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Another Senior Bowl has come and gone but what an eventful week it was, with a terrific group of talent in attendance that will produce more than its fair share of first round picks. The following is my position-by-position look back at the week: Quarterback: This position definitely lost some star power when Matt Ryan dropped out and I was real disappointed that Brian Brohm didn't take part because he had something to prove but top to bottom this was still the best crop of quarterbacks we've had in Mobile in years. With Ryan and Brohm out of the picture this was supposed to be Andre Woodson's time to shine but that couldn't have been further from what happened. Not only did Woodson struggle mightily with his accuracy and slow delivery all week long but he made some terrible decisions in the game as well and it looks like he has fallen out of the first round mix. On the other end of the spectrum is Michigan's Chad Henne, who has a big league arm and was the most consistent quarterback on either roster throughout the week. Look for Henne to potentially be a 2nd round pick now. John David Booty of USC had some ups and downs but overall he was accurate, threw on the run well and had a nice week. Delaware's Joe Flacco did not seem fazed by the jump in competition and after a rough start he really seemed to hit his stride mid-week. He is still raw but there is no denying the physical tools with Flacco and he might have the strongest arm in this draft. Hawaii's Colt Brennan wasn't nearly as bad as some have made him out to be but he wasn't necessarily great either. After watching him in practices I am not overly concerned with his delivery or arm strength but size and durability are major issues since he weighed in at just 185 lbs. I also can't emphasize enough how impressed I was with Brennan off-the-field and he is probably one of the most charismatic people I have ever been around. When all is said and done I would have no problem taking a flyer on him in the 4th round. Despite his performance in the actual game I was pretty disappointed with Tennessee's Erik Ainge, who I actually thought was underrated going in. Ainge throws some ugly balls and he needed to have the type of game he did to salvage anything from the week. If I had to rank the signal callers based on how they looked down in Mobile throughout the week it would go like this: Running Backs: Everyone knows this is a weak crop of senior running backs and that carried over to the Senior Bowl but that doesn't mean there wasn't talent on hand. The star of the show was supposed to be East Carolina's Chris Johnson but he suffered a shoulder injury and didn't have the week most were expecting. Tulane's Matt Forté definitely seized the opportunity though and not only did he look very good in the practices but he also earned the game's Overall MVP honors. Another player who stepped up was Cal's Justin Forsett and even though he isn't real big he showed a lot of toughness and probably had the best week of all the North running backs. Georgia Tech's Tashard Choice is another guy who I was impressed with and even though he isn't flashy he just seems to get the job done. Kentucky's Rafael Little had a flash or two but didn't really have a great week while Dantrell Savage of Oklahoma St. and Chauncey Washington of USC were rather ordinary. Fullbacks: This was actually a very good set of fullbacks and I was really impressed with both. Peyton Hillis of Arkansas has an impressive physique and showed the speed and athleticism to be an all-around threat at the next level while Owen Schmitt of West Virginia was showcasing his signature toughness and having a very good week, especially as a receiver, before injuring his knee. Both of these guys are solid mid-round options. Wide Receivers: Wideout is another position that lacks a true stud in the senior class but there were still plenty of impressive performances from the pass catchers this week. Leading the way was Lavelle Hawkins of Cal, who is a smooth athlete and showed a knack for making the big play. Hawkins was as impressive as any player at this game, regardless of position, and he definitely made himself some money. Not far behind him were Donnie Avery of Houston and Andre Caldwell of Florida, who displayed top speed, athleticism and playmaking ability. Early Doucet of L.S.U. also looked good until he went down with an injury. One of the surprises of the week for me was Eddie Royal of Virginia Tech, who seemed to be making a nice catch every time I turned around. Prior to this week I viewed Royal as a #4 wideout and return specialist but now I think he can be more than that and he's definitely a better prospect than David Clowney was a year ago. Dorien Bryant of Purdue is another guy who caught my attention with his quickness and burst but at just 169 lbs. his upside will likely be limited at the next level. Jordy Nelson of Kansas St. obviously has outstanding hands but he seemed to be a step slower than everyone else and is probably more of a possession receiver and the same can probably be said for Marcus Smith of New Mexico and D.J. Hall of Alabama, who had some trouble separating. There were also a couple of players who I expected big things from this week that didn't deliver for different reasons. Limas Sweed of Texas tried to give it a go even though he was just recently cleared for action following a wrist injury but he ultimately had to drop out while Louisville's Harry Douglas did not justify my being higher on him than most. The only wideout who had a real disappointing week was Adarius Bowman of Oklahoma St., who had a severe case of the dropsy's and hurt his stock. Tight Ends: There isn't a Vernon Davis or Kellen Winslow in this class of tight ends but there is a lot of depth and that showed in Mobile. USC's Fred Davis came in about an inch and a half shorter than he was listed at (6-25/8) which is a concern but he looked pretty good before injuring his knee. I'm still not sold on him as a first round pick like some are though... Tennessee's Brad Cottam may have helped himself as much as anyone this year and he showcased some impressive physical tools. If he can stay healthy Cottam is going to be an interesting guy at the next level and if things don't work out at tight end he has the frame (6-75/8, 271) to potentially bulk up and make the move to offensive tackle. Martin Rucker of Missouri struggled with his blocking early in the week but showed improvement as the days went on and had a strong showing in the game while Kellen Davis of Michigan St. has everything you look for physically but is overrated and a much better athlete than football player. Kentucky's Jacob Tamme is smart and earns high marks in the intangibles department but I don't see much pro potential with him while Auburn's Cole Bennett seems to be just a guy. I had been looking forward to seeing Notre Dame's John Carlson and I think he would have had a big week but he was forced to drop out due to an illness. Offensive Tackles: This was arguably the strongest position heading into the week and they did not disappoint. Perhaps the most impressive was Chris Williams of Vanderbilt, who appears to be a prototypical left tackle and just made it look easy at times. He probably cemented himself as a first round pick. A guy who I really liked is Nebraska's Carl Nicks, who has phenomenal size at 6-5 and 343 lbs. but carries the weight well and is a very good athlete. Nicks is still raw but he has the physical tools to be an excellent tackle or guard at the next level. I was also pleasantly surprised by Newberry's Heath Benedict, who showed some flashes and if nothing else is real physical and aggressive. Two guys who did not live up to expectations were Oniel Cousins of U.T.E.P. and Barry Richardson of Clemson. Cousins is a great athlete but didn't always play up to his physical tools while Richardson looked like the prototype at the weigh-in but did not come close to carrying it over to the field. On the other hand Gosder Cherilus of Boston College did a very nice job, especially as a right tackle, and in my opinion he is absolutely a first round prospect. USC's Sam Baker was solid all week and certainly didn't hurt himself while Kirk Barton of Ohio St. was almost invisible. Offensive Guards: Both Mike McGlynn of Pittsburgh and Chad Rinehart of Northern Iowa played tackle in college but will be moving inside to guard at the next level. Rinehart struggled early but came on later in the week and while McGlynn didn't stand out for the most part his top-notch intangibles did draw positive notice. Based on film study I didn't see why Robert Felton of Arkansas was getting so much hype so I was looking forward to getting a close-up look at him in Mobile and I came away unimpressed. Not only did Felton look bad at the weigh-in but he also appeared to be out of shape during the practices and in my opinion he is a backup at best in the pros. Neither Roy Schuening of Oregon St. or Drew Radovich of USC necessarily did anything to either help or hurt themselves. Centers: There isn't an elite center this year and that was quite apparent based on what we saw in Mobile. Wake Forest's Steve Justice will be a good fit in a zone blocking scheme but he lacks the bulk (289 lbs.) you look for and had some struggles during the week. The same goes for Bowling Green's Kory Lichtensteiger, who was easily pushed back by opposing defensive tackles. Cody Wallace of Texas A&M failed to distinguish himself either. Mike Pollak of Arizona State probably looked the best of the bunch and may have helped himself while Notre Dame's John Sullivan actually played much better than I expected. Defensive Ends: This may have been the year of the 'tweener in Mobile. Leading the way is Purdue's Cliff Avril and after seeing him struggle at the point of attack I now believe his future will be at outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, just like former Boilermakers such as Rosie Colvin, Shaun Phillips and Anthony Spencer. Two other 'tweeners at the game were Darrell Robertson of Georgia Tech, who actually flashed a number of times and looked pretty good, and Titus Brown of Mississippi St., who failed to distinguish himself in my view. Eastern Michigan's Jason Jones played tackle in college but is making the move to end and he looked very good in that role, although he did struggle when put through some linebacker drills. Still, Jones seemed to flash a lot. Jeremy Thompson of Wake Forest looked excellent in the weigh-in and showed the ability to be a base end at the next level and Kendall Langford of Hampton probably fits that mold as well while Alabama's own Wallace Gilberry did not really stand out and might be more of a backup in the pros. Southern Cal's Lawrence Jackson made a number of plays throughout the week and might be making a push to break into the latter part of round one while Chris Ellis of Virginia Tech was okay but did not make his presence known as much as I thought he would. Defensive Tackles: The best prospect in this game was undoubtedly Sedrick Ellis of USC and he played like it, looking every bit the part of a Top 10, if not Top 5, overall pick. North Carolina's Kentwan Balmer is widely regarded to be the third best defensive tackle in this draft and while he was injured early on and didn't get to show much the fact that he weighed in at 308 lbs., which is about 25 lbs. more than expected, is interesting to say the least. Trevor Laws of Notre Dame is not real impressive physically but all he did was make plays for the Irish this past year and that continued at the Senior Bowl. Laws definitely helped himself and he's a guy that people who really know football won't be able to help themselves from loving. Maryland's Dre Moore was one of the more disappointing guys at the weigh-in but he turned things around on the field and had a strong week while Andre Fluellen of Florida St. was much shorter than he was listed at in college but showcased excellent quickness in the 1-on-1's. Marcus Harrison of Arkansas isn't flashy but he had a very nice week and likely solidified himself as one of the top handful of defensive tackles available this year while North Carolina State's DeMario Pressley was finally starting to play up to his potential before getting dinged up. Outside Linebackers: USC's Keith Rivers was one of the best players at this game, regardless of position. Not only does he look the part physically but he also seemed to be on a different level between the lines and in my opinion the debate as to who is the top linebacker available is now over. Ali Highsmith of L.S.U. has some issues with his size but he's active and made a lot of plays and the same goes for Xavier Adibi of Virginia Tech as well. Wesley Woodyard of Kentucky surprised me with how well he played despite his lack of size (219 lbs.) and you could tell he's one of those guys who is just a football player. Colorado's Jordon Dizon is a good tackler who flashed once in a while but will need to be in the right scheme to succeed while Georgia Tech's Gary Guyton acclimated himself pretty well after being added as an injury replacement. I was actually shocked at how good UCLA's Bruce Davis looked in making the move to outside linebacker after playing defensive end in college and while he's still a work in progress I definitely saw signs that lead me to believe he can successfully make the transition. Michigan's Shawn Crable got hurt so there wasn't much time to evaluate him but his 6-5 frame strikes an imposing shadow on the field. Miami's Tavares Gooden had some issues with his physical and never saw the field while Nevada's Beau Bell was injured early on and was forced to drop out as well. Inside Linebackers: One of the big surprises at the weigh-in was Philip Wheeler of Georgia Tech, who was listed at 230 lbs. in college but checked in at 245 lbs. in Mobile. Wheeler also had a great week on the field and was super aggressive. Dan Connor of Penn St. did not really stand out during the week of practices per se but he had a big game and his nine tackles led both squads. South Florida's Ben Moffitt did not distinguish himself in the positional drills but he flashed once in a while when put into game situations. Cornerbacks: It seems like every year the Senior Bowl has a breakout star and this year it was Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie of Tennessee St. From the first practice to the last whistle of the game this guy was a stud in Mobile and he made himself a ton of money this week. He still needs to add some weight (183 lbs.) but in terms of height, speed, leaping ability, ball skills and athleticism "D.R.C." has few peers and he is awfully similar to his cousin Antonio Cromartie. Troy's Leodis McKelvin was overshadowed by Rodgers-Cromartie to a degree but he had a terrific week as well and probably locked up a spot in round one. Tracy Porter of Indiana did a nice job of trying to be more physical and when it comes to his man coverage skills there were few, if any, better down here. I was also pleasantly surprised with Iowa's Charles Godfrey, who has always had a fantastic blend of size/speed but showed the ability to stick with smaller, quicker wideouts. He had some ups and downs but Godfrey is loaded with potential and looked good. On the other hand Patrick Lee of Auburn did not stand out like I anticipated he would. It's not that he was bad and he did make some plays but I was expecting big things from him. Chevis Jackson of L.S.U. and Simeon Castille of Alabama appear to be classic Cover 2 guys and Terrell Thomas of USC saw a lot of action at safety and that could be his future home. Meanwhile I have always felt that DeJuan Tribble of Boston College was overrated and he did nothing to change my opinion while Terrence Wheatley of Colorado is a similar type of player and could probably be had two or even three rounds later. Neither was great but I'll take Wheatley Safeties: There won't be a first round pick from this group and maybe not even a second round pick but there are some solid players. Perhaps the most impressive this week was Notre Dame's Tom Zbikowski, who showed that he can be a multi-purpose threat against the run as well as in coverage and on special teams. He's still not the prospect some made him out to be early in his career but he's a good football player. Cal's Thomas DeCoud entered the week as the top senior safety on many boards and while he was solid he didn't necessarily stand out either. I was impressed with Michigan's Jamar Adams, who has great size and looked pretty good for the most part. Marcus Griffin of Texas isn't in the same class as his brother Michael was as a pro prospect but he handled himself well in Mobile. Quintin Demps of U.T.E.P. had a pick in the game but that was the highlight of his week and D.J. Wolfe of Oklahoma has good size/bulk but didn't make many plays from what I saw. Specialists: Topping last year's group of kickers (Mason Crosby & Nick Folk) and punters (Daniel Sepulveda & Adam Podlesh) wasn't going to be easy and this group didn't do it. I was disappointed that neither of the kickers really stretched out their legs during the week but Georgia' Brandon Coutu looked the best, although almost by default since Alexis Serna of Oregon St. struggled with both his field goals and kickoffs. Durant Brooks of Georgia Tech was solid but he didn't really shine like the other top punters from recent years did while North Dakota State's Mike Dragosavich had some ups and downs but showed good potential. Indiana long-snapper Tim Bugg showed why he is a draftable prospect and looked good all week while Garrison Sanborn of Florida St. did not really stand out. There is simply no other place where you can see this many top prospects in competition with one another which is why the Senior Bowl has become the major scouting event that it has in recent years. There will inevitably be players who both help and hurt themselves and this year was no different, although as always there were definitely more players who gave their draft stock a boost than there were guys who lost money. In the end this week will go a long way towards determining where these prospects will ultimately be chosen in late April. I hope you enjoyed the coverage! |
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