Senior Bowl Practice Week Notes. [Archive] - The Buffalo Range, where the Buffalo fans roam!

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evans555

January 21st, 2008, 5:57:59 PM

http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/features/seniorbowl/reports/weighin.html

• Limas Sweed Texas 6040 212 332/8 9
Notes: Tall and athletic with long arms

• Jordy Nelson Kansas St. 6025 215 32 91/8
Notes: Looked rangy and really muscular.

• D.J. Hall Alabama 6022 190 311/8 8
Notes: Looked looked thin and unimpressive.

• Adarius Bowman Oklahoma St. 6027 220 333/8 84/8
Notes: Looked big and strong with long arms.

• Fred Davis USC 6025 250 332/8 94/8
Notes: Strong and cut with a solid build.

• Kellen Davis Michigan St. 6062 259 332/8 9
Notes: Lean with a very strong. Impressive!

• Martin Rucker Missouri 6046 248 341/8 9
Notes: Tall, rangy and pretty athletic.

• Sedrick Ellis USC 6007 308 324/8 83/8
Notes: Looked big, stout and very solid.

• Dre Moore Maryland 6041 307 333/8 102/8
Notes: Two words: Man Boobs.

• Dan Connor Penn St. 6025 233 314/8 81/8
Notes: Big upper body but relatively average.

• Keith Rivers USC 6017 236 33 103/8
Notes: Impressive. Cut, strong and athletic.

Here some stuff from draftdaddy:

last updated: 01/21/08
**
2008 Under Armour Senior Bowl Weigh-In Notes

7 Players that may have helped their stock:

LB Phillip Wheeler, Georgia Tech: Listed 235, weighed 245, ripped.

WR Adarius Bowman, Oklahoma State: 6'2" & very solid 215 lbs.

QB Joe Flacco, Delaware: 6'6" looked the part of N.F.L. QB.

WR Jordy Nelson, Kansas State: Well-built, lean and legit 6'2".

DT Kentwan Ballmer, UNC: Listed 282, weighed 308 & stacked.

CB Dejuan Tribble, Boston College: Buff and looked built for speed.

OL Gosder Cherlius, Boston College: Largest hands (11 1/2") & arms (35 5/8") in the Senior Bowl.

7 Players that may have hurt their stock:

QB Colt Brennan, Hawaii: Listed 6'4", measured 6'2".

TE Fred Davis, Southern Cal: Also listed 6'4", measured 6'2".

DT Dre Moore, Maryland: 307 but in very poor shape.

DT Red Bryant, Texas A & M: Soft, small hands (8 1/8")

LB Ben Moffitt, South Florida: Measured 6'1", weighed 231.

OL Robert Felton, Arkansas: Sloppy and in poor shape.

OL Kory Lichtenstieger, Bowling Green: 6'2" 296, 30 7/8" arms.

***
Draft Daddy is on site from the Senior Bowl this week. Please check back regularly for updated news.

The following players were invited, but pulled out of the game:

QB Matt Ryan, Boston College

QB Brian Brohm, Louisville (lower leg)

DE Chris Long, Virginia

DT Glenn Dorsey, Louisiana State

OT Jake Long, Michigan

OT Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh

DE Quentin Groves, Auburn (shoulder)

TE John Carlson, Notre Dame (illness)

S Craig Steltz, Louisiana State (shoulder)

**
Tennessee QB Erik Ainge is preparing for his week in Mobile.

**
The Pittsburgh Steelers are unlikely to be big players in free agency.

***
What will the New Orleans Saints do with the 10th overall pick?

admarc

January 21st, 2008, 6:51:47 PM

nukedawg

January 21st, 2008, 7:38:59 PM

Adarius Bowman WR Oklahoma State: I was really unimpressed by Bowman today. He clearly showed his athleticism, which was nice, but he dropped at least three very catchable balls. This did not bode well for him and he had better step it up the rest of the week.
http://www.draftheadquarters.com/index.php/Senior-Bowl-Coverage-2008-Senior-Bowl-Practices/Senior-Bowl-Coverage-Home/cat_id/34432

treydawg

January 21st, 2008, 7:54:01 PM

Fred Davis at 6'2" is a bit of a concern. How is his vertical?

Merk

January 21st, 2008, 8:44:03 PM

I wouldnt mind seeing us get Phillip Wheeler

Guy plays like his hair is on fire

coastal

January 21st, 2008, 8:47:02 PM

I wouldnt mind seeing us get Phillip Wheeler

Guy plays like his hair is on fire

Reminds me a little of Gerris Wilkinson.

Merk

January 21st, 2008, 9:12:06 PM

Adibi coming in at 6'1 220 isnt going to help his stock. I think a lot of teams might start looking at him as a SS

admarc

January 21st, 2008, 10:55:11 PM

Watching NFL Network's coverage it looks like the USC guys had a dominating day.

Ellis is a beast and was easily the best big guy on the field. He beat double teams, gets great leverage and was relentless. Mayock called him a baby Warren Saap.

Rivers passed the eye test weighing in at a solid 236, then showed some pretty good coverage ability and made some pop's even though they were only out there in shoulder pads and shorts. Davis reported that Rivers said he was still nursing an ankle injury and is only 75%. Davis asked him if he was advised not to practice if he wasn't 100% and Rivers said he had to be out there.

Booty had a good day throwing the ball according to Davis and made some nice throws when the cameras were rolling on him.

Terrel Thomas also looked good at the weigh in then did well in the drills.

Some others that Mayock and Davis spoke about having good days were:

Chad Henne. Mayock has him as the #2 Qb on his board behind Ryan. He looked good in the clips they showed connecting on a nice deep pass.

Davis spoke highly of G Roy Schuening.

Kentwan Balmer looked ok. I am still not convinced he should go in the top half of the 1st round but I'll be watching closely this week.

Mayock broke down film on Connor and Rivers. He has Connor rated slightly ahead of Rivers and said they are different style athletes. He said while Rivers is faster and a prototypical LB Connor's instincts allow him to get to the ball equally as fast. He thought Connor is better suited outside but questioned weather he has the durability to stand up inside week after week in the NFL. Davis preferred Rivers and said he just looks the part.

Buffalo1

January 21st, 2008, 10:59:10 PM

I like what I hear.

treydawg

January 21st, 2008, 11:15:56 PM

Connor put up twice the numbers Rivers did. I can't wait till they run.

admarc

January 22nd, 2008, 2:06:59 AM

http://www.gbnreport.com/seniorbowlreport.htm

<center>2008 SENIOR BOWL REPORTS</center>

North practice; Monday afternoon…
By Scott Wright, President and Draft Analyst, NFL Draft Countdown (http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/)

<big><big>After all of the talk about players dropping out of the game and heights/weights it was finally time to get on the field and play some football. The North team is being coached by the Oakland Raiders and they kicked things off with a relatively light practice, opting for shells rather than full pads. Things started off slow and they basically walked through some plays and stretched for the first fifteen minutes or so but after that things began to pick up. Here is a look at what happened and who stood out today.

• Two of the most impressive players on the field today both happened to be USC Trojans. Defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis was practically unblockable, blowing by Northern Iowa OL Chad Rinehart on one play and being very disruptive in the backfield all afternoon. He also received a lot of praise from the coaching staff. Meanwhile his college teammate LB Keith Rivers drew a lot of praise from Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. Rivers looked quick and explosive moving both forward and laterally and even made a nice play in coverage twenty yards downfield against Michigan State TE Kellen Davis.

• UCLA's Bruce Davis worked with the linebackers today and while you could tell he has a lot to learn he certainly didn't embarrass himself either.

• At wide receiver Adarius Bowman of Oklahoma St. did not look good and he struggled with drops all day. Early on he had to change cleats on the sidelines and something may have been bothering him because he never seemed to get comfortable. New Mexico's Marcus Smith was very energetic but he also dropped some balls today and after each one he made himself do pushups as punishment.
</big></big>
Continued (http://www.gbnreport.com/seniorbowlreport.htm)

FknGvna

January 22nd, 2008, 9:27:16 AM

Indeed, the most impressive player on the field today may have been little known Tennessee State DB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

That's my boy.

FknGvna

January 22nd, 2008, 9:39:18 AM

Senior Bowl Day One Recap
By: Roshan Bhagat

Rosters were announced late Sunday evening and a few last minute decisions surprised the fans.

Brian Brohm pulls out.
Brohm cited an injured ankle suffered during the season finale versus Rutgers. Players are put under a microscope and magnified ten times at the Senior Bowl so it’s not that strange. “I am disappointed as I have tremendous respect for this game and I have been preparing hard for what would have been my only bowl game,” Brohm said in a statement released through his agency, Athletes First.

John Carlson and Quentin Groves sitting out too; Erik Ainge, Cole Bennett fly in as replacements.
Carlson has had a recent stomach sickness in which he’s lost 17 pounds in 8 days. He’s been preparing since the end of the Notre Dame season for this date so it’s sad to see a player with plenty to prove go down. Cole Bennett will be his replacement.

Quentin Groves cited a shoulder injury.

Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge will replace Brohm and has an opportunity to become the forth quarterback chosen. Most of the Tier 2 quarterbacks are playing in the Senior Bowl so a lot will be determined for quarterback needy teams in the 2nd-3rd round range.

Morning weigh-in results
The first weigh-ins leading up to the Combine and Pro Days brought on some interesting results. Of the quarterbacks, Colt Brennan came off the worst. He came in at 6’2¼ and a meager 185 pounds which simply won’t last in the NFL. Despite what he may do on the field, his career in the NFL isn’t heading the right direction. He won’t last many hits at the next level at this frame.

Many of the receivers came in less than impressive. Dorien Bryant looked thin at 5’9 5/8 and 169 pounds. Harry Douglas might have come off the least impressive at 5’11, 170 with the smallest hands of the bunch (7¾).

Tight end Kellen Davis has been under the radar and came off at an impressive 6’6 and muscular 259 pounds.

Offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus came off at a massive 6’7, 315 with the longest arms (35 5/8) and ridiculous hands (11½).

Sedrick Ellis was impressive at 6’1, 308. He has the body and explosion off the snap to become something special at the next level.

Both Ali Highsmith and Philip Wheeler came off bigger and thicker than expected. Highsmith looked cut, athletic and stouter at 5’11 5/8 and 229 pounds. Wheeler came in at 6’2, 245 and has the versatility to play inside or outside at the next level.

Wolverine shines; Buckeye disappoints
After an injury-riddled season, it appears as if much of the media is counting Michigan quarterback, Chad Henne, out. He appeared to be the most impressive quarterback on the day. “The 6-2, 225-pound gunslinger caught the scouts' attention with his strong arm, accuracy, decision-making and timing.” While his team disappointed and he played below 100% for much of the year, his numbers remained solid (nearly 2:1 TD:INT ratio). He’s flying under the radar as of now, but some team will get themselves a good pro in the draft.

Ohio State Offensive tackle Kirk Barton looked poor in pass protection all day with poor footwork to be beaten off the edge by some of the speed rushers.

NFL teams begin talks with players
The Browns began talks with several players including Delaware QB Joe Flacco, S Jamar Adams, LB’s Cliff Avril and Shawn Crable as well as kicker Alexis Serna.

The Miami Dolphins appear to be eyeing quarterbacks intently and appear unhappy with their situation with Cleo Lemon and John Beck.

Quarterbacks disappoint
Many quarterbacks were expected to shine this week in a fierce competition. Unfortunately only Henne stood out. Colt Brennan probably looked the worst and is still getting used to dropping back. His balls looked weird and his accuracy wasn’t up to his standards.

Andre’ Woodson wasn’t too accurate on the day and struggled with the subtleties of the position.

Joe Flacco looked impressive from his body, but didn’t play well altogether. He couldn’t complete many passes, but it’s not as if is receivers were wide open either.

Random Thoughts: From Our Forums
Feel free to discuss any of the players from the Senior Bowl on our boards. Hear how the public eye weighs in on the Senior Bowl:

“OT Gosder Cherilus looks like a pure beast out there.” –gibbythemute

“Sedrick Ellis is so darn explosive and quick. Amazing 4-3 tackle.” -Jetsalltheway39

“Sedrick Ellis was awesome. Had great burst and speed for a guy who weighs over 300 pounds.” “I thought the best WR today was Lavelle Hawkins just like I said. He showed good hands and good speed. Eddie Royal was in a close second.” -Patsfan01

“Impressive to me were Terrell Thomas, Lavelle Hawkins, Jordy Nelson and Sedrick Ellis. Liked what I saw from Tracy Porter as well.” “Nelson looked real good to me. Runs good, clean routes, catches the ball real well. Beat his guy a number of time in 1 on 1's.” "Down day for Harry Douglas and Limas Sweed, both dropped multiple balls. Douglas was said to have looked very slow in and out of his breaks." -stchamp98

“Kellen Davis (TE, Michigan State) could be a steal on the 2nd day. Big TE, decent speed. Has all the tools needed.” -Backwoodsboy65
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2008/seniorbowl1.html

LotteryPick

January 22nd, 2008, 10:55:24 AM

[QUOTE=evans555;1914550]http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/features/seniorbowl/reports/weighin.html

• Jordy Nelson Kansas St. 6025 215 32 91/8
Notes: Looked rangy and really muscular.

7 Players that may have helped their stock:

WR Jordy Nelson, Kansas State: Well-built, lean and legit 6'2".
QUOTE]

I know I've been pimping him for a while, but I think he is legit. You put his ridiculous stats together with the fact that he is a legit 6'2" and really muscular and I think he is a great round 2 pick.

I like him better than Bowman, personally.

FknGvna

January 22nd, 2008, 11:00:42 AM

Nelson in the 5th?

The Miami Dolphins appear to be eyeing quarterbacks intently and appear unhappy with their situation with Cleo Lemon and John Beck.

gilchristfan

January 22nd, 2008, 11:05:09 AM

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/news/notesbypos.php?genpos=WR

Texas wide receiver Limas Sweed was on the field Monday, when the two all-star teams at the Senior Bowl held their first practice.
Sweed was involved in live competition for the first time since undergoing surgery to repair several partially torn ligaments in his left wrist. He injured the wrist before the season during two-a-days but continued to play, starting the first six games of the season before the pain was too much to handle.
Sweed's cast was removed Jan. 14, and doctors told him not to play in the Senior Bowl.
"But I felt like I had to come out here and compete," Sweed said. "Anybody who knows me knows I'm a competitor, and I'm not going to be sitting at home chilling."

That's a 2 edged sword, but I admire the attitude. At this stage, I wouldn't worry too much about dropped balls. If it's still happening during his Pro Day, I'd be more concerned.

Draftscout.com looks to have pretty comprehensive coverage on each player.

gilchristfan

January 22nd, 2008, 11:09:10 AM

[quote=evans555;1914550]http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/features/seniorbowl/reports/weighin.html

• Jordy Nelson Kansas St. 6025 215 32 91/8
Notes: Looked rangy and really muscular.

7 Players that may have helped their stock:

WR Jordy Nelson, Kansas State: Well-built, lean and legit 6'2".
QUOTE]

I know I've been pimping him for a while, but I think he is legit. You put his ridiculous stats together with the fact that he is a legit 6'2" and really muscular and I think he is a great round 2 pick.

I like him better than Bowman, personally.

He might not make it past the Chiefs in the 2nd.

There are few no-brainers when it comes to the Senior Bowl, but the newfound direction of the Kansas City Chiefs has led them to a pair of tempting players who have overcome long odds to arrive where they are this week.
One of them – Kansas State wide receiver Jordy Nelson (http://oak.scout.com/a.z?s=66&p=8&c=1&nid=3211660) – was standing in the hallway shortly after Monday morning’s weigh-in when Chiefs director of college scouting Chuck Cook walked by.

He had the look of a scout who knew he couldn’t keep the cat out of the bag. I had discovered a player the Chiefs’ scouting department really likes.

Nelson has spent the last five years at Kansas State shattering most of the school’s receiving records. He was someone the Chiefs identified early on as a player who can make the jump to the NFL.

When I first spoke with Cook about Nelson last November, he already had high praise for the young receiver. But Monday he saw what the rest of us saw during the North squad practice, when Nelson was almost unstoppable.

“He’s a fine, fine pro prospect,” Cook said of Nelson. “I can’t give any higher, glowing recommendations on the way he attacked the game in college and the way he worked himself.”

“He’s really a self-made guy with skills, and that’s what you look for. You look for overachieving guys with physical skills. People don’t realize how fast the guy is. They don’t realize how big he is until they see him. I’ve had some defensive backs here and at the East-West game tell me that this guy, they don’t realize how fast he is on tape until they play the guy. He really has maximized his career at Kansas State.”

http://oak.scout.com/a.z?s=66&p=2&c=722130

LotteryPick

January 22nd, 2008, 11:19:49 AM

I'm glad somebody else is talking about him. Too bad its an opposing team. If he makes it past KC and we don't go WR in round 1, I really think Nelson should be our guy. He is a complete reciever.

LotteryPick

January 22nd, 2008, 11:21:56 AM

Courtesy of rotoword.com

Sedrick Ellis DT USC: There's a reason that Ellis is being projected as a lock for the Top 10 of this year's draft. His strength is unbelievable, and to see it in person is really a treat. He literally overpowered his opponent at least two or three times today. I was very impressed with him and expect him to be among the top players taken this year.

Kentwan Balmer DT North Carolina: Balmer is a player that a lot of people don't know about; however, that should change pretty quickly. Balmer possessed a nice combination of quickness and strength today as he he was another defensive lineman that had a great day. I really like his quick hands and his ability to find the ball.

DeMario Pressley DT NC State: I really like Pressley's quickness. He showed this today when he, on back-to-back plays, gave the lineman a quick juke-move and got into the backfield. He also showed quick hands.

Jamar Adams S Michigan: Adams struggled at times in coverage today, which really worries me, but he did have a couple of plays where he literally would have been on the "jacked up" highlight reel. On one play, West Virginia fullback Owen Schmitt caught the ball out of the backfield, turned up and field, and Adams was there to deliver the blow. Adams hit him so hard that Schmitt's helmet went flying off in the other direction. Adams' big hits today made up for his struggles in coverage.

Charles Godfrey CB Iowa, Terrence Wheatley CB Colorado: Both of these guys had a bit of a tough day. They both seemed to struggle a bit in coverage and each of them dropped a few passes in the individual drills. They both showed flashes at times, but overall they didn't have that great of a day.

FknGvna

January 22nd, 2008, 11:24:09 AM

WTF. First Patrick WIllis now Jordy?

LotteryPick

January 22nd, 2008, 11:24:27 AM

Notes from Day 1, courtesy of rotoworld.com

Eddie Royal WR Virginia Tech: Royal had a few grabs today that were just sick. On one play he put a double move on the defender and sprinted up to the field to catch the ball in the back of the end zone. In another play he made a circus-like catch over a defender that had slipped to the ground, as got two feet down in bounds. He really opened some eyes today.

Lavelle Hawkins WR California: Hawkins really displayed his ability to make plays today as he made a few acrobatic catches that most other receivers wouldn't be able to make. He showed good quickness and nice elusiveness in the open field.

Adarius Bowman WR Oklahoma State: I was really unimpressed by Bowman today. He clearly showed his athleticism, which was nice, but he dropped at least three very catchable balls. This did not bode well for him and he had better step it up the rest of the week.

The posting was done by the guy who runs this site:
http://draftheadquarters.com/

And this is the link to his Senior Bowl Coverage
http://draftheadquarters.com/index.php/2008-Senior-Bowl-NFL-Draft-2008-Combine/Home/cat_id/34427

And Live Blog
http://draftheadquarters.com/index.php/Senior-Bowl-Live-Blog-2008-Senior-Bowl/Senior-Bowl-Coverage-Home/cat_id/34429

admarc

January 22nd, 2008, 11:25:41 AM

LotteryPick

January 22nd, 2008, 11:32:39 AM

imontoya

January 22nd, 2008, 11:38:18 AM

[quote=LotteryPick;1915182]

He might not make it past the Chiefs in the 2nd.

There are few no-brainers when it comes to the Senior Bowl, but the newfound direction of the Kansas City Chiefs has led them to a pair of tempting players who have overcome long odds to arrive where they are this week.
One of them – Kansas State wide receiver Jordy Nelson (http://oak.scout.com/a.z?s=66&p=8&c=1&nid=3211660) – was standing in the hallway shortly after Monday morning’s weigh-in when Chiefs director of college scouting Chuck Cook walked by.

He had the look of a scout who knew he couldn’t keep the cat out of the bag. I had discovered a player the Chiefs’ scouting department really likes.

Nelson has spent the last five years at Kansas State shattering most of the school’s receiving records. He was someone the Chiefs identified early on as a player who can make the jump to the NFL.

When I first spoke with Cook about Nelson last November, he already had high praise for the young receiver. But Monday he saw what the rest of us saw during the North squad practice, when Nelson was almost unstoppable.

“He’s a fine, fine pro prospect,” Cook said of Nelson. “I can’t give any higher, glowing recommendations on the way he attacked the game in college and the way he worked himself.”

“He’s really a self-made guy with skills, and that’s what you look for. You look for overachieving guys with physical skills. People don’t realize how fast the guy is. They don’t realize how big he is until they see him. I’ve had some defensive backs here and at the East-West game tell me that this guy, they don’t realize how fast he is on tape until they play the guy. He really has maximized his career at Kansas State.”

http://oak.scout.com/a.z?s=66&p=2&c=722130

ugh...I'd hate to have to root against him next year.

admarc

January 22nd, 2008, 11:38:55 AM

Draftscout seems to confirm some of the other sites take on most players.

Rivers and Connors are said to look silky smooth and clearly the cream of the LB crop.

Ellis and Balmer are impressing at DT.

Dre Moore had a rough first day. First he has to expose his man boobs then he apparently got lit up in one on one's because he failed to maintain leverage. This was something he did a much better job of in games this year but I guess he is lapsing back into bad habits.

gilchristfan

January 22nd, 2008, 11:45:11 AM

Mayock said he wasn't concerned about Jordy's straight line speed but is concerned he does not have enough short area quickness and explosiveness coming out of his breaks and tends to round off his cuts.

Here's the perception that Jordy needs to change :GBN (http://www.gbnreport.com/seniorbowlreport.htm)

• Purdue WR Dorien Bryant was real quick out of his breaks but Kansas State WR Jordy Nelson was not and seemed to be doing everything a step slower than everyone else. On a positive note Nelson does adjust to the ball well.

That's not surprising, from what I've seen, he's not the quickest. Downfield fast maybe, but not quickness in terms of cutting ability.

What he DOES seem to have is field awareness/decision making ability. He knows where he's going to go quicker than most receivers seem to. To me, its really apparent in his open field running after the catch. He runs like...well, a RB. How well that compensates for lack of starting and stopping ability...could be alot could be a little. He very well may have separation problems at the next level. Somehow, I think his other skills are going to allow him to get open in the Pro ranks.

He actually reminds me alot of Josh Reed, especially his RAC ability, but he's 4 inches bigger, 20 lbs heavier and probably has more straight line speed.

gilchristfan

January 22nd, 2008, 11:46:32 AM

LotteryPick

January 22nd, 2008, 11:46:58 AM

Great insight.

Brad Cottam (TE) is intriguing because he is frequently talked about as having serious potential, but I believe had some problem with his system and injuries. He could be a good 3rd or 4th round guy.

McKelvin could also fall to the 2nd round now. I believe his struggles to only be rust. He was a great PR in college and dropping a punt was probably more nerves than anything.

admarc

January 22nd, 2008, 12:12:51 PM

Please do not post directly from a pay site. You may put things in your own words if you quote the source but you can not post entire articles from any site and may not quote directly from a pay site.

admarc

January 22nd, 2008, 12:17:06 PM

I am going to merge all Senior Bowl practice week threads into this one and change the title to Senior Bowl Week Practice Notes. I'll stick it on top. Unless you guys would prefer a seperate thread per day.

Personally I'd rather have everything in one thread.

imontoya

January 22nd, 2008, 1:59:25 PM

A couple of notes from yesterday's practice that I found interesting. Anyone know more about these guys? I've seen Rodgers-Cromartie in a few of your mock drafts.

http://nflblogs.profootballweekly.com/AroundtheNFL/

Tennessee State CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie didn’t look out of place today at all. He showed a good rip move in gunner drills and then looked athletic and instinctive in a quarters defense drill. He’s one of the taller corners in Mobile (6-foot-2) and looked fairly fluid in backpedal. “I have been working out with that guy,” Doucet told PFW of Rodgers-Cromartie, “and that dude is an athlete!”

Arkansas DT Marcus Harrison was whipping some guys today. He looked like the best D-lineman in terms of power, quickness and technique in the one-on-one drills, though 49ers DL coach Jim Tomsula did stress several times that Harrison needed to do a better job of getting his hands inside the O-lineman’s pads. Harrison’s best play was blowing up a run play by running over Pitt OG Mike McGlynn.

LotteryPick

January 22nd, 2008, 2:34:39 PM

This is the practice blog from draftheadquarters.com (not a paysite. Link is in an above post of mine)

- At quarterback, Chad Henne has had the best two days of practice so far. He's looked very poised and has done a great job of delivering the ball on time. He's had some really nice looking throws. Joe Flacco has looked pretty good as well. I think he could use some coaching on his footwork as his drops seem to take longer than the other quarterbacks. John David Booty hasn't really impressed, but he has disappointed. He's looked like an average quarterback that should be a Mid-Late Round selection, which is what he is.

- At linebacker, UNLV's Beau Bell injured his left knee. As he came over to the sideline he claimed that he "popped it". After the doctors took a look at it, they took him off the field. He was able to walk gingerly on it though, so that's a good sign. Before getting injured, Bell hadn't really stood out that much. He has the tools to be a good linebacker at the next level, but he was somewhat stiff and his change of direction doesn't seem to be as good as some of the other linebackers. However, he had a pretty good day yesterday and he's clearly one of the better linebackers here this week.

- Also at linebacker, Keith Rivers is proving why he'll be a Top 20 pick in this year's draft. He has great size and speed and overall just has all of the tools that you look for in a top linebacker. Jordan Dizon from Colorado has had a great first couple of days. I really like his intensity as it seems like he is really trying to show scouts what he's capable of.

- Adarius Bowman continues to struggle as he dropped at least another three balls today. I don't know if it's a lack of concentration or just nerves, but he's definitely not helping his draft stock so far this week.

- DeMario Pressley and Sedrick Ellis continue to impress me. I knew about how good Ellis was, but I didn't know that Pressley could have as big of an impact as he's had so far. I'd move Pressley ahead of Frank Okam and likely Dre Moore and right alongside Kentwan Balmer from North Carolina in terms of rankings.

- John Sullivan, center from Notre Dame has quietly had a nice couple of days. I really like what I've seen from him and I think he's solidified himself as the #3 center behind Steve Justice and Mike Pollak.

- Roy Scheuning is looking pretty good. He's got a great base, is stout at the point of attack, and gets great leverage. I think he's the top senior guard prospect available this year. Speaking of guard, Northern Iowa offensive tackle Chad Rinehart has been playing inside at the guard position this week. He's got great size and has looked pretty good. He's struggled a few times, but he's really tough and doesn't get beat easily.

- One play that I liked was from Michigan's Jamar Adams. The situation was during a team drill and the offense had yet to snap the ball. Immediately, Adams calls out to the entire defense to watch for a screen. Two seconds later the offense was setting up a screen pass to the running back. I like Adams awareness and instincts.

The notes on Pressley, Adams, Sullivan, and Dizon were of particular interest to me.

Buffalo1

January 22nd, 2008, 2:37:53 PM

Is Dizon like another Ellison in that he is undersized? He still would be a good late pickup

wpod

January 22nd, 2008, 3:04:55 PM

Is Dizon like another Ellison in that he is undersized? He still would be a good late pickup

Exactly; he's a 6-0, 222 tackling machine (I live in Colorado).

Johnlaf

January 22nd, 2008, 3:07:21 PM

I am including the address for the complete weigh in info with notes.

http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/features/seniorbowl/reports/weighin.html

It makes for some interesting reading. As always though, some guys will look like Tarzan and play like Jane.

FknGvna

January 22nd, 2008, 4:58:05 PM

C'mon John, we need info, not weights.

evans555

January 22nd, 2008, 5:37:31 PM

Here are some day 2 thoughts....

Senior Bowl - Tuesday North Practice
Scott Wright
President, NFL Draft Countdown

It was pretty overcast at Ladd-Peebles Stadium this morning but still a little warmer that it was yesterday. For the first time this week the North squad practiced in full pads today and there was a noticeable difference in the intensity, with a lot of big hits delivered throughout the session. As always there were a lot of interesting matchups today and if you're a fan of watching the big uglies in the trenches then this is your team and once again the offensive tackles were impressive.

• Yesterday USC defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis showed off his ability to wreak havoc in the backfield and today he showed he could be just as effective against the run. Ellis has looked every bit the part of a Top 10 pick so far.

• I continue to be impressed with Nebraska offensive tackle Carl Nicks, who looks like a great natural athlete despite his massive size but he is still raw and plays too high at times.

• Boston College offensive tackle Gosder Cherilus may be a very large man but he also moves his feet well.

• Indiana cornerback Tracy Porter was okay yesterday but he was even better today, jumping a route to intercept a Joe Flacco pass in 7-on-7's on a play that would have been a "Pick 6" in a real game. He also did a nice job of sticking with his guy in coverage.

• USC offensive guard Drew Radovich stood out today, playing real physical and displaying a strong initial punch and some pop.

• Penn St. linebacker Dan Connor had a mixed day. On one run play he couldn't shed a Mike Pollak block and was neutralized but later he separated Marcus Smith from the ball with a big hit in coverage.

• Once again none of the North quarterbacks really stood out. USC's John David Booty and Delaware's Joe Flacco looked pretty average and the best of the bunch today was Michigan's Chad Henne. Overall though I am still waiting for one of these guys to step up.

• Iowa cornerback Charles Godfrey had another nice day in coverage, even drawing praise from Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan for his efforts in 7-on-7's.

• The nightmare continues for Oklahoma St. wideout Adarius Bowman, who seems to be dropping more balls than he is catching. Then when he finally did catch one in 11-on-11's he fumbled! At this point it's more of a confidence issue than anything else and it was clear he is very frustrated right now. New Mexico's Marcus Smith also had a couple more drops today and afterward hit the ground for some pushups.

• Michigan St. tight end Kellen Davis looked awfully good, making a nice catch in 11-on-11's and showing some aggressiveness as a blocker in positional drills.

• One of the surprises of the week for me so far has been California wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins, who followed up a strong first day with another terrific showing. Hawkins made at least a couple of impressive catches, although he had some issues with rounding off his routes.

• Purdue's Cliff Avril struggles at the point of attack and was physically dominated on more than one occasion. Granted he is going up against some excellent offensive tackles but it's becoming clear to me that his best fit at the next level will come as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

• The transition to linebacker continues for Bruce Davis of UCLA, although he did flash a couple of times and made some nice tackles including one in space.

• Notre Dame safety Tom Zbikowski laid a bit hit on Justin Forsett toward the end of practice.

• USC linebacker Keith Rivers is real vocal on the field and had another strong showing. On one play he got good pressure on the quarterback after avoiding a block on a blitz.

• Nevada linebacker Beau Bell got dinged up and was down on the field for a few minutes but was able to walk off under his own power.

• Michigan's Shawn Crable delivered a big hit on Owen Schmitt today.

• Oklahoma St. running back Dantrell Savage isn't very big but he showed some toughness running inside today.

• East Carolina's Chris Johnson, Indiana's Tracy Porter, Purdue's Dorien Bryant, Virginia Tech's Eddie Royal, Colorado's Terrence Wheatley and Lavelle Hawkins and Justin Forsett, both of Cal, worked as kick returners.

• Boston College's DeJuan Tribble struggled to keep up with the wideouts in coverage today.

• Michigan safety Jamar Adams did a nice job in coverage, showing the ability to hold his own against smaller, quicker wideouts.

• Kansas St. wide receiver Jordy Nelson beat USC's Terrell Thomas for a touchdown today but that may have been more of a case of Thomas struggling than Nelson excelling.

• Cal running back Justin Forsett displayed nice vision and cut-back ability today.

• Oregon St. kicker Alexis Serna showed he has 50+ yard range and he hit all of his attempts at the end of practice.

• It's a position that doesn't get a lot of attention but Indiana long-snapper Tim Bugg has been very accurate and is definitely a draftable prospect.

Buffalo1

January 22nd, 2008, 5:42:44 PM

shouldn't Schmitt be the one who is laying hits on people, he is a FB.

FknGvna

January 22nd, 2008, 7:34:50 PM

• One of the surprises of the week for me so far has been California wide receiver Lavelle Hawkins, who followed up a strong first day with another terrific showing. Hawkins made at least a couple of impressive catches, although he had some issues with rounding off his routes.

hhmm

treydawg

January 22nd, 2008, 9:06:03 PM

shouldn't Schmitt be the one who is laying hits on people, he is a FB.

He caught a pass out of the backfield on that one I believe.

LotteryPick

January 22nd, 2008, 11:18:55 PM

More notes from draftheadquarters.com

At quarterback, Andre Woodson certainly stood out from the rest. He has the look of a top quarterback and was making all of the throws necessary to be an NFL quarterback. Erik Ainge was not far behind as he also had a great day. The Tennessee quarterback looked poised and really had a nice zip on the ball. He showed nice accuracy. Colt Brennan seemed to be a bit up and down today. He had some great deep balls, but there were a couple of passes that were thrown outside the numbers that were not on target.

- Chris Williams, the offensive tackle from Vanderbilt, may have helped himself today more than anyone else here. He has raised his stock and could be nearing the 1st Round range. He was a player that has impressed me a lot today.

- Jeremy Thompson, the defensive end from Wake Forest is another player who seriously helped his stock today. Thompson was a bit of an unknown coming into the Senior Bowl, but he quickly made up for that as he, along with Chris Williams, were among the top players that raised their stock today. I was very impressed with Thompson.

- There were five other defensive lineman that all had nice practices today: Wallace Gilberry, DE, Alabama; Titus Brown, DE, Mississippi State; Dre Moore, DT, Maryland; Andre Fluellen, DT, Florida State; Darrell Robertson, DE, Georgia Tech. Both Gilberry and Brown showed nice quickness while Moore's strength was extremely impressive. Fluellen has a very good bull rush move that worked very well today. Robertson looks like a defensive end prospect that you'd take on the first day. - Pittsburgh's Mike McGlynn struggled at first, but got better as the day went on. Texas A&M's Cody Wallace struggled while Bowling Green's Kory Lichtensteiger was up and down, but ended the day on a good note.

- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was really impressive. He had one interception that was unbelievable as he jumped up backwards and made the catch before falling to the ground. There's a reason he's here this week and he's showing everyone why.

- Both Leodis McKelvin of Troy and Patrick Lee of Auburn had solid days and have quietly had their draft stock rise.

- Donnie Avery had a real nice day. He was running great routes, catching the ball well, and he even looked good as a blocker downfield.

- Wake Forest center Steve Justice, in my eyes, solidified himself as the top center prospect available this year. Overall, I was impressed with his work today.

- Early Doucet looked like a 1st Round wide receiver as he did everything right today. The LSU star was catching the ball well and was even returning some kicks.

I really like Justice as a 2nd round pick for us. He might not be there and certainly won't last into the 3rd.

Man boobs and all Moore still seems to be playing well and this Rodgers-Cromartie seems to really be rising up some boards.

ksl66

January 23rd, 2008, 12:35:05 AM

• It's a position that doesn't get a lot of attention but Indiana long-snapper Tim Bugg has been very accurate and is definitely a draftable prospect.

With ten picks so far and possibly an eleventh coming as a compensatory pick, I would think that Bobby April may have enough pull to get DJ and Modrak to pull the trigger on this kid, I just can't see Ryan Neil being back after those two snaps.

FknGvna

January 23rd, 2008, 3:07:30 AM

- Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was really impressive. He had one interception that was unbelievable as he jumped up backwards and made the catch before falling to the ground. There's a reason he's here this week and he's showing everyone why.

That's my boy.

FknGvna

January 23rd, 2008, 3:28:23 AM

South practice; Tuesday afternoon…
By Colin Lindsay, GBN Editor and Publisher

Finally felt just a tad overdressed as the sun came out once in a while, the winds died away and the temperatures finally got above whatever is freezing down in this part of the world. (Still, there hasn’t been a hint of a snowflake since we got here!). Whether it was the fact that the wind was down, the South QBs threw the ball much better this afternoon. In fact, Andre’ Woodson appears to have separated himself from at least the other South passers; Woodson has a very compact, economical release, however, he still appears to be more of a touch passer than a cannon and in fact, really doesn’t put all that much mustard on his passes. Perhaps as a result, he seems to have an inordinate number of passes that are just a tad behind the intended receiver. Meanwhile, Hawaii QB Col Brennan gets plenty of zip on his passes but has a really unorthodox delivery. Indeed, whereas most passers start their release from a cocked position somewhere behind their ear, Brennan literally shoots from the hip with his release starting down around his waist. As such when his mechanics are on Brennan throws darts, but when they are off the ball sails.

Florida WR Andre Caldwell stills appears to be the top receiver on the South team but Donnie Avery may be giving him a run for his money. Avery hauled in one deep pattern that would have gone for a long TD and then made a couple of catches in traffic in 11-on-11 play. Avery though did muff a hand-off on a reverse failing to hook with Tennesse QB Erik Ainge. On the other hand, Louisville WR Harry Douglas continued to struggle to get open and again dropped too many passes. Texas WR Limas Sweed also dropped a couple of passes however the big former Longhorn at least has an excuse. Sweed just had the cast removed from his wrist last week after undergoing surgery to repair several partially torn ligaments earlier this season. in his left wrist. In fact, doctors reportedly told Sweed not to play in the Senior Bowl, however, he decided to participate even though he hasn‘t taken part in live drills for weeks and still doesn't have full range of motion and is wearing a brace.

For the most part Tuesday afternoon we concentrated on the offensive and defensive lines. And for the most part, especially in the live 11-on-11 scrimmage, the defensive front dominated their offensive counterparts. With the full offense running a handful of plays against the full defense, DEs Jeremy Thompson of Wake Forest and Darrell Robertson of Georgia Tech and Maryland DT Dre Moore had the equivalent of sacks, while Kentucky OLB Wesley Woodyard did a nice job stretching out a wide running play for little or no gain. In fact, Tech’s Robertson has quietly emerged as one of the South’s better defenders. Robertson is a rangy defender with a quick first step and a nice swim move who was also given a few reps at OLB this afternoon. Wake’s Thompson also has made his share of plays, however, if he doesn’t beat his man with his first move will often not get off the line of scrimmage at all. On the other hand, Alabama DE Wallace Gilberry didn’t show much in the way of explosion or upper body strength and often got little penetration, although he was able to run around Newberry OT Heath Benedict with relative ease on one rush. Benedict, though, had more success against Hampton DE Kendall Langford in a dual of smaller-school stars, when he was able to muscle the former Pirate to the ground. At the same time, though, pro scouts had to be a little disappointed with what they saw from Texas A&M DT Red Bryant. Bryant worked hard, but for the most part, was a straight ahead bull-rusher who tended to get too high too early and really struggled to make a whole lot of consistent penetration up field. Same for Maryland’s Moore who is big, but doesn’t show much quickness or lateral agility.

As noted it was a very inconsistent afternoon for the South offensive lineman. The main problem seems to be that while the O-line has plenty of size there isn’t a lot of foot speed or quickness out there. One clue about the line‘s troubles is that even with better known prospects on the roster like Vanderbilt’s Chris Williams, Barry Richardson of Clemson and the afore-mentioned Benedict, the nominal first-tem LT for the South appears to be little-known Oneil Cousins of UTEP. And Cousins, a one-time defensive lineman, did show some of the best foot quickness among the South’s offensive linemen; he also has long arms but doesn’t always get the necessary extension to cut-off a quick outside pass rush and needs to work on his change of direction skills. Meanwhile, Vandy’s Williams had an up-and-down day winning some battles, but losing a few too many others, again especially when trying to stay to the outside with a quick edge rush. Clemson’ Richardson on the other hand really struggled. No question, the 331-pounder is huge with a massive lower body, but he really couldn’t move his feet and may have to find a home at OG or C to play at the next level. Texas A&M C Cody Wallace also continued to be badly overmatched as he was seldom able to hold the point of attack against bull rushers or stay with even rudimentary moves. In fact, a case could be made that Wake Forest C Steve Justice was the South’s most consistent lineman at least this afternoon. While not as big as most of his linemates, the 290-pound Justice consistently got good position and leverage and was able to stay between his man and the ball without conceding much penetration. Pitt C/G Mike McGlynn also had a decent afternoon; McGlynn wasn’t all that artistic but he’s a battler with good technique.

This and that… The ’mismatch’ of the day had to go to the aptly named Kentucky RB Rafael Little when the 194-pounder, who somehow ended up as the wedge-buster on the KO team, collided with 321-pound OT Heath Benedict who was anchoring the wedge. It was a lumpy day all-around for Little, who actually has shown some explosive quickness in Mobile, as he got pasted by South Florida LB Ben Moffitt in a pass-rush drill… After being scolded several times by 49ers’ coaches during Monday’s initial workout, Georgia Tech MLB Phillip Wheeler was around the ball all afternoon and showed some emotional leadership while he was at it… The play of the day though came from Tennessee State DB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie who made an acrobatic, leaping interception… Mississippi State DE/LB Titus Brown has worked at both positions this week and looks far more comfortable coming off the edge than he does playing in reverse… North DT Kentwan Balmer of North Carolina, who had a strong practice on Monday, strained a hamstring and will not participate the remainder of the week. Balmer will be replaced by Iowa State DT Ahtyba Rubin, who played well at last week's Shrine Game… The early reports on UNLV LB Beau Bell, who went down in a heap with a knee injury in the morning practice, may be positive; a final diagnosis won’t be known until Bell gets the results of the MRI he underwent this afternoon, but the early indications are that it is only a sprain, although like Balmer he won’t play again this week.

North practice; Tuesday morning…
By Colin Lindsay, GBN Editor and Publisher

Former Southern Cal assistant Lane Kiffin, now the head man at Oakland, put the North Senior Bowl team, including 9 other former Trojans through a brisk workout this morning. The offense was pretty conservative today without too many throws downfield, but the early returns suggest the North QBs - Chad Henne of Mchigan, USC’s John David Booty and Joe Flacco of Delaware - may have a slight edge over their South counterparts. Like the three South QBs, the North QBs struggle with accuracy issues, but generally showed stronger arms. Flacco, who replaced Boston College’s Matt Ryan on the North team may have the most upside of any of this year’s Senior Bowl passers. Flacco is a big guy with a very strong arm who can make all the throws. Flacco also has surprising mobility for a 6-5, 230-plus pounder. This morning, for example, he pulled the ball down and was 15-20 yards up field before he was ‘touched’ down.

Arguably the most talented group in Mobile this year may be the North LB corps which include first round prospects Keith Rivers of USC, Dan Connor of Penn State, and Xavier of Virginia Tech, along with Shawn Crable of Michigan, Jordon Dizon of Colorado, Beau Bell of UNLV and converted UCLA DE Bruce Davis. Indeed, one can just see the competitive juices flowing even when the players are going through simple positional drills. There are also some interesting differences in the players’ respective skill sets. Rivers, for example, is a rangy type who runs very well and is very smooth changing directions. Same story for Connor who has great feet, although he actually looks a little on the small side; indeed, Connor, who isn’t particularly thick through the lower body, almost looks more like a big safety than a LB. In a pass-rush drill Connor just danced around a couple of would-be blockers including West Virginia FB Owen Schmitt who is still trying to figure out which direction he went. Same for Va Tech’s Adibi who was just too quick for the North backs to block. Dizon is also a tad on the small side, but is thicker through his lower body; Dizon also runs and turns extremely well. On the other hand, neither Bell nor Crable is particularly smooth in transition. Bell, though, was very physical and aggressive in pursuit. Same for Crable, although he did badly overrun one play in the 11-on-11 work, and looked stiff at times in space. Unfortunately, though, Bell went down with an apparent knee injury late in the practice and while he was able to walk off the field on his own, the training staff was obviously concerned.

Meanwhile, Southern Cal DT Sedrick Ellis continued to give the North offensive line fits. Ellis isn’t particularly tall, but he just explodes off the snap, keeps his pads low, his feet moving and goes hard to the whistle. Same story for Notre Dame DT Trevor Laws who is built along the same lines as Ellis and goes as hard, but isn’t as quick or explosive. On the other hand, NC State DT Demario Pressley struggled to make much headway in one-on-one drills with the offensive line. Several of the North DEs also struggled in the pass-rush drill. USC DE Lawrence Jackson, for example, appeared to get a good jump off the snap but was seldom able to turn the corner. Same for Eastern Michigan DE Jason Jones, who certainly looks the part and appears to have a decent first-step, but needs work on his secondary moves; Jones may also need to work on his upper body strength. In contrast, Chris Ellis of Virginia Tech, another rangy DE with a solid lower body who looks good in pads, showed good explosion off the snap and used his arms well to disengage. At the same time, Cliff Avril of Purdue was able to run around his man on a couple of plays, but wasn’t able to make penetration if he didn’t beat his man on his first step.

USC OT Sam Baker may be the biggest name. but Boston College OT Gosder Cherilus was the most dominating North OT this morning. Cherilus moves his feet well, sets up efficiently and simply engulfed pass rushers with his upper body strength. Cherilus, though, still needs to concentrate on keeping his pads low. Baker also had his moments shutting down several outside pass rushers. Baker, though, also shut down his feet a couple of times and was run around. In fact, Baker’s teammate OG Drew Radovich had the more consistent morning; Radovich did a nice job locking onto opposing pass rushers and keeping his feet alive. It was a solid morning all around for the North offensive line as OTs Kirk Barton of Ohio State and Nebraska’s Carl Nicks were physically dominating, although neither appeared to be overly quick or athletic. OGs Roy Schuening of Oregon State and Chad Rinehart of Northern Iowa were also solid as was Arizona State C Mike Pollak.

Today’s North practice didn’t really emphasize the pass, but receivers Adarius Bowman of Oklahoma State and Jordy Nelson of Kansas State had bounce back performances of sort this morning although neither caught anything downfield. The most dangerous North eceiver though was Eddie Royal of Virginia Tech who left both CBs Terrell Thomas of USC and Boston College’s DeJuan Tribble in his wake on successive go-routes. Thomas in fact appeared to be chasing the ball most of the morning as did Terrence Wheatley of Colorado. Indiana C Tracy Porter, on the other hand, may have been the top defensive player of the day, Porter had an interception in a 7-on-7 drill and otherwise was pretty tight in coverage and then made a great read to stuff a screen pass. Chris Godfey of Iowa also very physical in coverage. Safety Thomas DeCoud of California also had a solid workout. http://www.gbnreport.com/seniorbowlreport.htm

FknGvna

January 23rd, 2008, 3:41:06 AM

Senior Bowl Day Two Recap
By: Roshan Bhagat

Racing Receivers Rising; Bigger Bowman Breaking.

First, Virginia Tech’s Eddie Royal looked impressive. He’s run great routes and has been an impossible cover for all of the defensive backs. He’s had hands of glue and has great speed for the next level. California’s Lavelle Hawkins has been nothing but spectacular as well. He runs great routes and is a reliable target. Both Royal and Hawkins could both be taken as early as the second round pending a great Combine.

On the South team, Harry Douglas, Louisville, and Donnie Avery, Houston, stepped up. Both are sub six foot guys who use deceptive speed to get open. Douglas made several tough receptions in tight coverage. Avery looks like one of the players who will climb up draft board when the timing begins because he has game-breaking speed. He can run past the fastest of defensive backs at the Senior Bowl and has been doing just that.

On the other hand, Adarius Bowman has been plagued by drops and hasn’t come close to looking like a day one selection. His only hopes are that scouts don’t weigh too heavily on this week and emphasize his college career. "Bowman has dropped more passes than he's caught the past two days. His route-running skills also leave a lot to be desired.”

Wait, there’s more.

Hype around in Mobile, Alabama is growing large for Texas receiver Limas Sweed. He had a season ending wrist surgery early in the year, but has padded up this week. He’s made a couple spectacular catches despite still sporting a wrist brace. However, some of the scouts are a little weary of his ability to separate at the next level.

The best receiver on the day, however, was LSU’s Early Doucet. Remember the strides LSU’s Dwayne Bowe made in the Senior Bowl last year and look at how successful his rookie campaign has been. Doucet has a good build, displayed some great route running, and an ability to make things happen after the catch. It’s tough to gauge where he’ll go in a very deep wide receiver class where every spot from 1-15 are up for grabs, but you can bet he’ll be gone by the middle of the second. Andre Caldwell, Florida, also had a good day for the South team with his ability to pluck balls out of the air.

Defensive tackles shine on center stage.

Texas A&M’s Red Bryant, Maryland’s Dre Moore, and Florida State’s Andre Fluellen all had solid days of practice. Bryant had that special strength and push you look for from a nose tackle. “[Dre Moore] displayed great explosion off the snap and was unblockable for most of the day. Moore also went hard for most of practice, something he's not known for.” Both are considered round two prospects thus far. Andre Fluellen didn’t have quite the season as expected, but showed his “lightning quick” release off the snap. He’s considered to be a third-forth rounder currently.

While Kentwan Balmer, defensive tackle for North Carolina, has risen into the middle of the first round, he suffered an injury to his hamstring and was replaced by Ahtyba Rubin, Iowa State, who had been very impressive in the Shrine Bowl last week. Rubin has worked his way into the 3rd round or so, giving this already deep tackle class even more depth.

Lone Mountaineer unhappy at the Senior Bowl

While Owen Schmitt had an outstanding season and career with West Virginia, the hard-nosed fullback can’t say the same about his practice this week. “He says his performance so far is ‘average’.” Apparently scouts don’t feel the same way as him. He’s having a great week displaying all of his abilities. His comments just go to show how down to earth he is and how much respect he has for the game. Schmitt should be the second fullback off the board after Peyton Hillis of Arkansas.

Injuries damage prospects’ chances of shining

A minor injury has forced Tavares Gooden to back out of the competition. He had plenty to prove coming from a season in which the Hurricanes disappointed yet again. Georgia Tech’s Gary Guyton will replace him on the South Roster.

LSU wideout Early Doucet and UNLV linebacker Beau Bell have also suffered injuries that question their status for the rest of the week. Both prospects came into the Senior Bowl with plenty to prove, so we’ll keep an eye out on whether or not they’ll be able to go the distance.

Newberry prospect not living up to billing.

Heath Benedict hasn’t looked impressive at guard or tackle. At tackle he’s been beaten routinely by speed rushers due to poor footwork and hasn’t been able to manhandle defenders at guard. He can handle the bull rush well and can be a good run blocker at tackle, but needs more help in pass protection. Benedict was one of the sleepers coming into the draft, but is now looking more ordinary by the day.

Random Thoughts: From Our Forums

Feel free to discuss any of the players from the Senior Bowl on our boards. Hear how the public eye weighs in on the Senior Bowl:

“Not only did [DeJuan Tribble] measure in smaller than listed, he played terrible. Tribble seems to be working his way out of that late 1st to early 2nd round range to about the 4th round at this point.” – trainmap

“A guy that has shocked me for the worse has been Adarius Bowman. The man is dropping everything, and just doesn't looked polished out there. He did a good job of beating the press a couple times, but strangely he keeps cutting it short when he has separation. Maybe he's sick with "drop-itis". -Jetsalltheway39

“A guy to keep an eye on that will continue rising up boards through combine and workouts is Carl Nicks, from Nebraska. He played very good today, and is a physical specimen at the position. One play, he just knocked Chris Ellis to the ground. Can he be a late first rounder when it's all said and done? -Jetsalltheway39

“Chris Williams from Vanderbilt is showing some great feet.” –jargin

“Jeremy Thompson DE Wake Forest has really impressed me he has looked great any one else agree.” –red_skins5

“Leodis McKelvin - Cornerback – Troy. Man from the small school showed he can hang with the big boys. He flashed great explosion towards the ball, quickness, speed, and acceleration. In addition, he seems like a lock down corner, and does an incredible job changing directions and turning his hips. Will he be the number one cornerback by week's end?” –Jetsalltheway39
http://www.footballsfuture.com/2008/seniorbowl2.html

LotteryPick

January 23rd, 2008, 10:07:28 AM

shouldn't Schmitt be the one who is laying hits on people, he is a FB.

I heard it was Jamar Adams who hit Schmitt. KNocked his helmet off.

The Chosen

January 23rd, 2008, 11:07:18 AM

It's good to see Dre Moore bounce back after a so so day 1. He is going to have to give it his all the rest of the week to maintain a late 1st or early second round status.

FknGvna

January 23rd, 2008, 12:15:59 PM

Man boobs should fire any man up. Look at Gregg Williams.

FknGvna

January 23rd, 2008, 1:47:13 PM

• LSU CB Chevis Jackson does not possess good top-end speed and likely will need to play in a Cover 2 heavy scheme in the NFL. However, it has not taken long to realize he's the most naturally instinctive cover corner on the South roster. He has an uncanny knack for reading quarterbacks' eyes, as well as anticipating receivers' breaks.

please drop.

wpod

January 23rd, 2008, 2:04:42 PM

With ten picks so far and possibly an eleventh coming as a compensatory pick, I would think that Bobby April may have enough pull to get DJ and Modrak to pull the trigger on this kid, I just can't see Ryan Neil being back after those two snaps.

Texas standout DT Derek Lokey is also a good long snapper, as well as being a good short yardage FB. He is the guy I'd look for in a late round (i.e., 6th or 7th round) pick. Replace Neil - yes. This roster having room for a luxury pick like a pure LS - no.

wpod

January 23rd, 2008, 2:09:53 PM

It's good to see Dre Moore bounce back after a so so day 1. He is going to have to give it his all the rest of the week to maintain a late 1st or early second round status.

I'd rather take Pat Sims anyway.

FknGvna

January 23rd, 2008, 2:50:02 PM

I check sites all the time and he only got props from ESPN, ESPN.

LotteryPick

January 23rd, 2008, 2:55:15 PM

I check sites all the time and he only got props from ESPN, ESPN.

Who?

admarc

January 23rd, 2008, 2:57:42 PM

http://www.gbnreport.com/seniorbowlreport.htm
<CENTER></CENTER><CENTER>2008 SENIOR BOWL REPORTS</CENTER>

North practice; Wednesday morning…
By Colin Lindsay, GBN Editor and Publisher

Southern Who??? With 9 former Trojans in town, the North team practices at this week’s Senior Bowl were supposed to have been a showcase for Southern California, however, somebody forgot to tell their poor cousins from up north at California. Indeed, Wednesday morning’s North practice might just as well have been called ’The Lavelle Hawkins Show!’ WR Hawkins, who often had to play second fiddle to star junior WR DeSean Jackson with the Golden Bears, caught everything in sight this morning including tough receptions in traffic over the middle as well as several highlight reel deeper routes including a stop-and-go on which he blew past USC CB Terrell Thomas for an easy score.

Indeed, the one-on-one battle between Hawkins and Indiana CB Tracy Porter was maybe the best of the week so far. Porter actually had pretty good coverage much of the time, but was slow at times to pick up the ball when it was in the air. Porter, though, has shown all week that he can run with just about any receiver when lined up in press coverage. Porter, though, appears to be less comfortable in zone where he doesn’t break on the ball quite as crisply. And speaking of one-on-one battles, Porter has also been involved win a real contest with Iowa CB Chris Godfrey to be the top North corner. Porter is a little faster and quicker, while Godfrey, who is also very fluid, is a little more physical and breaks more aggressively on the ball. Both Porter and Godfrey, though, appear to be a step or two ahead of the other North CBs, although Terrence Wheatley of Colorado had a couple of nice moments today as did DeJuan Tribble of Boston College. Both of the latter two, though were often a step slow coming out of breaks most of the week and ended up chasing a lot of plays on which they didn‘t always show that next level recovery speed.

And speaking of California, we haven’t focused much on the RBs this week, but the Bears’ Justin Forsett had a solid practice this morning. Forsett isn’t all that big at barely 190 pounds, but he is very quick and put together a number of nice runs this morning as defenders had trouble finding him in the traffic. Forsett even ran out of one of his shoes on one burst! Forsett also caught the all well and even put his hat in the game blocking for the passer, although that likely will never be a strength of his game. West Virginia FB Owen Schmitt, on the other hand, did a nice job in a blitz pick-up drill when he cut off USC’s Keith Rivers and then Penn State’s Dan Connor on successive blitzes.
As noted, the North was supposed to have been a coming out party of sorts for Southern California, but truth be told we haven’t exactly been overwhelmed by many of the former Trojans in Mobile. DT Sedrick Ellis has been as advertised, that is, a dominating interior presence with quickness, explosion and a non-stop motor. OG Drew Radovich has also been very consistent, however, few of the other USC stars have really stood out. OT Sam Baker, for example, has drawn praise from some quarters, but we just didn’t see it consistently. Baker can be very effective when he keeps his feet moving in pass protection, but too often this week, he planted too soon and ended up trying to push his man from behind rather than cutting him off. We were also hoping to see more from star LB Keith Rivers. Rivers has been a force when attacking plays straight on, but hasn’t shown the expected lateral quickness and instincts; he also appears a little stiff at times. Meanwhile, DE Lawrence Jackson had more success today than yesterday when he struggled to get off the line of scrimmage, but still hasn’t shown the strength and explosion of an elite pass rusher. CB Terrell Thomas also struggled at times in man coverage and may have the worst ball skills of any DB in Mobile. And there was more of the same from QB John David Booty, TE Fred Davis and RB Chauncey Washington, none of whom did anything to really stand out. Booty, for example, has shown some touch, but lacks the arm strength of both fellow QBs Chad Henne of Michigan and Delaware’s Joe Flacco.

This and that… This morning’s irrelevant bit of trivia is that two of the three North QBs - Chad Henne of Michigan and Joe Flacco of Delaware - had the same helmet design as Delaware sports the same odd flying whatever as the Wolverines. And while the buzz around Mobile was that Henne had separated himself from the other QBs here, we sill like Flacco’s potential; he‘s tall, mobile and has what appears to be exceptional arm strength…

Nice comeback days today for Big XII receivers Adarius Bowman of Oklahoma State and Kansas State’s Jordy Nelson, both of whom made a number of solid receptions in traffic although neither got open deep. Indeed, scouts had to have expected far more this week from Bowman who came to Mobile fighting for perhaps the #1 ranking among this year’s WR class… While EMU DE Jason Jones played DE in the regular sets, the North coaches had the 6-5, 272-pounder who played DT in college, work some with the OLBs where he didn’t look totally out of place. And back in the regular sets Jones had a more than solid morning as he blew up field on a number of rushes. Jones has a long first stride and an improving swim move and arm strength. Jones, in fact, gave Ohio State OT Kirk Barton fits all practice long.. While SC’s Sedrick Ellis has been a dominant force on the inside of the North defensive front, fellow fire hydrant Trevor Laws of Notre Dame has also quietly put together a nice week. In today’s 11-on-11 sets, Laws had what would have been a tackle for loss and a sack on successive plays on which he beat Oregon State OG Roy Schuening. In fact, it was a bad day all around for Schuening who was also overmatched against USC’s Ellis in a pass rush drill. For the most part, though, the North offensive line may have had the edge on the defensive front this morning. Arizona State C Mike Pollak continues to be one of the most consistent blockers in Mobile; Pollak isn’t necessarily all that big at just a tad under 300 pounds, but he has very active feet and great balance. Boston College’s Gosder Cherilus also had a solid morning shutting down the outside pass rush. He had one noteworthy exchange on which he ended up literally throwing Purdue DE Cliff Avril before the two almost came to blows. We also suspect that it was the massive Cherilus who was blocking out the sun in Mobile this morning! Northern Iowa OG Chad Rinehart also had a solid practice showing good technique and functional strength.

FknGvna

January 23rd, 2008, 3:00:10 PM

Damn, wrong thread, Red Bryant. Maybe if I see him on film. I'd sway my judgement, but as of now, he's like 5th.

Dorsey, Ellis, Balmer, Pressley, Okam, Sims, Fluellen, Bryant?

LotteryPick

January 23rd, 2008, 3:00:42 PM

newest update from draftheadquarters.com

First-hand account of January 23rd morning practice

Sedrick Ellis continues to impress. He is the top player on the field down here and is a lock for a Top 15 selection.

- North Carolina defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer injured his hamstring and was also sent home.

- Chad Henne is raising his draft stock more than anyone so far this week. He's shown a very strong arm, had great accuracy, and showed to me that he is capable of throwing the ball on the run. I wouldn't be shocked if he snuck into the 2nd Round come April.

- Joe Flacco has been another quarterback that has looked good. He had a great throw on the run today while showing good mobility.

- Both Eastern Michigan's Jason Jones and Notre Dame's Tom Zbikowski were playing some linebacker. Zbikowski was very impressive, while Jones seems like he still has some learning of the position to do. When moved back to defensive end for the line drills, Jones had a sick swim move over Ohio State's Kirk Barton.

- Owen Schmitt continues to impress me as a receiver out of the backfield. He's showed great hands and is not afraid to run someone over.

- Purdue wide receiver Dorien Bryant looked pretty good today. He was running some really nice routes and has quietly had a good week so far.

- Both Terrell Thomas and Terrence Wheatley seemed to struggle today. Wheatley made a few nice plays towards the end of practice, but overall they both under performed.

- Trevor Laws, defensive tackle from Notre Dame, looked great today. He has a great jump off the ball, a low center of gravity, and gets good leverage. He made some nice plays today and overall has had a nice week of practice.

- Purdue's Cliff Avril continues to have a great week. He's showed great speed and agility at defensive end and also showed some surprising strength when he took Gosder Cherilus head on and bull-rushed him. He's certainly raised his stock this week.

- Adarius Bowman improved today. He didn't drop as many balls as in previous days and he also showed how he is nice redzone target when he went up in the endzone and came down with the ball.

If Avril took on Godser that is something to be said, since people are saying he is the best OT at the Senior Bowl.

Zbikowski becomes a really intriguing prospect if he can play LB. We know he can hit and is very athletic. If he shows he can play LB, he might be worth a mid-round pick.

Laws has consistently been mentioned for good practice. Intriguing prospect.

Buffalo1

January 23rd, 2008, 3:02:11 PM

I heard it was Jamar Adams who hit Schmitt. KNocked his helmet off.

yeah it was

FknGvna

January 23rd, 2008, 3:02:21 PM

FknGvna

January 23rd, 2008, 3:06:00 PM

Laws could be a Kyle Williams.

LotteryPick

January 23rd, 2008, 3:11:39 PM

I've had enough Kyle Williams. I want a fat, space-eating to gobble down blockers.

treydawg

January 23rd, 2008, 3:21:21 PM

I love how one report calls Keith Rivers the most complete LBer in the draft and the next says they need to see something from him. Do these people even know football?

admarc

January 23rd, 2008, 3:23:43 PM

Glad to hear Bowman finally started to turn things around today. He really seemed lost the first 2 days but hopefully he can finish up strong.

Also nice to read in ESPN Insider (btw, please do not post articles from pay sites) that Dre Moore looked good yesterday. I wonder how much of the negative comments from the other sites were based on him failing the eyeball test at the weigh in. The thing about his weigh in is he came in around, if not under his listed playing weight, so it may just be he has never really hit the weight room. In a way its kind of impressive he performed at such a high level without a regimented weight training program. Imagine what he can do when he gets in a NFL training program. I never heard a knock on him before this week that he wasn't a hard worker so we'll see how he does leading up to the draft.

Interesting GBN had the first negative comments I have heard about Rivers today. I think you really have to take these blurbs from on-line scouts with a grain of salt. I see one comment tends to get picked up from one site to another and spread like wild fire. Then at other times you read two different reports from different sites and they have complete opposite reads on things. Glad I am tivo'ing all the workouts so I can see what they show on the NFL network for myself.

Mouldsie

January 23rd, 2008, 3:40:28 PM

know you has an ugly body? pat williams

treydawg

January 23rd, 2008, 3:49:21 PM

admarc

January 23rd, 2008, 4:49:25 PM

Yeah, I'm anxious to hear what you think. I miss having NFL Network for this week. I'm planning a late night watching yesterday and today's practices.

BTW, I was just reading the Sporting News War Room report of yesterday's practice and they also said Moore had a good day.They said he's a big athletic tackle who demonstrated quickness and power getting off ball. He jolted linemen backwards with a strong punch. He showed agility when he beat opponents with a quick "club and go" move over their outside shoulder.

On the flip side, they also said Cody Wallace struggled to anchor vs the bigger bull rushers and got pushed back.

nukedawg

January 23rd, 2008, 5:12:20 PM

Adarius Bowman improved today. He didn't drop as many balls as in previous days and he also showed how he is nice redzone target when he went up in the endzone and came down with the ball.

I know it's been a tough week for him. But, a "nice redzone target". Isn't that high on our list. I'd love to have a Chris "all he does is catch touchdowns" Carter!

FknGvna

January 23rd, 2008, 5:31:27 PM

It's funny how Connor is the No. 1 LB according to the scroll bar on the bottom the the TV.

I'm home and these guys are having a Dexter Jackson WR love fest.

that Moore-Wallace matchup was ugly.

Moore has solidified his stock with two good rushes.

coastal

January 23rd, 2008, 5:53:08 PM

Senior Bowl - Tuesday North Practice
Scott Wright
President, NFL Draft Countdown

• Iowa cornerback Charles Godfrey had another nice day in coverage, even drawing praise from Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan for his efforts in 7-on-7's.

• Michigan's Shawn Crable delivered a big hit on Owen Schmitt today.

2nd round and 3rd round.

FknGvna

January 23rd, 2008, 6:04:11 PM

Poor Schmitt.

FknGvna

January 23rd, 2008, 6:15:56 PM

Sleeper DT added to Senior Bowl roster
Today

Posted By: Chris Brown | Time: 1:41 PM ET | Link
SLEEPER DT ADDED TO SENIOR BOWL ROSTER: Iowa State's Ahtyba Rubin was added to the Senior Bowl's South team roster. Rubin is a run stuffing nose tackle who was a JUCO transfer to Iowa State. The 6'3" 320-pound Rubin (Ru-been) is shaped like a refrigerator, but can move pretty well laterally. The guy has strong hands. The knock on him is his endurance, but I'd like to think with a good conditioning program that problem could be solved. I'm glad he's in this game now after I missed him in the East-West Shrine game. Some NFL scouting experts have him as a 4th or 5th round prospect. ---

he did look agile. Someone to look out for.

Merk

January 23rd, 2008, 8:48:56 PM

D.Tribble is getting abused left and right from what I'm seeing

Doucet looks good

admarc

January 23rd, 2008, 10:31:04 PM

Here's some notes as I watch the North practice:

Bowman looks much smoother today than he has all week making nice cuts and catch balls in his hands. He was able to get separation with some nice cuts. Hr did a nice job going up for the ball in the red zone drills.

Flacco throws the best ball of the QB's in Mobil. The ball flies off his hand with nice rotation. He needs to work on his footwork while under center. He looks sloppy, even lazy dropping back and setting, but he still flings it nicely.

Henne continues to look solid showing a real live arm and good footwork in his drops. He struggles when throwing on the run.

Ellis continued to give Cherilus headaches. He is simply to quick for the big guy to block. If Ellis could play against him every week he'd be a top 10 pick.

Booty doesn't have the arm of Henne and Flacco but he is smooth in his footwork and is probably the most accurate.

Bryan Mattison came in to replace Balmer. Didn't see much of him but Mayock said he is a high character /effort guy.

I like what I see from Sullivan today. He did a good job dropping his hips and geting good leverage. He also did a nice job getting to the second level. On one series he popped out to seal off Connor to spring a big run up the middle. He did a nice job on Ellis during the red zone drills.

Fred Davis looked good today. Caught a TD vs Connor in the redzone and a pass while covered tightly by Dizon.

Ellis just blew by Scheuning in one on ones. He didn'y even get a hand on him.

They didn't show too much of the LBs but Rivers, Dizon, Adibi and Connor all showed good technique and quickness in zone technique drills. Dizon is really impressing me this week with his quickness and footwork. He also has a little nastiness and doesn't miss a tackle. I definitely want to see more of him.

Tribble is a mess.

Jordy looked good today. He isn't as explosive as some of the others but he still managed to get some separation.

Notre Dames Trevor Laws may have had the most impressive day for the North today. He was extremely disruptive in team drills and the one on ones. The guy looks like an animal.

gilchristfan

January 23rd, 2008, 11:14:47 PM

rivals.com has a few of the practice videos up.

http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=1144&CID=761620

BTW, funniest quote of the week goes to Adarius Bowman

"It's just been a big transition for me from college to the pros," he said. "It's a quicker tempo. The biggest thing is it's just a faster pace. You have to be able to learn quickly and just adapt. I compare it a lot like the transition from high school to college; it will just take a little time."

http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=765092

Did I fall asleep and miss the draft or something? I thought he was playing in a college all star game.

FknGvna

January 23rd, 2008, 11:56:16 PM

I'm a Dre Moore fan...officially.

admarc

January 24th, 2008, 12:01:29 AM

Here's my notes for the South's Wed practice:

Martz worked with the QB's on their footwork. Good stuff that should really help Ainge and Brennen. Brennen needs work on his drops, Ainge needs to use his legs and hips more to get more zip on his throws. Ainge has real nice ball skills, Brennen doesn't.

Love watching Singletary with the backers. He was teaching them how to read a play based on the center and guards angle he takes to block the tackle. He got on Wheeler pretty good when he kept trying to attack without reading first.

McKelvin had did a nice job covering Caldwell in 1 on 1 coverage drills

Cromartie stayed in the hip pocket of Avery

Caldwell came back to burn one deep on the next pass.

Patrick Lee picked one while covering Douglas.

Avery and Dexter Jackson can fly

Pass Rush Drills:

Does a real nice job anchoring, but has short arms and doesn't look great in space.

A heavweight fight broke out between Red Bryant and Chris Williams. Bryant giot in some solid shots to Williams helmet that jolted him.

Dre Moore rag dolled Cody Wallace on consecutive bull rushes. Moore looks explosive and powerful. Wallace lost the leverage battle on the second and was completely blown up. He needs to sink his hips more but more troublesome is that he actually won the leverage battle on the first match up with Moore and he was still driven backwards. He is getting badly exposed here.

Man boobs or not Moore is overpowering everyone he faces. He's getting great leverage, gets off the ball quickly and drives with great energy. He does seem to have a great repertoire of pass rush moves, using a straight bull rush almost every time.

Rubin overpowered Justice.

Lichtensteiger seems to be the strongest of the South Centers, but also looks like the slowest.

Marcus Harrison looks quick showing a nice spin move. He looks like a 3 tech.

Team Drills:

Ainge is struggling and floating a lot of passes.

Wallace looked a little better in the team drills then he did in the 1 on 1's vs Moore.

Moore was getting doubled every time he was in. He was able to anchor and even pushed the pocket about vs teh double team.

Cottam is such a big target with nice soft hands and surprising speed. He might be the steal of the draft. Scored a TD on a slant across the middle from the 20.

Rubin was able to penetrate beating Justice inside.

FknGvna

January 24th, 2008, 12:19:52 AM

Lokey is an OX.

treydawg

January 24th, 2008, 9:05:28 AM

Is Singletary working with the South team?

imontoya

January 24th, 2008, 10:30:14 AM

according to nfldraftscout.com, Owen Schmitt and Beau Bell won't play Saturday. Both with knee injuries.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/profile.php?pyid=57414#news

Buffalo1

January 24th, 2008, 10:34:25 AM

damn, schmitt is getting knocked around in practice and now he is injured, not good for him.

LotteryPick

January 24th, 2008, 10:55:51 AM

damn, schmitt is getting knocked around in practice and now he is injured, not good for him.

Might get him down to the usually drafting spot for FBs. Around the 5th round. I think it showed that even good FBs can be limited in certain ways. The guys is a beast, but in the open field, LBs are gonna hit him hard sometimes. He's not invincible.

Still would love him on the team though.

LotteryPick

January 24th, 2008, 10:59:53 AM

Apparently Lane Kiffin was quoted as saying to the tune of: Shawn Crable is a good athlete that can do a number of things and Jordy Nelson has great hands, rarely drops any balls, and is a hard worker.

Mike Nolan also reported that Early Doucet had a hamstring injury and was going to try and play on Saturday if it was feeling alright. They brought in Dexter Jackson from Appalachian State for Limas Sweed who is done because of his wrist injury that knocked him out during the season. Nolan said Leodis McKelvin is athletic, but could stand to bulk up at the next level. He has nice abilites and has done a good job.

LotteryPick

January 24th, 2008, 11:01:54 AM

Day 3 Afternoon practice notes courtesy of draftheadquarters.com

Vanderbilt offensive tackle Chris Williams is on fire right now. His stock is soaring more than any other player down here. Based on what I've seen, there is no way that Williams is not a 1st Round pick, or a high 2nd Round pick at the latest. He has all of the tools to be a franchise left tackle at the next level.

- Wake Forest defensive end Jeremy Thompson continues to impress me. Before this week, I'd had Thompson as a likely 4th or maybe 5th Round pick. As of now, I'd be shocked to see him fall past the 3rd Round and I think that you could argue that he's good enough to be a 2nd Round pick.

- Wesley Woodyard, linebacker from Kentucky has been the most impressive among the South's linebackers. He did very well during individual drills. Woodyard is a reliable, consistent player that is a nice Mid-Round prospect.

- Colt Brennan seems to be still progressing to the drop back passing that he wasn't accustomed to at Hawaii. I think that as the week continues to progress, he should continue to get better.

The Chosen

January 24th, 2008, 11:53:03 AM

I'm a Dre Moore fan...officially.

Welcome aboard.

wpod

January 24th, 2008, 2:02:37 PM

Might get him down to the usually drafting spot for FBs. Around the 5th round. I think it showed that even good FBs can be limited in certain ways. The guys is a beast, but in the open field, LBs are gonna hit him hard sometimes. He's not invincible.

Still would love him on the team though.

Or it could be that he's a really good check down receiver coming out of the backfield and with the QBs unfamiliar with the WRs, he was getting more passes thrown to him than he should be and so has been taking more hits. If I'm right, the opposing LBs figured that out and probably started to key early on that possibility, so they could show quick reactions and get in a big hit. Anybody can get hit hard on or near the knee and suffer an injury.

As long as the injury doesn't require surgery, my guess is his draft stock, if anything, might have gone up. That said, if his injury isn't severe but his draft stock got knocked back to the 4th round, I wouldn't complain a bit.

ksl66

January 24th, 2008, 3:10:58 PM

From what I've heard of his progress throughout the week I am getting close to getting back on the Dre Moore bandwagon, but I can't shake the thought of man-boobs, maybe the boobs will cost him a round and he will be there for the 71 or 72 picks.

nukedawg

January 24th, 2008, 3:50:53 PM

Is Singletary working with the South team?

Yeah. He's funny to listen to. He refers to everyone either by # or college. He's favorite whipping boy is Gary Guyton. He'll say "52... you gotta do better then that 52"

nukedawg

January 24th, 2008, 4:02:04 PM

admarc

January 24th, 2008, 5:11:47 PM

Top 10 players in Mobile

1. Southern Cal DT Sedrick Ellis
2. California WR Lavelle Hawkins
3. Tennessee State DB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
<>4. Maryland DT Dre Moore
5. Indiana CB Tracy Porter
6. Florida WR Andre Caldwell
7. Troy CB Leodis McKelvin
8. Arizona State C Mike Pollak
9. Virginia Tech OLB Xavier Adinbi
10. Southern Cal OG Drew Radovich

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

and here is some more from GBN.

Honorable mentions: Houston WR Donnie Avery; Tennessee TE Brad Cottam. Califoria RB Justin Forsett; Notre Dame DT Trevor Laws; Virginia Tech WR Eddie Royal.

The good, the bad and the ugly... The 2008 draft is expected to be rich at both CB and WR and that really showed this week in Mobile. The CBs as a group in particular really showed well led by Tracy Porter of Indiana, Troy's Leodis McKelvin, Chris Godfrey of Iowa and Patrick Lee of Auburn, all of whom played very well. The most intriguing CB in Mobile though may have been unheralded Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie of Tennessee, who actually worked out at FS most of the week, but displayed the athleticism and instincts to be a solid shut down corner, although like a number of other of the top corners, including Porter, he needs to do a better job of finding and reacting to the ball when its in the air. At the same time, though, second-tier prospects like Terrence Wheatley of Colorado, DeJuan Tribble of Boston College, Simeon Castille of Alabama and Chevis Jackson appeared to lack either the pure foot speed or instincts to figure among the top-tier CBs, but did show enough potential to get long looks in the middle rounds this coming April.

The WRs weren't quite as solid this week as a number of them took a day or two to really get going but overall the group scored an above average grade. Forida WR Andre Caldwell, for example, was one of the South's best overall players at any position while Eddie Royal of Virginia Tech, Donnie Avery of Houston, late-arrival Dexter Jacskon of Appalachian State and Harry Douglas of Louisville showed plenty of speed and quickness along with good hands, although Douglas did struggle to catch the ball early on in the week. Jordy Nelson of K-State also fought off a case of the butterfingers early in the week to emerge as a decent underneath target, but lacks the quickness of the other top receivers. The big story at receiver though was the emergence of Cal's Lavelle Hawkins, who probably did more to enhance his draft status than any player in Mobile this week, as a legitinmate first-day prospect. Hawkins was simply uncoverable and caught everything in sight.

While Hawkins may have been one of the Senior Bowl's biggest surprises, Oklahoma State WR Adarius Bowman had to be one of the biggest disappointments. Bowman came to Mobile looking to solidify a first-round grade, if not the top overall rating at WR period, but struggled to get open all week, alhough he did make some underneath receptions. Same story for D.J. Hall of Alabama who seldom got open and dropped the ball the one time he did break free deep.
We didn't get a chance to spend a lot of time watching the TEs, but it was hard to miss Tennessee TE Brad Cottam who at 6-8, 270 was the biggest looking player out there. And Cottam played pretty big also, surprising people with his hands and his ability to get open over the middle, although he'll likely never be a big threat in the seam. Michigan State's Kellen Davis, a sometime DT in college who stuck to offense in Mobile, also made a couple of noteworthy catches, but we didn't see much from the other TEs

We also didn't spend much time studying the RBs as they only get a few touches per day in an all-star setting and the real value of a back only really starts to come into focus until after they've had 12-15 carries. As well, with junior RBs like Darren McFadden and Felix Jones of Arkansas, Rashard Mendenhall of Illinois, Oregon's Jonathan Stewart and Jamaal Charles expected to dominate the top of the position at the 2008 draft, the backs in Mobile were primarily second-tier types. That said, what we did see was some real quickness and explsoion from guys like Justin Forsett of California, Chris Johnson of East Carolina, the one senior who could ultimately figure in the mix of juniors leading the position, and Tashard Choice of Georgia Tech. At the same time, jack-of-all-trades FB types Owen Schmitt of West Virginia, Peyton Hillis of Arkansas and LSU's Jacob Hester showed pretty decent versaility in all three aspects of the FB position.

<>While CB and WR are expected to be deep positions at the 2008 draft, DT is not considered one of the stronger groups this year. Somebody forgot to tell the DTs in Mobile, though, who took turns abusing the interior offensive line. Certainly it was no surprise that USC DT Sedrick Ellis was dominant. Ellis was the highest rated player at any position in Mobile and he left little doubt that he is top 10 talent as he showed quickness and upfield explosion as well as a great motor. Meanwhile, Notre Dame's Trevor Laws appears to have a found a home inside. Laws, who played more of a DE with the Irish, in fact, looks a lot like Ellis in terms of size and plays the game just as hard, but lacks his Southern Cal counterparts overall athleticism. Speaking of playing hard, pro scouts had to be pleased with the effort they saw from Texas A&M DT Red Bryant who also went hard on every play. Bryant still needs to work hard to keep his pads down when bull-rushing, but showed some effective spin moves. For good measure, the often laid back Bryant even got in a couple of fights. Pro scouts also had to like what they saw from Maryland DT Dre Moore. Indeed, Moore who has outstanding physical tools but has been seen at times as something of an out-of-shape underachiever, was almost as dominant and USC's Ellis. Moore isn't very pretty, but is a 307-pound one-gap type DT with quickness who is tough to get out of the hole once he gets a step. Meanwhile, each of Marcus Harrison of Arkansas, Andre Fluellen of Florida State, NC State's Demario Pressley and North Carolina's Kentwan Balmer had his momemts and none did anuthing to hurt his draft status.

On the other hand, this year's Senior Bowl DEs lacked much in the way of star power or consistency. Tweener Darrell Robertson of Georgia Tech and Jeremy Thompson of Wake Forest both kept popping up and making plays, especially in full-srimmage sets, although neither really dominated in individual drills. Same for Virginia Tech's Chris Ellis who made some plays but probably not as many as scouts were expecting. Indeed, the most intriguing DE prospect in Mobile may have been Jason Jones of Eastern Michigan, a 270-pound college DT who really ran the gamut by getting some work at OLB this week where he didn't look totally out of place. While still very raw, Jones has a long first sride which gets him on top of opposing OTs very quickly, as well as an effective swim move although he's one of those players who is going to have to work at keeping his pads down. Meanwhile, neither of DEs Lawrence Jackson of USC nor Wallace Gilberry of Alabama demonstrated much real explosion off the line of scrimmage and got stood up too often for elite pass rushers, while tweeners Cliff Avril and Titus Brown simply got tossed around too much.

LB is another one of those positions that is hard to read in a short all-star game setting. What one saw in drills, for example, was a lot of quickness and athleticism from players like Xavier Adibi of Virginia Tech, Dan Connor of Penn State, Ali Highsmith of LSU and Jordon Dizon of Colorado. Connor, who came into Mobile as one of the top 5 or so rated players in the Senior Bowl , for one, moved extermely well, but also looked very slender - for a LB - in the lower body. On the other hand, 6-5 Shawn Crable of Michigan, as well as converted UCLA DE Bruce Davis, didn't show much in the way of agility, although they had some straight ahead speed and aggression. We were also somewhat underwhelmed by what we saw from Southern Cal OLB Keith Rivers who, like Connor came to Mobile as one the top rated players in the Senior Bowl field, and has a nice size/speed ratio, but disappointed with his instincts, agility and overall effort.

Arguably the most disappointing position at the 2008 draft were the offensive linemen. The offensive tackles were particularly inconsistent. USC's Sam Baker, for example, another one of the top 5 or so players in Mobile overall, would look all the part of a shut-down LT on one play when he glided around the pocket and got great arm extension, but then would get lazy feet on the next series and get beaten easily to the outside as he would end up frantically push his man from behind. Chris Williams of Vanderbilt, another top LT prospect, also didn't play badly, but also probably failed to push his grade into the late first round area. Williams certainly has the size as well as the feet to project as a LT prospect but had a tendency to play too high at times and couldn't get outside to cut-off a quick outside rush. Same story for Heath Benedict of little Newberry College. Like Williams, Benedict did get better as the weak progressed, but didn't show the overall athleticsm that one would like to see in a LT prospect. Meanwhile, huge Carl Nicks was solid enough at times, but looks more like a RT type.

The most consistent OTs this week may have been unheralded Oneil Cousins of UTEP and Gosder Cherilus of Boston College. Cousins isn't all that big or physical. but consistently moved his feet well and appeared to be the most technically solid of this year's LT prospects in Mobile. Meanwhile, Cherilus didn't necessarily move all that well but was simply able to engulf defenders when he locked on. On the other hand, Kirk Barton of Ohio State really struggled at times with the pace of the game at the Senior Bowl and was consistenlt beaten all week. </>
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Somewhat surprisingy, the most consistent offensive linemen were on the inside. Indeed, Arizona State C Mike Pollak was arguably the best lineman in Mobile this week. Pollak isn't huge at a pound under 300 pounds, but showed athletic feet and good strength and balance all week. Meanwhile, USC OG Drew Radovich may have outplayed his more heralded teammate Sam Baker much of the week. Radovich wasn't fancy, but did a nice job locking onto opposing pass rushers and keeping his feet alive. Same story for unheralded OG Chad Rinehart of Northern Iowa, who also was also technically very solid as was C Steve Justice of Wake Forest. </><>

To QB or not to QB... Playing in the all-star game format is always tough to evaluate QBs because they are working with unfamiliar receivers in an unfamiliar offense and seldom get enough reps to get into any kind of rhythm. And while this year's QBs were better than in some other recent years, overall scouts had to be a little disappointed with the group. That said, the QB with the most upside in Mobile apears to have been Joe Flacco of Delaware. Flacco, a one-time Pitt recruit, is a big guy with a very strong arm who can make all the throws, plus he has surprising mobility for a 6-5, 230-plus pounder. Michigan's Chad Henne also probably enhanced his draft status this week. Scouts would prefer that he were a little taller, however, Henne threw the ball with authority and showed good poise and leadership on the field.

On the other hand, both Andre Woodson of Kentucky and Hawaii gunslinger Colt Brennan had to leave NFL execs scratching their heads just a bit. Woodson, for example, still has the nice easy delivery, but doesn’t put much mustard on his throws with the result, in part, that few of his passes hit the receiver in stride; too often the target has to slow, stop, or otherwise reach behind him to pull the ball in. For his part, Brennan still had that odd throwing motion that came from his hip and caused too many of his passes to sail high or wide. Meanwhile, both Erik Ainge of Tennessee and USC's Jon David Booty threw the ball well enoug especially in the short and medium ranges, but still look to lack prototype arm strength.

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LotteryPick

January 24th, 2008, 5:32:55 PM

LotteryPick

January 24th, 2008, 5:36:31 PM

Final practice notes from draftheadquarters.com

Here's my thoughts from the North Team's practice:

- Michigan quarterback Chad Henne has had a near flawless week and may have helped himself more than anyone else on the North roster. He's had a few throws that have been off the mark, but that's being picky. I wouldn't be surprised if he was off the board by the time Day One (Rounds One and Two) came to a close.

- Purdue receiver Dorien Bryant has had a very nice week of practice. He's been a bit overshadowed by Eddie Royal and Lavelle Hawkins, as those two continued to shine today. Overall, I think Bryant really helped himself in practice this week.

- Kansas State receiver Jordy Nelson has looked good. He's got terrific hands and is a strong receiver. He's reliable and consistent, which is why I like him.

- At the linebacker position, I've been impressed with Jordan Dizon, Dan Connor, Bruce Davis, and Keith Rivers. Both Connor and Rivers are expected to be 1st Round picks, so it didn't surprise me that they've looked good. Dizon, on the other hand, was only expected to be a Mid-Late Round pick. This week he's really raised his stock and I could see him being off the board by Early-Day 2. Davis has done a nice job of transitioning to the linebacker position from defensive end. While he still has some work to do, I think he really showed the scouts his versatility that he could bring to a team at the next level.

- Adarius Bowman has slowly gotten better this week. While he dropped at least one ball today, many of the other receivers did as well because of the rain and wind. It seemed like the North Team was really trying to use Bowman as a redzone target as they threw the ball to him in the endzone a number of times.

Afternoon Practice

- I mentioned earlier this week that with Matt Ryan and Brian Brohm not participating down in Mobile, Andre Woodson had the chance to move up into the #1 quarterback position. While Woodson has looked good this week, I don't think he's done enough to make the jump. He never stood out as someone worthy of a Top 5 pick, but I'd still project that he'll be a 1st Round pick. His stock has remained about the same as when he got here earlier this week.

- Speaking of Kentucky players, running back Rafael Little has quietly had a nice week. While his draft stock hasn't taken that big of jump up the boards, in my eyes, he's became more of a safe pick. I'd say the 4th or 5th Round is about where I'd project him to go as there is a large number of juniors that will be drafted in front of him.

- Peyton Hillis, fullback from Arkansas, has looked great this week. He came in and really impressed scouts at the weigh-in and overall, has raised his value. I think the 3rd or 4th