Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke; Rob Havenstein, OT, Wisconsin
Tomlinson and Wisconsin OT Rob Havenstein have really impressed scouts with their technical skills and awareness this week. Each player has shined in drills, despite facing some of the toughest run stoppers and pass rushers in the country. Part of their success can be attributed to their solid understanding of their respective games, which allows them to minimize their weaknesses by using clever tricks at the point of attack. Tomlinson, in particular, has been terrific working in tight quarters, utilizing a short set and quick punch to stone rushers in their tracks in one-on-one drills. In addition, he has shown the ability to anchor against power and protect the middle of the pocket to keep rushers out of the quarterback's face.
Havenstein has shown exceptional savvy and awareness neutralizing rushers off the edge. He does a great job of protecting his inside, yet displays the quickness and length to force rushers to take a wide angle around the corner. With Havenstein exhibiting sound technique and poise at right tackle, the former Badger has certainly helped his cause at the Senior Bowl.
Buzz-kill
Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor
Petty is squarely in the spotlight this week as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2015 class, but he needs to pick up his performance over the next few days to convince scouts that he is worthy of being the No. 3 quarterback on most draft boards. Petty has struggled stringing together completions in team drills over the past two days and the questions persist about his ability to transition into a pro-style system after thriving in Art Briles' innovative scheme at Baylor. From his raw, unrefined footwork under center to his inconsistent ball placement on intermediate and deep throws, Petty is a work in progress and he will need time to develop at the next level. Thus, teams considering Petty as a long-term prospect should carefully monitor his development over the week and see if he makes progress in the aforementioned areas with more repetitions. If Petty shows improvement on game day (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, NFL Network) and finds a way to play in rhythm, scouts will feel better about his potential to develop into a quality starter down the line.
T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
Clemmings was targeted by several NFL scouts as one of the offensive tackles with the athletic potential to develop into a blind-side protector as a pro, but he will need some time to refine his fundamentals and technique before manning the marquee position on the offensive line. Despite his impressive footwork, balance and body control, Clemmings struggled against pass rushers in one-on-one drills and isn't ready to face premier rushers as a left tackle. It's important to keep in mind that he has played on the offensive line for just two seasons after spending his early career as a defensive end, but he is not quite ready to handle the rigors of playing on the blind side. While scouts won't ding him harshly for his struggles in drills, evaluators will certainly temper their expectations about his transition from right tackle to left tackle as a pro.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...uzzkill-players-from-day-2-at-the-senior-bowl
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I said it before on Petty, he's Drew Stanton. The more I see of him and the more I hear about him, the more comfortable I feel in that stance.
On Laken Tomlinson, some are comparing him to Warford. I think he's more Gabe Jackson than Warford. You can see all the tools there but on the film I watched, he didn't dominate the way he should have...much like Jackson. Warford was a dominant guy in college.
I really like both Kevin Whites too. The CB Kevin White might end up being another E.J. Gaines...undersized but really natural in coverage. Handled WR Kevin White well in the TCU-WVU game.
On Laken Tomlinson, some are comparing him to Warford. I think he's more Gabe Jackson than Warford. You can see all the tools there but on the film I watched, he didn't dominate the way he should have...much like Jackson. Warford was a dominant guy in college.
I really like both Kevin Whites too. The CB Kevin White might end up being another E.J. Gaines...undersized but really natural in coverage. Handled WR Kevin White well in the TCU-WVU game.
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2015 Senior Bowl: Hurricane watch during South practice
By Dane Brugler | NFLDraftScout.com Senior Analyst
January 21, 2015 7:38 pm ET
The Miami football program has been mediocre in recent years, but the Hurricanes continue to pump out NFL talent, including tight end Clive Walford, wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, cornerback Ladarius Gunter and middle linebacker Denzel Perryman on the South squad at the Senior Bowl. And during Wednesday's practice, that talent shined bright.
A prospect who stole the show during South practice, Walford routinely drew praise from the Jaguars coaching staff for his routes, athleticism and ability to finish at the catch point. He has an easy release off the line of scrimmage with the route acceleration to threaten the seam and be a downfield target. Warford doesn't have an elite frame for the position, but he knows how to use his size to shield defenders from the ball and create mismatches down the field.
Warford entered the week in contention to be the No. 1 senior tight end drafted and he's only helped his chances of that happening through two practices in Mobile. He has looked “as advertised” from his Miami game film.
The favorite to run the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine next month, Dorsett has “blur” speed to make defensive backs look silly. He has shown that sudden footwork at the line of scrimmage to beat press and the instant acceleration to win vertically downfield. Dorsett routinely won 1-on-1 drills against the South defensive backs, including his former teammate Gunter.
However, there is such a thing as playing too fast and Dorsett will do that at times, losing footing or getting wild in his breaks. Nonetheless, he has the game-changing speed to not only make an impact on offense, but also as a return man once he adds seasoning and polish to his game.
Gunter is one of the bigger corners in Mobile this week at 6-1 and 200 pounds with 32-inch arms, but he's shown the foot quickness that match much smaller players, moving very well for his size. He uses his length to contest any pass in his area code, blanketing receivers and impressing with his cover skills. Like most bigger cornerbacks, Gunter does need some refinement with his transitional technique, but overall, he has showed scouts more positives than negatives this week.
Unfortunately Perryman had to pull out of the Senior Bowl after a strained abdomen muscle on Wednesday. But his performance on Tuesday was enough to create a little buzz in the bleachers among scouts.
Miami finished with a 6-7 record in 2014, but after Anthony Chickillo, Jon Feliciano and Shane McDermott played well at the East-West Shrine Game last week and these four Hurricanes in Mobile, its clear there was more talent in Coral Gables than the record gives them credit. And that doesn't include Miami's top two prospects in the 2015 NFL Draft class – underclassmen running back Duke Johnson and offensive tackle Ereck Flowers.
Other Wednesday South practice notes:
By Dane Brugler | NFLDraftScout.com Senior Analyst
January 21, 2015 7:38 pm ET
The Miami football program has been mediocre in recent years, but the Hurricanes continue to pump out NFL talent, including tight end Clive Walford, wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, cornerback Ladarius Gunter and middle linebacker Denzel Perryman on the South squad at the Senior Bowl. And during Wednesday's practice, that talent shined bright.
A prospect who stole the show during South practice, Walford routinely drew praise from the Jaguars coaching staff for his routes, athleticism and ability to finish at the catch point. He has an easy release off the line of scrimmage with the route acceleration to threaten the seam and be a downfield target. Warford doesn't have an elite frame for the position, but he knows how to use his size to shield defenders from the ball and create mismatches down the field.
Warford entered the week in contention to be the No. 1 senior tight end drafted and he's only helped his chances of that happening through two practices in Mobile. He has looked “as advertised” from his Miami game film.
The favorite to run the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine next month, Dorsett has “blur” speed to make defensive backs look silly. He has shown that sudden footwork at the line of scrimmage to beat press and the instant acceleration to win vertically downfield. Dorsett routinely won 1-on-1 drills against the South defensive backs, including his former teammate Gunter.
However, there is such a thing as playing too fast and Dorsett will do that at times, losing footing or getting wild in his breaks. Nonetheless, he has the game-changing speed to not only make an impact on offense, but also as a return man once he adds seasoning and polish to his game.
Gunter is one of the bigger corners in Mobile this week at 6-1 and 200 pounds with 32-inch arms, but he's shown the foot quickness that match much smaller players, moving very well for his size. He uses his length to contest any pass in his area code, blanketing receivers and impressing with his cover skills. Like most bigger cornerbacks, Gunter does need some refinement with his transitional technique, but overall, he has showed scouts more positives than negatives this week.
Unfortunately Perryman had to pull out of the Senior Bowl after a strained abdomen muscle on Wednesday. But his performance on Tuesday was enough to create a little buzz in the bleachers among scouts.
Miami finished with a 6-7 record in 2014, but after Anthony Chickillo, Jon Feliciano and Shane McDermott played well at the East-West Shrine Game last week and these four Hurricanes in Mobile, its clear there was more talent in Coral Gables than the record gives them credit. And that doesn't include Miami's top two prospects in the 2015 NFL Draft class – underclassmen running back Duke Johnson and offensive tackle Ereck Flowers.
Other Wednesday South practice notes:
- TCU cornerback Kevin White has been routinely known as the “other” Kevin White this season, possessing the same name as the West Virginia standout receiver who is a projected top-15 draft pick. But the former Horned Frog is making a name for himself in Mobile and making sure everyone takes notice. White has played sticky coverage in practice with excellent coordination and footwork to flip his hips and redirect his momentum on the move. He did get beat vertically at times, but he showed the recovery speed to gain ground, find the football and break up the play.
- Alabama quarterback Blake Sims' performance through two practices has mirrored much of how his senior season went – some struggles, but more good than bad. He tends to get in a funk at times and his confidence drops, but when in rhythm, Sims has looked like the best quarterback in Mobile at times. He buzzed accurate passes all over the field and didn't shy from making tough reads, testing downfield windows and not just checking down during seven-on-seven drills. Sims is one of the top-three quarterback prospects at the 2015 Senior Bowl.
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Miami's Clive Walford among Day 2 standouts at Senior Bowl
With that in mind, here are six players who caught the eyes of NFL Media analysts during Wednesday's practices for the North and South teams.
Clive Walford, TE, Miami
A day after Miami teammate Phillip Dorsett earned rave reviews from everybody at Ladd-Pebbles Stadium, Wednesday marked Walford's turn to put on a show. He was easily the "Wow" guy among the pass-catchers and did a solid job of blocking during team periods as well. He's a complete mismatch for all of the linebackers and safeties at the event and showed why he could be the top guy at the position in the 2015 draft. "Clive was the best player out here all day. He's been great," said NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah. "He's such an athletic pass-catcher."
Lynden Trail, OLB, Norfolk State
A standout among the linebacker group due to his size (6-foot-6 1/4, 262 pounds) and play, Trail was certainly somebody who flashed on Wednesday. He's long but moves well and does a solid job of dropping into space while also being stout enough at the point of attack if a run comes his way. "He had some good reps in one-on-ones," Jeremiah said. "He was surprisingly good in coverage, too, and did some good stuff."
Nate Orchard, DE, Utah
There are some that view Orchard, last season's FBS leader in sacks per game (1.42), as a bit of a tweener at the next level. He's played mostly with his hand in the ground in Mobile and looked much stronger than some were expecting. He's always shown good get-off, but he really showed some explosiveness in the North's second practice of the week.
Kevin White, CB, TCU
White finds himself on this list for the second day in a row after another strong performance Wednesday. "I thought he did an outstanding job in man-to-man coverage. Everything I saw on tape, he's very similar to Jason Verrett, the first-round pick from last year," said NFL Media's Mike Mayock. White's work against Duke's Jamison Crowder and Auburn's Sammie Coates was particularly impressive.
Jeremy Langford, RB, Michigan State
Tailback is one of the stacked positions at the Senior Bowl this year. The North squad features a trio of top-flight Big Ten backs and Langford was the one who caught the eye of many on Wednesday with his hard running and ability to make one cut and go. "He hits the hole (hard) and makes the right read," said NFL Media's Curtis Conway.
Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska
The Doak Walker Award finalist was among the most electrifying players in the country last season, but hemeasured a shorter-than-expected 5-foot-8 1/4 at the Senior Bowl. He'll draw comparisons to guys like Darren Sprolesfor his build and what he can do in the passing game, but Abdullah did show enough between the tackles Wednesday to turn some heads. "He's interesting to me," Conway said. "I like him a lot, but I don't know if scouts are going to be turned off by his size. He's an explosive kid."
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-walford-among-day-2-standouts-at-senior-bowl
- By Bryan Fischer
- College Football 24/7 writer
- Published: Jan. 21, 2015 at 07:14 p.m.
- Updated: Jan. 21, 2015 at 07:41 p.m.
With that in mind, here are six players who caught the eyes of NFL Media analysts during Wednesday's practices for the North and South teams.
Clive Walford, TE, Miami
A day after Miami teammate Phillip Dorsett earned rave reviews from everybody at Ladd-Pebbles Stadium, Wednesday marked Walford's turn to put on a show. He was easily the "Wow" guy among the pass-catchers and did a solid job of blocking during team periods as well. He's a complete mismatch for all of the linebackers and safeties at the event and showed why he could be the top guy at the position in the 2015 draft. "Clive was the best player out here all day. He's been great," said NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah. "He's such an athletic pass-catcher."
Lynden Trail, OLB, Norfolk State
A standout among the linebacker group due to his size (6-foot-6 1/4, 262 pounds) and play, Trail was certainly somebody who flashed on Wednesday. He's long but moves well and does a solid job of dropping into space while also being stout enough at the point of attack if a run comes his way. "He had some good reps in one-on-ones," Jeremiah said. "He was surprisingly good in coverage, too, and did some good stuff."
Nate Orchard, DE, Utah
There are some that view Orchard, last season's FBS leader in sacks per game (1.42), as a bit of a tweener at the next level. He's played mostly with his hand in the ground in Mobile and looked much stronger than some were expecting. He's always shown good get-off, but he really showed some explosiveness in the North's second practice of the week.
Kevin White, CB, TCU
White finds himself on this list for the second day in a row after another strong performance Wednesday. "I thought he did an outstanding job in man-to-man coverage. Everything I saw on tape, he's very similar to Jason Verrett, the first-round pick from last year," said NFL Media's Mike Mayock. White's work against Duke's Jamison Crowder and Auburn's Sammie Coates was particularly impressive.
Jeremy Langford, RB, Michigan State
Tailback is one of the stacked positions at the Senior Bowl this year. The North squad features a trio of top-flight Big Ten backs and Langford was the one who caught the eye of many on Wednesday with his hard running and ability to make one cut and go. "He hits the hole (hard) and makes the right read," said NFL Media's Curtis Conway.
Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska
The Doak Walker Award finalist was among the most electrifying players in the country last season, but hemeasured a shorter-than-expected 5-foot-8 1/4 at the Senior Bowl. He'll draw comparisons to guys like Darren Sprolesfor his build and what he can do in the passing game, but Abdullah did show enough between the tackles Wednesday to turn some heads. "He's interesting to me," Conway said. "I like him a lot, but I don't know if scouts are going to be turned off by his size. He's an explosive kid."
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...-walford-among-day-2-standouts-at-senior-bowl
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Sources Tell Us: Inside scoop on prospects at Senior Bowl
The scoop: "All these teams high in the draft are all going to see the same things on tape with Mariota, and I'll bet he starts to fall on draft day. Once that happens, (Philadelphia Eagles coach) Chip (Kelly) will mortgage the future to go get him. If he misses on him, (Kelly) can just bolt back to college." -- AFC scout.
The skinny: While it might be premature to label Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota as a "draft day slider" before the NFL Scouting Combine or even his personal workout, we've seen the same concerns on tape that everyone else is seeing in terms of his anticipation, pocket poise and simplicity of scheme. Kelly recruited Mariota to Oregon to run his offense, and we're sure he would love to have a quarterback with Mariota's ability outside of the pocket to fully unlock the Eagles' offensive potential. Would Kelly be willing to risk the king's ransom it would likely take to move that far up from pick No. 20?
* * *
The scoop: "Teams have different philosophies about size up front on defense, but if a player is tough and strong, then I think he can play in our league. Aaron Donald proved that." -- NFC general manager on Clemson NT Grady Jarrett's size.
The skinny: Jarrett is undersized by NFL standards at just under 6-foot-1 and 288 pounds, and he certainly will be scratched from the draft boards of teams who covet mass from the nose position. While he isn't Donald, the 13th overall pick of the St. Louis Rams in the 2014 NFL Draft, he is extremely quick off the snap and plays with good leverage and strength. He's had some outstanding reps in practice this week, and the success Donald has enjoyed as a rookie is likely to help Jarrett's case despite his lack of size.
* * *
The scoop: "He shows flashes of explosiveness that we saw from him in college." -- Tennessee Titanscoach Ken Whisenhunt on Ohio State WR Devin Smith.
The skinny: Whisenhunt and his staff are coaching Smith this week, and while it's only been in practice so far, the one thing that has jumped out to the Titans' staff is the wide receiver's speed. Miami WR Phillip Dorsett could be this draft's fastest player; Smith is expected to give him a run for his money at the combine. Smith appears to be as elusive off the field as on it. A Houston Texans scout said he made four trips to Columbus this fall and failed to catch up with Smith on any of his visits. He was hoping to sit down with Smith this week.
* * *
The scoop: "He's T.Y. Hilton. He's got that same explosiveness downfield as Hilton and is quick enough to get open on shorter stuff. Not every team is going to make room for a guy that small, but some of them will." -- NFC scout on Duke WR Jamison Crowder.
The skinny: It's been a big week for the Duke wide receiver, drawing high praise from NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock on Tuesday and a comparison to the Indianapolis Colts' young speedster Wednesday. Crowder is the smallest player at the Senior Bowl (5-8, 174 pounds). Hilton, who caught 82 passes for 1,345 yards last year for the Colts, is 5-9, 178 pounds.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...l-us-inside-scoop-on-prospects-at-senior-bowl
- By Bucky Brooks, Lance Zierlein, Chase Goodbread and Bryan Fischer NFL.com
- Published: Jan. 21, 2015 at 07:20 p.m.
- Updated: Jan. 21, 2015 at 07:57 p.m.
- 0 Likes | 0 Comments
The scoop: "All these teams high in the draft are all going to see the same things on tape with Mariota, and I'll bet he starts to fall on draft day. Once that happens, (Philadelphia Eagles coach) Chip (Kelly) will mortgage the future to go get him. If he misses on him, (Kelly) can just bolt back to college." -- AFC scout.
The skinny: While it might be premature to label Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota as a "draft day slider" before the NFL Scouting Combine or even his personal workout, we've seen the same concerns on tape that everyone else is seeing in terms of his anticipation, pocket poise and simplicity of scheme. Kelly recruited Mariota to Oregon to run his offense, and we're sure he would love to have a quarterback with Mariota's ability outside of the pocket to fully unlock the Eagles' offensive potential. Would Kelly be willing to risk the king's ransom it would likely take to move that far up from pick No. 20?
* * *
The scoop: "Teams have different philosophies about size up front on defense, but if a player is tough and strong, then I think he can play in our league. Aaron Donald proved that." -- NFC general manager on Clemson NT Grady Jarrett's size.
The skinny: Jarrett is undersized by NFL standards at just under 6-foot-1 and 288 pounds, and he certainly will be scratched from the draft boards of teams who covet mass from the nose position. While he isn't Donald, the 13th overall pick of the St. Louis Rams in the 2014 NFL Draft, he is extremely quick off the snap and plays with good leverage and strength. He's had some outstanding reps in practice this week, and the success Donald has enjoyed as a rookie is likely to help Jarrett's case despite his lack of size.
* * *
The scoop: "He shows flashes of explosiveness that we saw from him in college." -- Tennessee Titanscoach Ken Whisenhunt on Ohio State WR Devin Smith.
The skinny: Whisenhunt and his staff are coaching Smith this week, and while it's only been in practice so far, the one thing that has jumped out to the Titans' staff is the wide receiver's speed. Miami WR Phillip Dorsett could be this draft's fastest player; Smith is expected to give him a run for his money at the combine. Smith appears to be as elusive off the field as on it. A Houston Texans scout said he made four trips to Columbus this fall and failed to catch up with Smith on any of his visits. He was hoping to sit down with Smith this week.
* * *
The scoop: "He's T.Y. Hilton. He's got that same explosiveness downfield as Hilton and is quick enough to get open on shorter stuff. Not every team is going to make room for a guy that small, but some of them will." -- NFC scout on Duke WR Jamison Crowder.
The skinny: It's been a big week for the Duke wide receiver, drawing high praise from NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock on Tuesday and a comparison to the Indianapolis Colts' young speedster Wednesday. Crowder is the smallest player at the Senior Bowl (5-8, 174 pounds). Hilton, who caught 82 passes for 1,345 yards last year for the Colts, is 5-9, 178 pounds.
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...l-us-inside-scoop-on-prospects-at-senior-bowl
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What we learned: Tony Lippett draws Senior Bowl interest
For now, however, he has flashed some impressive catches during the practice week at receiver.
Four NFL clubs, Lippett said, have shown the most interest in him thus far.
"I spent some time with the Bucs wide receiver coach, theVikings wide receiver coach, the Patriots scout, the 49ersscout. Those are the teams I spent probably more than 20 minutes with," Lippett said.
"... They like my size, and they're interested to know how I will run at the combine."
Informal interviews between prospects and NFL clubs were happening all over the practice fields Wednesday, andsome clubs appeared to be more active than others.
Here are six other things we learned from Senior Bowlpractices on Wednesday:
2. Prewitt has high praise for opposing wide receivers: Ole Miss safety Cody Prewitt was known as one of the hardest hitters in the country during his college days but wasn't able to go full speed against the offense at the Senior Bowl until Wednesday. Still, he has been able to get a good read at the South team's wide receiving corps during one-on-one and seven-on-seven drills and is impressed with what he's seen. "Playing the SEC though, I'm used to the speed for the most part," Prewitt noted. "Sammie Coates is a big guy though. He's a lot bigger than I remembered him during the season."
3. Kikaha making the transition better than expected: One of the highlights of day two was when Washington defensive end/linebacker Hau'oli Kikaha put on an impressive move on tight end Ben Koyack and was in the backfield before most scouts could blink. He's playing mostly in a two-point stance and has done a better job than expected against the run as somebody trying to set the edge. While last year's FBS leader in sacks per game was expecting a bit of a transition to the talent level at the Senior Bowl, he's been able to handle things better than even he thought he would in Mobile. "I anticipated it being much harder but I know it's going to get much harder," he said. "One perk of this job though? We don't have school anymore. If you're a student of the game, it's pretty easy for you out here."
4. Duke guard excelling in the trenches: Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton is considered by most to be the player at the Senior Bowl likeliest to get drafted the earliest in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. As such, the mammoth individual is considered the measuring stick for players during practice and Duke guard Laken Tomlinson has seemingly drawn the most reps against the former Huskie. While the intelligent Blue Devils star has not been perfect, he's probably been the best of any of the interior linemen in handling Shelton during one-on-ones. Tomlinson, however, wasfar from the only day-two star.
5. Linebacker depth strong inside. Clemson LB Stephone Anthony appeared to struggle for much of Wednesday's practice, but several other inside linebackers showed well. Cincinnati's Jeff Luc could be the best among them, although Arkansas' Martrell Spaight, USC's Hayes Pullard and Penn State's Mike Hull all looked equally willing and able to fill run gaps with authority. Another inside linebacker, Miami's Denzel Perryman, missed practice with an abdominal injury but could return as early as Thursday.
6. Quarterback edge pronounced: The North squad quarterbacks looked significantly better than the South's Wednesday, a factor that could play a big role in Saturday's game if the disparity continues. Baylor's Bryce Petty looked especially sharp on intermediate and deeper throws, along with Oregon State's Sean Mannion and East Carolina's Shane Carden. Meanwhile the South lost Nick Marshall to the cornerbacks as the former Auburn star looks to make a position switch. Alabama'sBlake Sims and Colorado State's Garrett Grayson welcomed Southeastern Louisiana's Bryan Bennett for his first practice Wednesday. Bennett is replacing Marshall on the roster and will have just two full practices to catch up with the South squad offense before Friday's walk-through.
7. Quotable: "He's fast enough and he's strong as a bull, but he doesn't have a lot of quickness going in and out of his breaks. He needs to get a lot more fluid at changing direction, or the DBs in the NFL will close on him too fast." - NFC area scout on Auburn WR Sammie Coates. For more scouting scoop from Senior Bowl week, see "Sources Tell Us."
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...arned-tony-lippett-draws-senior-bowl-interest
- By Chase Goodbread
- College Football 24/7 writer
- Published: Jan. 21, 2015 at 07:42 p.m.
- Updated: Jan. 21, 2015 at 08:01 p.m.
For now, however, he has flashed some impressive catches during the practice week at receiver.
Four NFL clubs, Lippett said, have shown the most interest in him thus far.
"I spent some time with the Bucs wide receiver coach, theVikings wide receiver coach, the Patriots scout, the 49ersscout. Those are the teams I spent probably more than 20 minutes with," Lippett said.
"... They like my size, and they're interested to know how I will run at the combine."
Informal interviews between prospects and NFL clubs were happening all over the practice fields Wednesday, andsome clubs appeared to be more active than others.
Here are six other things we learned from Senior Bowlpractices on Wednesday:
2. Prewitt has high praise for opposing wide receivers: Ole Miss safety Cody Prewitt was known as one of the hardest hitters in the country during his college days but wasn't able to go full speed against the offense at the Senior Bowl until Wednesday. Still, he has been able to get a good read at the South team's wide receiving corps during one-on-one and seven-on-seven drills and is impressed with what he's seen. "Playing the SEC though, I'm used to the speed for the most part," Prewitt noted. "Sammie Coates is a big guy though. He's a lot bigger than I remembered him during the season."
3. Kikaha making the transition better than expected: One of the highlights of day two was when Washington defensive end/linebacker Hau'oli Kikaha put on an impressive move on tight end Ben Koyack and was in the backfield before most scouts could blink. He's playing mostly in a two-point stance and has done a better job than expected against the run as somebody trying to set the edge. While last year's FBS leader in sacks per game was expecting a bit of a transition to the talent level at the Senior Bowl, he's been able to handle things better than even he thought he would in Mobile. "I anticipated it being much harder but I know it's going to get much harder," he said. "One perk of this job though? We don't have school anymore. If you're a student of the game, it's pretty easy for you out here."
4. Duke guard excelling in the trenches: Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton is considered by most to be the player at the Senior Bowl likeliest to get drafted the earliest in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft. As such, the mammoth individual is considered the measuring stick for players during practice and Duke guard Laken Tomlinson has seemingly drawn the most reps against the former Huskie. While the intelligent Blue Devils star has not been perfect, he's probably been the best of any of the interior linemen in handling Shelton during one-on-ones. Tomlinson, however, wasfar from the only day-two star.
5. Linebacker depth strong inside. Clemson LB Stephone Anthony appeared to struggle for much of Wednesday's practice, but several other inside linebackers showed well. Cincinnati's Jeff Luc could be the best among them, although Arkansas' Martrell Spaight, USC's Hayes Pullard and Penn State's Mike Hull all looked equally willing and able to fill run gaps with authority. Another inside linebacker, Miami's Denzel Perryman, missed practice with an abdominal injury but could return as early as Thursday.
6. Quarterback edge pronounced: The North squad quarterbacks looked significantly better than the South's Wednesday, a factor that could play a big role in Saturday's game if the disparity continues. Baylor's Bryce Petty looked especially sharp on intermediate and deeper throws, along with Oregon State's Sean Mannion and East Carolina's Shane Carden. Meanwhile the South lost Nick Marshall to the cornerbacks as the former Auburn star looks to make a position switch. Alabama'sBlake Sims and Colorado State's Garrett Grayson welcomed Southeastern Louisiana's Bryan Bennett for his first practice Wednesday. Bennett is replacing Marshall on the roster and will have just two full practices to catch up with the South squad offense before Friday's walk-through.
7. Quotable: "He's fast enough and he's strong as a bull, but he doesn't have a lot of quickness going in and out of his breaks. He needs to get a lot more fluid at changing direction, or the DBs in the NFL will close on him too fast." - NFC area scout on Auburn WR Sammie Coates. For more scouting scoop from Senior Bowl week, see "Sources Tell Us."
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...arned-tony-lippett-draws-senior-bowl-interest
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2015 SENIOR BOWL SCOUTING: WEDNESDAY SOUTH PRACTICE NOTES
Posted by Eric Galko on Jan 21, 2015 19:55
Philip Dorsett, Sammie Coates, Clive Walford, Shaq Mason, Trey Flowers and Markus Golden all emerged as winners after the second day of practice for the South Roster. As was the case with the North practice, Alex Brown wrote up the offensive and defensive line, while Ian Wharton wrote up the skill position players.
Quarterbacks-A newcomer joined the quarterback rotation on Wednesday, as Bryan Bennettfrom Southeast Louisiana was added to the roster. Unfortunately for Bennett and his receivers, he performed as poorly as Blake Sims has this week. Bennett and Sims each have had issues keeping passes inbounds or in the general area of their targets. Bennett’s deep passes sometimes sailed as many as 10 yards away from the designed landing spot. His footwork is robotic and slow at this point.
-The top quarterback at the Senior Bowl continues to be Garrett Grayson, but even he struggled today. He has good velocity on his passes and can fire the ball into tight windows, but he only has the fastball to throw. His arm isn’t strong enough to be totally reliant on it, and defensive backs were able to step in front of passes a few times for breakups. He has to show more anticipation and placement with his passes to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
Running Backs-Northern Iowa running back David Johnson is a tough runner downfield, but he is incredibly stiff laterally. His hips have no give to them at all, and his jukes are more like jokes. The positive for Johnson is that he has terrific receiving ability and is a functional pass blocker.
Wide Receivers-It was a big day for the receivers, who had to adjust to some poorly thrown balls in order to complete the play. The tie for best day goes to Sammie Coatesand Philip Dorsett. Coates, from Auburn, delivered on his physical talents today, as he was a man amongst boys and playing with great toughness. Coates was able to win deep but also underneath by using his feet to break on-ball coverage. He looked much more comfortable today.
-Dorsett is showing that his size doesn’t matter. He’s been very impressive, catching nearly everything thrown in his catch radius. He clearly has the “dog” in him, and is not just a deep threat receiver.
-Small-school receiver Dezmin Lewis had an inconsistent showing, but he definitely should be drafted. He made several highlight-reel catches on the sideline, showing great balance and body control. He had some drops as well, but his combination of size and speed is worthy of development.
Tight Ends-Miami (FL) tight end Clive Walford had a strong day, and plays much bigger than his size would lead to believe. He had two touchdown catches where he went up, climbed the ladder, and snatched the ball high out of the air. He’s a smooth runner with good speed, and offers solid blocking for a zone-blocking scheme.
Offensive Line-Georgia Tech offensive guard Shaq Mason was a standout
performer, sinking his lower half and winning the leverage battle at the point of attack. Mason has an excellent first step as a zone blocker and takes proper angles to cutoff his opponent.
-Small school guard Ali Marpet had a strong practice performance as well, timing his punches and creating noticeable push. The Green Bay Packers scouts recommended Marpet to the Senior Bowl and he hasn’t disappointed. He’ll be a prospect that teams go back and evaluate more closely as the process continues.
-Alabama’s Arie Kouandjio on the other hand, had issues moving laterally on zone blocking drills. Kouandjio did not block with ideal leverage, struggling in particular versus Clemson’s Grady Jarrett. From a dimensions standpoint, he possesses the wide base, long arms, massive hands and broad shoulders to occupy opponents. Still, he isn’t a good fit for zone teams, as he doesn’t have the foot speed to execute reach blocks.
-At offensive tackle, La’el Collins did not perform well and looks more and more like a guard projection. On zone reach blocks, Collins jacks up out of his stance and allow his elbows to load wide prior to delivering a punch. As a result, he loses the leverage battle and lets opposing defensive ends like Markus Golden to gain an inside fit. Collins not only suffered from bad leverage in the run game, but also continued to struggle with reaching landmarks in pass protection.
Defensive Line-Arkansas DE Trey Flowers made plays throughout the practice today, using his long arms and heavy hands to set the edge. He’s disciplined as a run defender and consistently in proper position, but also capable of using rip and pull-through moves off the edge as a pass rusher.
-After a bland first practice, Markus Golden flipped a switch. In run drills, he latched onto a much larger La’el Collins. Golden lacks ideal length with 31” arms, but his functional playing strength and hand usage both graded out as pluses today. He consistently set the edge, showed violent hands and located the football.
-Auburn DT Gabe Wright competed at a very level in today’s practice and won with first step quickness versus most of the blockers he faced. The struggle right now for Wright is his hand usage with regards to disengaging, but his burst off the line makes him a plus fit as a 3-technique. Locating break points and disengaging are two areas that Wright must improve upon.
-Right next to Wright, Grady Jarrett continued to be very disruptive with his low build, natural leverage and developed hand usage. Jarrett dominated his one-on-one’s versus Arie Kouandjio, building on a strong day one of practices. He can get overextended when implementing a speed rush, but shows a good understanding of playing through blockers and winning at the point of attack.
-Houston’s Joey Mbu deserves a ton of credit for competing and giving plus effort during practice. Beaten badly on double teams and not understanding how to properly approach, attack and disengage from blocks, Mbu took to coaching and improved throughout the day. He was more active in 7-on-7 run and team settings than individual drill work, evidencing his need for development at the next level.
Linebackers-Stephone Anthony from Clemson showed the ability to drop and transition in coverage. He carries a high cut frame and packs a punch as a tackler, but the closing burst and movement skills are evident in his game.
Defensive Backs-Jaquiski Tartt could project as a strong safety at the next level or even as a lighter weakside linebacker. While he shows the range to make plays in coverage, he also plays with excellent physicality in run support. He’s been an active defender through the first two days of practices and has shown no issues with the heightened level of competition.
-Imoan Claiborne simply didn’t match up well with the length and long speed of Auburn star receiver Sammie Coates. While Claiborne is a jack-of-all trades defensive back with corner, nickel and safety experience, he lacks the plus foot quickness you look for. His special teams play and versatility will get him on a roster.
http://optimumscouting.com/draft/2015-senior-bowl-scouting-wednesday-south-practice-notes.html
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2015 SENIOR BOWL SCOUTING: WEDNESDAY NORTH PRACTICE NOTES
Posted by Eric Galko on Jan 21, 2015 13:56
The day two winners for the North practice were Vince Mayle, Danny Shelton, Carl Davis, Hayes Pullard, Jeff Luc and Quinton Rollins. Alex Brown scouted the trenches and running backs, while Ian Wharton looked at the skill position players and quarterbacks.
Be sure to check Optimum Scouting throughout the week for the latest 2015 Senior Bowl scouting notes.
Quarterbacks
-It was a tough day for ECU’s Shane Carden and Oregon State’s Sean Mannion. Each struggled with the far sideline passes, often missing their target too high. Carden’s lack of arm strength and leg drive is a major issue when he goes downfield. Mannion threw two interceptions and had a number of other inaccurate passes. His footwork is a mess, as he doesn’t square up and likes to rely on his average arm too often.
-The best QB present is easily Bryce Petty. He played well in the skeleton drill, but that’s where he should excel. His ball placement is very inconsistent, but he makes enough “wow” throws to keep you interested.
Running Backs
-Nebraska RB Ameer Abdullah moves at a different speed than the other backs on the North roster. He is decisive in his reads, able to bend and explode through cuts, and quick enough to take edge on perimeter plays. He’s undersized at 5’8, 198 lbs, but a ball carrier that sees blocks develop and can access cutbacks.
-Big Ten running mate David Cobb showed off soft hands to adjust at the catch point and continues to run with controlled footwork between the tackles. He’s a consistent producer that doesn’t wow with burst or explosive speed. Cobb lacks exciting traits but is a good back nonetheless.
Wide Receivers
-The biggest performer for the North team was ECU slot man Justin Hardy. Hardy measured in slightly smaller than he was listed, but it didn’t matter as he shredded the North cornerbacks on short, intermediate and deep routes. He’s solidifying his claim as the top receiver here.
-Washington State receiver Vince Mayle also had a solid day. He showed great sideline control as he adjusted to poor passes. His ability to work the sideline is helping his case that he can see the field early in the NFL.
-Receivers Jamison Crowder and Devin Smith each had multiple drops, and didn’t stand out nearly enough. Smith continued to excel on deep routes, but his heavy feet were cumbersome as he tried to win on quick hitting slants and comebacks.
Tight Ends-Kent State tight end Casey Pierce showed off nice ball skills and the ability to adjust to off-target passes, finishing along the sideline on a corner pattern and reeling in underneath targets.
Offensive Line-Duke offensive guard Laken Tomlinson can bend and sink his lower half, but had difficulty anchoring immediately off the snap versus the strength of Danny Shelton. Pushed too far back into the pocket on one-on-one rush drills, Tomlinson has to improve his functional strength as a pass protector. He hardly panics when placed on his heels and shows the flexibility to drop his anchor to recover, but he needs to show more hip snap power at the point of attack.
-Another interior blocker that struggled in terms of functional strength was Florida’s Max Garcia. He is active in exchanging his hands and occupying his opponent, but struggled to create an interior push versus nose tackles like Danny Shelton and Carl Davis. His versatility and understanding of positioning will make him a valuable utility lineman, however, the lack of plus strength or lateral quickness may limit his NFL upside.
-Pittsburgh’s T.J. Clemmings flashed during the practice, showing both his elite traits and lack of refinement due to inexperience at the position. When his hands are in correct position and he locks out at the point of attack, Clemmings dominates his man. The issue with Clemmings is his punch timing and consistency on pass sets. At times he overset and allowed rushers to counter back to the inside, while he also would show his hands too early versus speed rushers. The physical traits are obvious but he needs to hammer down the finer points of the position.
-Florida offensive tackle Trenton Brown could not sit back and comfortably protect the rush arc during one-on-ones. He was constantly bending at the waist, grasping for air and lunging at opponents. I don’t think he’s a flexible enough athlete to sink back into his pass set, and also believe he’s carrying too much weight on his frame. The combination of mass and length could lead to a successful move to offensive guard, but I don’t think he’s the type of athlete you want in edge pass protection.
-Small school guard Robert Myers took to coaching well after struggling initially with the footwork during individual blocking drills. He competed and gave plus effort on each rep, but needs to improve his first step and awareness of angles in the blocking game.
Defensive Line-Nose tackle Danny Shelton showed more positive than negative during practice, impressing versus single blocks and lacking proper technique to handle double teams. Too willing to absorb contact with his wide body and leave his hands at his side, Shelton did not perform well in the double team blocking drills. When the reps went live, he reset the line of scrimmage effectively and even showed the lateral quickness to set up a pass rush move. His skill set is unique as a movable nose tackle, however he has to improve at getting his hands up to protect his midsection.
-Also playing at nose tackle, Iowa DT Carl Davis wowed with his ability to get underneath blockers, leverage the football and lock out his upper half to reset the line of scrimmage. He doesn’t finish with many tackles, and needs to improve at disengaging and finding the football. Oftentimes, he would alter the running back’s path but be a split second late to make the play. His impact is noticeable though, and he displayed plus strength.
-As far as edge rushers go, Utah’s Nate Orchard actually got the best of Pittsburgh offensive tackle T.J. Clemmings on multiple reps. Forcing Clemmings to overset versus his first step quicks, Orchard redirected back inside with a speed-to-power move during the pit drills. He is fairly predictable as a rusher with speed rush or speed-to-power, but quick enough to make plays as a backside edge defender. His lack of punch strength limited his impact in the run game and he’s far better suited to playing a 3-4 OLB role in the NFL.
Linebackers-The leader of the North defense was USC backer Hayes Pullard. Flowing downhill aggressively and sifting through the trash, Hayes delivered some haymaker hits on opposing ball carriers. He comes to balance and is able to snap his hips for audible tackles. He was the most active defender during both 7-on-7 run drills and team.
-Cincinnati linebacker Jeff Luc had an impressive performance on Day 2. His film came off as sluggish and slow, but he looked fluid and fast enough to play outside of the tackles. His stock is rising as he continues to play well.
Defensive Backs-The biggest standouts today were Miami (OH) cornerback Quinten Rollins and Utah defensive back Eric Rowe. Rollins drew the praise of scouts and analysts alike as he showed his fluid hips and tremendous ball skills.
-Eric Rowe is a huge cornerback that excels in press coverage, and today he flaunted his quick feet and ability to locate the ball. He had an early interception against Sean Mannion, as well as a few tackles near the line of scrimmage in team drills.
http://optimumscouting.com/draft/2015-senior-bowl-scouting-wednesday-north-practice-notes.html
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2015 Senior Bowl: North and South Practice Notes + Observations
Miami (OH) CB Quinten Rollins is off to a good start at the Senior Bowl.
NEPD Editor: Mike Loyko
The first day of the Senior Bowl is in the books and what a whirlwind it was. There is so much information to be gathered throughout this process that’s it’s almost impossible to keep up with all the goings on. After watching the first practices and the official weigh-in, I’ve put together my thoughts and observations on the day. One day won’t define the draft stock of the participants, but the information gathered is another piece to the puzzle. Here is what I learned from the first day in Mobile.
North Practice
Quarterbacks
It’s definitely not a stand out group this year. None of the QBs in particular stood out to me during this practice session. All of the QBs have mediocre throwing arms with average NFL tools. Each of the three struggled with accuracy at times, especially to the perimeter. Remember these kids are throwing to new receivers, but never the less, this group failed to change any opinions I had of them leading into the week. We’ll see if anyone steps it up tomorrow once the full pads go on.
Running Backs
Nebraska RB Ameer Abdullah’s quickness and explosion stood out. He’s clearly the most dynamic back on the roster as he showed an ability to make cuts at high speed and looked dangerous catching the ball out of the backfield. He’s going to be a tough cover for LB at the next level. Tyler Varga out of Yale caught a lot of scouts attention during the second half of practice. Not only was he a “weigh-in warrior” this morning, but he looked like he fit in on the practice field. He looked natural catching the football today and has a great build for the position.
Wide Receivers
This is a deep and talented group that I was able to get a close look at today. Tony Lippett started off practice great destroying the gauntlet drill and attacking the football in the air. As practice went on and became more physical he faded slightly. Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State has plenty of work to do in order to run a complete route tree, but he’s going to be very dangerous right away in the NFL running “9″ routes and hook/hitch routes. He can stop on a dime and created huge seperation at the top of his comeback routes. His hands looked solid throughout the day. Justin Hardy had a very solid day all around. His hands looked strong in the gauntlet drill and he consistently got open in 1-on-1s, 7-on-7s. Dukes’ Jamison Crowder dropped a bunch of balls early on, but once the competition ramped up and the reps became competitive he started to win consistently. He’s a tough kid to cover and seems to run his routes very well. Ty Montgomery and Antwan Goodley both struggled catching the ball today. Each one had at least 4 drops.
Tight Ends
Like QB, this isn’t the strongest Tight End group. Ben Koyack looked like the best of the bunch at first glance. He caught the ball consistently today and that’s more than I can say for the other two Tight Ends.
Offensive Line
A group I didn’t get to focus on too much today. I will saw that every time I watched 1-on-1s Dukes’ Laken Tomlinson was handling his business. He’s got such long arms and uses his length to keep defenders off him. He also moved his feet well and was able to stonewall the bullrush. I have to watch this group closer tomorrow.
Defensive Line
Danny Shelton was difficult to handle for Centers today. His game looks like it translates seamlessly to the NFL. He can create push on every play, draws multiple blocks on most plays, and surprised me with his lateral movement today. He was also a weigh-in warrior showing up with Watermelon-like Calves and a Barrel-Chested upper body. Henry Anderson is a battler and never takes plays off. Anderson is a player who gets the most out of his physical talent. In terms of edge rushers Nate Orchard looked the most dangerous on the North team. His burst out of a 3-point stance is better than most and he looks like the best athlete of the bunch. Hau’oli Kikaha was asked to do a lot of dropping into coverage today and it was quickly realized that is not a strength of his. Zach Hodges also looked very, very raw when asked to cover Tight Ends.
Linebackers
Cincinnati’s Jeff Luc is built like a “brick shithouse”. His 5’11″ frame is maxed out at a crazy 263 pounds. Luc is a downhill, run stopper that can handle he physicality of playing in traffic. I didn’t get to watch Jordan Hicks a lot during practices, but he impressed me greatly with his interview. Hicks is a well-spoken kid that seems hungry and driven to succeed after overcoming adversity at Texas.
Cornerbacks
Miami (OH) Quinten Rollins and Oregon State’s Steven Nelson are standouts for me. Rollins is a terrific looking athlete. He can open his hips fluidly, was able to change direction without wasting much motion, and picked up the press technique very quickly. It’s amazing to think this kid was not even playing football at this time last year. Nelson is a feisty and tenacious corner. He’s undersized and probably locked into a nickelback role, but he battles on every single rep. Few WR were able to lose him in cover today. Josh Shaw won the underwear Olympics with a Greek God like physique. On the field his athleticism is exposed when he has to make quick and sudden movements. Eric Rowe has awesome size for a Corner, but got yelled at a few times for not understanding directions.
Safeties
Damarious Randall was the best cover Safety for me today. He’s on the smaller side, but seemed to have the most natural man coverage ability of the group. Ibraheim Campbell of Northwestern was probably the next best in the group and made a couple standout plays on the football.
South Practice
Quarterbacks
The story here is that Auburn QB Nick Marshall is not playing QB this week. He’s practicing as a Cornerback and he actually fit in nicely with the other South CBs. Marshall played DB at Georgia before leaving school and most NFL scouts think he’s future is at CB in the NFL. Garrett Grayson has the strongest arm of any QB at the Senior Bowl, but he’s woefully inconsistent. Both Grayson and Sims missed a ton of throws today. They’d make a nice throw into a small window and then follow it up with a throw 5 yards off-target. SE Louisiana QB Bryan Bennett was added to the South Roster late Tuesday, taking the spot of Nick Marshall.
Running Backs
Northern Iowa RB David Johnson looked awesome in pass protection today. He was taking on LB and DE who were coming full bore and continually swallowed them up. He was able to absorb first contact really well and stay engaged throughout the rep. It remains to be seen what he can do as a ball-carrier, but I’ll tell you what I think his pass protection alone got him drafted today. Cameron Artis-Payne had his ups and downs in pass protection, but was able to get to the edge and turn the corner in team drills.
Wide Receivers
This is a team position grouping. For me two players stood out consistently Tyler Lockett and Phillip Dorsett. Tyler Lockett is just such a good football player. He understands how to run routes, can create separation, and has really good hands. Dorsett had himself a great day. Another slot WR that looks quick, explosive, and dangerous with the ball in his hands. He caught everything thrown to him today and had a lot of scouts in the stands buzzing. A sleeper to keep an eye on as the week and draft process goes on is Central Arkansas’ Dezmin Lewis. He made two brilliant catches today, one inparticular where he elevated over the defender and high-pointed the throw. It was a tough day for Devante Davis of UNLV. He was completely incapable of getting off of press coverage and ended up hurting his leg later in practice. He’s a possession WR that will have to win in other ways.
Tight Ends
The best looking Tight End in Mobile is Miami (FL) Clive Walford. He’s got an NFL body type 10 1/2 inch hands and 81 1/8 inch wingspan. As the week goes on he should really be able to help his draft stock if he catches the ball well.
Offensive Line
The best player on either team today was LSU OT La’El Collins. He lined up at exclusively Left Tackle and dominated for the majority of practice. His footwork, hands, and technique looked solid. As soon as he got his hands on a defender he was able to easily shut down their rush. The only time he got beat was by Arkansas DE Trey Flowers. Collins was cheating a bit to the outside and Flowers shot the inside gap off the snap. Everything I saw from Collins justifies the Top 20 buzz surrounding him heading into the week.
Defensive Line
Owa Odighizuwa looked beastly at the weigh-in, as well as on the field. His pass rush moves and laterally explosion looked far superior to the other defensive linemen in his group. Odighizuwa has great length and will be tough to block in 1-on-1s as the week goes on. I also thought Houston DT Joey Mbu is someone to watch closely. He looked great at the weigh-in with a huge lower half and on the practice field be moved extremely well for a man of his size. Finally, I thought Clemson’s Grady Jarrett stood out in bag, pass rush drills. He’s a small, but quick and feisty defender. He’ll find his way onto a 53 man roster.
Linebackers
One LB really stood out to me today and that was Norfolk State’s Lyndon Trail. He’s a massive human being with one of the most athletic frames here. He can move extremely well for his size. Trail was also one of the most impressive interviews I did today. He seems to understand his skill-set, what he can bring to an NFL team, and has a good head on his shoulders.
Cornerbacks
Senquez Golson’s decision to pass on 1 million dollars from the Red Sox looks to be paying off right about now. Even though he’s small, he’s a quick-twitch corner that challenges for the ball consistently. He can really plant and drive out of his pedal. D’Joun Smith from Florida Atlantic is another really competitive CB. He laid a big time hit on Sammie Coates after giving up an slant route. Finally TCU’s Kevin White stood out at first glance as a twitchy, fluid corner.
Safety
Cody Prewitt will have his limitations in the Pro Game, but he continued to make plays in the final third today. He had one pass break up and one Interception. Samford’s Jarquiski Tartt looks the part weighing in at a shredded 220 pounds. Physically he’s ready to play in the NFL and he didn’t look out of place during team drills today.
http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2015...th-and-south-practice-notes-observations.html
Miami (OH) CB Quinten Rollins is off to a good start at the Senior Bowl.
NEPD Editor: Mike Loyko
The first day of the Senior Bowl is in the books and what a whirlwind it was. There is so much information to be gathered throughout this process that’s it’s almost impossible to keep up with all the goings on. After watching the first practices and the official weigh-in, I’ve put together my thoughts and observations on the day. One day won’t define the draft stock of the participants, but the information gathered is another piece to the puzzle. Here is what I learned from the first day in Mobile.
North Practice
Quarterbacks
It’s definitely not a stand out group this year. None of the QBs in particular stood out to me during this practice session. All of the QBs have mediocre throwing arms with average NFL tools. Each of the three struggled with accuracy at times, especially to the perimeter. Remember these kids are throwing to new receivers, but never the less, this group failed to change any opinions I had of them leading into the week. We’ll see if anyone steps it up tomorrow once the full pads go on.
Running Backs
Nebraska RB Ameer Abdullah’s quickness and explosion stood out. He’s clearly the most dynamic back on the roster as he showed an ability to make cuts at high speed and looked dangerous catching the ball out of the backfield. He’s going to be a tough cover for LB at the next level. Tyler Varga out of Yale caught a lot of scouts attention during the second half of practice. Not only was he a “weigh-in warrior” this morning, but he looked like he fit in on the practice field. He looked natural catching the football today and has a great build for the position.
Wide Receivers
This is a deep and talented group that I was able to get a close look at today. Tony Lippett started off practice great destroying the gauntlet drill and attacking the football in the air. As practice went on and became more physical he faded slightly. Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State has plenty of work to do in order to run a complete route tree, but he’s going to be very dangerous right away in the NFL running “9″ routes and hook/hitch routes. He can stop on a dime and created huge seperation at the top of his comeback routes. His hands looked solid throughout the day. Justin Hardy had a very solid day all around. His hands looked strong in the gauntlet drill and he consistently got open in 1-on-1s, 7-on-7s. Dukes’ Jamison Crowder dropped a bunch of balls early on, but once the competition ramped up and the reps became competitive he started to win consistently. He’s a tough kid to cover and seems to run his routes very well. Ty Montgomery and Antwan Goodley both struggled catching the ball today. Each one had at least 4 drops.
Tight Ends
Like QB, this isn’t the strongest Tight End group. Ben Koyack looked like the best of the bunch at first glance. He caught the ball consistently today and that’s more than I can say for the other two Tight Ends.
Offensive Line
A group I didn’t get to focus on too much today. I will saw that every time I watched 1-on-1s Dukes’ Laken Tomlinson was handling his business. He’s got such long arms and uses his length to keep defenders off him. He also moved his feet well and was able to stonewall the bullrush. I have to watch this group closer tomorrow.
Defensive Line
Danny Shelton was difficult to handle for Centers today. His game looks like it translates seamlessly to the NFL. He can create push on every play, draws multiple blocks on most plays, and surprised me with his lateral movement today. He was also a weigh-in warrior showing up with Watermelon-like Calves and a Barrel-Chested upper body. Henry Anderson is a battler and never takes plays off. Anderson is a player who gets the most out of his physical talent. In terms of edge rushers Nate Orchard looked the most dangerous on the North team. His burst out of a 3-point stance is better than most and he looks like the best athlete of the bunch. Hau’oli Kikaha was asked to do a lot of dropping into coverage today and it was quickly realized that is not a strength of his. Zach Hodges also looked very, very raw when asked to cover Tight Ends.
Linebackers
Cincinnati’s Jeff Luc is built like a “brick shithouse”. His 5’11″ frame is maxed out at a crazy 263 pounds. Luc is a downhill, run stopper that can handle he physicality of playing in traffic. I didn’t get to watch Jordan Hicks a lot during practices, but he impressed me greatly with his interview. Hicks is a well-spoken kid that seems hungry and driven to succeed after overcoming adversity at Texas.
Cornerbacks
Miami (OH) Quinten Rollins and Oregon State’s Steven Nelson are standouts for me. Rollins is a terrific looking athlete. He can open his hips fluidly, was able to change direction without wasting much motion, and picked up the press technique very quickly. It’s amazing to think this kid was not even playing football at this time last year. Nelson is a feisty and tenacious corner. He’s undersized and probably locked into a nickelback role, but he battles on every single rep. Few WR were able to lose him in cover today. Josh Shaw won the underwear Olympics with a Greek God like physique. On the field his athleticism is exposed when he has to make quick and sudden movements. Eric Rowe has awesome size for a Corner, but got yelled at a few times for not understanding directions.
Safeties
Damarious Randall was the best cover Safety for me today. He’s on the smaller side, but seemed to have the most natural man coverage ability of the group. Ibraheim Campbell of Northwestern was probably the next best in the group and made a couple standout plays on the football.
South Practice
Quarterbacks
The story here is that Auburn QB Nick Marshall is not playing QB this week. He’s practicing as a Cornerback and he actually fit in nicely with the other South CBs. Marshall played DB at Georgia before leaving school and most NFL scouts think he’s future is at CB in the NFL. Garrett Grayson has the strongest arm of any QB at the Senior Bowl, but he’s woefully inconsistent. Both Grayson and Sims missed a ton of throws today. They’d make a nice throw into a small window and then follow it up with a throw 5 yards off-target. SE Louisiana QB Bryan Bennett was added to the South Roster late Tuesday, taking the spot of Nick Marshall.
Running Backs
Northern Iowa RB David Johnson looked awesome in pass protection today. He was taking on LB and DE who were coming full bore and continually swallowed them up. He was able to absorb first contact really well and stay engaged throughout the rep. It remains to be seen what he can do as a ball-carrier, but I’ll tell you what I think his pass protection alone got him drafted today. Cameron Artis-Payne had his ups and downs in pass protection, but was able to get to the edge and turn the corner in team drills.
Wide Receivers
This is a team position grouping. For me two players stood out consistently Tyler Lockett and Phillip Dorsett. Tyler Lockett is just such a good football player. He understands how to run routes, can create separation, and has really good hands. Dorsett had himself a great day. Another slot WR that looks quick, explosive, and dangerous with the ball in his hands. He caught everything thrown to him today and had a lot of scouts in the stands buzzing. A sleeper to keep an eye on as the week and draft process goes on is Central Arkansas’ Dezmin Lewis. He made two brilliant catches today, one inparticular where he elevated over the defender and high-pointed the throw. It was a tough day for Devante Davis of UNLV. He was completely incapable of getting off of press coverage and ended up hurting his leg later in practice. He’s a possession WR that will have to win in other ways.
Tight Ends
The best looking Tight End in Mobile is Miami (FL) Clive Walford. He’s got an NFL body type 10 1/2 inch hands and 81 1/8 inch wingspan. As the week goes on he should really be able to help his draft stock if he catches the ball well.
Offensive Line
The best player on either team today was LSU OT La’El Collins. He lined up at exclusively Left Tackle and dominated for the majority of practice. His footwork, hands, and technique looked solid. As soon as he got his hands on a defender he was able to easily shut down their rush. The only time he got beat was by Arkansas DE Trey Flowers. Collins was cheating a bit to the outside and Flowers shot the inside gap off the snap. Everything I saw from Collins justifies the Top 20 buzz surrounding him heading into the week.
Defensive Line
Owa Odighizuwa looked beastly at the weigh-in, as well as on the field. His pass rush moves and laterally explosion looked far superior to the other defensive linemen in his group. Odighizuwa has great length and will be tough to block in 1-on-1s as the week goes on. I also thought Houston DT Joey Mbu is someone to watch closely. He looked great at the weigh-in with a huge lower half and on the practice field be moved extremely well for a man of his size. Finally, I thought Clemson’s Grady Jarrett stood out in bag, pass rush drills. He’s a small, but quick and feisty defender. He’ll find his way onto a 53 man roster.
Linebackers
One LB really stood out to me today and that was Norfolk State’s Lyndon Trail. He’s a massive human being with one of the most athletic frames here. He can move extremely well for his size. Trail was also one of the most impressive interviews I did today. He seems to understand his skill-set, what he can bring to an NFL team, and has a good head on his shoulders.
Cornerbacks
Senquez Golson’s decision to pass on 1 million dollars from the Red Sox looks to be paying off right about now. Even though he’s small, he’s a quick-twitch corner that challenges for the ball consistently. He can really plant and drive out of his pedal. D’Joun Smith from Florida Atlantic is another really competitive CB. He laid a big time hit on Sammie Coates after giving up an slant route. Finally TCU’s Kevin White stood out at first glance as a twitchy, fluid corner.
Safety
Cody Prewitt will have his limitations in the Pro Game, but he continued to make plays in the final third today. He had one pass break up and one Interception. Samford’s Jarquiski Tartt looks the part weighing in at a shredded 220 pounds. Physically he’s ready to play in the NFL and he didn’t look out of place during team drills today.
http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2015...th-and-south-practice-notes-observations.html
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2015 Senior Bowl: North Practice Observations on Day Two
Iowa DL Carl Davis was unblockable at times during North Practice.
NEPD Editor: Mike Loyko
Today, all the pads went on at the Senior Bowl and the North Squad gave on-lookers a physical, competitive practice to watch. Linemen battled in a variety of 1-on-1s, which gave scouts the opportunity to learn a lot about some of these players. Overall, it was one of the better Senior Bowl practices I’ve been witness to in the last few years. Here are my observations and which players stood out during this morning’s session.
1) Iowa DT Carl Davis was a disruptive force in all phases of the practice. He was extremely difficult to block during 1-on-1s and carried the disruptive play over to the team drills. Davis has tremendous size, plays with power, and gets a great surge on first contact. Davis told me last night his goal was to sneak into the first round and today’s practice certainly didn’t hurt that.
2) Division III and Hobart College’s Ali Marpet showed he deserved to be at the Senior Bowl invite by battling hard against some of the top DL in the nation. Marpet showed good strength, hand placement, and was able to withstand the power of bigger defenders. In team drills he was asked to pull across the formation a number of times and looked capable of picking up his block on the move.
3) Duke WR Jamison Crowder continued to showcase an NFL skill-set on the Senior Bowl field. Crowder is a polished route running, with great quickness, and always competes at full speed. He’s able to create separation at the top of his routes with his ability to stop and change direction on a dime. He had multiple team’s scouts buzzing when he ran a sharp comeback route and almost made a circus catch along the sidelines.
4) Jeff Luc, LB, Cincinnati was a late addition to the mix after Eric Kendricks dropped out of the game, but he’s showing he should have been here all along. Yesterday, I talked about his incredibly thick, powerful frame and that was put to use in 11 on 11s today. Luc is so physical in the box and near the line of scrimmage. He’s comes downhill quickly and isn’t afraid to take on or dish out contact.
5) Oregon State CB Steven Nelson definitely looks like the best Cornerback when going through change of direction drills. He possesses those quick-twitch muscle fibers that allow him to “click and close” or break laterally in an instant. He’s undersized, but there is no doubt he can be a contributor as a Nickel or Dime Cornerback on some NFL roster.
6) Danny Shelton’s power was really evident throughout the practice. His first contact is really explosive and even though he can struggle with his countermove and hand usage, his ability to drive one or two blockers 3 yards into the backfield off the snap blew up plays today.
7) I thought the North Offensive Line as a whole had a pretty good day. I got to watch the majority of individual reps and every player had a moment. Donovan Smith was 4-0 in run blocking situations, but struggled badly when pass protecting. Rob Haverstein showed patience and ability to redirect an inside rush move during drills and Laken Tomlinson showed an ability to recover/re-anchor after getting pushed back. One offensive linemen who turned some heads was Tennessee State OL Robert Myers. He’s a powerful kid who creates a surge on contact and at one point pancaked ASU DT Marcus Hardison onto his backside.
8) Pitt OT TJ Clemmings was up and down once again. His inexperience and “rawness” gets exposed in some drills, but scouts here absolutely love his frame, potential. He seemed to struggle with Nate Orchard’s speed rush to the outside, getting beat off the ball and around the edge at least twice. Through two practices I’ve noticed when Clemmings is good, he’s really good and when he’s bad he’s really bad.
9) Yale’s Tyler Varga continues to excite onlookers. He does a number of things really well, including deliver lead blocks. On one occassion he leveled USC LB Hayes Pullard in the hole and cleared the way for a Jeremy Langford touchdown. NFL Scouts in the stands get a kick out of watching him play. He’ll find a role in the NFL.
10) In terms of edge rushers, I’ve felt Nate Orchard has stood out the most. He’s definitely the most athletic of the bunch, even though he’s more of a one trick pony. When Washington’s Hau’oli Kikaha is allowed to attack the line of scrimmage or rush off the edge he’s been good, but he’s struggling when asked to drop into coverage. Kikaha showed me in team drills he can really set a hard edge and uses his hands to control the edge blocker.
11) Quinten Rollins inexperience shows up in his technique and ability to read routes, but his recovery ability is pretty good. When he gets beaten he’s usually in position to recover and make a quick tackle. His biggest mistake today was taking a bad angle on a WR screen and he was left in the dust.
12) Utah DB Eric Rowe was moved to Safety today which was no surprise. At 6’2″ he’s probably too high cut to succeed at cornerback at this level. Rowe started off practice with an interception of Sean Mannion breaking on a deep seam pass.
http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2015...wo-north-practice-observations-and-notes.html
Iowa DL Carl Davis was unblockable at times during North Practice.
NEPD Editor: Mike Loyko
Today, all the pads went on at the Senior Bowl and the North Squad gave on-lookers a physical, competitive practice to watch. Linemen battled in a variety of 1-on-1s, which gave scouts the opportunity to learn a lot about some of these players. Overall, it was one of the better Senior Bowl practices I’ve been witness to in the last few years. Here are my observations and which players stood out during this morning’s session.
1) Iowa DT Carl Davis was a disruptive force in all phases of the practice. He was extremely difficult to block during 1-on-1s and carried the disruptive play over to the team drills. Davis has tremendous size, plays with power, and gets a great surge on first contact. Davis told me last night his goal was to sneak into the first round and today’s practice certainly didn’t hurt that.
2) Division III and Hobart College’s Ali Marpet showed he deserved to be at the Senior Bowl invite by battling hard against some of the top DL in the nation. Marpet showed good strength, hand placement, and was able to withstand the power of bigger defenders. In team drills he was asked to pull across the formation a number of times and looked capable of picking up his block on the move.
3) Duke WR Jamison Crowder continued to showcase an NFL skill-set on the Senior Bowl field. Crowder is a polished route running, with great quickness, and always competes at full speed. He’s able to create separation at the top of his routes with his ability to stop and change direction on a dime. He had multiple team’s scouts buzzing when he ran a sharp comeback route and almost made a circus catch along the sidelines.
4) Jeff Luc, LB, Cincinnati was a late addition to the mix after Eric Kendricks dropped out of the game, but he’s showing he should have been here all along. Yesterday, I talked about his incredibly thick, powerful frame and that was put to use in 11 on 11s today. Luc is so physical in the box and near the line of scrimmage. He’s comes downhill quickly and isn’t afraid to take on or dish out contact.
5) Oregon State CB Steven Nelson definitely looks like the best Cornerback when going through change of direction drills. He possesses those quick-twitch muscle fibers that allow him to “click and close” or break laterally in an instant. He’s undersized, but there is no doubt he can be a contributor as a Nickel or Dime Cornerback on some NFL roster.
6) Danny Shelton’s power was really evident throughout the practice. His first contact is really explosive and even though he can struggle with his countermove and hand usage, his ability to drive one or two blockers 3 yards into the backfield off the snap blew up plays today.
7) I thought the North Offensive Line as a whole had a pretty good day. I got to watch the majority of individual reps and every player had a moment. Donovan Smith was 4-0 in run blocking situations, but struggled badly when pass protecting. Rob Haverstein showed patience and ability to redirect an inside rush move during drills and Laken Tomlinson showed an ability to recover/re-anchor after getting pushed back. One offensive linemen who turned some heads was Tennessee State OL Robert Myers. He’s a powerful kid who creates a surge on contact and at one point pancaked ASU DT Marcus Hardison onto his backside.
8) Pitt OT TJ Clemmings was up and down once again. His inexperience and “rawness” gets exposed in some drills, but scouts here absolutely love his frame, potential. He seemed to struggle with Nate Orchard’s speed rush to the outside, getting beat off the ball and around the edge at least twice. Through two practices I’ve noticed when Clemmings is good, he’s really good and when he’s bad he’s really bad.
9) Yale’s Tyler Varga continues to excite onlookers. He does a number of things really well, including deliver lead blocks. On one occassion he leveled USC LB Hayes Pullard in the hole and cleared the way for a Jeremy Langford touchdown. NFL Scouts in the stands get a kick out of watching him play. He’ll find a role in the NFL.
10) In terms of edge rushers, I’ve felt Nate Orchard has stood out the most. He’s definitely the most athletic of the bunch, even though he’s more of a one trick pony. When Washington’s Hau’oli Kikaha is allowed to attack the line of scrimmage or rush off the edge he’s been good, but he’s struggling when asked to drop into coverage. Kikaha showed me in team drills he can really set a hard edge and uses his hands to control the edge blocker.
11) Quinten Rollins inexperience shows up in his technique and ability to read routes, but his recovery ability is pretty good. When he gets beaten he’s usually in position to recover and make a quick tackle. His biggest mistake today was taking a bad angle on a WR screen and he was left in the dust.
12) Utah DB Eric Rowe was moved to Safety today which was no surprise. At 6’2″ he’s probably too high cut to succeed at cornerback at this level. Rowe started off practice with an interception of Sean Mannion breaking on a deep seam pass.
http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2015...wo-north-practice-observations-and-notes.html
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LACHAMP46
A snazzy title
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Laken Thomlinson....name I'll keep an eye out for...Also that Haverstein(?) from Wisconsin....and yes, he's a OG in my eyes....
Wonder about this kid, his brother looks lost in the pros.....Really all the Bama OL that come out...Well, not Fluker...but he's really a OG too....
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Senior Bowl: Pauline's Wednesday Risers
Tony Pauline
DraftInsider.net
MOBILE, Al. – The second day of Senior Bowl practice has concluded as the pace picked up and the pads popped a little louder. If defense won the day on Tuesday, it was the other side of the ball that stood out today. Here are eight risers and a pair of sliders from Wednesday's practice.
Ali Marpet/OL/Hobart – Marpet, 6-3, 307, has done everything required of a Division-III player attending the Senior Bowl. He has looked completely comfortable battling a higher level of competition and has won out more times than he's lost. Marpet has lined up at both left tackle and guard, facing off against some of the better defensive linemen on the field. He stymied defensive tackle Danny Shelton and pass rusher Nate Orchard, a pair of PAC-12 stars. Marpet's performance the past two practices has elevated his draft grade into the middle rounds.
Justin Hardy/WR/East Carolina – Hardy is not a receiver who passes the eyeball test as he measured just over 5-10, 190 during weigh-ins. He is also not a wideout with blinding speed. But numbers aside, Hardy is a terrific receiver and a very good football player. On Wednesday he was unstoppable, using quickness and terrific hand technique to separate from defenders before catching everything thrown in his direction. Hardy is a natural at the position and is very smart, which will make him a welcome addition to any roster.
Max Garcia/C/Florida – Garcia came to the Senior Bowl as an unheralded lineman but has raised a lot of eyebrows with his play in Mobile. He's about the only lineman in attendance able to slow down defensive tackles Danny Shelton and Carl Davis. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Garcia played with great fundamentals throughout the opening practices and now rates as one of the draft's better centers.
Devin Smith/WR/Ohio State – Smith, who thrived as a vertical receiver during his time at Ohio State, effectively ran underneath patterns during the second day of Senior Bowl practice. He ran crisp routes and quickly came back to the ball exiting breaks, then extended to pluck the pass from the air. Smith, 6-0, 190, made a number of impressive catches in the short field when battling defenders to come away with the ball.
Ben Koyack/TE/Notre Dame – The tight end play during Senior Bowl practices has been solid and Koyack, 6-4, 249, is the best of the bunch. He's a fluid athlete with natural receiving skills and the ability to make the tough catch in traffic. Though blocking is not his strongest suit, Koyack has held his own during drills and scrimmage.
Gabe Wright/DL/Auburn – Many of the defensive linemen from the North squad stood out on Tuesday and today Wright stepped it up for the South. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound tackle displayed impressive quickness, explosion as well as strength. He consistently beat opponents, penetrating the line of scrimmage to disrupt the action.
Stephone Anthony/LB/Clemson – Possibly the most underrated linebacker in the upcoming draft, Anthony, 6-2, 245, turned in a complete performance on Tuesday. He did exceptionally well in coverage drills, which he carried over into the scrimmage period. Anthony got depth on pass drops and easily stayed step-for-step with running backs or tight ends who came over the middle of the field. He also showed speed and range in pursuit, quickly getting outside the numbers then cutting off the corners as he ran down ball carriers.
Lorenzo Mauldin/OLB/Louisville – Mauldin, 6-3, 256, has made the switch from college defensive end to outside linebacker prospect with few bumps in the road. He's looked very comfortable playing in space, easily moving laterally or in reverse and has done a good job diagnosing plays from the snap of the ball. In many ways Mauldin's Senior Bowl performance parallels the play of Marcus Smith, his former Louisville teammate and first-round pick of the Eagles last year.
Sliders
Ibraheim Campbell/S/Northwestern – Campbell competes and gives effort but struggles in too many facets of the safety position. He does not possess the range necessary to get outside the numbers pursuing the action. Campbell has been stamped by scouts as a one-dimensional, run-defending safety who can only play downhill.
Deion Barnes/DL/Penn State – It’s been a struggle for Barnes almost every day. When lined up at defensive end he's easily neutralized by blockers and Barnes looks unnatural and indecisive standing up over tackle.
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/n...y-Risers/8d4c6c7f-a748-487a-aa87-50074dd6d0ec
Tony Pauline
DraftInsider.net
MOBILE, Al. – The second day of Senior Bowl practice has concluded as the pace picked up and the pads popped a little louder. If defense won the day on Tuesday, it was the other side of the ball that stood out today. Here are eight risers and a pair of sliders from Wednesday's practice.
Ali Marpet/OL/Hobart – Marpet, 6-3, 307, has done everything required of a Division-III player attending the Senior Bowl. He has looked completely comfortable battling a higher level of competition and has won out more times than he's lost. Marpet has lined up at both left tackle and guard, facing off against some of the better defensive linemen on the field. He stymied defensive tackle Danny Shelton and pass rusher Nate Orchard, a pair of PAC-12 stars. Marpet's performance the past two practices has elevated his draft grade into the middle rounds.
Justin Hardy/WR/East Carolina – Hardy is not a receiver who passes the eyeball test as he measured just over 5-10, 190 during weigh-ins. He is also not a wideout with blinding speed. But numbers aside, Hardy is a terrific receiver and a very good football player. On Wednesday he was unstoppable, using quickness and terrific hand technique to separate from defenders before catching everything thrown in his direction. Hardy is a natural at the position and is very smart, which will make him a welcome addition to any roster.
Max Garcia/C/Florida – Garcia came to the Senior Bowl as an unheralded lineman but has raised a lot of eyebrows with his play in Mobile. He's about the only lineman in attendance able to slow down defensive tackles Danny Shelton and Carl Davis. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Garcia played with great fundamentals throughout the opening practices and now rates as one of the draft's better centers.
Devin Smith/WR/Ohio State – Smith, who thrived as a vertical receiver during his time at Ohio State, effectively ran underneath patterns during the second day of Senior Bowl practice. He ran crisp routes and quickly came back to the ball exiting breaks, then extended to pluck the pass from the air. Smith, 6-0, 190, made a number of impressive catches in the short field when battling defenders to come away with the ball.
Ben Koyack/TE/Notre Dame – The tight end play during Senior Bowl practices has been solid and Koyack, 6-4, 249, is the best of the bunch. He's a fluid athlete with natural receiving skills and the ability to make the tough catch in traffic. Though blocking is not his strongest suit, Koyack has held his own during drills and scrimmage.
Gabe Wright/DL/Auburn – Many of the defensive linemen from the North squad stood out on Tuesday and today Wright stepped it up for the South. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound tackle displayed impressive quickness, explosion as well as strength. He consistently beat opponents, penetrating the line of scrimmage to disrupt the action.
Stephone Anthony/LB/Clemson – Possibly the most underrated linebacker in the upcoming draft, Anthony, 6-2, 245, turned in a complete performance on Tuesday. He did exceptionally well in coverage drills, which he carried over into the scrimmage period. Anthony got depth on pass drops and easily stayed step-for-step with running backs or tight ends who came over the middle of the field. He also showed speed and range in pursuit, quickly getting outside the numbers then cutting off the corners as he ran down ball carriers.
Lorenzo Mauldin/OLB/Louisville – Mauldin, 6-3, 256, has made the switch from college defensive end to outside linebacker prospect with few bumps in the road. He's looked very comfortable playing in space, easily moving laterally or in reverse and has done a good job diagnosing plays from the snap of the ball. In many ways Mauldin's Senior Bowl performance parallels the play of Marcus Smith, his former Louisville teammate and first-round pick of the Eagles last year.
Sliders
Ibraheim Campbell/S/Northwestern – Campbell competes and gives effort but struggles in too many facets of the safety position. He does not possess the range necessary to get outside the numbers pursuing the action. Campbell has been stamped by scouts as a one-dimensional, run-defending safety who can only play downhill.
Deion Barnes/DL/Penn State – It’s been a struggle for Barnes almost every day. When lined up at defensive end he's easily neutralized by blockers and Barnes looks unnatural and indecisive standing up over tackle.
http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/n...y-Risers/8d4c6c7f-a748-487a-aa87-50074dd6d0ec
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Hardy offers a lot of what Jarvis Landry offered last year...but he's a little more athletic without quite as dominant of hands(hands are still great, though). Will be a productive slot WR in the NFL.
I'm not an Anthony fan. LBs aren't my forte but when I watched him on film, he looked soft to me. Didn't get off blocks. Can run but he's big and stiff. Great blitzer. I wasn't blown away. Didn't see a special player. I liked Taiwan Jones from Michigan State a lot more. Taiwan's not quite as fast and has the same stiffness but he's a tank out there. Runs through blocks. He was stacking and shedding OGs in the hole and at the second level. Really jolts his guy on impact. A bit limited in coverage but a great thumper type.
With Anthony, he's a big guy that's decent in coverage and a good blitzer but I just don't see the ability as a run defender to make him a quality starter in the NFL.
Involves his head in his punch in pass pro(opens him up to swim moves and can get him off balance)
Punch timing and placement are inconsistent(hands are often late or early...still learning timing...and he needs to lock on to the chestplate...strong grip but too often is content brawling with the DE)
Will overset at times when facing talented rushers(opens him up to inside counter moves and can get him caught off balance if the DE catches him at the right moment)
Occasionally gets too high in his pass pro setup(can open him up to the bullrush especially when he's early with his punch and doesn't protect his chest)
Too aggressive at times in the run game(needs to play under control...can miss blocks in the open field or on the second level and can lead to him failing to sustain a block that he was dominating on because he got too far ahead of himself)
Overextends himself at times in the run game(treats it like pass pro...needs to lock on, body the defender, and bury him instead of keeping him at arm's length)
All things we knew coming in. They aren't going to change over night.
He's raw. We knew that coming in. The thing about Clemmings isn't where he's at now. It's where he can go from here. Watch him at the start of 2013. Watch him at the start of 2014. Then watch him in the last few games of 2014. The guy has improved significantly...not just from 2013 but from the start of this year. He gets better with every snap. You're not taking him for what he is now. You're taking him for what he'll be down the road.
The point of the Senior Bowl for a guy like Clemmings isn't for him to win every snap and every match-up. He's not going to do that. He's not polished enough yet. The point of the Senior Bowl for him was to show NFL evaluators the tools he has to work with and that he's capable of taking coaching over the week, applying it to his game, and improving. That's all he needs to do.
The kid wasn't going to come in and be Joe Thomas. He wasn't that on film. The issues he had on film are all things being pointed out now. And it's not surprising. But the things Clemmings is trying to sell teams on are his ability to grow from where he is now and that he has the physical tools to be a great LT in the NFL.
Coming in at 6'5" 307 with nearly 35 inch arms and large hands was a good start. And it seems from everything I've read, he's showing off the tools I saw on film...easy movement skills, great balance, powerful hands, and overwhelming strength.
I hope that explains to some that are wondering why the Senior Bowl isn't deterring me.
Yamahopper
Hall of Fame
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Comparing him to Stanton a good thing or bad thing? I agree with you on the comparison.