Senior Bowl Thread [Archive]

hawaiianboy

01-22-2007, 06:22 PM

Good timing, just got this in my email...

Senior Bowl Practice Report North Team - Monday

Jan 22, 2007, MOBILE, AL - The cold Alabama rain showers couldn't stop hundreds of scouts, agents, and fans from watching the North Team take the field in the first Senior Bowl practice of the year.

Those that braved the elements were treated to a collection of talent that rivals some of the greatest Senior Bowl rosters of all time. There were impressive noteworthy plays made by players of all shapes, sizes, and positions, with a few prospects staking early claims as the best at their positions. There were also a few surprises that no one could have forecasted.

The rest of the week practices will be divided up with one team practicing in the morning and the other practicing in the afternoon. Due to the time spent Monday morning at the weigh-ins, however, both teams practiced this afternoon, forcing a tough decision for scouts. With the first practice of the week likely to be in only helmets and shoulder pads, I generally focus on the quarterbacks, receivers, and defensive backs. With greater questions surrounding the North's prospects at these positions, I chose them.

Quarterbacks:

Scouts were anxious to see Troy Smith, Drew Stanton, and Tyler Palko side by side simply because it is rare to see players so different playing at the same position. Heisman winner Troy Smith has to answer questions about his height (after measuring in at 6-0 even earlier) and ability to throw without superstars like Ted Ginn, Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez. Drew Stanton has all the physical tools, but after a late season meltdown, scouts wanted to see how he'd perform in this high pressure environment. Tyler Palko lacks Smith's big name or Stanton's measureables, but is a gutty winner who just wins.

Of the three, Smith was the most impressive throughout Monday's practice. While his height is a concern, Smith has a clean over-the-top delivery that is rarely batted down at the line of scrimmage. He showed plenty of arm strength, zipping passes to all levels of the field, and yet showing great touch, as well.

Stanton was a little more erratic, though his strong arm and size make him the most prototypical of the trio. Also, quarterbacks were discouraged to run with the ball, something that robbed Stanton of the mobility that has scouts so intrigued. Stanton threw the ball with plenty of force, but often played conservatively, electing to check down to tight ends and running backs rather than attack the perimeter.

Tyler Palko was willing to attack the corners, but only did so with limited success. He lacks the arm strength of the other two North quarterbacks and, thus, is forced to go through more of a windup when throwing longer routes. With cornerbacks who can break on the ball as well as Leon Hall, Daymeion Hughes, Josh Wilson, and Marcus McCauley, this resulted in too many pass deflections. Palko is accurate, however, and has the best chance of impressing teams come Saturday, as his game management and leadership ability are strengths.

Wide Receivers:

The wet conditions seemed to affect the receivers more than it did the quarterbacks or cornerbacks. Either that or the North receivers simply dropped too many balls that should have been caught.

Perhaps the best performances were turned in by Rhema McKnight and Jason Hill. McKnight made several athletic grabs and caught the ball as consistently as any receiver today. He was especially good early, before a couple of drops that would have been spectacular catches, wore of some of the luster. McKnight generally showed good route-running, but he'll need to clean up his footwork if he hopes to enjoy continued successa against a very talented North secondary.

Hill wasn't spectacular, but he was consistent in catching the ball and turning upfield. He was rarely asked to stretch the field deep, however, limiting opportunities to judge what scouts feel is one of the questions he needs to answer this week.

Though he entered the week with as little fanfare as any receiver on either Senior Bowl team, West Virginia's Brandon Myles had a strong initial practice. He caught the ball cleanly and showed that his mediocre production with the Mountaineers have more to do with the team's success in running with Pat White and Steve Slaton than an indictment on Myles' receiving ability.

East Carolina's Aundrae Allison showed flashes and his downfield speed is an element that cannot be coached. He was consistently able to gain separation and caught the ball reasonably well, though there were a few drops. Paul Williams and David Clowney have similar deep speed, but each suffered through several drops throughout practice. Williams struggled early, but built momentum towards the end of practice. Clowney caught the ball fairly well early, but often allowed the ball to get into his pads. Perhaps asked by coaches to uses his hands more, Clowney dropped several passes as practice winded down.

Cornerbacks:

Perhaps no other position on either roster was I more curious to view in person than the North's cornerbacks. Michigan's Leon Hall has been ranked as the elite at the position all season long, but was beaten in some of his biggest matchups this year. California's Daymeion Hughes was among the nation's best big plays corners, but questions about his deep speed and the talent of the receivers in the Pac-10 seemed legitimate. Josh Wilson and Marcus McCauley seemed to have unbelievable size/speed combinations, but how would they react against this kind of talent?

Of the four, Daymeion Hughes' answer was heard the loudest.

Hughes was spectacular Monday. He was as dominant during this practice as any cover corner I've witnessed in nearly ten years of covering the Senior Bowl. He was never challenged deep -- which is a significant caveat, as he is estimated to run in the mid 4.5s -- but he rarely allowed short and medium receptions, consistently showing the instincts, body control, and instantaneous break on the ball that caused his own coaching staff (Tampa Bay) to routinely praise him and for scouts throughout the stands to divert their attention towards him. Hughes was at his best matched one on one with receivers, but also showed sticky hands and good leaping ability in drills earlier in practice.

Leon Hall wasn't as good as Hughes today, but he, on the other hand, was challenged deep and held up well. Hall has good footwork, speed, and leaping ability, and while beaten on occasion, cemented his place -- at least early on -- as one of the top defensive players here.

Maryland's Josh Wilson has the speed to get any scout excited. He's reportedly been timed in the 4.2s and that speed was on display Monday. He didn't appear to be as instinctive or show the break on the ball that Hughes or Hall showed, but was in reasonable position all day long. Passes were completed on him, but he competed and has great upside.

Marcus McCauley struggled today. While he looks the part, McCauley looked a half step slower than the other cornerbacks in early drills and this weakness was taken full advantage of by the North's receivers. He was beaten deep a few times and beaten short often. As the practice went on, he seemed to get down on himself. McCauley is too gifted to drop too far down the board, but he'll need to bounce back this week to assure himself of being the top 50 player his talent warrants.

For whatever reason two of the cornerbacks I was most interested in viewing -- Eric Weddle of Utah and Tanard Jackson of Syracuse -- were moved to safety. Weddle isn't much of a surprise considering he has played safety (at an all conference level, no less) in the past. Jackson, however, has been at cornerback throughout his time at Syracuse and is, quite frankly, a pretty damn good cornerback.

Often teams practice with all of their defensive backs together. This was not the case much of the day Monday, as the safeties worked with each other much of the time.

hawaiianboy

01-22-2007, 06:23 PM

Others:

Though my intent was to focus on the positions listed above, some other players were simply too good not to notice. Others I noticed due to position changes or due to struggles.

There seemed to be two legitimate standouts along the offensive and defensive linemen. Each entered the game considered a first round pick. Each further cemented that status Monday.

With Wisconsin's Joe Thomas electing not to play, Penn State's Levi Brown is the most highly decorated offensive lineman in Mobile and throughout today's practice he showed why. Brown was good in pass blocking drills, consistently able to beat speed rushers to the outside and punish those who tried to bull rush him. He was even better in run blocking drills, where he decimated most and beat nearly all.

One defensive lineman who did hold his own against Brown and beat all others was Nebraska's Adam Carriker. Carriker is the best 3-4 defensive end prospect in this draft and among the best in recent years. He is known for his strength at the point of attack and at 6-6, 290 pounds, that shouldn't come as a surprise. What was surprising, however, was how effective Carriker was in pass rush drills. He was terrifically quick off the snap, but showed enough burst to get the offensive tackle leaning and once Carriker caught his opponent leaning, he simply latched on and tossed tackles away like rag dolls. I enjoyed watching Daymeion Hughes play cornerback today and was loathe to look elsewhere when he was on the field. Adam Carriker forced me too, at times.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day also came from the defensive line. California's Brandon Mebane has earned a reputation among those who follow the Pac-10 as being one of the toughest defensive tackles in the conference, but quiet frankly, in the eyes of NFL scouts, that isn't saying much. Besides USC, the Pac-10 hasn't produced a great many rugged defensive tackles in recent years and the talk was that Mebane was simply the next overrated one to come out of the conference. That talk changed a bit today, as Mebane showed very good strength at the point of attack, rarely giving up an inch against double teams and pushing single blockers into the back field on occasion. Mebane has been ranked as high as a first round pick by some analysts, but more realistically, has always been considered more of a 2nd day prospect. Some teams, in fact, didn't view as anything more than a late round pick. That said, Mebane impressed today and will move up the board with a strong performance this week, especially considering the overall lack of talent at defensive tackle in this year's draft.

I didn't focus on LaMarr Woodley and Anthony Spencer much today, but will this week. Each lacks traditional size for defensive end and could be asked to play some linebacker. The Senior Bowl rosters have historically proven to some accuracy on this, as often players thought to perhaps be athletic enough to move around have been listed as a DE/OLB instead of one position or the other. Interesting that Woodley is listed strictly as a defensive end, whereas both positions are listed for Spencer. Of the little I viewed of each, both showed the burst and use of hands as that made them the natural and productive pass rushers they were at Michigan and Purdue, respectively.

Iowa's Marshal Yanda is an intriguing prospect, but early on was asked to play right tackle and this isn't a good matchup for him against this kind of talent. He was moved inside to left guard later, a position where he projects much better for the next level.

massraider

01-22-2007, 06:39 PM

Man, your emails sure beat my penis enlargement and Nigerian investment-stuffed mailbox.

Nice stuff, HBoy.

massraider

01-22-2007, 09:27 PM

Slightly different take from footballguys.com:
The weather camp and cold, making it tough to get a good handle on the QBs, who were having trouble taking snaps and throwing spirals. The WRs were also falling down a lot, although this was a good measure of who could run their routes under control.

QB

Tyler Palko, Pitt - nice throw on run X2, mechanic poors, throwing off back foot, throwing while falling back and throwing on off foot while scrambling, weird 3/4 release, puts ball in right spot

Troy Smith, tOSU - two fumbles likely due to weather, showed a lot of confidence in leadership in huddle, on sidelines, good barking cadence, knew where he wanted to put the ball and had several good throws

Drew Stanton, Mich St - started off slow, got going and has a great delivery, perfect mechanics, over the top throwing motion, proper zip, proper touch, good ball placement, very athletic for his size

Chris Leak, Florida - Considerably shorter than Kolb or Palmer, live arm, good zip on short throws, consistently overthrew deep balls, checked down almost exclusively in drill with 4-5 receivers.

Kevin Kolb, Houston - good mobility and mechanics, did not throw many spirals, seemed to struggle

Jordan Palmer, UTEP - looks the part, almost a spitting image of his brother, good mechanics, but very inconsistent results, Ball tended to float

RB

Kolby Smith, Louisville - good pad level, runs behind his pads, using all his forward momentum to gain maximum yardage, good short area quickness, no long speed, willing inside runner, instinctive, good day catching the ball, nice arms extended catch and great catch on fade route

Garrett Wolfe, NIU - really small, even tiny compared to other RBs, smaller than the kicker (Mason Crosby), swallowed by defense, not quick, not fast, dropped passes

Tony Hunt, PSU - runs way too upright, not in a rhythm, didnt have a sense of urgency about him, lethargic, good hands, didnt look ball into hands once, one run, so indecisive behind the line, Gruden says "that was indecisive as hell"

Brian Leonard, Rutgers - exceptional hands, running out every play in practice, good inside running, forward lean, kept feet moving, can run through trash at line of scrimmage, not overly fast or powerful, but willing and determined runner

Kenny Irons, Auburn - seems totally over ankle injuries, great burst and lateral movement, very live legs, very elusive

Ken Darby, Alabama - uncreative straight ahead runner on the few carries I saw

Lorenzo Booker, Florida St - Exceptional quickness and speed, very electric and sudden compared to Darby and Irons

WR

Paul Williams, Fresno St - Blends in athletically as opposed to standing out at Shrine Game, didn't seem serious, joked around on sidelines, maybe not paying attention

David Clowney, Virginia Tech - Drop after drop after drop, very fast, not elusive, but slippery, See also: Todd Pinkston

Rhema McKnight, Notre Dame - Consistent, good concentration, looked ball into hands, good routes, opens his body to QB to create as big a target as he can. not overwhelming athletic, but very consistent

Jason Hill, Washington St - good hands

Brandon Myles, West Virginia - lots of drops

Dallas Baker, Florida - L-O-N-G arms, does better when he has to reach full extension for a ball much like Plaxico Burress, not physical in route running, easily redirected, but responded well to coaching when this was pointed out. Let the passes thrown straight at him get to his body. Hangs in air, great leaper

Dwayne Bowe, LSU - very impressive physique, but quick, fast, and athletic for a solidly built guy, very under control and crisp in his routes and showed good hands. Drew a lot of praise from the coaches

Chris Davis, Florida St - Looks like a slot receiver type, good running crossing routes, showed good hands, some toughness/physicality for a smaller WR

Courtney Taylor, Auburn - body caught, sometimes lazy in routes, didnt seem to have good quickness or hands. Flashed some speed and some toughness on a few plays, but was one of the poorest performing South WRs.

Chansi Stuckey, Clemson - Quick and fast, but was not as impressive as Higgins, who is a similar type of WR. Got pushed around early in routes

Johnnie Lee Higgins, UTEP - Very fast, very quick, very athletic, and strong for a smaller WR. stood out. speed to separate on deep routes

Other

Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska - Nasty, fiery, mean, lots of pop

Rufus Alexander, LB, Oklahoma - stuck to RB in coverage

Aaron Ross, CB, Texas, Michael Griffin, S, Texas - both had ints by reading plays well

Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami - Had scintillating INT by cutting in front of Joe Newton, who looked open when the ball was thrown, didnt respond to coaching well

Martrez Milner, TE, Georgia - terrific adjustment on poorly thrown ball, took hit from Griffin and held on

Kevin Payne, DB, Louisiana-Monroe - terrible day, got yelled at to finish out plays and seemed to be slow and out of it

Fred Bennett, CB, South Carolina - big, strong, physical, aggressive, and showed speed to boot

007

01-22-2007, 11:55 PM

Garrett Wolfe, NIU - really small, even tiny compared to other RBs, smaller than the kicker (Mason Crosby), swallowed by defense, not quick, not fast, dropped passes

This made me laugh.

I've never seen such a poor review of a player.

Wolfe must have looked like a friggin bum out there.

Seraph24

01-23-2007, 07:52 AM

Rosters:

http://www.gbnreport.com/seniorbowlhtswts.html

(But I think Quinn isn't playing).

must be a big game. :p Of course i kid.

jatfly

01-23-2007, 09:46 AM

Well NFL Siruis Radio is there today and they were just watching Amobi Akoye, and were very impressed. They saying that he hit the OL with a left hand and knocked him over.....WOW.....Sounds like this kid came to ball......

massraider

01-23-2007, 10:29 AM

Watched the practices on NFL Network. Tough to get a opinion, but:

Drew Stanton: Has all the tools. Looked really good. Looked best of the QB's.

Troy Smith: Looked good. Mayock brought up a good point. Needs to prove he can make plays in the pocket. They know he can roll out, sprint out.

QB from Pitt: Yeah, he pretty much sucks.

Leon Hall: Watching the CB's in one-on-ones, Hall looked so much better than the rest it was comical.

Clowney: That WR that was dropping everything yesterday? He's consistent. Dropped two more in front of the cameras.

Anthony Spencer: Got more screen time than anyone. Poor man's Dwight Freeney. Supposedly may move to LB, but just saw him at DE.

hawaiianboy

01-23-2007, 02:56 PM

Senior Bowl Practice Report North Team - Tuesday

Jan 23, 2007, MOBILE, AL - With only the North team practicing Tuesday morning (the South practices in the afternoon), the number of scouts, agents and fans at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama rose considerably. Those in attendance were treated to a strong practice by several players, with many who flashed dominance Monday continuing their strong play.

With a practice under their belt to get a bit acclimated, the offensive and defensive lines were my focus, with a few players at other positions sticking out as well.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The offensive line crop here continues to be led by former Penn State tackle Levi Brown. Brown once again proved able to consistently stone defensive ends at the line of scrimmage, surrendering only outside pressures by Purdue's Anthony Spencer.

Brown has stood out so much in part because of the relatively unimpressive play by the North's other tackles. Notre Dame's Ryan Harris, in particular, has been disappointing. Considered by some to be a potential first-day selection, Harris was beaten consistently Tuesday. Speed rushers were able to get past him on the outside, stronger ends simply walked him back towards the quarterback and technicians were able to swat away his initial hand punch and maneuver past him with a wide array of spins, swim and rip moves. Harris has good size and flashes the footwork to remain on the outside, but would be better served moving inside to guard at the next level.

Iowa's Marshal Yanda was moved inside to left guard at times during the first practice, but was asked to play right tackle Tuesday. Yanda demonstrates the initial kick-step to contain speedier rushers, but lacks the upper body strength to keep defenders at bay for long. Notre Dame's Victor Abiamiri, who has struggled with consistency over the first two days, was able to consistently gain pressure against Yanda.

Boston College's James Marten is more of the traditional mauler for the right side and tries to make up for his initial quickness and balance with tenacity and power. Marten competes as a pass blocker, forcing defenders to beat him rather than give up easy pressures, but can be beaten with speed off the edge. As a run blocker, he is more effective and looks to take out his frustrations due to his pass blocking deficiencies on the defensive end unfortunate enough to line up opposite him.

Marten's Boston College teammate Josh Beekman hasn't been the dominator advertised. While he has held up reasonably well, especially during the scrimmages where he is protected on either side, Beekman struggled mightily in individual drills Tuesday. He is consistently beaten off the snap with quickness and despite a natural leverage advantage due to his height, Beekman gets his hands too high on his opponent and was too often driven back to the quarterback.

Former West Virginia Mountaineer Dan Mozes plays with good quickness, and during scrimmages he was able to slip past the line of scrimmage to get to linebackers. This mobility will serve him well in some schemes, but an overall lack of mass and power was evident when he was asked to block defensive tackles one on one. Mozes was twice laid on his back in pass rush drills by California's Brandon Mebane, and while Mebane enjoyed success against most interior offensive linemen again Tuesday, Amobi Okoye, who hasn't been as good, also made plays against Mozes.

Ohio State's Doug Datish flashed strength at the point of attack, but unfortunately his best moments came against former teammate David Patterson, who has struggled to make positive plays thus far. Against other defenders, Datish has been beaten by quickness and strength.

It wasn't all ugly on the interior. Two interior linemen from pass-happy offenses proved more physical and aggressive than advertised.

Hawaii's Samson Satele showed impressive form at both the guard and center positions. He was occasionally beaten by quickness in pass rush drills, but played low and with power as a run blocker and often was able to turn his opponent away from the ball carrier while run blocking.

Similarly, Texas Tech's Manuel Ramirez used an impressive hand punch and physical force to move defensive tackles off the line of scrimmage. Texas Tech's infamously wide splits may have helped Ramirez prepare for the one-on-one pass blocking drills, as defenders struggled to get past the guard.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Two players enhanced the positive impression they left on me Monday.

Nebraska's Adam Carriker continues to beat nearly everyone placed in front of him. In individual drills, his combination of strength and surprising quickness has been difficult for all to handle. The anticipated battles between he and Brown were rare, with each getting the better of the other on occasion and neither consistently beating the other. Against all others, however, Carriker won -- at times easily.

California's Brandon Mebane is making himself millions this week. Considered one of the weaker links on a solid North defensive line, nothing about Mebane this week can be described as weak. He has performed well in pass rush drills, showing an explosiveness that twice knocked West Virginia's Dan Mozes on his back. Mebane wasn't just successful against Mozes -- he was unblockable for most interior linemen, even holding up well against double-teams. Scouts continue to circle his name and question why he didn't stand out like this in previous film. Whether Mebane has under-achieved in the past or simply taken his game to another notch this week, the fact remains he has arguably been the North's most impressive lineman and certainly has been the most positive surprise through two days of practice.

Purdue's Anthony Spencer showed the speed off the edge that will result in his being a highly valued commodity come draft day. I have yet to see him take part in drills as a linebacker, though he seems athletic enough. The battle between Spencer and Brown has been one of the more interesting ones this week. Brown, when able to get his hands on Spencer, usually wins, though Spencer is quick enough to re-direct that he's never completely out of the play. At times, Spencer was able to cross Brown's face and get easy outside penetration. I mention Spencer against Brown because against the other tackles here, Spencer's speed has been simply been too much to handle. Spencer also is savvy enough that when he senses his opponent leaning outside to thwart his initial exterior rush, he can spin or rip back to the inside.

I was interested to see how Amobi Okoye would hold up this week, especially when he weighed in at 287 pounds Monday, a full 25 pounds less than he was listed at with the University of Louisville. The quickness off the snap has remained, but Okoye hasn't played with the power at the point of attack that led some to consider him as a potential nose guard. Okoye has flashed playmaking ability and hasn't been bad this week, but he hasn't yet been the difference-maker some expected. Still, at only 19 years old he has remarkable upside, and has held his own.

Like Okoye, Notre Dame's Victor Abiamiri may have entered the Senior Bowl a bit overrated. Whether because of the attention due to playing for Notre Dame or because he might be the most impressive looking prospect in Mobile getting off the bus, Abiamiri has his share of followers. He flashes rare speed off the edge, quite a statement considering he is nearly 6-feet-5 and weighed in at 270 pounds. That said, too often Abiamiri is stifled at the point of attack and unlike some of the more successful pass rushers here, Abiamiri struggles to make the play when he has been initially locked up. His frame and raw athleticism scream upside, but one would expect that a veteran of 49 games would have more in his pass rush arsenal.

Through no fault of his own, Ohio State's Quinn Pitcock entered this week as one of the more highly overrated prospects in Mobile. Pitcock has been mislabeled by some as an interior rush threat, but is at his best plugging the line of scrimmage and gritting his teeth. A good player whose work ethic and dependability will make him a solid starter at the next level, Pitcock rarely has been able to generate a pass rush in drills or stand out during the scrimmages. The one opponent he has consistently beaten is his former teammate, Datish. Against others, Pitcock has been relatively average.

Patterson also has struggled to make a good impression with scouts. He shows enough in terms of quickness to have slipped past a few interior blockers in individual drills, but lacks explosiveness and power.

Similarly, Nebraska's Jay Moore benefited from playing opposite Carriker and an underrated Ola Dagunduro and has been exposed a bit in Mobile. While he plays with passion and makes an occasional play, Moore has struggled to keep his feet throughout practice and has been physically manhandled at times.

Though Michigan's LaMarr Woodley was in pads, he was apparently held out of drills due to an undisclosed injury.

(cont.)

hawaiianboy

01-23-2007, 02:56 PM

OTHERS

Northern Illinois' Garrett Wolfe, who seemed to have faired well Monday catching the ball as a receiver out of the backfield and as a returner, did not participate and I didn't see him at all at practice.

I was able to track down Rutgers tight end Clark Harris, who suffered a turf toe injury. Harris' injury is enough to keep him out of practice and Saturday's game, but shouldn't hamper his preparation for the Combine.

Daymeion Hughes turned in one of the great single-day performances Monday that I've seen over my seven years of covering the Senior Bowl. I didn't focus on him Tuesday, but did peek from time to time and noted that he was enjoying similar success. Unfortunately, in my limited viewings, I also noted that Fresno State's Marcus McCauley continued to struggle.

The receiver who seemed to be making the most positive impression among scouts was West Virginia's Brandon Myles. Myles made the best catch I've seen through the first two North practices Tuesday morning. Working opposite McCauley, who was in good position on this particular play, Myles made a leaping reception of a poorly throw pass. Despite an impressive leap, Myles still had to extend and showed strong hands to snatch the ball out of the air before tumbling out of bounds while managing to drag both feet in bounds.

I rarely pay much attention this early in the week to specialists, but All-Everything kicker Mason Crosby deserves mention. Or so I thought. Crosby, whose leg strength was said to be one of the most impressive in recent history, struggled to get the ball to the 5-yard line on kickoffs. Of the eight kicks I viewed, none reached the end zone. It was possible that Crosby intentionally was kicking short as the Tampa Bay coaching staff had a JUGGS machine spitting out deeper kicks for returners to practice. That said, if Crosby was kicking lighter than normal it remained an unknown to several scouts I sat with, some of whom are searching for a kicker in this year's draft.

It was interesting to note the players used as returners throughout the day. While Michigan's Leon Hall was among those pulled to potentially catch punts, I never saw him actually field one. Hughes, Aundrae Allison, Jason Hill, McCauley, Wolfe and Paul Williams were among those who have been used as returners over the first two days. Of the group, Allison and Williams looked the most comfortable and each showed the explosiveness to be dangerous. Hill looked uncomfortable and struggled to judge the kick, dropping to his knees to catch the ball and still dropping it.

Madturk

01-23-2007, 04:37 PM

Ryan Khalil looked very good in the linemen drills, he's smallish but technically sound. Mayock has him as maybe the best center in the draft and perfect for a zone blocking scheme. I wonder if Kiffen gets in Al's ear? We need a center in the worst way.

I know some of you will knock me on this but I think Chris Leak could be the sleeper QB in this draft. Smart, doesn't make mistakes,

Man Singletary looks like he's on the Mahatma Ghandi diet. Homeboy has slimmed down.

I like that Bowe kid from LSU.

Limee

01-23-2007, 04:53 PM

I really like Kalil, he is small, but I think he has decent strength and as you say suits zone blocking if that is the way we go.

hawaiianboy

01-23-2007, 07:20 PM

Senior Bowl Practice Report South Team - Tuesday

Jan 23, 2007, MOBILE, AL - There is something special about scouting the South team at the Senior Bowl.

With the game based in the heart of SEC country, hundreds of fans with Florida, Arkansas, LSU and other school colors are scattered throughout the stadium. Naturally, they are drastically out-numbered by those showcasing their Auburn or, especially, Alabama Crimson Tide loyalty. Entire families were decked out in their school colors. Classes of students from nearby schools reserved entire sections of Ladd-Peebles Stadium to cheer on the action.

Hopefully they are fans of defensive football, as the South offense had trouble moving the ball during Tuesday's afternoon practice. Overall, the South's cornerbacks were able to consistently disrupt passes. Part of it can be attributed to great quickness and competitiveness on their part. Unfortunately, some also has to attributed to a lack of consistent accuracy from the quarterbacks and precise route-running from the receivers.

This being my first look at the South squad, I focused on the quarterbacks, receivers and defensive backs. Unlike the North team, which elected to have its tight ends and safeties practice separately throughout most of the first two days, the South kept all receivers and defensive backs together, making it easier to judge more players quickly.

QUARTERBACKS

The North team has a clear advantage over the South here. The South, led by Florida's Chris Leak, Houston's Kevin Kolb and UTEP's Jordan Palmer, struggled to get on track offensively, mostly due to inconsistent accuracy from its passers.

It would be tough to characterize any of the South's quarterbacks as having the better day. Leak was the only one who didn't throw an interception and while he was arguably the most accurate of the passers, his throws lacked zip and were often batted away by cornerbacks aggressively challenging his short and medium passes.

Kolb has the arm strength and flashes the accuracy needed to take command of the position for the South. At times, he fires the deep out and lays passes over the top of linebackers with the touch that warrants high grades. Unfortunately, for every few effective passes he also had some terrible ones. Kolb was intercepted at least once and could have been on a few others occassions.

Palmer also can impress with his strong arm, but his passes often force receivers to stop, reach or otherwise slow down their progression to make the reception, limiting the effectiveness of the play. Palmer also threw at least one interception, a toss over the middle that lacked enough touch to get over linebacker Patrick Willis. Willis, who made an impressive read on the play, picked it off cleanly and likely would have returned ot for a touchdown in a game situation.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Early on, it appeared LSU's Dwayne Bowe would dominate this group. His size and physicality made him a tough matchup for cornerbacks and he showed fluidity in his route-running that consistently created separation. Bowe had several impressive catches early, but bobbled a few down the stretch and dropped a deep touchdown late that would have been one of the highlights of practice. Still, for an offense that struggled to move the ball at all, Bowe was the South's best bet Tuesday.

Speedsters Johnnie Lee Higgins and Chansi Stuckey struggled to get free against sticky coverage, and on the few occasions when they were open the South quarterbacks failed to get them the ball. Each had a couple of nice catches along the sideline. Higgins had a few of his catches only come due to collegiate teammate Palmer checking down to him. Stuckey was more impressive as a returner, showcasing the burst and agility to be a standout in this are at the next level. Though each has great foot quickness and balance, neither was able to shake defenders consistently, providing quarterbacks with small windows in which to thread their passes.

Auburn's Courtney Taylor and Florida's Dallas Baker each caught the ball well, though neither seems to have the extra gear needed to challenge defenders deep. Florida State's Chris Davis also caught the ball well and has the athleticism to run good routes, but he lacks size and toughness, often being pushed around the corners while attempting to run his route.

It was not a good day for the South's receiving corps. Though I plan to turn my attention to the offensive and defensive lines tomorrow, I will devote more time here Wednesday in the hopes that some of the receivers are able to shake free a bit more consistently.

TIGHT ENDS

While the wide receivers struggled mightily throughout the day, the South's tight ends each helped themselves with strong practices. Georgia's Martrez Milner was graded as a potentially high-round pick entering his senior season and actually led the Bulldogs in receptions. That said, he was plagued by untimely and unsightly drops throughout the year. This was not the case Tuesday, as Milner caught the ball cleanly and displayed his athleticism. He was able to get open against quality defensive backs and can gain some yardage after the catch.

Oregon State's Joe Newton lacks Milner's athleticism, but he might have the softest hands of the tight ends in Mobile. Newton showed good form in catching passes with his hands when allowed, but also knew when to protect the ball from defenders and big hits over the middle in cradling the ball into his chest. Newton's size and use of hands allow him to get off the line fairly smoothly, but he is no threat to go far after securing the pass.

(cont)

hawaiianboy

01-23-2007, 07:20 PM

(cont)

CORNERBACKS

Whether due to their own athleticism or to inadequacies of their opponents, the South cornerbacks were tough to beat. That said, a clear pecking order was established as a few players consistently stood out, others flashed and a few were surprisingly mediocre.

The buzz heading into Tuesday's practice was the play turned in by Auburn's David Irons the previous day. While scouts who had reviewed film on both he and Daymeion Hughes felt that Hughes had the better day, Irons was "right there with him." I devoted considerable attention to Irons throughout the practice and the hype from Monday was well deserved. Showing better speed and the break on the ball that all the great cover corners have, Irons was consistently able to break up receptions. He was challenged on short, intermediate and deep routes, and even when beat was in great position to make the tackle. Perhaps playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder after some questioned whether he would have been invited had his brother not been star South runner Kenny Irons, David has been among the game's most impressive players through two days.

Though he still has a troubling tendency to freelance, Tennessee's Jonathan Wade flashes superb athleticism. He ran easily with every receiver the offense put in front of him, and was able to break aggressively on passes throughout the day because he has the acceleration to catch up even if fooled. Wade became increasingly physical as practice went on, and came through with one of the better defensive plays of the early week when he trailed a receiver across the middle, read the quarterback's eyes, accelerated and snatched the ball away from the unsuspecting wideout for a dramatic interception to end one drill.

Texas' Aaron Ross also enjoyed a strong day. He shows the speed and change of direction skills to operate as an effective man-to-man corner at the next level. However, the Thorpe Award winner was a little grabby for my taste. While he has the athleticism to remain close to receivers, he also showed a troubling habit of laying his hands on receivers yards down the field, something that may potentially draw flags at the next level.

Fred Bennett's size makes him an intriguing talent. He is a bit tall in his backpedal, but shows good recognition and aggression and was consistently able to out-physical receivers. The speculation among scouts was that he might be exposed with more accurate passing, but Bennett helped himself with a solid day of work.

A.J. Davis was statistically one of the nation's most dominant cornerbacks in 2006 and earned comparisons to former Clemson star Tye Hill for his brilliant closing speed. Davis, however, was beaten fairly consistently Tuesday. His closing speed is apparent, but so was Davis' struggles at sticking close enough to receivers throughout the route for his reaction time to do much good. Davis appeared hesitant to play up close and was quick to back off, often allowing receivers fairly uncontested short receptions. When challenged deep, Davis' closing speed was better and he seemed to gain confidence as the practice went on. Early on, however, Davis was one of the few corners the South's quarterbacks were able to target.

SAFETIES

One of the reasons for the South's defensive brilliance Tuesday afternoon was the stellar play of the safeties.

Texas' Michael Griffin and Miami's Brandon Meriweather might be two of the more underrated pass defenders in the draft with all of the attention being heaped upon LSU's LaRon Landry and Florida junior Reggie Nelson. Each aggressively supported the run and proved to be dependable open-field tacklers. Most impressive was the instincts and overall athleticism shown by each in pass defense. The South's quarterbacks rarely challenged defenders with deep passes mostly due to the blanketing coverage applied deep by Griffin and Meriweather. Griffin, in particular, stood out in early interception drills, showing not only great leaping ability but the ability to almost hover in the air for a split second while he snatched passes at their highest point.

Kevin Payne, a relative unknown compared to Griffin and Meriweather, was a half-step slower than his teammates, but faired well throughout the day. While he didn't appear quite as athletic or instinctive in the passing game, Payne had no problem asserting himself as an open-field tackler. Some of the most forceful collisions of the day came at the hands of Payne (sorry, couldn't resist).

Jack's sore libido

01-24-2007, 01:39 AM

God I want Carriker on this team.

Any chance he makes it to the top of Round 2?

Langlier

01-24-2007, 02:03 AM

God I want Carriker on this team.

Any chance he makes it to the top of Round 2?

would you prefer him at end or tackle?

ive got him right outside the top 20 right now which could put him within shitting distance of our 2nd... but i dont know if thats the way to go or not.

Jack's sore libido

01-24-2007, 02:33 AM

I'd love him at end.

To me, 290 is not too big to play end. We need a big guy to hold up against the run. Julius Peppers is about 290.

Seraph24

01-24-2007, 08:18 AM

I'd love him at end.

To me, 290 is not too big to play end. We need a big guy to hold up against the run. Julius Peppers is about 290.

he's also 6ft 7in

Carricker looks to be about 6ft 6in, so i guess it could even out if he's 290. I've read 295 at some places and i wonder if he may be 300.

007

01-24-2007, 09:42 AM

he's also 6ft 7in

Carricker looks to be about 6ft 6in, so i guess it could even out if he's 290. I've read 295 at some places and i wonder if he may be 300.

Who cares about an inch or 5 pounds.

This guy is a player, and has manhandled every lineman at the senior bowl thus far except Levi Brown, who is a top 15 pick. He's big, strong, athletic, has a mean streak and plays like he has a chip on his shoulder...five or ten pounds won't make too much of a difference when he's already 290.

I think Carriker is gonna end up in the top 20. Mayock said he is the best 3-4 defensive end product to come out in years and a ton of team are playing a 3-4 or some semblance of it nowadays.

Madturk

01-24-2007, 09:52 AM

Unfortunately, this isn't the year, we're drafting defense. Some decent players in the top 20-25, Branch, Okoye, Carriker. I hope there's a gem in the mid to later rounds, plus a pretty decent crop of FA De's

massraider

01-24-2007, 10:40 AM

http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/features/seniorbowl/index.html

A good Senior Bowl page. We've had a conversation with Kareem Brown, apparently.

Seraph24

01-24-2007, 10:43 AM

Who cares about an inch or 5 pounds..

actually i was thinking more along the lines of 10 pounds. And i really wasn't making a big deal out of it. Sorry that you got that impression.

007

01-24-2007, 11:16 AM

actually i was thinking more along the lines of 10 pounds. And i really wasn't making a big deal out of it. Sorry that you got that impression.

My bad. We've been a team that values measurables too much so I get heated over half an inch (So does my girfriend ;)).

Carriker is a hard nosed player with good skills who passes the eyeball test and has played well in school.

He reminds me of Kirk Morrison.

We need more of those guys on this team, although we won't draft him, so its a moot point.

Seraph24

01-24-2007, 11:25 AM

chat transcript from the senior bowl.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=14356

Seraph24

01-24-2007, 11:29 AM

jim (Santa Cruz): you've played against both... better qb, quinn or smith?

Alan Branch: (2:56 PM ET ) I think they both have good attributes. Smith has better agility and can get out of a lot of situations, but if the QB has time to make plays, Quinn can really read a defense and make plays.

politically correct answer...lol

Jack's sore libido

01-24-2007, 11:55 AM

People assume we won't draft defense.

I hope that's not the team's attitude. I'd rather approach it the way Baltimore did -- already with a strong defense, they added to it in the draft if the best available player (Ed Reed) was a defensive player. No harm in finishing out the defense.

We also have to remember free agency. Our offense isn't going to be fixed by throwing a few rookies in there.

Let's say our offense is:

QB Walter / Russell or Quinn (1)
RB L. Jordan / Fargas / Brian Leonard (3)
FB Crockett
OT Gallery
OG Boothe
C Grove
OG Steinbach
OT L. Davis
WR Moss / Gabriel
WR Porter / Curry
TE Dan Graham / C. Anderson

... well on paper, it would seem like our offense is pretty well taken care of without using the second-rounder on an offensive player.

Limee

01-24-2007, 12:02 PM

I hope there's a gem in the mid to later rounds, plus a pretty decent crop of FA De's
You would think so with the great talent evaluator that is Lane Kiffin on board.

hawaiianboy

01-24-2007, 03:04 PM

Senior Bowl Practice Report North Team - Wednesday

Jan 24, 2007, MOBILE, AL - The Senior Bowl doesn't feature an "NFL Day" of practices that scouts hone in on like with the Shrine Game, but Wednesday's practices tend to be some of the most informative of the week. A general pecking order per position has usually been established, and players know Wednesday is typically the last day of full contact.

That combination brings out a host of scouts, with players trying to make lasting impressions during their final in-person, on-the-field workout in front of scouts, coaches and personnel men.

My focus Wednesday was on the running backs, tight ends, linebackers and safeties.

RUNNING BACKS

Penn State's Tony Hunt entered the week as the top-ranked running back on the North squad, and he has done little to relinquish that title. Hunt has shown good vision, the ability to get the tough yards as an interior runner and both better speed and receiving skills than anticipated. He struggled a bit as a blocker Wednesday and wasn't able to consistently shake loose of defenders while running his routes, but he remains the most natural runner of the North squad.

Louisville's Kolby Smith has flashed ability this week. He has the size and power to run effectively on the interior and accelerates nicely to gain yardage in chunks once past the line of scrimmage. He sometimes doesn't appear to have natural instincts as a runner and is a limited receiver, dropping passes when open or covered on Wednesday. Smith occasionally lined up at fullback, showing enough athleticism and instincts to meet and turn the linebacker, but he was far from dominating at the point of attack and didn't sustain his blocks for long.

Though he has lined up at fullback throughout the week, Rutgers' Brian Leonard continues to impress as a runner and especially as a receiver. His athleticism was on display during receiving drills matched up against linebackers. While all of the other running backs failed to shake free of defenders or dropped a pass at some point, Leonard usually separated by at least a yard and his soft, secure hands vacuum in passes. It remains to be seen what role Leonard will fill at the next level, but he is a talented back with loads of versatility.

With the loss of Northern Illinois' Garrett Wolfe to an undisclosed injury, Kansas State's Thomas Clayton was brought in. The loss of Wolfe was a significant one for scouts who had hoped to see Wolfe in a variety of roles. Wolfe was the lead back at Northern Illinois, but was rarely used as a receiver out of the backfield or as a returner. Wolfe looked comfortable catching the ball out of the backfield and didn't drop any of the 5-7 punts I saw him field Monday and Tuesday. Clayton flashed the speed and agility early in practice to help himself, but also fumbled once and dropped a few passes.

TIGHT ENDS

Iowa's Scott Chandler had a spectacular opportunity Tuesday to show scouts his ability when Rutgers tight end Clark Harris was sidelined with a turf toe injury and no replacement yet in Mobile. Chandler has caught the ball well this week, but his tall, lean build isn't conducive to inline blocking and he has struggled to slow defenders in front of him.

Harris' replacement, Delaware's Ben Patrick, showed scouts at the East-West Shrine Game his athleticism and soft hands, and was a good call-up choice to this game. Patrick was used often Wednesday, coming through with several short-middle catches as quarterbacks elected to check down. He didn't drop a pass all day and likely had more receptions than any other target during scrimmages.

Patrick also showed good quickness and strength to get a clean release off the line of scrimmage and isn't a bad blocker at the point of attack. Though he played initially at Duke, his senior campaign at Delaware no doubt left some questions in the minds of scouts about his level of competition. Patrick's ability to get open despite tight, physical coverage and catch every pass surely helped his stock.

LINEBACKERS

The North's linebacking corps might be the strength of the team. Penn State's Paul Posluszny is the obvious headliner, but there is a great deal of talent surrounding him. In fact, some of the other linebackers here have been more impressive than the former Penn State star.

Posluszny is a heady, physical player who excels as an open-field tackler. He also excels in pursuit and as an occasional blitzer. Those aspects haven't been focused on throughout this week of practice, which is one reason Posluszny hasn't stood out. That said, he has struggled more than expected to get off blocks at the line of scrimmage and has been very mediocre in terms of his coverage of backs and tight ends.

Posluszny is one of those players who will show better during the game itself, when it will be full contact and his sure tackling and instincts will be more apparent. During practice, where players are asked to hit but not tackle, Posluszny's greatest skills have gone undetected. Still, perception can become reality, and the perception is that Posluszny has struggled to make the kind of impact expected this week.

One outside linebacker who has certainly improved his draft stock this week is Nebraska's Stewart Bradley. At 6-feet-4, 255 pounds, Bradley has great size and is surprisingly athletic in coverage. In drills against running backs trying to catch passes out of the backfield, Bradley showed uncanny instincts for where the routes were going to be run and displayed a late burst to break up passes. In coverage during scrimmages, Bradley often forced quarterbacks to turn away from even their check down options as he blanketed backs and tight ends. Entering the week, I had Bradley pegged as a mid second-day guy. If he plays with the physicality I expect in the game, I see him moving into the first day, perhaps even ahead of some of the bigger names at outside linebacker in this draft.

Michigan's Prescott Burgess also has great size for the position and showed better athleticism than I anticipated. While he wasn't as effective as Bradley in coverage (no linebacker was), Burgess did show better fluidity and change of direction that I anticipated. He also uses his hands well at the line of scrimmage, showing the ability to meet, greet and discard blockers quickly.

Former Wolverines teammate David Harris has helped himself this week by showing the strength as an interior run plugger and surprising fluidity to the outside. He shows good instincts in coverage, but lacks the top-flight change of direction to remain stuck to receivers. Still, he was always in the right place at the right time and would likely lead the team in tackles through the first three days of practice if such statistics were kept.

Pittsburgh's H.B. Blades' lack of size is an obvious detriment. He also hasn't performed well in coverage drills, proving that he is best suited as an interior run plugger. That said, his greatest assets are his instincts and explosive hitting ability, two elements which are tough to see in a practice environment. I fully expect a couple of big hits from Blades during the game to draw positive attention.

West Virginia's Boo McClee lacks the size preferred at linebacker, but has taken it upon himself to be more physical than most others as a way of showing what he can do. He isn't the least bit afraid of contact and has good recognition skills, quickly slamming himself into the line of scrimmage to make plays. He is limited in coverage, however, and is simply not the caliber of player of those around him.

Though Purdue's Anthony Spencer is officially listed by the Senior Bowl as an end/linebacker, I have not seen him participate in any linebacker drills throughout the week -- which is unfortunate because in his play at defensive end there is obvious athleticism that at least warrants a look as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

(cont)

hawaiianboy

01-24-2007, 03:05 PM

(cont)

SAFETIES

With two of the North's safeties having played cornerback most of their collegiate careers, I was not expecting a great performance at this position Wednesday. I was wrong.

In limited viewings of the safeties Monday, Virginia Tech's Aaron Rouse struggled mightily. Though he has great straight-line speed and better quickness than I expected, he was the weak point in the North's deep coverage unit, struggling against receivers and tight ends. Rouse appeared a little more comfortable Tuesday, and while beat occasionally, he was clearly reacting to the action and letting his natural size and athleticism take over rather than thinking on every play.

Rouse took another positive step Wednesday, and was one of the defensive standouts. He showed impressive change of direction and break on the ball to slap away an accurate pass early in the scrimmage, and later he essentially ran a better route than a receiver for an interception. Rouse also attacked the line with physicality and twice made loud, physical hits that drew notice from the crowd. There are still some kinks to his game, but Rouse showed considerable improvement throughout the week, and with his rare physical tools he presents an exciting upside.

Syracuse's Tanard Jackson has, for whatever reason, been asked to play safety all week. Jackson is a good open-field tackler and has the recognition, size and coverage skills needed to make the transition. But he has also proven throughout his career to be a capable cornerback, which is a harder position to fill. Still, the risk of playing a different position here has paid off for Jackson as teams have noted his selflessness and versatility.

All-around athlete Eric Weddle has also been asked to play safety after seeing action at virtually every position except lineman for the University of Utah. Weddle doesn't always look great in coverage, as he lacks the track speed and size of others, but the kid simply makes plays. He intercepted a pass Wednesday that other safeties might not have made. Weddle read the quarterback's eyes and was moving toward the intended target before the receiver even knew the ball was coming. Weddle stepped in front of the pass (which happened to come from Troy Smith and was in the end zone) and made the clean interception.

Wake Forest's Josh Gattis has looked smooth and instinctive while in coverage. However, he has struggled a bit when lined up one-on-one against receivers, not showing the quick change of direction skills necessary for this role.

NOTES: Cal cornerback Daymeion Hughes and Michigan defensive end LaMarr Woodley each suffered hamstring pulls and are not expected to play in Saturday's game. ... Former Maryland punter Adam Podlesh showed a strong leg in practice Wednesday, routinely booming the ball 50-55 yards downfield.

massraider

01-24-2007, 07:56 PM

Notes Reflect Observations of Bloom and Cecil Lammey

QB

Tyler Palko, Pitt – fumbled snap, windup on almost every throw, affecting accuracy, wobble on short and long passes, ball seems to hang in air forever, least promising QB here

Drew Stanton, Mich St – Underthrew and fluttered some passes, Gruden took time to coach him, zip on only one pass, uninspired on option play, half-hearted play fakes (didn’t sell), lethargic footwork in drops, inconsistent

Troy Smith, Ohio St – nice pump fake, deep balls dropped in perfect cylinder, good zip on most passes, good trajectory

RB

Tony Hunt, Penn St – pink pants, played against Thomas Clayton in high school, good play on counter pitch – took it to the end zone, still too upright, can’t use his weight because he doesn’t get his mass behind his pads

Thomas Clayton, Kansas St – Great burst to end zone, two fantastic TD runs, coaches overheard saying he belongs, showed up ready to play, stayed up til 1 am studying playbook to catch up, good hustle and determination, great vision, poor hands, but great qucickness in routes, good inside – keeping feet moving, good cutback, can do the “Thurman hop: (riding in hip pocket of blocker and emerging when he sees space)

Kolby Smith, Louisville – lined up at FB, good inside, couple of drops, but still had good hands, good extension on deep catch, not as impressive as earlier in the week

Brian Leonard, Rutgers – lined up at halfback, got to outside well, good lateral quickness, good shoulder dip, needs to switch ball to outside hand, but didn’t have ball security issues, willing to push the pile, always keeps feet going

WR

Paul Williams, Fresno St – trouble securing the ball, body catch, caught a high pass with his pinkies together instead of his thumbs together, inconsistent effort, danced and spiked after TD, seemed to lack focus at times

Jason Hill, Wash St – great move on hitch and go, good leaper, but couldn’t down with catch in corner of end zone, ran a nice horn route, but dropped it, clearly lacks deep speed

Rhema McKnight, Notre Dame – decent work fielding punts, but not outstanding, still very consistent, good out and up route, continues to everything well but not outstanding, adjusts to ball well.

David Clowney, Virginia Tech – very good hands, very good route running, seemed more at ease and continues to improve every day

Brandon Myles, West Virginia – hands getting better every day, showed some good ability to catch and turn to get YAC

Aundrae Allison, East Carolina – most outstanding North WR today, good stop and start ability, great for running after catch, returned punts, showed ability to block out defender when ball was in the air

TE

Ben Patrick, Delaware – great athleticism on diving catch, doesn’t out of place with top talent, great falling catch in end zone

OL/Defense

Stewart Bradley, LB, Nebraska – great play to break up pass to RB

Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska – just dominating in one on ones

Ryan Harris, OT, Notre Dame – playing LT, getting beat more often than he was making good plays

Tanard Jackson, S/CB, Syracuse – showing zest for contact and good ability to break up passes

Boo McLee, LB,WVU – not a top talent, but playing with a lot of heart

David Patterson, DT, Ohio St – generally looking out of his league

Manuel Ramirez, OG, Texas Tech – tough, feisty, has OT footwork

Aaron Rouse, S, Va Tech – great plays in coverage, does not look slow, one of the most outstanding North DBs

Josh Wilson, NC State – made some plays that would clearly be pass interference

Marcus McCauley, Fresno St – playing better every day, making good breaks on the ball to deflect a few passes

hawaiianboy

01-24-2007, 11:10 PM

Senior Bowl Practice Report South Team - Wednesday

Jan 24, 2007, MOBILE, AL - In the final practice before the majority of scouts leave town for the week, I was able to focus on the trenches for the South team Wednesday afternoon. Like the North team earlier in the day, it was the last opportunity for players to make an on-field impression in front of many of the scouts.

OFFENSIVE LINE

The South offensive line is an interesting collection of talent. Like the North, one blocker established himself as the group's most consistent pass blocker. The South offensive line, however, has greater individual talent than the North, particularly on the interior. Many of the prospects may be playing out of position.

One of the players I was most excited to see line up was Central Michigan's Joe Staley. Despite dramatically stepping up his level of competition, Staley has held up well this week, especially in pass protection. Staley has good quickness out of his stance and keeps his feet moving. His balance and overall athleticism keep him in front of defenders. While he uses his hands well, Staley will have to continue to get stronger to reach his potential, but he solidified his position this week among the draft's better left tackle prospects.

Arkansas' Tony Ugoh has performed well in run blocking drills, but is still a work in progress as a pass blocker. Ugoh's initial kick step isn't always deep enough, allowing defenders a quick advantage. Ugoh's use of his arms is also too inconsistent. When he gets a good initial hand punch on the defender, he can often control. At other times, he shoots his hands too high, slips off and loses balance trying to recover. Ugoh has talent, but struggled a bit with speed rushers capable of slapping away his initial punch.

I was particularly impressed with the interior play of two linemen. Tennessee's Arron Sears and Auburn's Ben Grubbs consistently stood out not only in drills, but also in scrimmages.

Sears plays with impressive overall power as both a run and pass blocker. Opponents struggled to maintain their position against him in run blocking, with Sears routinely pushing them off the line. In pass blocking, Sears' upper body strength and physical hand play often stymied defensive tackles to the point of frustration.

Grubbs enjoyed similar success. In fact, he may have been the most consistent interior pass blocker in drills Wednesday. Scouts nearby were pointing out his consistency when he surprisingly was beaten off the snap by Mississippi State's Antonio Johnson for an easy pressure. I (as well as the silenced scouts) was especially curious to see how he'd respond the play after. True to form, Grubbs stoned Johnson on the next snap, absorbing the big defensive tackle's initial rush, latching onto the interior of his pads and ultimately knocking him to the ground.

After former USC Trojan Ryan Kalil was reportedly the talk of the offensive line at Monday's practice, I focused a fair amount of attention on him Tuesday. I wasn't surprised to note his success at getting to the second level or his lateral quickness in pass blocking. What did surprise me was Kalil's overall strength at the point of attack. He wasn't as dominant as some had characterized, but was impressive. However, Kalil seemed to take a step back Wednesday. While he was still among the best offensive linemen and clearly is the best center here, Kalil gave up more pressures Wednesday than the previous day (and Monday too, presumably).

Texas' Justin Blalock split time at guard and tackle Wednesday, and looked most impressive while at guard. Blalock struggled a bit with speed rushers, but has good strength at the point of attack and consistently won battles when he was able to latch onto his opponent. The perception among scouts I spoke to is that he could be a good pro tackle, but an even better guard.

Tim Duckworth (Auburn), Dustin Fry (Clemson) and Mansfield Wrotto (Georgia Tech) struggled a bit Wednesday. Duckworth struggled with technique and was beaten fairly regularly. Fry played with surprising strength at the point of attack, but gave up interior pressures to Johnson and a rejuvenated Tank Tyler. Wrotto is a project, but he flashes the athleticism and has the size that will likely make him the highest drafted of this trio.

DEFENSIVE LINE

With the South offensive line impressing more than expected, it stands to reason that the defensive line has been a bit of a disappointment. While the collective group has seemingly underachieved, there have been flashes of steady play -- sometimes from surprising sources.

Entering the week I expected Tyler (N.C. State) to emerge as the South's top defensive lineman. It hasn't happened. Tyler was arguably the biggest disappointment of the day Tuesday, showing little in terms of quickness, lateral agility, pass rush or even strength at the point of attack. He was considerably better Wednesday, surprising interior offensive linemen with his improved play, but his lack of day to day inconsistency is a red flag.

Mississippi State's Johnson has been the South's most consistently impressive defensive tackle. He has shown good initial burst off the snap and was able to give some of the South's top interior linemen their toughest draws of the day.

The hopes were high for Miami's Kareem Brown, considering his size and the program's history of producing high quality defensive linemen. Unfortunately, he has struggled to make plays during the scrimmages as a run stuffer, and his pass rush both in drills and the scrimmages has been non-existent.

Perhaps the most intriguing defensive lineman for the South has been Oklahoma State's Ryan McBean. McBean, who played defensive tackle for Oklahoma State but measured in at 6-feet-5, 277 pounds, has good burst off the snap and uses his hands well to break free from blockers. He lacks strength at the point of attack, however, and may be without a position. The 49ers' staff tried him all along the line Wednesday, as McBean took snaps at defensive tackle as well as right and left defensive end.

Among the defensive ends, I was surprisingly most consistently impressed by Florida's Ray McDonald. I had expected the pass rush capabilities of Georgia's Quentin Moses and Tim Crowder to present a huge challenge for the South's offensive tackles, and while their speed has been a problem, neither has been able to consistently battle through the strong hands and lateral quickness posed by the tackles to consistently gain pressure.

McDonald, on the other hand, has shown much better burst off the snap than anticipated, and the 6-3, 282-pounder has held his ground well at the point of attack. McDonald was consistently able to get an initial advantage off the snap due to his explosiveness, and blew up more than one sweep and screen pass due to his ability to get an outside rush so quickly. McDonald's short-area quickness is all the more surprising because he seems to lack any kind of straight-line speed. McDonald lumbers about the field and is hampered even more with unsightly knee and elbow braces.

LSU's Chase Pittman has also shown a surprising burst off the snap, gaining an initial advantage against offensive tackles. Once with this advantage, however, Pittman hasn't shown the leg drive or use of hands to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. Pittman also rarely changes his tactic, electing to speed rush to the outside most of the time, leaving gaping holes for the draw or screen by rushing so far upfield. The strategy is an odd one considering Pittman's 6-5, 272-pound frame and reputation as a better run defender than pass rusher.

hawaiianboy

01-24-2007, 11:11 PM

(cont)

OTHERS

LSU's Dwayne Bowe has consistently proven to be the cream of the class among the wide receivers in Mobile. Showing better overall quickness than you'd expect for a receiver who measured in at 6-2 and 222 pounds, Bowe has been able to generate separation from even the quickest cornerbacks all week. While he dropped a few passes this week, his hands have been as reliable as any other receiver in Mobile, and his strength and size have made him a go-to option for quarterbacks near the goal-line. He is clearly the best receiver here and, in my opinion, is the top senior wideout in the draft. After this week of practice, I even view him as a better prospect than some of the more hyped underclassmen at the position.

Clemson's Chansi Stuckey arguably had the catch of the day when he reached long with his right hand to tip a deep pass back to himself for a dazzling touchdown. Unfortunately, Stuckey dropped an easy 10-yard reception the next time he was targeted.

The other candidate for catch of the day came from Oregon State tight end Joe Newton. Running a combination route, Newton was a bit late in turning his head, which was compounded by the fact that Florida quarterback Chris Leak was a bit early in his releasing the pass. The pass was perfect, however, hitting Newton in his left hand just as he turned his head. Newton, whose soft hands have impressed scouts all week, one-handed the ball, drawing oohs and ahhs from the crowd.

After a rough day Tuesday, the South receivers generally did a better job holding onto the ball Wednesday -- minus a few exceptions. Georgia tight end Martrez Milner had improved his stock the first two days of practice with better hands than he had shown throughout much of his senior season. However, the dropsies made another appearance for Milner on Wednesday, as several passes intended for the athletic tight end hit his pads and bounced to the turf.

While Auburn's Kenny Irons will ultimately be one of the first running backs selected and quite possibly the first senior at the position, he dropped several passes Wednesday. Some were simple swing passes out of the backfield, others were longer passes over his head along the sideline. At least two that he did catch were bobbled and almost surely would have been dropped had the receptions been contested.

Lorenzo Booker, whose acceleration and lateral agility could make him a better third-down, big-play threat at the NFL level than he ever was as a feature back at Florida State, also struggled with more drops after disappointing scouts with some unsightly ones Tuesday. Booker's drops have typically appeared to be due to a lack of concentration (trying to make a move before pass is secured), but he has also shown a troubling tendency to drop balls when he feels a big hit coming.

I mentioned the surprising lack of power behind the kickoffs of Mason Crosby of the North practice earlier this week. While the South Team elected to use the JUGGS machine for their kickoffs throughout the week of practice, Arizona's Nick Folk has shown a very strong leg in field-goal attempts. Attempting 25-35-yard field goals, Folk's kicks were not only splitting the uprights, but clearing them with ease.

Like many of the NFL scouts, I am leaving Mobile on Thursday morning. But I will be presenting a final Senior Bowl review following Saturday's game.

jatfly

01-25-2007, 06:02 AM

Notes Reflect Observations of Bloom and Cecil Lammey
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RB

Tony Hunt, Penn St – pink pants, played against Thomas Clayton in high school, good play on counter pitch – took it to the end zone, still too upright, can’t use his weight because he doesn’t get his mass behind his pads

Thomas Clayton, Kansas St – Great burst to end zone, two fantastic TD runs, coaches overheard saying he belongs, showed up ready to play, stayed up til 1 am studying playbook to catch up, good hustle and determination, great vision, poor hands, but great qucickness in routes, good inside – keeping feet moving, good cutback, can do the “Thurman hop: (riding in hip pocket of blocker and emerging when he sees space)

Kolby Smith, Louisville – lined up at FB, good inside, couple of drops, but still had good hands, good extension on deep catch, not as impressive as earlier in the week

Brian Leonard, Rutgers – lined up at halfback, got to outside well, good lateral quickness, good shoulder dip, needs to switch ball to outside hand, but didn’t have ball security issues, willing to push the pile, always keeps feet going

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TE

Ben Patrick, Delaware – great athleticism on diving catch, doesn’t out of place with top talent, great falling catch in end zone

OL/Defense

Ryan Harris, OT, Notre Dame – playing LT, getting beat more often than he was making good plays

Manuel Ramirez, OG, Texas Tech – tough, feisty, has OT footwork

These are the guys that I have the most interest in.....I think Hunt can be a good pro. I also think we need that Back up RB if we stay with Jordon and Fargas, I also LOVE to get a great catching TE that also block a little.......and well we all know we could use some linemen.

NIPS

01-25-2007, 06:15 AM

Senior Bowl Practice Report South Team - Wednesday

Grubbs enjoyed similar success. In fact, he may have been the most consistent interior pass blocker in drills Wednesday. Scouts nearby were pointing out his consistency when he surprisingly was beaten off the snap by Mississippi State's Antonio Johnson for an easy pressure. I (as well as the silenced scouts) was especially curious to see how he'd respond the play after. True to form, Grubbs stoned Johnson on the next snap, absorbing the big defensive tackle's initial rush, latching onto the interior of his pads and ultimately knocking him to the ground.

After former USC Trojan Ryan Kalil was reportedly the talk of the offensive line at Monday's practice, I focused a fair amount of attention on him Tuesday. I wasn't surprised to note his success at getting to the second level or his lateral quickness in pass blocking. What did surprise me was Kalil's overall strength at the point of attack. He wasn't as dominant as some had characterized, but was impressive. However, Kalil seemed to take a step back Wednesday. While he was still among the best offensive linemen and clearly is the best center here, Kalil gave up more pressures Wednesday than the previous day (and Monday too, presumably).

.

I've been hearing some real good things about Grubbs at the combines.. This kid looks to be putting himself into a 3 way battle with Blalock and Beekman

Kalil from what I've read is having a solid practice. Like MadTurk said.. he could be a guy that Lane may take in rd 2

If we go QB.. We gotta get him another center, I'm afraid Grove just aint gonna get it done

Kalil at 297 is a little on the light side for my liking, but toss on 10 more pounds and He'll be fine, what I like is what scouts are saying about his ability to get to the LB's

Man that is a huge step forward for any running game...

Me likey

hawaiianboy

01-25-2007, 09:52 AM

NIPS

01-25-2007, 11:29 AM

Seraph24

01-25-2007, 11:39 AM

hawaiianboy

01-25-2007, 12:10 PM

Brandon Meriweather coconut stomping and all is the best safety in this draft

I like Reggie Nelson better myself....

Kinda ironic we burned a top 10 pick on a safety last year when this years class (Landry, Merriweather, Griffin, Weddle, Nelson, Pescitelli) is absolutely stacked...

Sabby Pescitelli would actually be a great guy to pair with Huff IMO... He'd bring some size to the table without a loss in speed...

Madturk

01-25-2007, 12:18 PM

I have Piscatelli as one of my 5th rounders in my dream draft. Hopefully he'll fall to us but I've been reading that he's having a decent showing at the practices. Gotta love his size. We need someone back there who isn't afraid to lay the lumber. Huff just isn't that guy.

massraider

01-25-2007, 01:00 PM

i'm not so low on Huff at SS. But the only safety i'd take in the draft is his buddy from texas if his stock fell for some retarded reason. otherwise i dont care getting that in the draft, especially not on a day 1 pick.

Me neither. Until I see some problems with his run support, or major problems with Shwag's deep support, I'm fine with the status quo. I believe Huff has a better chance at making impact plays from SS. And with the TE's in our division, we may need him there more.

Whistle

01-25-2007, 06:46 PM

Brandon Meriweather coconut stomping and all is the best safety in this draft

This kid a complete safety, easily a 1st rd'er had the incident not happened

He's got some serious fuckin off field issues, pulling a gun, the head stomping incident

Guy might be a troubled MF'er and a loose cannon, or he can turn into a complete beast on the field

Problem is, which one do ya get?

Michael Huff needs to play FS.. I'm not so sure why we are dicking around with this cat at SS

That's why if we could land Griffin at SS move Huff to FS, that would be cake. Pipe dream though....

But here's a thought, all this talk about needing a TE. We might already have one. Bear with me...

Let's see if Brayton can catch. (I know, I know). If he can catch we have it made, he's not the fastest, but we all know he can block, considering that's all he does to tackles and guards.

I say give him #41 and call it a day...

Kills 2 birds with 1 Brayton...Not a real DE, and no real blocking TE....:D

hawaiianboy

01-25-2007, 11:20 PM

Finding talent, toughness at the Senior Bowl

By Pat Kirwan
NFL.com Senior Analyst

MOBILE, Ala. (Jan. 24, 2007) -- First, my thanks go out to San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan and his staff, who are coaching the South team here at the 2007 Senior Bowl, for letting me get right out in the middle of all their drills and get a real feel for the talent on the field. The 49ers staff is a first-class operation and the access is much appreciated.

Because it was my first practice with this team I decided to let the talent come to me. No predispositions about which players were great in college this season -- just an open look to see who could deliver a great first impression.

It took five minutes of the first contact drill to realize Alabama fullback Le'Ron McClain is one tough football player. Is he a first-round pick? No. Is he a first-day pick? Only if a team is interested in a man who is going to get on linebackers and physically dominate them and can catch a short pass to move the chains when the defense overplays the run. A 6-foot, 255-pound bulldozer, McLain is in the model of NFL fullbacks Lorenzo Neal, Mack Strong and Heath Evans. He's not winning any beauty contests, but he is going to set the tempo for the running game.

Next stop was the offensive and defensive line drills to see what the big men look like for the 2007 draft. The first man to jump out at me was Joe Staley, a 6-6, 300-pound tackle from Central Michigan. As I walked towards him he reminded me of a young Jon Runyan -- a big athlete with a nasty streak. He's strong enough right now, but when he grows into his frame and continues to move away from the tight end body he came to college with, he will be a 10-year starter in this league. Staley's techniques are good and his competitive nature is better.

After Staley finished impressing me, my eyes turned right inside to center Ryan Kalil from USC. He's not bulky at 290 pounds but his techniques and effort to finish are outstanding. Kalil may struggle to handle the nose tackles in the 3-4 defense in the NFL, but he will survive because of his ability to move and adjust. At the linebacker level he is superior, and there's a good chance he will be able to pull, trap and fold from the center position.

Mike Nolan and his staff are getting college seniors ready for the NFL.
Everyone was talking about Auburn guard Ben Grubbs, who is good, but I couldn't help notice Justin Blaylock from Texas. Blaylock isn't a bad tackle prospect but he's a terrific guard talent. He's tough with a road-grader style when he's inside, but out in space against a wide speed rush he will struggle.

Next stop: the inside linebackers where Hall of Famer Mike Singletary is coaching this group. He's satisfied with his group as practice ends because they all like contact, they all key and diagnose the plays well and they take to his coaching. Patrick Willis (Mississippi) and Rufus Alexander (Oklahoma) are quick off the snap and meet the run game with force. Singletary has to make corrections in their pass drops, but no sooner do I observe the corrections and the 'backers are handling their pass drops better.

Wednesday I focus on all the defensive backs down here in Mobile and hope that the tight ends start to look better. Most of all, however, I'll look for the six quarterbacks to throw the ball better than they have during the first two days.

hawaiianboy

01-25-2007, 11:21 PM

Several standing out at Senior Bowl practice

By Pat Kirwan
NFL.com Senior Analyst

MOBILE, Ala. (Jan. 25, 2007) -- As the afternoon practice on the third day of Senior Bowl week ended, many of the coaches and general managers around the NFL headed to the Mobile airport to get back to their respective cities. The intense three days of contact were coming to an end, and the walkthrough practices scheduled for Thursday and Friday were of little interest to the NFL decision makers. One GM told me he conducted 91 player interviews in four days. Another personnel director said he met with his 11-member staff every morning to review each position and refocus on the players who needed more information each day.

The Senior Bowl efforts in practice are considered more important than the game performance. The Wednesday practices are a tremendous opportunity for those players who struggled earlier in the week. Wednesday is also critical for those who have been increasing their value each day to keep the momentum on their side. The third reason Wednesday is so important is the chance to solidify the professional role a player can best handle. Let's break down a number of players into these three groups and add a fourth group: Players who still need a great performance in the game on Saturday to clear up the picture about their professional future.

PLAYERS WHO TURNED IT AROUND BY WEDNESDAY

Florida State's Lorenzo Booker improved as the week went on.
1. Lorenzo Booker, Florida State running back: On Monday, he was average-looking. On Tuesday, he made a quality defender flat out miss him in close quarters and scored a touchdown -- he flashed his skills. On Wednesday, he started to resemble a young Tiki Barber blending some power, good hands and a whole lot of shake.

2. Joe Staley, Central Michigan left tackle: Staley was adequate on Monday, shaky on Tuesday by his own admission to me and an absolute stud on Wednesday. Defenders bull rushed him, took a few turns at the speed rush and some tried to cross his face. Staley demonstrated movement skills, attitude and, most importantly, the desire to compete. Chase Pittman from LSU was his main competition all day, and he responded in a big way. Staley caught the eye of many coaches.

3. Brandon Mebane, California defensive tackle: Mebane had an active practice on Wednesday and showed he can play at the NFL level. Earlier in the week he looked like a journeyman; today he looked like a role player in an NFL defensive line rotation.

4. Tanard Jackson, Syracuse defensive back: Is he a safety or corner? That was answered by Wednesday -- he's both, an adjuster type who gives a defensive coordinator the flexibility every NFL coach is looking for in 2007.

PLAYERS WHO KEPT THE MOMENTUM ROLLING ALONG

1. Ryan Kalil, USC center: He was so capable of handling all fronts, whether it was a linebacker or nose tackle. Technique and to-the-whistle effort made him a stand out all week long.

2. LeRon McClain, Alabama fullback: He's the real deal as a lead blocker, and that never changed for one play all week. He is capable of a few critical runs a game and consistently demonstrated receiver skills.

3. Michael Griffin, Texas safety: He didn't flash greatness at any time, but his steady play all week long began to add up for the talented 6-foot-1, 205-pound playmaker.

4. Amobi Okoye, Louisville defensive tackle: He has the quickness and technique to line up as a rookie and be disruptive. Lots of coaches are thinking about how high they are going to have to draft him to get him.

5. Dwayne Bowe, LSU wide receiver: He got better looking at every practice. His height, weight and speed quotient was only outdone by his desire to play. I stood next to this kid most of the week, and he gave great effort every time the ball was snapped.

6. Aaron Sears, Tennessee guard: Sears has played up and down the offensive line, but if you took all of his snaps at guard and looked at them exclusively, his draft-round status would go up.

PLAYERS WHO CLEARED UP THEIR PRO POSITION

Ohio State's Troy Smith has made it clear with his play he's a quarterback.
1. Justin Blaylock, Texas guard/tackle: He's an NFL guard and a darn good one.

2. Patrick Willis, Mississippi linebacker: He's a Tampa 2 middle linebacker, a 3-4 weak inside 'backer, and he'll play the run early in his career with the pro passing attack just one year away.

3. Tony Hunt, Penn State running back: Maybe not right away, but Hunt will be an every-down back.

4. Troy Smith, Ohio State quarterback. Some came into the week thinking Smith was a hybrid player like Antwaan Randle El, but he is a guy getting first consideration at signal caller.

PLAYERS WHO NEED TO PLAY WELL ON SATURDAY

1. Tony Ugoh, Arkansas tackle: He had an inconsistent week, and a great game on Saturday in the pass protection area will go a long way toward helping him. Coaches want to see the fire burning!

2. LaMarr Woodley, Michigan defensive end: His hamstring injury may keep him out, but his performance earlier in the week raised some doubts about the great speed rusher.

3. Jordan Palmer, UTEP quarterback: Palmer has the height, weight and speed, but needs the game to establish his QB credibility. Lots of scouts like the athletic ability, and most of the time, his ball is delivered well, but one scout thought he might have a future as a hybrid receiver-type a few years down the road.

4. Brandon Myles, West Virginia wide receiver: He didn't look fluid in the passing work this week, but he has a game to change the notion that he is just a guy in the draft pool.

5. Leon Hall, Michigan cornerback: Hall doesn't have ideal height, but his movement skills give him a chance to erase the pain of the Rose Bowl. I watched Hall every practice, and I think the game is his statement moment.

If I could get rid of one thing in a few of these young men who are trying so hard to catch the eye of the NFL decision-makers, it would be:

1. For all of the tight ends, their inability to impress as downfield receivers and create matchup nightmares.

2. Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma linebacker, clearing up the nagging minor injury that controls his aggressiveness on the field. On Monday he was a lot different than he was Wednesday, as I caught him limping.

3. Aaron Rouse, Virginia Tech defensive back, stops playing too high and gets some more knee bends.

4. Manuel Ramirez, Texas Tech guard, stops getting viewed as a man who can't run block in this league after playing in a pass-happy Texas Tech package. This guy is a road-grader and one of the worst kept secrets in Senior Bowl history.

massraider

01-26-2007, 02:02 PM

From NFL Draft Blitz:

Senior Bowl Notes from practices, plus our talks with various scouts and NFL personnel

(Part One: Quarterback, Running Backs, Wide Receivers and Tight Ends)

- Troy Smith answered a lot of questions this week. He measured in at 6' and he showed better then expected arm strength. He's charismatic and a true leader, he has a real chance of being a late first round pick. The one thing numerous people were concerned about was that Senior Bowl measurements tend to be more forgiving then combine measurements.

- Drew Stanton may have more upside than does Smith. He had the second best week of all the quarterbacks (really not saying much) and he should good arm strength (even if there was some wobble on a couple longer throws). He could be a second round pick.

- The next tier of QBs include Chris Leak and Kevin Kolb. Leak helped himself some this week showing good decision making and solid touch on his throws. He reads defenses well and is a joy to be around. Kolb's stock may have dropped a bit considering that he came into the week a serious threat to overtake Drew Stanton stock-wise, that didn't happen. Right now Kolb's stock appears to be in the 3-4 round area while Leak is in the 5-6 round area.

- Tyler Palko and Jordan Palmer weren't overly impressive. Palmer's still making the same bad decisions that plagued him throughout his career while Palko was decidedly unimpressive across the board. Palko's stock seems to be a little higher (mid second day) while Palmer looks like a late second day guy.

- Scouts were all over the place when it came to the running backs. We asked 4 different people who they felt had the best week and three different running backs were named, with Ken Darby leading the way by getting mentioned twice.

- Tony Hunt came in bigger than expected (239lbs) but still showed decent burst and very good blocking skills. Kenny Irons looked solid all week, but didn't look like a "special" runner. Ken Darby had a weird week, one day scouts left thinking that he lacked the burst to break off long runs and the next day he did nothing but break off long runs. We're hearing that their draft stock is nearly identical right now and it's just going to be a matter of which particular team prefers which particular back.

- Thomas Clayton came in as an injury replacement and had a good week showing off his quickness. However, he didn't catch the ball well at all. He appears to be a mid-day 2 player right now.

- Brian Leonard came in light (224lbs), causing teams to wonder where he fits in the NFL. One scout we spoke to told us "(from his weight) I guess he wants to be a tailback, but he's just not fast enough". He did do well in terms of catching the ball and blocking. He's still the top fullback by a mile and could be a late day one pick, but that's less likely now then it was coming into the week.

- Lorenzo Booker was a blur all week, but he's not big enough to break tackles at the NFL (or college level). One scout we spoke to had this to say "Imagine him in a place like Chicago or Green Bay, he'd be taking the ball outside and he'd end up getting pushed out of bounds by the wind".

- Kolby Smith looked the part, but he had a rough week showing little explosiveness. He appears to be destined to be a back-up in the NFL. "This guy disappointed me" said a personnel man we spoke to, "He's got an unbelievable build and he did so well filling in for (Michael) Bush. But he came up really small this week".

- The last (and maybe best) of the backs in Mobile was Le'Ron McClain. The Alabama fullback weighed in at 264 pounds but looked like a fairly smooth athlete, caught the ball very well and simply laid some people out this week.

- The best of the wide receivers in Mobile was LSU's Dwayne Bowe, Bowe likely pushed himself into the opening round of the draft. "Now this guy didn't let anyone down this week." remarked one scout we spoke to. "He's built like a man, he caught everything he needed to and he ran past any defender who lined up against him. I'll tell you what I originally thought that he was behind guys like (Ted) Ginn, (Dwayne) Jarrett and (Robert) Meachem, now I'm not so sure."

- Rhema McKnight and Brandon Myles appear to be in the group under Bowe. McKnight looked smooth all week and caught nearly everything thrown his way while Myles opened peoples eyes with some surprising ball skills and speed. The only knock on Myles was his size (183lbs) and a certainly leeriness to make plays over the middle. In fact the latter of those two caused the personnel man I was standing next to two say this to me "Two words: Todd Pinkston". Both players have a shot to be late day one picks, but early day two seems more likely.

- Chris Davis and Johnnie Lee Higgins had solid weeks, but elevating their stock a bit. Davis did suffer from the dropsies from time to time and Higgins wasn't consistently making the kind of plays that an athlete with his speed should be making. Davis looks to be a second day pick while Higgins speed alone should cause him to be a first day pick, maybe even in the second round.

- Courtney Taylor has a solid week, showing better all-around skills than was expected. He appears to be a lat day one, early day two player right now, but his stock could rise at the combine considering his speed. Chansi Stuckey didn't make many huge plays this week, but he shows an outstanding understanding of the position. Dallas Baker looked a bit more frail than was expected and continues to let the ball get into his body.

- Aundrae Allison had a hard time getting much separation this week, but managed to make a handful of big plays. Jason Hill lacked the burst and pure speed that scouts were expecting, along with running very average routes. Paul Williams physical talents are obvious, but he turned some people off with his attitude. One scout we spoke to said "Williams doesn't seem to give a damn about coaching, he's just looking to run go routes all day". David Clowney was inconsistent all week and he looked very thin.

- Clark Harris was hurt early in the week and replaced by Ben Patrick, who really made the most of his chance. He has an unreal build, he's all muscle at 270 pounds and he runs well. He and Martrez Milner were the best tight ends this week. Milner showed good all-around ability for a tight end. He ran well, caught the ball cleanly, made some things happen after the catch and looked better as a blocker than was expected.

- Joe Newton made a nice catch here and there but looked sluggish all week. One scout we spoke to said this "I was excited to see him (Newton), but he looks like the worst tight end here. His hands aren't very good and he's weak as a blocker." He went on to say that "Patrick looks outstanding though."

- The final tight end, Scott Chandler has a nice week in his own right. He looked natural catching the ball and seemed to get along quite well with his teammates. It's hard to believe that he's a former quarterback considering how comfortable he looks playing tight end. He showed good quickness and some pluck as a blocker.