January 25, 2008
The past few years, we have seen Mike Nolan target players who played for him in the Senior Bowl. Which players, if any, on the North and South rosters will Mike Nolan and/or Lane Kiffin target in the first three rounds of the draft?
Shane P. (JBond93) from Pittsburgh
The Niners have definitely targeted Senior Bowl guys in recent years, selecting Patrick Willis and even trading up for both Manny Lawson and Joe Staley. It's a pretty safe bet that both San Francisco and Oakland will target and draft a number of the players they coached at this game and the one that really stands out for me is Colt Brennan to the 49'ers. In fact, I am officially going on the record and saying that the Niners will draft Brennan in the 3rd or 4th round. He is a good fit for their offense due to his quick release and you know Mike Martz will relish the opportunity to mold Brennan into a top NFL quarterback and show everyone what a genius he is. I also think Mike Nolan really likes Jacob Hester and Early Doucet. There isn't such an obvious pick for the Raiders but I would probably have to say Shawn Crable.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
With all of the top running backs being juniors do any of the senior backs at the Senior Bowl have a chance to jump into the late-Round 1 / early-Round 2 range?
Zach from Alabama
The one guy who has a shot is Chris Johnson of East Carolina but ultimately I highly doubt he'll break into the first round. He will definitely be a 2nd or 3rd rounder though.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
Which corners did you observe at the Senior Bowl who fit the cover 2 scheme the best, and which ones seemed more versatile to fit any defensive scheme?
Ryan from Massachusetts
Chevis Jackson of L.S.U., Terrell Thomas of USC and Simeon Castille of Alabama all appear to be nice fits for a Cover 2 scheme. As for a corner who would be versatile enough to play either man or zone I think Charles Godfrey of Iowa would fit the bill.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
Of the players being tried out at different positions, which are having the most success/look the most natural at the new position?
Pete from Ohio
Bruce Davis of UCLA has actually done a much better job at outside linebacker than I thought he would. Chad Rinehart of Northern Iowa has also looked okay inside at guard after playing left tackle in college.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
On average, how many scouts from each NFL team make it to Mobile to represent their respective franchise?
Chris from Fargo, North Dakota
A lot. I am not sure of the exact number but it's easily double-digits. Basically everybody who is anybody in the NFL is down here at one point or another this week.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
Which QB had the most to prove this week, Joe Flacco or Colt Brennan???
Adam from Green Bay, WI
Both had a lot to prove but I'd probably say it was Brennan. System, arm strength, throwing motion, size, character... I could go on and on. With that said I think both Brennan and Flacco did a nice job this week and for the most part answered many of the questions people had.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
Who do you think should've gotten an invitation to the Senior Bowl but did not?
Kevin from Los Angeles
I am not sure if Texas offensive tackle Tony Hills was invited or not but I would have liked to see him here. On the other side of the ball I think Tommy Blake would've been an interesting guy and I have always been a fan of Texas defensive tackle Frank Okam.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
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Which Top 5-10 prospect right now who is the most likely to see his stock dramatically fall, similar to Alan Branch a year ago or Winston Justice in 2006?
Ryan from Philadelphia
Probably Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson. Coming into this game he was considered to be a Top 15-type by most but after a real rough week in Mobile some feel he could fall to round two or even round three. I don't know if his drop will be that dramatic but round two certainly isn't out of the question now.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
Who is the most charismatic player at the Senior Bowl? Which guy do you see as leaders among the players?
Matt from Chicago
Without question it's Colt Brennan. He is not only one of the most charismatic football players I have ever been around but maybe one of the most charismatic people period. He is extremely outgoing and people just seem to gravitate towards him.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
Who do you see as the top 3 under tackle prospects in the Senior Bowl?
Ethan from Toronto
Sedrick Ellis, DeMario Pressley, Andre Fluellen.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
With the 49ers drafting Patrick Willis after he worked with Mike Singletary first hand at last year's Senior Bowl, how much of an advantage do you think it is for teams to coach the Senior Bowl and why do teams turn down the opportunity?
Ben from Leicester, England
It's a huge advantage and anybody who has coached down here will tell you that. I really don't know why teams turn down the opportunity (assuming they have a coaching staff in place) and if they do it's a huge mistake in my opinion.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
It seems as though there's always a prospect with more heart than natural talent who coaches at the Senior Bowl fall in love with. Who comes to mind from this year's crop?
Don from Hattiesburg, MS
West Virginia's Owen Schmitt definitely jumps to mind. Others who would probably fall under that category are Notre Dame DT Trevor Laws and Colorado OLB Jordon Dizon.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
My favorite event of the Senior Bowl practice is the DE vs. OT battles: (e.g) D'Brickashaw Ferguson vs. Matthias Kiwanuka from '06. Which particular match-up from this year's game were you most excited about?
Aaron from Kansas City, MO
"The Pit" is always one of the most popular attractions at the Senior Bowl and this year was no exception. Honestly I really enjoyed watching all of the offensive tackles work this year because there were so many good ones. Gosder Cherilus, Sam Baker, Chris Williams, Carl Nicks, Heath Benedict, etc. I don't know if there was one standout matchup but Carl Nicks and Cliff Avril had some good battles all week long.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
What is more important: measurables or performances on the field (practice and gameday)?
Peter, Northern Territory (Australia)
Definitely the practices. Sure you can impress or disappoint at the weigh-in but all of that goes out the door if you play great or lay and egg on the field all week.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
With Sedrick Ellis reportedly weighing in at 308 lbs, what does this do to his stock? How well did he carry the weight and did it look like he could add a little more weight? With his well-publicized strength, does this now mean that he could play two gaps in the NFL or is his still likely to be best used as a 3-technique defensive tackle?
Andrew, San Dimas CA
For the record Sedrick Ellis measured in a 6-07/8 and 308 lbs. Physically he looked extremely stout but I'm not sure he could pack on much more weight. One thing that has been real impressive about Ellis is how well he plays both the run and the pass. I still think he's a great three technique but he could play two gaps as well.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
It's my understanding a lot of scouts leave on Friday and don't see the game. Why? And if the game is not that important why not just have a week of practice?
Steve from Wisconsin
Actually, 99% of the scouts are already gone by the time Friday rolls around. In fact, this year it was even getting sparse on Thursday! I'm not sure why they all leave so early but all teams get coaches tape of everything that happens down here so it's not like they will miss something. Remember, this isn't run by the NFL so the game is really the main attraction and centerpiece of the week, just not in the eyes of scouts.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
Are there any players that had really great character and were very personable and easy to talk to?
Jake from Utah
Again it was definitely Colt Brennan. If I had to single out someone else it would probably be either Virginia Tech wideout Eddie Royal or Kentucky tight end Jacob Tamme.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
Do you find it difficult not to let personal biases for/against certain players affect the way you view them? Or do you ever worry that you have allowed a personal bias to affect a scouting report or the way you view Senior Bowl practices?
Rob from Lethbridge, Alberta
It's something that I am cognizant of and I do check myself from time to time but if anything I think I might go too far the other way, being more critical of players from my favorite team and really taking a second look to ensure that I don't let that stuff affect my professional opinion. It's also important to not let pre-conceived notions about players override what they are doing down here at the Senior Bowl. For instance, if a player has a reputation for doing something poorly and then he does it well down here you have to note that and maybe go back to the tape for some re-evaluation. Overall though I am very confident that I don't let personal stuff get in the way.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
It seems that Lavelle Hawkins has been one of the most impressive players at the Senior Bowl practices. How much did he help his stock?
Cody from Missouri
Hawkins has indeed been one of the most impressive players in Mobile and he has surprised me. Coming in I wasn't sold on him and thought he was a little overrated but not anymore. I think he could be a 2nd or 3rd round pick now and he'll likely be moving up about ten spots in my wideout rankings.
- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
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