Senior Bowl: South Practice Page

30 Jan

2010 Senior BowlThe practice page for the South Squad of the Senior Bowl. Updates will be added after each practice. Update/Saturday, 2:45PM: Final Reports and Complete Analysis of every player by Tony Pauline and Brent Sobleski! …

Player Pos School Height Weight Arm Hand
Jarrett Brown QB West Virginia 6026 219 33 ½ 9 7/8
Monday Practice Notes:Brown looked like an intriguing prospect.  He displayed terrific athleticism and a strong arm.  His accuracy can be all over the place yet he showed enough skill today to keep scouts interested.
Tuesday Practice Notes:Brown is the best quarterback on the field, which is not saying much.  He throws some terrific passes and has the arm necessary to play on the NFL level.  He’s also a play maker with his feet.  Brown needs a lot of work on his game and is far from NFL ready yet has the tools to work with.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Made a lot of nice passes all day, including several in the end zone for touchdowns.  Has the arm to play at the next level and all his passes show great zip.  Also effective on the move but Brown does spray his throws and the spirals are not tight.   Got better at the week went on.
Analysis: Brown showed a lot of underlying skill all week and could come out of the process as the highest rated of all three signal callers.  He has the arm strength and athleticism to play at the next level yet needs more time and development.  In the end he likely improved his stock at least one round.
Zac Robinson QB Oklahoma State 6023 210 31 9
Monday Practice Notes: Robinson showed no arm strength at all.  His passes have little speed and receivers were often slowing up in routes or reaching low to grab his errant throws.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Again, Robinson just does not have the arm to play on the NFL level.  He’s a good short range passer with accuracy but cannot zip his passes and really needs to put a lot of effort into throws in order to get speed on the ball.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Accurate in the short field but that is where it all ends.
Analysis: Robinson was accurate in the short field but has no arm strength for the next level.  That was known coming into the week.  He was a terrific signal caller on the college level but has limitations which will make him nothing more than a third passer for a timing offense at the next level.
Tim Tebow QB Florida 6026 236 30 ¾ 10
Monday Practice Notes:Tebow had an up and down day.  He’s throws the ball with nice zip yet is all over the place with his throws.  His release is inconsistent and the fundamentals are poor.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Tebow’s day was slightly better but he’s still inconsistent.  He made some solid deep throws but sprayed the outs all over the place.
Wednesday Practice Notes:We hate to run with the herd and beat a dead horse but Wednesday was the worst practice of the week for Tebow.  His deep passes floated, his accuracy was bad and worst of all, Tebow was never on the same page as his former target at Florida, Riley Cooper.
Analysis: Where to begin?  No one expected any miracles from Tebow this week and in the end we could all say he was disappointing on the field.  He deserves credit for showing up and it talks volumes to his character.  We will state now what we’ve said all year- Tebow needs a lot of work on his mechanics from the ground up and that was not going to change in three practices at the end of January.  He probably dropped a round in the draft but we won’t dismiss him at this point.
Joseph Webb QB/WR UAB 6030 223 33 ¾ 10 3/4
Monday Practice Notes:Webb exclusively lined up at receiver and improved as the day progressed.  He shows little quickness and ran poor routes.  He also has a minimal burst.  That said Webb caught the ball very well in the intermediate and long field.  On one instance he put a move on Patrick Robinson of Florida State, beat him deep then made a nice, over the shoulder catch.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Really stepped up his game today.  Webb made several nice receptions over quality opponents and more and more looks like he belongs at the receiver position.  He needs to learn how to run and must improve his quickness/route running but the arrow is pointing north.
Wednesday Practice Notes:Webb continues to impress.  He made another beautiful, over the shoulder deep reception for a score and caught just about everything thrown in his direction.  Does not show the soft hands at this point but another good practice.
Analysis:Webb was terrific at receiver all week; he started well and improved almost every day.  He has the size, ability and most important, wherewithal to succeed at the next level as a receiver.  Yes he must improve the details of his game but it was a terrific showing for the former UAB signal caller.
Anthony Dixon RB Mississippi State 6006 245 32 ¼ 10
Monday Practice Notes:Dixon looked a bit slow and lumbering.  He usually lined up at fullback and really did not do a good job attacking assignments.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Once again saw action at fullback and will continue to do so throughout the week, as the South has no true lead blockers on the roster.   His attempts were pedestrian, but he was able to pop some pads as a runner late in the practice.
Wednesday Practice Notes:Caught the ball very well but did not distinguish himself as a ball carrier.
Analysis: In many way Dixon performance this week was reminiscent of Michael Turner’s performance at the Senior Bowl years ago; people feel he’s to big to be a feature runner and have pegged him as a lead blocker.  Dixon does need to shed some weight and pick up the tempo of his game if he wants to be a ball carrier at the next level yet to his credit he did the little things well, just as Michale Turner did.
Stafon Johnson RB USC 5105 214 30 ¼ 8 5/8
Monday Practice Notes:
Tuesday Practice Notes: As this runner continues to round back in shape, his burst seen earlier in the yet has yet to return.  Johnson looked relatively comfortable as a receiving option out of the backfield when called upon.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Ran well between the tackles when given a little space to work with.  Showed good vision and patience carrying the ball.  Also caught the ball well out of the backfield.
Analysis: Johnson’s mental skills carrying the ball were better than the physical attributes. Just being here was a feather in his cap.
Dexter McCluster RB Mississippi 5081 165 28 ¾ 8 1/2
Monday Practice Notes: McCluster was very explosive and fast.  He’s got a burst on the inside and can turn the corner.  To his credit he also ran hard on the inside.  McCluster did struggle blocking and was nearly run over by defenders.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Sticking purely as a running back, McCluster was asked to at least attempt running the ball between the tackles.   It certainly does not play to his strengths, but he stuck his nose into the mix and had some successes.  He was able to exploit some coverage out of the backfield, even deep on one particular wheel route.  He has been quick, hard to cover, and presents big play potential.
Wednesday Practice Notes: In a term- wow!  Showed amazing quickness and burst.  Got a rise from scouts after the hole was seemingly closing up then out of nowhere McCluster popped out of the pile.
Analysis: McCluster was one of a handful of players who leave the Senior Bowl as big winners.  He showed a complete game and played much bigger than his listed size.  All that’s left is for McCluster to bust one out as a punt and/or kick returner today.
Charles Scott RB LSU 5113 239 32 ¼ 9 7/8
Monday Practice Notes:
Tuesday Practice Notes:
Wednesday Practice Notes:
Analysis:
Ben Tate RB Auburn 5107 214 31 ½ 9 1/8
Monday Practice Notes: Tate is an enigma.  At times he looks terrific and beat defenders around the corner.  Then he looks very ordinary and does not make plays he should.  Tate did line up at fullback a number of times today.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Overall Tate, along with most of his running back mates, had trouble finding lanes.   When this Auburn product was able to bounce it to the outside, he did show some speed to turn the corner and makes some plays.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Blocked very well in drills, and showed he could bounce runs outside and get to the corner to pick up yards.
Analysis: We were presently surprised by Tate, a prospect we loved in ‘07 yet has fallen in our eyes since.  He flashed ability around the corner and picked his way on the inside.  Tate also did the little things well.  Now all he needs is to play with this consistency at the next level and he could work into a rotational system.
Roy Upchurch RB Alabama 5117 210 32 9 3/8
Monday Practice Notes:
Tuesday Practice Notes: As a backup for Alabama most of his career, it was obvious at least today that Upchurch’s previous lack of playing time hurt his natural running abilities.   He had trouble finding lanes, pressing them, and making proper cuts.   His footwork is choppy and tentative when trying to find space to run.
Wednesday Practice Notes:
Analysis: Upchurch presented himself well but there were other backs more deserving of an invite to the Senior Bowl.
James Graham TE Miami-Fl 6063 259 34 3/4 10 5/6
Monday Practice Notes: Graham has great length and extension.  He was able to split the seam and made several nice catches.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Graham has been a bit of an enigma.  He looks like a man amongst boys in seven on seven and other one on one drills.  He’s smooth, fluid and very athletic.  He caught the ball very well and looks like a natural receiver.  Yet once the scrimmage starts Graham disapears and really makes no plays.  There’s no doubting his skill but we’d like to see him step up once he’s lined up against eleven guys.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Got pushed around some at the point of attack by linebackers and defensive ends in scrimmage work while run blocking.  He did have a better showing as a receiver, making some difficult catches in tight coverage downfield.
Analysis: Graham looks the part in every way and is impressive on the field.  He showed big time flashes of skill and just needs a little more time to pull the pieces of his game together.  Scouts had to like what they saw all week.
Anthony McCoy TE USC 6045 249 34 9 3/4
Monday Practice Notes: Showed the ability to get downfield and split the seam.  Let one very catchable pass slip through his hands but to his credit fights to make the reception and gets up in a crowd.
Tuesday Practice Notes: McCoy looked good in all aspects of the game.  He threw several crushing blocks and caught the ball very well.  He’s very eager on the field- possibly to eager.  He works to get into blocks but over extends and lacks balance.  Still, its’ been a good week for the senior.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Blocked very well in one on one pass rush drills vs. the linebackers.  Held his own while run blocking during scrimmage work.  As a receiver, he consistently got separation and displayed good hands.
Analysis: Except for a few dropped passes it was a very good week for McCoy.  He’s an impressive looking athlete who played fast, quick and tenacious on the field.  The arrow is definitely pointing north for him leaving the week.
Colin Peek TE Alabama 6054 250 33 ¾ 9 5/8
Monday Practice Notes:Had a solid practice.  Doesn’t look very athletic on the field but blocks well and effectively caught the ball.  Did a nice job finding the openings between the linebackers and safety.  Made several tough catches.
Tuesday Practice Notes:Peek continues to look real good and has been one of the few complete tight ends on the field.  He’s been a strong blocker who has controlled both linebackers and defensive linemen.  He’s also made a number of clutch catches.  Peek is really establishing himself here and building on a terrific senior season.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Did not practice.
Analysis: Peek may not be the biggest, fastest or strongest yet proved each day he stepped on the field he is a terrific football player.  We spoke with him at length on Thursday and he is also a respectful and intelligent young man.  He’s the kind of guy that’s easy to root for and scouts told us he’ll make an excellent number two tight end in the NFL.
Riley Cooper WR Florida 6034 214 32 ¼ 10 1/8
Monday Practice Notes:Caught the ball well but really struggles to get separation.  Slow off the line and has not burst whatsoever.    Cornerbacks easily ran step-for-step with him downfield.  Ran marginal routes.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Continues to show a lot of reliability catching the ball.  Made all the receptions.  Also ran some terrific routes but continues to present himself as a one-speed wide out.
Wednesday Practice Notes:Really looked terrific and had his best practice of the week.  Riley showed good hand technique getting off jams, sharpness running routes and consistently got separation from defenders.  He is also technically sound catching the pass, extending his hands and plucking the ball away from his frame.
Analysis: Cooper proved himself to be a tough, sure handed receiver who can go over the middle and make the difficult catch all week.  He definitely improved his standing in the eyes of NFL scouts.  His forty time at the combine will be critical.
Vareion Hodge WR Mississippi 6013 208 31 3/8 9
Monday Practice Notes:Caught the ball well and really does a nice job using his large frame to box-out defenders.  Ran better than expected routes.
Tuesday Practice Notes:Looked strong and solid all day.  He caught everything thrown his way and runs good routes for a large wide out.  Has done a good job the past two days.
Wednesday Practice: Hodge really did a nice job using his frame to box out defenders and make the catch.  His route running continued to impress.
Analysis: Like Cooper, Hodge was also impressive and gave the scouts more than they expected.  What really stood out was his solid route running and ability to get separation in the underneath coverage.  His forty time will also be critical though Hodge is not expected to run well.
Andre Roberts WR Citadel 5106 192 32 9 1/8
Monday Practice Notes:Looked solid all afternoon.  Ran the best routes of any receiver on the South, crisply getting into breaks then staying low on exit.  Caught the ball well most of the afternoon.  Took a crunching hit from Taylor Mays over the middle yet quickly picked himself off the ground.
Tuesday Practice Notes:Continued to impress.  Once against ran good routes, got separation and caught the ball very well.  Looks like a legit number three at the next level.   Has done a terrific job and stepped up his game.
Wednesday Practice Notes:After two very good days Roberts turned in a sensational practice.  He showed good hand technique, protecting himself and getting off jams from the likes of Patrick Robinson, ran sensational routes- sometimes double cutting in a single route and almost always got separation.  His pass catching technique is also very solid.
Analysis: Roberts was terrific from start-to-finish and really proved he belonged on the field with the nation’s top talent.  He was consistent and showed great hands all week.  He also ran some terrific routes and had defenders twisted like pretzels with his ability to double cut.  Roberts did what a small school prospect has to do at the Senior Bowl.
Jeremy Williams WR Tulane 6001 205 31 ¼ 9 7/8
Monday Practice Notes: Disappointing day for the most part.  Ran average routes, showed minimal burst and dropped some catchable throws.
Tuesday Practice Notes:Picked up the pace a bit today.  Ran better routes and caught the ball much better.  Shows soft hands and nicely extends to make the reception away from his frame.  Good day on Tuesday for Williams.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Williams showed flashes and made some nice receptions, including a deep one near the end zone.  He does not seem to fight hard in battles and showed little consistency.
Analysis: We were disappointed in Williams for the most part.  He flashed ability yet really showed little in the way of consistency or play making ability.  His less than desirable performance really stood out considering the way the other receivers on the South performed.
Ciron Black OL LSU 6045 331 33 ¼ 10/14
Monday Practice Notes: Black flashes skill but really shows little consistency.  He shows power and athleticism but is off balance and on the field a bit much.  He teased scouts today as he did much of the past three years.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Working back and forth between the strongside and the blindside tackle spots, Black has continued to struggle with inconsistency.  He was powerful at points in the running games.  As a pass blocker, his punch was often late.   Surprisingly, his base was quite narrow at points in pass blocking drills despite having started at left tackle the last three years.
Wednesday Practice Notes: The career tackle moved inside to guard today.  He was not explosive and did not drive through his blocks.   This became even more apparent when asked to pull in space simply slowed up trying to hit a moving target.
Analysis: After an impressive career at LSU, Black showed he is clearly not an NFL left tackle.   He may not even be a right tackle.   And it was good for this prospect to move around the offensive line during his trip to Mobile.   Black displayed multiple issues with his technique and athleticism.  He is big and powerful, has a great frame, certainly experienced, yet is not the type of lineman expected to win the one on one battles consistently.  His draft stock can be found all over the place, but this week certainly cemented something less than an early round selection.
Jeff Byers OL USC 6032 299 33 9
Monday Practice Notes: Byers is quick and explosive but really lacks any strength in his game and got ragdolled and pushed aside much of the day.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Saw some action at center, his natural position entering the collegiate game.   As a result of moving inside for part of the practice, his handplay was sloppy.   Often he gave up his chest after the snap because his hands were not quick enough to reestablish.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Once again at center, Byers had a solid effort even against some of the monster defensive tackles he faces on the South side.  He had some troubles holding off these bigger defenders, but he continued to work hard in reestablishing his hands.  His handplay was certainly much quicker today.   He showed some ability at the second level blocking.  And his pad level was very good.
Analysis: It was a week of adaptation for Byers.   Entering college he was the number one prospect in the nation as a center.   Most of his career was then spent as a guard at USC.   Moving back over the football was a slight transition.  And it took some time to get back to riding that bike.  As a result, Byers improved daily   Not a legit 300 pounder and obvious struggles with bigger defensive lineman, Byers did himself a favor by presenting his skills at the pivot.  His quickness off the snap and versatility could lend itself quite well to certain schemes at the NFL level.
Ted Larsen OL North Carolina State 6024 302 32 ¾ 9 5/8
Monday Practice Notes: Played both center and right guard.   Blocks with terrific fundamentals and worked hard but shows minimal power and strength at the point.
Tuesday Practice Notes: One area which became apparent with Larsen’s play today was how strong his hands are.  Larsen was able to latch on to both the quicker or bigger defensive tackles and held his ground quite well.    He also showed some ability to reach quicker defensive tackles which are not directly lined up over center as a 1 techniques.
Wednesday Practice Notes: One instance Larsen had some difficulties getting his snap up when asked to step laterally initially.  He did show himself well moving out in space.
Analysis: Slightly up and down week where Larsen flashed his potential in multiple areas and then labored in others.  The North Carolina State product is a solid football player and has the type of issues expected of most mid to late round center prospects.   He is not the strongest at the point nor the most athletic.   Larsen works hard each snap, he is intelligent, and possesses the attitude to make a roster and possibly even start down the road.
JD Walton OL Baylor 6023 300 33 9 1/4
Monday Practice Notes: Uneven day for Walton.  He explodes off the snap and plays with a nasty attitude but to our surprise, really struggled in anything other than a small area.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Early in individual drills, Walton showed tremendous lateral movement (easily the best of this particular group).   This obviously plays into the strengths coming out of Baylor and their predominant zone blocking scheme.  He was scolded by coaches for not shooting his off hand on the snap consistently.
Wednesday Practice Notes: After praising Walton just yesterday in his ability to move laterally, his angles were bad at points and certainly was not able to make the reach blocks required.
Analysis: In the whole scheme of things, Walton can have been easily overlooked while playing for Baylor.  His coming out party for some should have been this week.   Walton certainly has some faults, but he is a wide body in the middle with very good movement skills.  Clearly, he had some consistency issues this week as noted above.  But his natural skill set was apparent.  And scouts should love the attitude with which he plays.  J.D. has solidified himself as a top three center prospect for this particular draft class.
John Jerry OL Mississippi 6054 332 34 ¼ 9 3/4
Monday Practice Notes: Jerry lined up at right tackle most of the day even though many teams project him to guard.  Jerry has terrific strength at the point and controls opponents once he gets his hands on them.  He really struggled against nimble opponents with the ability to move laterally.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Up and down performance which had its high and low lights.   He got good extension and drive on blocking assignments.  He showed some ability to move in space.   He saw action at both right tackle and guard.  He mirrored defenders relatively well in pass blocking drills.   At times, Jerry could be caught playing over his toes and get caught leaning too far forward.
Wednesday Practice Notes: A somewhat surprising move was seeing Jerry at left tackle in this practice.  He was finishing some blocks but continued to lunge and reach for others.
Analysis: One can fall in love with Jerry’s size, versatility, and potential very quickly.  Until they notice he consistently bends at the waist and lunges to attack defenders.  He clearly is not a natural knee bender.  The Ole Miss product can engulf defenders at the point of attack with his size.   He had just enough athleticism to play some left tackle during the week.  But when all was said and done, this Jerry brother did not have the type of week his older sibling, Peria, had a year ago.   Thus, he will continue to be rated as a mid to late round prospect.
Mike Johnson OL Alabama 6053 306 32 1/4 9 5/8
Monday Practice Notes: Really stood out today.  Looks imposing on the field and plays that way.  Easily controlled opponents at the point and was a rock on the offensive line.  Never gave up an inch and fought hard.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Came down a bit from yesterday’s performance.  His difficulties came predominantly from not being able to get a good fit and and extension.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Played with  wide base and was caught leaning on defenders too often.   As a result he fell off numerous assignments.  He does have very strong hands once he latches on to an opponent.
Analysis: Started off very well but petered out slightly as the week progressed.  Johnson is not the typical squat shaped prospect often seen at guard.  He is tall and relatively lean for the position.  Even still, he fires off the ball well and loves to get into defenders body’s driving them off the football.  Like many this week under an NFL microscope, his technique was hardly up to snuff.  Surprisingly, he did not see any action at tackle like many of his linemates.  Johnson had good film from the season, had a solid albeit nondescript week of practice, and should still legitimately be one of the top guards taken in the first few rounds.
Mitch Petrus OL Arkansas 6031 304 33 9 1/2
Monday Practice Notes: Terrific day for Petrus.  Showed surprisingly good strength and showed the power to drive opponents off the line.  Also blocked down on defenders and removed them from the action.  Really blocked with a nasty attitude.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Worked extensively on his hand placement throughout this practice.  He continually struggled to keep his hands in tight and hit his aiming point.  Also overset on a few occasions even inside at guard.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Showed some ability to get to the second level, but also was caught leaning on defenders far too often.  His technique continues to be erratic but when he was sound, he does show himself well.
Analysis: Some openly wondered how much room for growth Petrus has at the position after playing some collegiate fullback.   His frame appears maxed out physically.  A feather in his cap this week was his continued improvement throughout in his technique and a willingness to take coaching.  Petrus is a limited prospect who will enter some NFL camp as a hard worker with some athletic ability.
Selvish Capers OL West Virginia 6045 304 34 10
Monday Practice Notes: Awful performance.  Was manhandled by the big guys and had circles run around him by the speed rushers.  All too often was on the field.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Saw some improvement on this day.  Capers flashed some legitimate potential to play left tackle.  He was beat on more than a few occasions, but most was due to technique…not natural ability.  He was quick with nimble feet.  He did overset on more than one occasion, so not to be beat by the speed rush.  He also got a little wide in his footwork as a result.  Capers certainly slide well in his set in general but has areas to improve upon as this week progresses.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Capers was found on the ground multiple times.   He was thrown around and could not recover.   At times he will show a nice set and will look the part.  Then, he oversets and gets beat with ease.
Analysis: Just awful from a technical standpoint.   It is honestly hard to blunt that particular piercing statement.  Capers had these same types of struggles while at West Virginia.  As an athlete, this tackle prospect can be tantalizing.  He looks the part physically and moves very well.  He slides naturally in pass protection.  He has the ability to mirror almost any end off the edge.  Yet, more often than not, Selvish Capers was often beat by those same defenders.   Certainly intriguing for a team with a patient offensive line coach and time to spend in his development, this former tight end has a ton of potential yet to be tapped.
Chris Scott OL Tennessee
Monday Practice Notes: Played well as a last minute fill in.  Easily controls opponents once he gets his hand on them.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Spending the day at right tackle, Scott continually lunged to engage defenders.  He would get a good pass set but not display the patience to set up his punch properly.   As a result, he was beat multiple times.   In the run game, Scott was certainly more powerful as a down blocker
Wednesday Practice Notes: Big and powerful, Scott has yet to use that to his advantage without leading with his head.  As a result he can be thrown off blocks by more active defensive linemen.
Analysis: After a solid effort at the Shrine Game, Scott came in as a late addition.  Watching him at tackle this particular week, he is clearly more suited to move inside to guard at the next level.  Scott struggled greatly with speed off the edge.   But he was very powerful at points in his run blocking, even caving down the side of the line at points.  Inside his issues with technique should become slightly less of an issue.  Like most powerful blockers, he needs to lead less with his head.  Chris Scott is a big, mauling offensive lineman with a strong base who served himself well just by coming in and competing.
Morgan Cox LS Tennessee 6026 248
Monday Practice Notes:
Tuesday Practice Notes:
Wednesday Practice Notes:
Analysis:
Brandon Lang DL Troy State 6036 260 32 8 1/2
Monday Practice Notes: Looked fast off the edge and did a great job playing with leverage and keeping his pads low to the ground.  Showed some toughness and resiliency.  Kept coming but really lacks any strength.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Coached up to a degree for playing with too high of a pad level.   Lang really showed some burst off the line to turn the edge.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Early in practice Lang had his troubles sitting down and holding ground against double teams.   He did display that speed to turn the corner to get to the passer.
Analysis: It was a common theme with the South defensive ends…athletic and quick off the edge but had troubles holding ground against the run.  Lang certainly calls into this category.   Unlike his teammate, Cameron Sheffield, this particular defensive end was not given the opportunity to register even a play or two as a linebacker.   Lang was used only along the defensive line this week, and he displayed exactly what everyone was expecting.
George Selvie DL South Florida 6044 247 33 ¾ 9 1/4
Monday Practice Notes: Selvie was rather non-descript.  He’s got great edge speed but really cannot get off blocks and rarely made plays.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Simply cannot hold ground against some of the larger South offensive linemen.  Selvie got washed down the line of scrimmage against down blocks.   At times, he can be engulfed against the run.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Best effort to date for the collegiate sackmaster.   Selvie showed more strength against double teams.  He was quick off the snap.   He even threw a fantastic bullrush to plant an opposing blocker in pass rush rush drills.
Analysis: At 247 pounds, Selvie came in the lightest of any prospect who fully participated along the defensive line.  Even despite his obvious shortcomings, this end improved each day.   By Wednesday, the former South Florida Bull was even displaying some power off the edge by playing with good leverage.  He is very quick off the ball and can shorten the edge.  Selvie is what he is:  a situational pass rusher who may get a look as a 34 outside linebacker.   And he did nothing negative or positive to truly dispel those stereotypes.
Geno Atkins DL Georgia 6013 286 31 9 7/8
Monday Practice Notes: Atkins looked nothing less than spectacular today.  He fired off the snap and easily beat blockers off the line.  Atkins keeps his pads low and got leverage on opponents.  He showed better than average power in his lower body and decent leg drive.  Atkins really looked like a complete defensive lineman today.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Atkins was one of the best players on field once again.  One thing he was able to do naturally compared to his unit mates was an ability to get skinny, dip the shoulder, and split double teams.    He had a quick first step, really active, Reland worked the hands.  A slight issue may be his lower body strength as he lost his footing a few times with lineman draped on the defensive lineman.
Wednesday Practice Notes: The undersized interior defender came down slightly from his fantastic play over the past couple of days.  He was not quite as active, but he continued to work his hands effectively in tight areas.
Analysis: After a fantastic start to the week, Atkins came down to earth towards the end.  With that said, this Georgia product can easily be argued as one of the most impressive performers.  He was amazingly explosive off the snap.  He continually worked his hands effectively.   He split double teams consistently.  This was certainly needed for a one time very highly regarded prospect that was benched as a senior.  Geno Atkins once again enters the conversation as more than a late round pick and will be an ideal three technique for certain NFL schemes.
Terrence Cody DL Alabama 6040 370 33 11 1/4
Monday Practice Notes: Cody started strong then quickly faded.  He is powerful and easily pushed blockers off the line in drills but 15 minutes into practice he was clutching and holding onto opponents for dear life.  At one point he was tossed to the ground by Jeff Byers of USC.  Really a bad day after a bad weigh in.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Took his play up a notch and gave consistent effort.   He ate up double teams as per usual.  He threw some linemen around.  He even showed a quick little swim move to get past one particular offensive lineman.   He does need to display more flexibility in his lower body, thus playing with a lower pad level.
Wednesday Practice Notes: It is easy to know what to expect of Cody at this point.   He is tough to handle one on one by his size.  He can  reestablish the line of scrimmage when blocked by a single lineman.  He demands a double.  He is not much of a pass rusher, though he did attempt to throw a move or two in there during individual drills.
Analysis: hat can be said about this mammoth interior defender which has not already been said?  Cody is a prototypical two down zero technique.   This certainly holds its own special value.  It’s hard to find men as large as Terrence Cody who have just enough athleticism to really control the middle of an offensive line.   He has his issues with hand play and flexibility but is just impossible to move against fellow collegians.  His issues will become more apparent at the next level, but someone will finally take a chance on his talent (probably in round 2 or 3) despite all the concerns about weight and technique.
Lamarr Houston DL Texas 6026 302 33 9 1/2
Monday Practice Notes: Houston had an up and down day.  He’s very quick and gets leverage on opponents.  His strength is suspect as he is easily controlled at the point.  On one play Mitch Petrus just engulfed him from the action.  Houston did show good lateral movement skills.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Quick and continually worked the hands, but often to no avail.  He worked his way up field consistently but got overwhelmed against larger blockers.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Improved against the run.   Houston was dipping the shoulder and knee with some positive results.
Analysis: Much like many of his linemates on this roster, Houston’s skills appear to fit in a nicely wrapped box.    The former Texas defender is very quick off the snap, a constant penetrator, yet struggles to hold up against the run.   In that regard, Houston appeared to be a prototypical three technique at the next level with some explosive qualities.   His strength in his core and lower body seems questionable.  If he can learn to use his quickness and motor to consistently split double teams effectively, he will be a much more effective three down defender.   At this juncture, Lamarr Houston will hold certain value for specified schemes but is likely stuck in the late second/early third round range.
Jeff Owens DL Georgia 6012 304 32 9 1/8
Monday Practice Notes: Owens was very quick off the snap yet looked rather heavy legged moving about the field, which surprised us.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Relatively quiet day with a little burst off the snap, but also failed to recognize some down blocks that washed him out of the play.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Amped up the effort and had a fantastic outing.   He was continually beating interior blockers off the snap.   He was continually disruptive.   And he even had the ability to eat up and beat double teams.   Owens had the best day overall on the defensive side of the ball.
Analysis: Entering this season coming off of major reconstructive knee surgery, Owens did not appear as powerful or quick off the snap as he did in his junior campaign.  The Bulldog defender started slowly, as did most of his defensive unit for Georgia.  Owens improved as the season progressed.   And his learning curve while in Mobile took a similar path.   He improved as the week went on to the point where this defensive tackle was almost unblockable on the final full practice day.   Owens does not possess ideal size as a potential one technique, but he plays low to the ground and can beat double teams.   He uses his hands relatively well and is much stronger than his size would indicate.   Jeff Owens should have done enough with these efforts to see his draft stock start to resemble the point they would have been entering last year.
Dan Williams DL Tennessee 6022 329 33 10 1/8
Monday Practice Notes: Williams displayed great power and bulrushed opponents off the ball all day. He does need to develop more moves with his hands as at times he was rather easily locked up at the point.
Tuesday Practice Notes: This interior defender spent a lot of time today working on his ability to dip his shoulder and shed blocks consistently.  He was attempting to shed blocks consistently and continually attempted to swat hands and one arm some offensive linemen.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Very tough to handle in the middle.    He fires off the ball low and hard consistently.   He guts under offensive linemen’s pads and often overpowers.   He can eat up double teams successfully.
Analysis: Clearly one of the best defensive players on the field throughout the week.   Dan Williams established himself as a legit top twenty prospect and should have certain two gap based NFL teams very intrigued.  This prospect is very reminiscent of B.J. Raji of a year ago. Both are very thick in the backside and thighs.   As a result, they have the body structure perfectly designed to become future nose tackles in the 34.  Williams only exacerbated this assessment by continually engaging and defeating double teams throughout the week.   He was almost impossible to move off the line of scrimmage and generally reestablished said point one or two yards in the backfield each and every snap.  Of any prospect in Mobile, Dan Williams is the only to truly cement himself as a top prospect.
CJ Wilson DL East Carolina 6030 284 32 ¾ 9 5/8
Monday Practice Notes: Wilson showed a quick first step yet once a blocker got their hands on him it was all over.
Tuesday Practice Notes: In pass rush drills, Wilson had some quickness off the edge but was not entirely productive.  He is another that showed an inability to consistently get off blocks and often got entangled at the point of attack.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Had one play in particular when he beat the left tackle off the edge.  Otherwise his play has been terribly subpar.
Analysis: With an opportunity to establish himself as a solid edge rusher with good size and athleticism, Wilson was less than spectacular.   In fact, his performance was more along the lines of forgettable.  This end showed some ability in individual pass rush drills but more often than not was tangled up with offensive lineman without an ability to recover.  C.J. Wilson came in to compete, yet did nothing of note to really stand out through this entire process.
Cameron Sheffield DL Troy State 6025 256 32 ¾ 10
Monday Practice Notes: Sheffield was a pleasant surprise.  He was quick, ferocious and played with leverage as well as strength.  He really did not look over matched as most thought he would.
Tuesday Practice Notes: This practice differed from yesterday when Sheffield did have some troubles holding up at the point of attack.  As a pass rusher, the potential was once again apparent with a picture perfect swim move in team session which would have netted a sack.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Saw time at linebacker.   Showed some initial quickness in coverage but got beat in the end.
Analysis: For Sheffield, his most important plays of the week were the one or two when asked to play some linebacker in passing drills.  This is where he is most often projected to go, and he did nothing to change said thought process.   The collegiate defensive end is smooth off the edge.  He can dip the shoulder and shorten his aiming point.   But he gets completely washed out against the run.  His quickness and pad level help to a degree, but it is only a matter of time before becoming overwhelmed.  Cameron Sheffield may not have gotten the same recognition as teammate Brandon Lang this year, but his athleticism and potential ability to play linebacker may make him a better professional.
Jamar Chaney LB Mississippi State 6006 241 33 9 7/8
Monday Practice Notes: Chaney played smart, tough, football.  He was disciplined with assignments and showed a great head for the ball in run defense.  He fired up the field and willingly took on ball carriers.  Chaney did not make many plays in coverage but got depth on pass drops.
Tuesday Practice Notes:Another solid day for Chaney.  Once again he was effective in pass coverage and very tough against the run.  Played assignment football and really looked good on the field.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Read running plays well and as a result was rarely caught out of position.  Appeared a step slow in coverage at times, but did a good job of recovering as the play developed.  Overall, had a solid practice
Analysis: In our opinions Chaney improved his stock coming out of the week.  He displayed himself to be a legitimate three down linebacker with coverage skills besides his ability to stuff the run.  We have a feeling Chaney is going to run well at the combine and further move north up draft boards.
Darryl Sharpton LB Miami-Fl 5116 229 32 ½ 9 3/4
Monday Practice Notes: Sharpton also displayed a good head for the ball in run defense and nicely flows to the action laterally.  He was fast up the field and worked hard to make plays.
Tuesday Practice Notes:What a difference a day makes.  Sharpton was constantly torched in coverage drills and looked ragged trying to stop anyone over the middle.  He showed little to no instincts and was incredibly slow reacting.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Had trouble staying with tight ends in coverage work and struggled with play recognition.  He did show some good pass rush ability when matched up one on one with running backs.
Analysis: Sharpton was not good, to put it plainly.  He’s built for the weakside yet struggled just about every time he was put in coverage situations over backs or tight ends.  His play has really gone south since 2007 and there were no improvements this week.
Antonio Coleman LB Auburn 6015 255 32 ¼ 9 7/8
Monday Practice Notes: Coleman exclusively lined up at defensive end and did a solid job.  He was quick off the snap, fast up the field and moved relatively well laterally.  Coleman cannot get off blocks once engaged at the point.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Again, this college defensive end has stayed as such.  He showed some aggressiveness today against the run really standing up some bigger offensive linemen.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Saw limited action at linebacker for the the first time and did not embarrass himself.
Analysis: Coleman started to flash the skills which caught scouts eyes back in 2007 during his sophomore season.  He mainly lined up at defensive end and showed a lot of speed and athleticism off the edge.  The few times they lined him up at outside linebacker Coleman did not embarrass himself.
Eric Norwood LB South Carolina 6007 246 31 ¾ 9 3/4
Monday Practice Notes:
Tuesday Practice Notes:Not a good day for Norwood.  He was asked to play a more traditional linebacker position and really struggled.  He showed no feel for coverage, constantly face guarded opponents and was beaten all day long.  Also got caught up in the wash and could not get off blocks.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Put forth a very solid effort in pass rush drills, consistently beating his man in 1 on 1 drills.  He didn’t fare as well in coverage however, where he was caught a step behind on more than one occasion.
Analysis: Norwood was terrific up the field and in the box but as we stated all week, he was terrible moving in reverse.  He showed no feel for coverage and was beaten like a drum consistently trying to guard backs or tight ends.  Considering his poor ht/wt numbers there’s no doubt scouts were disapointed this week.
Roddrick Muckelroy

LB

 Texas 6015 236 32 9
Monday Practice Notes:Muckelroy was very active today.  He plays with good knee bend and nicely flows to the action laterally.  He gets caught up in the trash but looked much better after being moved to outside linebacker.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Muckelroy was effective when given a free shot at the action but once again he was easily blocked from the action.  He was inconsistent in coverage and gave up a fair share of receptions.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Used his hands well to disengage from blockers.  Recognized and reacted to plays quickly.  Filled gaps and wrapped up on his tackles.  Looked to have a good grasp of what was going on and seemed comfortable throughout practice.
Analysis: Like many of the linebacker from the South, Muckelroy showed marginal skills in coverage.  He flashed ability and does the little things well but really does not have that wow factor to his game, the way he showed back in 2008.
Dekoda Watson LB Florida State 6014 232 32 ¼ 8 3/4
Monday Practice Notes:
Tuesday Practice Notes: Watson struggled all day.  He was late reacting to plays, did a lot of trailing and got burnt in coverage.  He showed little instincts and looked out of place on the field.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Had to continuously be coached up throughout practice on his technique.  He had a rough day defending both the pass and the run.  His lone bright spot might be the quick bust he showed at times off the edge in pass rush drills.
Analysis: Watson was ineffective all week and looked out of place on several instances.  He looks a shell of himself compared to his play in 2007, when he was a force at FSU, and did nothing in the practices to show any glimmer of hope.
Javier Arenas DB Alabama 5085 195 30 1\2 9 3/8
Monday Practice Notes: Looked solid in drills and made a number of solid plays in practice.  Nice feet and smooth hips.  Also showed a nice burst out of his plant.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Arenas really had a solid day.  Once again he looked good in drills then transferred that into play making skills in the seven on sevens as well as in scrimmage.  Looked like a legit cornerback, though size will probably limit him to nickel/dime back.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Struggled in seven-on-sevens as well as scrimmage.  His size was a detriment as Arenas gave up a number of receptions to bigger wide outs.
Analysis: Little by little Arenas showed flashes all week and proved he has the underlying skills to play at the next level.  His height will be an issue as he was exploited by larger receivers rather easily.  Scouts are expecting him to produce returning punts in the NFL and a good showing in the game tonight is important.
Parrish Cox DB Oklahoma State 5112 189 30 8 ½
Monday Practice Notes:Hands down the best defensive back on the field.  Quick pedal, fluid hips and an explosive burst.  Shut down almost every opponent offering blanket coverage and really made a lot of nice plays on the ball.  Looked like an NFL starter.
Tuesday Practice Notes:Cox was not as effective on Tuesday but was still solid. He’s fundamentally sound and very explosive.  There is lots of talk about character issues surrounding this prospect.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Surprisingly Cox continues to watch his play slide.  Wednesday was the worst practice of the week as he gave up a lot of receptions.  Seemed to give up on plays occasionally as well.
Analysis: Cox started hot but fizzled at the end of the week.  At the top of his game he proved to be an excellent shut down corner yet he played rather lazily by Wednesday.  We keep hearing character questions will loom large in draft day decisions on Cox.
Trevard Lindley DB Kentucky 5111 178 32 ½ 10 3/8
Monday Practice Notes:Looked good in drills but once he lined up across from an opponent it was over.  Gave up a ton of receptions and really stopped no one.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Lindley again gave up a number of receptions on the day.  He was slightly better on Tuesday but there’s no doubt he’s dropping down draft boards.
Wednesday Practice Notes:Yuck- Lindley gave up reception after reception and lost out several times.  He was beaten badly by Joe Webb for a touchdown.

Analysis:
Jerome Murphy DB South Florida 6003 191 32 8 1/2
Monday Practice Notes: Quick footed and explosive but surprisingly played small for a bigger corner.  Lost out in  a lot of battles he should have won and gave up a lot of receptions.
Tuesday Practice Notes:Murphy continues to struggle.  He gets high in his backpedal and gave up a ton of underneath receptions.
Wednesday Practice Notes:Continued to struggle.  Loses out in battles when he should not and just did not show a good feel for coverage.
Analysis: Very disappointing week for Murphy.   He looked the part yet did not always play to it.  He gave up a lot of receptions backed off the line of scrimmage.  Surprisingly, Murphy also struggled in press coverage.
Patrick Robinson DB Florida State 5111 190 30 ½ 8 1/2
Monday Practice Notes:Physically, Robinson ranks as one of the best corners here.  He’s fast, physical and very strong.   Once he locates the ball he’s very good, but….He is super slow to react, very hesitant and shows little in the way of instincts which results in big plays being given up.
Tuesday Practice Notes:Robinson struggled all day and was beaten like a drum by Andre Roberts.  He cannot make a play with his back to the ball and was constantly twisted like a pretzel trying to stay with opponents out of breaks.
Wednesday Practice Notes:
Analysis: Robinson proved he is strictly a bump and run cover corner.  If he can jam opponents at the line and be physical throughout the route he’s got a good chance to defend the throw.  Others, if opponents are given any free space the result is usually a reception.
Nate Allen DB South Florida 6005 205 30 ½ 9 3/5
Monday Practice Notes:
Tuesday Practice Notes:Allen had a solid practice.  He flashes man cover skills and looks the part on the field.  He stood out today and was one of the better DB’s for the South.
Wednesday Practice Notes:Looked solid in coverage drills and made plays facing the action.  Struggled in one-on-ones but looks like a solid free safety prospect.

Analysis: For the most part Murphy leaves the week better than he entered it.  He had his ups and downs in man coverage situations, but its’ nothing that can’t be fixed.
Harry Coleman DB LSU 6014 206 32 ¼ 9 7/8
Monday Practice Notes: Coleman is good in the box but looked very stiff whenever he was required to move in reverse and make plays.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Coleman still looks best up the field or in the box.  Has done nothing to make anyone think he’s nothing other than a zone or strong safety.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Improved- did a solid job running down field with opponents and was more than adequate.
Analysis: Coleman improved as the week went on and showed flashes of being something other than just a box safety.
Taylor Mays DB USC 6030 231 33 ¾ 10 1/8
Monday Practice Notes:Taylor was good between the numbers but is slow in reverse, stiff in his hips and really shows little range in center field.  He’s big- maybe too big, and will fit only certain schemes and has limitations.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Mays really struggled and there will be questions if he can play safety at the next level or would he be better off at linebacker. His pedal is slow and he cannot drive to the ball out of his plant.  He gave up a ton of receptions in the underneath coverage today.
Wednesday Practice Notes:Once again struggled.  Looked terrible in coverage drills.  Really struggled pedaling in reverse and cannot drive out of his plant.  He rarely made any plays on the action if the pass catcher was just a few feet in front of him.
Analysis: We hate to keep slamming Mays but his play all week was poor.  He hits like a ton of bricks but never displayed himself to be a rangy center fielder who can play sideline-to-sideline and almost never made a play on the ball during man coverage drills all three days.  Some have contacted us saying we’ve been unfair but we disagree.  Remember- Mays was someone most thought would be a top six pick before the season began, so it was fair to have high expectations for him.
Matt Dodge P East Carolina 6014 223
Monday Practice Notes: Started slow then slowly pulled it together.  Got nice hang time on punts but really did not drive the ball.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Dodge really showed a strong leg today, driving punts and getting terrific hang time.  He looks as though he has the ability to flip the field if necessary.
Wednesday Practice Notes:
Analysis: Really had a terrific week of practice.  Drove his punts showing a strong leg with the ability to hang the ball in the air or flip the field.
Myron Rolle DB Florida Sate 6014 217 33 9 1/4
Monday Practice Notes:Looked smooth and fluid in practice and did not look like he’s been away from football for more than a year.  Did not make many plays in scrimmage.  Always lined up in the box.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Improving.  Made some solid plays in scrimmage and not getting beat.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Solid day.  Got beat once in coverage but for the most part played disciplined, assignment football.  Not great but looks very solid.
Analysis: There’s no denying it was a terrific week for Rolle considering he’s been away from football for more than a year.  He really looked like he belonged on the field and played like he did early in his FSU career.
Leah Tiffin PK Alabama 6001 198
Monday Practice Notes: They did not kick off or kick for distance but Tiffin showed he could drive his field goal attempts.
Tuesday Practice Notes:
Wednesday Practice Notes: Likely established himself as the top kicker in the draft.  Consistently put his kick-offs inside the five from the pro-mark.
Analysis: Tiffin showed on Wednesday, when he was driving his kick-offs the length of the field from the pro mark, he heads towards April as one of the highest rated players at his position.

Senior Bowl: North Practice Page

29 Jan

2010 Senior BowlThe practice page for the North Squad of the Senior Bowl.  Updates will be added after each practice.  Update/Friday 10PM:  Final Reports and Complete Analysis of every players week by Tony Pauline and Brent Sobleski!

Player Pos School Height Weight Arm Hand
Sean Canfield QB Oregon State 6034 221 31 5/8 9
Monday Practice Notes: The former Beaver anticipated his throws better than any other signal caller on the roster this particular day.   While this certainly did not result positively on every occasion, he appears to be grasping the offense quickly allowing his receivers to make plays.  His arm strength looked questionable as most throws were  slightly slow and looping, often arriving on a downward plane to their intended target (even on shorter throws).
Tuesday Practice Notes: Canfield really struggled throwing the ball and many wonder why he’s even here  He pushes the pass, gets little speed on throws and does not have an NFL arm.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Threw the ball much better today and was much more accurate.  Still pushes the ball and occasionally puts it up for grabs.
Analysis: Can field was a good story during the ‘09 campaign and jumped onto the scouting radar from nowhere.  He’s a solid timing passer yet in the end he proved in the Senior Bowl he does not possess the arm strength necessary to play at the next level.
Dan Lefevour QB Central Michigan 6030 229 32 ¾ 9 1/4
Monday Practice Notes: A common theme appeared throughout the day, LeFevour’s inability to throw a tight spiral on any pass outside the numbers.  The ball wobbled out of his hand consistently.   He also has some trouble with his footwork, especially when flushed out of the pocket.
Tuesday Practice Notes: LeFevour was bad today, and that’s putting it mildly.  He shows no sense of timing on his passes, is constantly way off the mark and threw an inordinate amount of bounce passes today.  If he’s got an arm he’s yet to show it.
Wednesday Practice Notes: LeFevour was awful.  He sprays his passes and shows little in the way of touch or feel.  He was woeful trying to throw on the move.  LeFevour also put up several questionable throws when pressured.
Analysis: We were not expecting much from LeFevour entering the week and in the end got what we expected.  His mechanics are poor and LeFevour pushes passes which sap him of arm strength and really destroy his accuracy.  In our opinion he’s best suited for a wildcat type of quarterback position, though that is mainly based on his ability to run with the ball.
Tony Pike QB Cincinnati 6055 212 34 ¼ 9 3/4
Monday Practice Notes: Highly inconsistent performance by this highly regarded signal caller.  Pike looked good early in individual drills, as it was obvious he has the most physical tools of this particular group.   Later in the day, he was simply missing throws he would generally make.   Some can be explained away by lack of cohesion with his targets, but some was simply bad placement.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Pike started off slow, picked it up late in practice but overall it was not a good day for the tall passer.  He’s got the arm for the next level yet his accuracy was woeful.  He threw a few solid passes yet for the most part was high of the mark and missed a lot of open receivers.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Pike threw the ball much better today.  He displayed better timing and accuracy.  On a number of occasions he made passes he will be required to make at the next level.  He does have a high point of release and most of the passes he missed during the morning sailed over the targets head.
Analysis: Pike improved as the week went on yet showed little in the way of consistency.  His spirals were not tight and his accuracy left a lot to be desired.  He did not have the week he needed to establish himself as the top senior signal caller in this draft and Pike will need a lot of work before he is NFL ready.
Rashawn Jackson FB Virginia 6006 239 31 5/8 10
Monday Practice Notes: On a day when a fullback is at a disadvantage due to a lack of physicality of the first practice, Jackson attempted to make his mark out of the backfield with limited success. This classic ‘tweener showed some ability to adjust in space on footballs thrown is way, but was not a natural receiver by any means.
Tuesday Practice Notes: A tough day for the lead blocker in regards to actually blocking.   His struggles were most apparent during individual pass protection drills.  He whiffed on multiple oncoming pass rushers and displayed a tendency to lean into those potential blocks head first.  He did redeem himself to a degree during team session when he proved to be a viable receiving target out of the backfield and opened some holes for the North’s talented tailbacks.
Wednesday Practice Notes:
Analysis: Jackson was a beast lead blocker all week and showed a lot of different skills.  He’ll never be a real offensive threat yet he will also never embarrass himself carrying the ball or catching it out of the backfield.
Joique Bell RB Wayne State 5107 223 30 ¾ 9
Monday Practice Notes: With a vast opportunity for any small school prospect, Bell showed flashes of some explosive ability on his 220 plus pound frame.  Particularly, this Wayne State product has quick choppy feet in and out of the hole.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Once again Bell had a solid showing.   The back was patient waiting for developing holes to open and made decisive cuts when opportunities presented themselves.   In his attempts in pass protection, Bell was tenacious and at times overzealous.   Of all the backs, he attacked defenders in his blocks more so than any other on the roster.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Displays terrific running vision and intangibles.  Better than average strength on the inside.
Analysis:Bell did exactly what is required of a small school prospect; he came, proved he belonged and stood out with good play.  He showed a variety of ball carrying skills and improved his ranking in the eyes of NFL scouts.
LaGarrette Blount RB Oregon 6005 245 32 9 3/4
Monday Practice Notes: A late addition to the roster, Blount looked very good when certainly everyone would be questioning his play.   Granted most of his runs were between the tackles and catered to his cutback ability.  On this day, his hustle and tough running were a welcome sight.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Simply, Blount has been continued to impress.  He may not be the most explosive running back in and out of the hole, but he presses his opportunities; often finding himself come clean on the backside.  The simplistic All Star offense does cater to his strengths as a runner because of the north/south downhill running they expect of their backs currently.   His day was not entirely sterling as another back that struggled to consistently in pass blocking drills.  Blount had trouble moving laterally mirroring those oncoming defenders.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Displayed a lot of tenacity on the field.  Caught the ball well, showed strength carrying the ball and did a solid job picking up blocking assignments.  Does not possess a burst in his game.
Analysis: Blount acquitted himself well the entire week and was a fascinating story.  To his credit he did the little things well as a blocker and played a team game.  It was definitely a step in the right direction for him.
Chris Brown RB Oklahoma 5100 202 28 8 7/8
Monday Practice Notes: Spent most of the day as a receiver out of the backfield moreso than running the football.   This catered to his apparent strengths as Brown was a natural checkdown option for whatever quarterback was under center.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Surprisingly absent from participating, Brown spent most of the morning/early afternoon watching practice from the sidelines.
Wednesday Practice Notes:
Analysis:
Lonye Miller RB Fresno State 5110 220 30 ½ 8 3/8
Monday Practice Notes: After a disappointing senior campaign, Miller had an up and down performance in this initial practice. With some explosive abilities, his footwork was sloppy and never completely under control.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Of all those discussed, Miller struggled the most in regards to his blocking.  It clearly became a concern as the former Bulldog did not deliver blows, did not bring his feet, and showed little strength at the point of attack.   As this particular session progressed, he improved slightly but to only minimal success.   He certainly seemed much more comfortable as a runner and, particularly, as a checkdown option in the passing game.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Miller displayed some surprising swivel in his running and made defenders miss in a small area.  He’s powerful carrying the ball and did a solid job blocking.  He’s another big back with limited quickness and no burst.
Analysis: Miller was strong, powerful yet at the same time, surprisingly agile all week.  Like Blount he did a solid job with the little things such as blocking.  He lacks any true burst in his game but looked solid after a senior season when he hardly saw the ball.
Dorin Dickerson TE Pittsburgh 6012 222 33 10
Monday Practice Notes: Although listed as a tight end above, Dickson spent the entire afternoon as a true wide receiver.  He made a few plays with catches outside of his body. He also had some trouble adjusting to where he was at one the feld at times.
Tuesday Practice Notes:Really looked good all day.  Spent a lot of time lining up at wide receiver and showed speed and terrific hands.  Battled hard to make the reception and usually came away with the ball.
Wednesday Practice Notes: In a nutshell, wow!  He is fast and was able to beat cornerbacks down the field.  He is also a terrific pass catcher with strong, reliable hands.
Analysis: Dickerson was nothing less than fantastic all week and really improved his draft stock.  He was fast, reliable and sturdy.  He has the speed to get downfield and tenacity to make plays in the underneath coverage.  The question remains how will Dickerson be used at the next level?
Ed Dickson TE Oregon 6040 244 32 ½ 9 3/4
Monday Practice Notes: Displaying his receiving skills, Dickson displayed the ability to catch the ball consistently.   Early he had his struggles shaking some safeties but became harder and harder to cover as his route running improved.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Showed himself to be a solid, pass catching tight end.  Did a fine job getting down the field and making the catch in the secondary.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Had a terrific day.  Really stood out catching the ball making several nice receptions down the field.  Did a better than expected job blocking.
Analysis: Dickson did not disappoint scouts and proved he has the pass catching skills to start in certain systems at the next level.  He must improve his blocking but his effort was admirable.
Garrett Graham TE Wisconsin 6031 234 30 ¾ 9 3/8
Monday Practice Notes: Most of his day was spent as a target releasing off the line.  An undersized tight end prospect, Graham was able to break free of coverage on numerous occasions due to his athleticism and natural receiving skills.
Tuesday Practice Notes:Caught the ball well yet for the most part shows little in the way of quickness and speed in his game.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Made some nice catches and worked very hard yet nothing in particular stood out about his game.
Analysis: Graham is a nice tight end but did nothing to make anyone think he’s anything other than a number two at the position.
Michael Hoomanawanui TE Illinois 6036 267 32 1/8 10 1/4
Monday Practice Notes: Solid overall performance from this physical tight end.  Although he did not show the ability to separate, his ability to shield defenders from the ball allowed for multiple receptions.  As a blocker Hoomanawanui held his own against some of the more talented defensive ends on the North’s roster.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Saw action at fullback on this day.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Looked very heavy legged and showed minimal quickness in his game. Lumbers downfield as a receiver, but did consistently reel in the balls that were thrown his way.  Had a good day blocking, very physical at the point of attack and drives his man.
Analysis: Hoomanawanui is solid in all aspects of the game.  He caught the ball well and showed power as a blocker.  His quickness and speed are very limited.  His forty time at the combine will be critical.
Danario Alexander WR Missouri 6045 221 33 3/8 9 5/8
Monday Practice Notes: A big receiver that never seemed to get on the same page with his quarterbacks.  In individual drills, Alexander appeared a little slow in and out of his cuts, allowing the ball to get on him quicker than he anticipated.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Alexander caught the ball reasonably well and used his large frame to his advantage.  The problem is he’s very slow off the line, shows no burst whatsoever and really struggled to get any separation from defenders.
Wednesday Practice: Again, shows nothing in the way of quickness nor a burst.  Did drop one deep throw when he was wide open.

Analysis: Alexander had an up and down week.  He’s a big framed wide out that uses his size as an advantage.  The lack of quickness and inability to separate will certainly downgrade him.
Jacoby Ford WR Clemson 5086 181 29 ¼ 8 7/8
Monday Practice Notes: Ford had the best day of all his receiver mates.   On a day when the offense concentrated on underneath and short routes, this catered dramatically to the target.   His quickness off the line and to avoid the jam allowed for multiple receptions.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Ford displayed a lot of quickness and speed in drills, running good routes and showing decent hands.  He was a non-factor in scrimmage.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Ford definitely stepped up his game today.  He is both quick and fast.  Ford nicely makes the reception and quickly transitions from making the catch to running after the reception.  He does struggle trying to come away with the ball in a crowd and does not really display the strong hands or the ability to pluck the fast ball from the air.
Analysis:Ford presented himself as a solid prospect at slot receiver but his overall game lacks strength.  He’s the type of pass catcher that will need room to work and someone who must be thrown the ball in the open field.
Marshwan Gilyard WR Cincinnati 5115 179 30 5/8 9
Monday Practice Notes: Inconsistent effort from a talented receiver.  Gilyard looked very good in stretches while dropping a few opportunities as well.   Part of this was due to multiple inaccurate passes thrown in which he had to continually adjust.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Gilyard showed terrific quickness off the snap, beating defenders off the line then consistently getting separation and coming free.  He did not show the great deep speed yet if faster than most.  For the most part Gilyard caught most everything thrown to him.  He did struggle when battling defenders and lost out on several occasions.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Had another solid day.  Caught most everything thrown his way.  One thing that did stick out is Gilyard really does not have a true second gear.  On a number of occasions he was unable to beat opponents deep.

Analysis:For the most part Gilyard was good.  He’s exceptionally quick and separates from opponents.  His lacks of downfield speed was surprising and Gilyard will struggle handling the jam or battling for the reception at the next level.
Taylor Price WR Ohio 6001 198 31 9 1/2
Monday Practice Notes: Quick in and out of his cuts, Price was not allotted too many opportunities to catch the football on this particular day.   He did make one catch where he highpointed the ball well and came down with the reception (something he did not always do in Ohio).
Tuesday Practice Notes: Price is definitely moving up draft boards.  He showed outstanding route running skills today as he was quick into breaks, very sharp and easily separated from opponents on exit.  He also caught the ball very well and battled opponents hard.  One thing that really stood out was the way Price exploded off the snap and the quickness with which he left the line.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Price had another solid day.  He caught the ball well and ran solid routes.  He did drop a few passes, which was not the norm.
Analysis: One of the big winners on the North squad, Price had a complete week.  He was quick, fast and reliable.  The ability to get separation running routes was impressive as was his concentration.  Sources have told us they think Price will be the fastest receiver at the combine, which will only push his draft stock further north.
Eric Olsen OL Notre Dame 6037 310 32 ½ 9 3/8
Monday Practice Notes: Found playing time as both the initial starting center with some right guard thrown in for posterity sake.   Olsen fought throughout the day but was not exemplorary in any one area.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Receiving some chiding from the coaching staff as he had some issues throughout practice.   His hands after the snap were slow to throw his initial punch, thus negating the opportunity to get proper extension, which gave this pivot problems with defenders.  Also Olsen had some trouble locating blocking assignments on the move in team drills.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Olsen’s play to date could be described as subpar but he has his moments in this practice.   He was able to get good fits off the snap.  In his pass set, he did have some troubles sitting down and anchoring.   He was also seen making some progression locating and getting blocks in space.
Analysis: As a late round option, Olsen offers size at the pivot and some versatility which he showed down in Mobile.  Presented with an opportunity to solidify his self as top five prospect at his particular position, this offensive lineman had arguably the most underwhelming week among his contemporaries.  He consistently gives good effort but can be overwhelmed by tougher defensive opponents due to inconsistent hand play and a lack of quickness.  Certainly disappointing effort considering the overall group of offensive lineman present was not entirely impressive across the board.
Matt Tennant OL Boston College 6044 290 32 ¼ 9 3/8
Monday Practice Notes: Tennant played bigger than his listed size and looked quite strong at the point of attack.  He also anchored in pass protection better than expected.  The strength of his play throughout the day was clearly his lateral movement.
Tuesday Practice Notes: As an undersized interior blocker, Tennant has continued to rely on his agility and quickness.  He mirrored very well and adjusting to defenders in pass rush drills.  He is also very quick off the snap and gets into defenders before they have the opportunity to engage.  Saw some limited time at right guard today.  His angles can improve, especially when cutting off backside defenders.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Held strong against some of the bigger defensive tackles and was able to get his hands in tight and control some of his blocking assignments.
Analysis: At times it is easy to see why some scouts are very high on Tennant.   The center plays bigger than his 290 pounds would indicate.   He is able to play at this level due to consistently good hand play and low pad level.  He is also a better than average athlete at the position which gives him a natural advantage off the snap.  Matt Tennant did nothing to dispel the notion he is the top senior prospect snapping the football and should be a solid second round option.
John Asamoah OL Illinois 6040 300 31 10 1/4
Monday Practice Notes: Starting out of right guard, Asamoah ended his day with his pads off and merely watching as others participated.  Before what may or may not have been an injury, he had his issues.   The interior lineman was coached up to keep a proper set without lowing his hands while keeping his hands inside.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Whatever issues arose yesterday, Asamoah did not practice today.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Due to injury, Asamoah has been replaced by Vanderbilt’s Tom Welch on the roster.
Analysis: Overall, a disappointing week for a guard prospect looking to enter early round conversation.  Asamoah’s small sample size of play was nothing to write home about and then followed by an injury which forced the interior blocker to remove himself from the contest altogether.
Zane Beadles OL Utah 6043 307 32 ¼ 9 1/4
Monday Practice Notes: A left tackle by trade, Beadles played the strongside throughout the practice.  He also had his struggles especially anchoring in pass protection and not lunging on his punch.
Tuesday Practice Notes: A theme has arose as this offensive lineman once again had troubles anchoring in pass protection.  He again attempted to compensate by lunging at defenders and missing his blocks.  He could improve his standing if his aiming point on his initial punch were to improve.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Continued poor efforts.   The offensive tackle particularly had troubles communicating while at guard and picking up movement along the defensive line.
Analysis: It is nice to see a prospect work at four different positions throughout the week.   Beadles is versatile and relatively technically sound.   He plays hard.   With that said, his stay in Alabama was forgettable.   He was not comfortable in certain situations and lacks the core strength to really win the battles at the point of attack.  What system is employed and where teams believe he projects from a positional standpoint will factor greatly into his overall draft stock.
Mike Iupati OL Idaho 6052 325 35 10 3/8
Monday Practice Notes: A highly regarded prospect, Iupati flashed his massive potential.   Yet, he still needed work on some of the nuances at the position.   He was almost beat several times in pass blocking drills by the defensive lineman, but was able to recover due to his natural ability.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Finally, Iupati saw a few repetitions at left tackle in pass rush drills   The guard by trade was beat badly on those few occasions.   His feet and hands were not in sync…getting too wide with his handplay and too narrow in his footwork.  As a result defensive end prospect Alex Carrington was able to beat Iupati easily, with one particularly spectacular encounter ending with the offensive lineman lying on his backside.   Inside, his technique also remains inconsistent.  Hands continue to be wide, though powerful when grasping a defender.  He will overset initially, but has the athleticism to recover.  A redeeming quality is his work ethic and consistent effort throughout the practice.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Today, Iupati bumped out and played more right tackle than he did left tackle yesterday.  In this particular case, he was not as overmatched as seen previously.   His overall technique is still inconsistent, but he was able to get solid fits in his pass sets and hold pass rushers at bay.  One area he looked to improve throughout this process was keeping his shoulders square and the footwork which accompanies such positioning.
Analysis: Maybe the most anticipated prospect in Mobile…not named Tim Tebow.   Many openly wondered when and if this highly regarded prospect would receive any repetitions at offensive tackle.   He did so with spectacularly woeful results.   Some of this was due to an obvious lack of comfortability moving from his lifelong position of guard.   Some was due to technique issues which are not as apparent inside.   Iupati is clearly a physical specimen with imposing size, long arms, and great strength at the point of attack.   He often overcomes technique difficulties with those natural abilities.  If he ever plans on becoming an elite interior blocker, he will need to work very hard on his hand play, hip flexibility, and footwork.   There was a chance Iupati could solidify himself as a late first round caliber prospect.   He was unable to do as such with these efforts.
Shawn Lauvao OL Arizona State 6025 301 32 ¾ 9 1/8
Monday Practice Notes: Multiple coaching points were brought up with this prospect in regards to taking false steps and staying square to his opponent.  He has made the transition to guard from a collegian left tackle.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Strong efforts today as Lauvao took advantage of increased repetitions at guard.  His pass set was quick and fundamentally sound.   He was able to get to the second level while making blocks on the move.   He was coached up to a degree on not opening his shoulders too early, thus resulting in a stronger ability to anchor against the bullrush.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Maybe he read too much of his press clippings from the previous day, because his play dropped dramatically in today’s efforts.  He was on the wrong end of Alex Carrington this day and found himself rudely thrown to the ground on a stunt by the defensive line.   Lauvao also was coached up  on keeping his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage and his head up.
Analysis: An inconsistent week with flashes of very good and sometimes underwhelming efforts.  Moving to guard after a season starting at left tackle, Lauvao showed he can be powerful and athletic along the interior.   His issues, like many collegiate offensive linemen setting their sights on the NFL, are with technique.   And this blocker certainly did respond to coaching as the week progressed.  Once these rough edges are smoothed, Shawn Lauvao has a legitimate future as a guard prospect.
Vladimir Ducasse OL UMass 6045 326 34 9 1/4
Monday Practice Notes: A prospect who was expected to get some looks at guard, Ducasse spent the day at left tackle.  Ducasse struggled shooting his punch and landing it properly.   As such he was beat on multiple occassions in pass protection.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Today, Ducasse did see limited action at guard.  His footwork and agility has yet to be an issue.   His problems continue manifest from problems in his technique up top.  Ducasse can be terribly inconsistent with his punch and aiming point.  He is aggressive and quick off the snap in the run game.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Continued to show promise and disappointment.   Ducasse’s first step while run blocking is simply explosive.   One could question if he was jumping the snap or he really has that type of burst in short areas.   His pass blocking was highly inefficient.   One set he would show a nice kick step while mirroring defenders.   Others, the tackle was beaten clean by several opponents.
Analysis: Whispers began ruminating around the practice field about the potentiality of Ducasse sneaking into the late first round with strong play this week.   Unfortunately, said level of play was never achieved.  Teams do love his prospective talent as either a guard or tackle.  He certainly displays very good athleticism and quickness.   He is blessed enough in said areas, along with long arms, to potentially be a left tackle at the next level.   In the end many came away disappointed with his erratic play in multiple areas.   His technique was sadly lacking in his hand play.  His hands were too wide on most occasions and rarely thrown with authority.  Vlad Ducasse does have enough potential to be a second or third round prospect that can grow into multiple positions along the offensive line.
Ed Wang OL Virginia Tech 6047 315 34 10 1/4
Monday Practice Notes: Displayed a lack of power and was simply bowled over on one particular occasion.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Again, Wang’s inability to sit in his pass set and anchor against stronger defenders caused this lineman troubles.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Despite some of the issues earlier in the week, Wang improved.   Those around him believe it was due to a change in footwear.   He certainly looked smooth in his pass set with a good kick step.   He help up well against the likes of Michigan’s Brandon Graham getting good fits on multiple occasions.   His post leg was still a little weak which caused couple problems early, but overall a solid effort was seen.
Analysis: Despite less than rave reviews about his play, Wang does posses the necessary tools to grow into a very good NFL offensive lineman.   He continually slides well in his pass set.   He displays very good athleticism.  And lest one forgets, he is technically still learning the position as a former tight end.  As such one thing became increasingly evident.  Even at 315 pounds and posting good weight room numbers, Wang does not possess the amount of functional strength needed to consistently anchor in his pass set or drive defenders off the football.
Sam Young OL Notre Dame 6076 305 34 1/8 10
Monday Practice Notes: Appeared very stiff throughout practice.  Young was not able to use his length to his advantage.  He worked on his extention throughout and had trouble really sitting in his pass set.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Slight improvement was seen particularly in his ability to land his punch with his hands high and tight.   He is not the strongest at the point of attack,  but his height was not the disadvantage it proved to be just  day ago.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Not the best of athletes, Young continues to look technically sound.   He was able to hold off some powerful ends in pass rush drills in multiple instances as a result.
Analysis: Long, lean, and inflexible…not a very good combination.  Young is a polished right tackle prospect that has no other position in the NFL.   Unfortunately, he continues to show cracks in that golden dome plated armor.  At a legitimate 6-feet-7 inches (and some change) in height, the right tackle has a skinny lower body which appears unreceptive to hip flexibility.   He constantly plays too high.  The rest of his play suffers despite very good technique with his hands and feet.  If Young is able to add weight to his linear frame, which he certainly has the room to do, he shall become a much more viable prospect to stay in the league once drafted in the mid to late rounds.
Mike Windt LS Cincinnati 6011 249 30 ¼ 9
Monday Practice Notes:
Tuesday Practice Notes:
Wednesday Practice Notes:
Thursday Practice Notes:
Analysis:
Alex Carrington DL Arkansas State 6052 284 31 3/8 10 1/2
Monday Practice Notes: An impressive physical specimen, Carrington showed some flashes of potential as a pass rusher throwing multiple moves into the equation.  He was not always able to beat opposing lineman from larger conferences, but he displayed an aptitude to vary up his approach.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Carrington’s power has been impressive over the past two days.   The highlight of the day was Carrington getting into Mike Iupati’s chest with a great bull rush and driving the offensive lineman into the ground as he arrived at his aiming point.   What this end has done two days in a row is use power moves described above and then countering those same moves to the dismay of opposing blockers.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Just continues to look solid all around.   His has attacked offensive linemen aggressively.   He has tremendous power.   Today, Shawn Lauvao became his victim as Carrington blew through and over the blocker with the authority one should expect of a penetrator running a proper stunt.   Carrington looks more like a potential 5 technique for 34 based teams with his spectacular play.
Analysis: Automatically impresses onlookers with a sculpted and powerful physique.   This small school product certainly looks the part, and his play during this time was just as noteworthy.  Carrington likely improved his overall stock more than any other in attendance as a result.  He flashed fantastic strength on multiple imposing bull rushes decleating offensive linemen.  While some questioned said aspect of his game entering this week, Carrington may have solidified himself as a late second round option.
Brandon Graham DL Michigan 6010 263 30 ½ 9 7/8
Monday Practice Notes: Another whose physical prowess was apparent, yet nothing of note stuck out particularly with his play.  Graham was able to explode off the line, but was generally neutralized.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Because of Graham’s stature, he always comes off the ball low and hard.  So his natural leverage advantage is only magnified when the former Wolverine dishes out an array of pass rush moves.  He constantly worked to counter offensive linemen and displayed a quick and efficient spin move.  He was able to get consistent pressure off the edge.
Wednesday Practice Notes: An interesting case because Graham continues to be a presence, yet has done nothing truly spectacular to set himself apart as an top talent.  He has, and did show the ability, to clean an offensive lineman’s hands with ease and blow right past them.   He also can get locked up and become a relative non-factor.
Analysis: It may be a cliché at this point, but Graham certainly does look more than a linebacker than a defensive end.   He was never given the opportunity to test his abilities from a two point stance even though he is consistently projected as a 34 outside linebacker.  His size becomes somewhat less of an issue after legitimately measuring out at 6-feet-1-inch tall and 263 pounds.  On the field, Graham was a steady and consistent performer.   He displayed explosive tendencies off his initial step while shortening the edge.   He used his natural leverage advantage to win multiple encounters.  Though, he can be neutralized when much larger offensive lineman fit up properly.  Brandon Graham entered the week as a potential late first/early second round possibility and did nothing to hurt said status.
Austen Lane DL Murray State 6060 267 33 ¾ 10
Monday Practice Notes: Long and lean, Austen Lane battled and was quite fired up in today’s practice.  He was not able to beat most of his opponents, but he was ready to mix it up at a moment’s notice.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Lane is a straight line edge rusher who has yet to fully overwhelm offensive linemen with his bull rush.   His length can give some opponents fits at times, but overall his play can be easily overlooked.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Improvement is the word of the day.   Lane flashed more pass rush ability showing multiple moves and varying up his attack points.
Analysis: Better and better with each passing repetition, it was obvious Lane gained more confidence throughout the process.  Physically, he is notable athlete off the edge.  The former Murray State product has the long and lean frame which is ideal for pass rushers.  His issues came revolved around consistently being able to take advantage of those physical gifts.  Lane is raw in his technique and does not always show the ability to dip the shoulder and gain the edge.  But he did display some subtle nuances Wednesday giving the indication he can be a potential threat as an edge rusher.  Like many small school products, just the ability to play against better competition helped his status.
Koa Misi DL Utah 6026 244 32 ½ 9 5/8
Monday Practice Notes: Moved to linebacker throughout this practice, Misi was better in coverage than expected.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Misi shows the makings of an outside linebacker but has a long way to go.  He gets depth on drops and makes a lot of plays sideline-to-sideline.  His athleticism is apparent but Misi really shows no feel for coverage and rarely made plays when the ball was in the air.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Shows very good quickness and good lateral movement for his size.  Had trouble over pursuing and had to be coached up in 1-on-1 tacking drills.  In 11-on-11 he continued to have issues with his angles, getting to the ball carrier on a consistent basis, and looked tentative in coverage.  Continued to give good effort throughout practice and his athleticism allowed him to overcome some mistakes.
Analysis: Misi leaves one of the big winners from the week.  He played relatively well Monday and Tuesday at linebacker before everything really clicked for him on Wednesday.  He’s fast, athletic and most impressively, showed a decent feel for coverage on the money day.  The few times they lined Misis up at defensive end in drills he was explosive.
O’Brien Schofield DL Wisconsin 6021 238 31 ¾ 9 1/2
Monday Practice Notes: Left practice due to what appeared to be a knee injury.
Tuesday Practice Notes: ACL tear has ended is week.
Analysis:
Tyson Aluala DL California 6022 291 32 9 5/8
Monday Practice Notes: Works hard each and every single play.   Alualu is an overachiever who continued to swat hands, counter, and work his way upfield.  Spent most of the day at defensive tackle, this former Cal Bear bumped out to end late in the day.
Tuesday Practice Notes: One aspect of Alualu’s game that is both a strength and a weakness is his ability to clean hands and counter properly.   He has shown the ability to do so consistently, yet does so by often popping straight up in his stance.   And on those occasions when this defensive lineman does not beat his blocker to the punch, they have an open chest to punch and gain complete control.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Tendencies always present themselves as this particular week progresses.  Alualu continued to work his hands, gets off blocks, and hustles.   Playing a little more at defensive end today, the Cal product was slightly overmatched simply because he is not the best athlete off the edge.
Analysis: It is always enjoyable to watch a player like Tyson Alualu.   He is the consistent overachiever who is reliable each snap.  A coach always knows what to expect.  Now the question becomes…what position is Alualu most equipped to play at the next level?  As a five or seven technique in the 43, this former Cal Bear lacked the explosive qualities asked of those predominant pass rushers as seen through this week’s small sample size.   As a two gap five technique, Alualu clearly looks more comfortable due to his experience at California.  Some could argue he is slightly undersized for said position.   His consistent hand play, relative strength at the point of attack, lateral movement, and hustle make him ideal as a two gap end despite those perceived limitations.   Tyson Alualu is not a particularly exciting prospect, yet should hold much value with certain NFL teams.
Mike Neal DL Purdue 6027 293 33 10 1/4
Monday Practice Notes: Clearly explosive off the snap, Neal’s tremendous play at last week’s Shrine Game did not necessarily automatically transition into this week of practice.  He struggled to get off blocks on this particular day.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Firing off the ball low and hard, Neal does a nice job keeping a low pad level and gaining extension.   At this point in time, the defensive tackle has trouble getting of said blocks.   Also, his lack of overall size can be a detriment after being uprooted on a few occasions in today’s practice.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Continued to look very quick along the interior but simply has trouble shedding blocks.   Once Neal is engaged by a blocker, he is usually done for that play.
Analysis: A theme presents itself after reading Neal’s daily analysis:  quick, strong, yet struggles to get off blocks.    This pretty much sums up the week of play for the defensive tackle.  Against better competition as the Senior Bowl, as opposed the Shrine Game, this was exploited more so than his previous week’s work. Mike Neal is ideal for Cover 2 based teams which prefer undersized defensive linemen to play as either their one or three technique.
Jared Odrick DL Penn State 6051 301 34 ¼ 9 3/4
Monday Practice Notes: Very quick, Odrick was able to beat multiple offensive linemen before they got out of their stance.   This defensive lineman threw some solid clubs and rip moves.   He was able to get up field, although he lost some of his lane assignments.
Tuesday Practice Notes: One area to like in the defensive lineman’s game is his ability to get skinny and present less surface space to offensive lineman.   Odrick throws clubs and rip moves with authority and never gives blockers an overly large target.  He continues to fire quick off the ball, but had some trouble holding ground against more stout opponents.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Unblockable at times throughout this practice.   Odrick’s combination of length, quickness, and the ability to throw his hands effectively give this defender a decided advantage versus most of his regular opponents.  The former Penn State defensive lineman was a constant presence in the backfield and a handful to block.

Analysis: Arguably the only player to walk on to the field in Mobile as a legitimate first round prospect and leave the week as such (while potentially even improving his standing).   Jared Odrick has tremendous skills along the defensive interior.  His quickness off the snap is outstanding.   He uses his hands properly while throwing them with authority.   While he was not allotted the opportunity in Mobile, he has enough athleticism to play some defensive end in multiple schemes.  His one issue may be a lack of strength at the point of attack due to his long frame.  Though for most of the week, Jared Odrick was simply a disruptive force and a handful to block.
Cam Thomas DL North Carolina 6037 331 34 ¼ 10 1/4
Monday Practice Notes: A widebody who clogs up the middle but is merely content to bullrush and eat up blocks.   He was clearly powerful at the point of attack but did not show any pass rush ability.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Some improvement was seen in Thomas’ game today.  He still is not much of a pass rush presence from the interior, but he did work to counter moves and show more than a straight bull rush.  His pad level can get inconsistent throughout the day.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Powerful.   Thomas can be a bull in the middle of the line.   But his game basically revolves around this particular strength of his skill set.   He showed the ability to continually reestablish the line of scrimmage.   Past that point, he shows little else.  Though Thomas is certainly one of the fireplugs on the roster, constantly chirping and keeping his teammates buzzing.
Analysis: Certain players have certain skill sets which become immediately recognizable.   Cam Thomas is stout in the middle, strong as an ox, and loves to push people around.  He has the size and strength to project a true nose tackle, but was not challenged enough moving laterally.  Whatever the case, this bull in the middle of the ring has the size and ability to clog up the middle.
D’Anthony Smith DL Louisiana Tech 6020 300 32 9 5/8
Monday Practice Notes: Uneventful day with some flashes of pass rush ability in individual drills.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Smith’s quickness off the snap has given some linemen fits.  The defensive tackle does appear to lack some core strength after being found on the ground on multiple occasions after being engaged in a block and moving laterally.
Wednesday Practice Notes: This defensive lineman has a nondescript day but was coached up at one pint for not delivering a blow off the snap.
Analysis: Relatively quiet all week, Smith really did not exhibit his athleticism to the level which could have been expected.   Yes, this defensive tackle was quick off the snap.   Yet he was never able to really become a consistent penetrating force and was found on the ground far too often.  D’Anthony Smith walked in as a mid round prospect and left as such.
Donald Butler LB Washington 6011 244 31 5/8 9 1/2
Monday Practice Notes: Physical inside linebacker that displayed good recognition skills in this practice.  Struggled outside of the box but filled nicely today.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Butler lined up at middle linebacker for the most part and seemed out of position.  He possesses a good head for the ball and was quick to diagnose the action.  He’s effective moving up the field and explodes through the gaps.  Butler really struggles taking on blocks and was easily moved from the action.  He also showed limited skills making plays in reverse.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Showed he could be physical at times but had an up and down practice during coverage drills.  Stepped up his game some during team scrimmage work began and seemed to get more productive as practice went on.
Analysis: Butler was solid all week.  He showed better than advertised quickness, explosion and was very aggressive.  Not much was expected from Butler but he delivered big.
Phillip Dillard LB Nebraska
Monday Practice Notes:
Tuesday Practice Notes:Really struggled in coverage and doing anything outside the box.  Tough, and worked hard but looks like nothing more than a two down, run defender.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Stiff in his hips and looked awkward in agility drills.  Never looked comfortable in coverage, but played better against the run.  Overall, did nothing to distinguish himself from the group.
Analysis: Dillard worked hard all week and gave a lot of effort.  He just presents himself as a limited athlete and is one-dimensional on the field.
AJ Edds LB Iowa 6035 245 32 ½ 9 1/8
Monday Practice Notes: Edds has always been solid in his pass drops, but he continued to show a physicality against the run while taking on bigger offensvie linemen.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Edds is an intelligent linebacker with a good head for the action.  He also did not present himself as a good athlete and looked very heavy legged.  He has minimal quickness and did not play.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Does a very good job of squaring up on ball carriers and wrapping up.  What he lacks in speed and athleticism, he helps make up for a little bit with his fundamentals and effort.  Plays smart and was rarely out of position, but it is obvious that he lacks the physical tools of his counterparts.
Analysis: Edds is another with limited quickness and speed.  He does possess an NFL type of body and plays a cerebral game which complimented his aggressive style well.
Daryl Washington LB TCU 6016 226 33 ¾ 9 1/8
Monday Practice Notes: Very quick and athletic, Washington made plays all over the field this afternoon.  His area of concern on this day was holding his coverage for extended periods of time against the North’s receiving tight ends.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Washington is a nice athlete and did an effective job in coverage.  He got depth on drops and easily ran downfield with tight ends.
Wednesday Practice Notes: A little slow reading plays as they developed at times, but showed good recovery thanks in part to his sideline to sideline speed.  Showed good athleticism, used his hands well in getting off blocks, stayed with his man in coverage, and overall, had a very solid practice throughout.
Analysis: Washington leaves Senior Bowl practices as a winner and someone who elevated his draft stock.  He was the most athletic of all the linebackers on the North and could be the only true three down defender.  His slight of frame but plays big, which scouts loved.
Sean Weatherspoon LB Missouri 6007 241 30 1/8 10
Monday Practice Notes: Moving back and forth from the outside to the inside, Weatherspoon was reacting well, sticking routes, sniffing out runs, playing downhill, and solid in coverage. Solid all around performance.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Weatherspoon’s play was poor today.  He is a quick, nifty athlete that was able to immediately alter his angle of attack to make plays.  He also flows well laterally to the play and shows a good amount of speed.  Problem is he could not tackle anyone and Weatherspoon’s tackles were almost always broken, which resulted in gains for ball carriers.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Played physical.  He was dishing out some big hits on the ball carriers, but was rarely wrapping them up in the process.  Looked comfortable with his coverage assignments and for the most part fought off blocks well.
Analysis: Weatherspoon was not to impressive at any time.  We liked his attitude and approach but he rarely made tackles in the open field and ball carriers were constantly picking up yardage after breaking his tackles.  Sources on Thursday told us they do not expect Weatherspoon to run very well at the combine.
Chris Cook CB Virginia 6016 212 32 9 3/8
Monday Practice Notes: A big physical corner who looked better with the ball in front of him than trailing.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Cook looked athletic on the field yet was very inconsistent.  When he found the ball he made a lot of positive plays but all to often he was late reacting and showed poor instincts.  His size and strength are very apparent.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Looked much better today and really started to pull it together.  Cook is big and physical and once he sees the ball he effectively defends it.  He does tend to struggle when not facing the action and looks purely like a bump and run cover.
Analysis: Cook improved as the week went on and looked solid by Wednesday.  He’s a big corner who physically beats down opponents and was very effective facing the action.  Cook struggled a bit with his back to the ball and may only fit certain schemes but overall it was a good showing by the Cavalier senior.
Brandon Ghee DB Wake Forest 5113 189 31 7/8 10 3/8
Monday Practice Notes: Despite a day where the cornerbacks were not challenged all very often deep, Ghee was able to run with the fastest and quickest targets on the field.
Tuesday Practice Notes: It was an awful day for Ghee.  His footwork was terribly slow in drills to start off with then he seemed out of sorts in seven-on-sevens as well as during the scrimmage.  Ghee was constantly late reacting to the action and just did not look himself.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Ghee had another up and down session.  He’s physical and beats down opponents but really showed little in the way of instincts or ability to make plays on the ball if he does not press opponents from the get-go.
Analysis: Ghee leaves the Senior Bowl with more questions then when he arrived.  He’s physical yet showed little in the way of instincts and wherewithal.  He gave up a lot of receptions all week and really showed no cover skills in anything other than a small area.
Devin McCourty DB Rutgers 5106 186 31 ½ 8 3/4
Monday Practice Notes: McCourty was able to mirror his assignments throughout, yet was inconsistent.  One time playing the ball perfectly, while playing the body on another instance.  His athleticism on the island is apparent.
Tuesday Practice Notes: McCourty’s day was inconsistent.  He showed himself to be a strong corner and physically beat down Mardy Gilyard on a number of instances.  Yet when he was not able to press receivers it usually ended up in completions for the opposition.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Looked better.  For some reason showed a better burst to the ball out of his plant and did not struggle as much making plays with his back to the pass.  Overall a good performance by McCourty on the most important day of the week.
Analysis: McCourty was one of the better press corners in attendance.  If he got his hands on opponents he stopped the pass, otherwise he gave up the reception.  Did he improve his draft stock?  Yes- if you thought he was a third rounder coming into the week.
Syd’Quan Thompson DB California 5090 182 29 1/8 9 1/8
Monday Practice Notes: Drove on the ball quite well.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Thompson was solid all morning.  He played with good fundamentals and shows a nice burst to the ball out of his plant.  His deep speed is a concern yet to his credit Thompson battled every time he was on the field.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Thompson showed good ball skills and is effective in press coverage.  He possesses decent feet and hips.  What he does not have is a second gear and was beaten deep on a number of occasions.
Analysis: Thompson displayed terrific fundamentals and overall ball skills.  He was physical against opponents and broke up his fair share of passes.  Problem is he can’t run, does not possess any top end speed and was often beaten downfield by opponents.
Kyle Wilson DB Boise State 5100 190 30 9 1/4
Monday Practice Notes: Active day that saw Wilson all over the field in coverage.  Wilson did sit on routes quite a bit to help him throughout his day.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Wilson struggled with his footwork in drills but made a lot of plays once the ball was put in the air.  He’s quick and very explosive.  Wilson displayed good hip movement and a great burst to the ball.  He was very feisty, battled opponents at the line and really slowed their release off the snap.  The physical nature of his game really stood out.
Wednesday Practice Notes:Except for one pass completion, Wilson had another strong day.  Once again he was fast and explosive as well as physical.  He plays with a great degree of suddenness and really looks good.
Analysis: Wilson leaves the week of practice a big winner.  He was incredibly aggressive, explosive and shut opponents down.  He made receivers work hard just to get off the line and really displayed top ball skills.  We’d like to see him improve his backpedal a bit but after the three days of practice, Wilson may just slide into the late part of round one.
Larry Asante DB Nebraska 5117 211 31 9 1/4
Monday Practice Notes: Had his struggles while covering tight ends.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Asante surprised us in drills displaying terrific feet and hips.  He was explosive out of his plant and showed good hands.  For the most part that is where it ended as Asante rarely made plays on the ball once the passes started flying around.
Wednesday Practice Notes:Asante struggled making plays against the pass in drills as well as scrimmage.  He’s a solid run defender and strong, wrap-up tackles.
Analysis: Asante looked good every day in drills but really struggled to bring that into the scrimmage or man coverage assignments.  In the end he gave of more than we thought and deserves credit for a solid week.
Kurt Coleman DB Ohio State 5100 187 29 3/8 9 1/8
Monday Practice Notes: Coleman looked very fluid in movement drills but was not very physical in coverage was beaten on a couple occasions.
Tuesday Practice Notes: Coleman was used all over the secondary; at free safety, strong safety and occasionally line up over the slot receiver.  He was solid and made plays in coverage yet by no means stood out.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Had a rather non-descript day.  Looks terrific in drills but really did not make plays on the ball in scrimmage.
Analysis: We liked Coleman’s play in ‘09 but we thought he’d produce more this week.  He just seemed very non-descript on the field.  Maybe that’s not a bad thing.  Starting on Monday coaches had not worries about placing Coleman over the slot receiver in man coverage.  He did not make plays yet he did not get burned either.
Kyle McCarthy DB Notre Dame 5114 203 28 ¾ 8 3/4
Monday Practice Notes: This safety was slow reacting in his drop and lacked the speed to make up the difference while in coverage.
Tuesday Practice Notes: McCarthy struggled all day.  He looked okay in drills yet displayed a poor break to the throw and minimal range in seven-on-sevens as well as in scrimmage.
Wednesday Practice Notes:
Analysis: McCarthy was up and down all week.  Just when we were ready to rip him he would respond with good plays.  We are still not sure he is anything other than a zone/strong safety, but it was tough to really poke holes in his entire game.
Terrell Skinner DB Maryland 6021 214 32 9 1/4
Monday Practice Notes: Skinner appeared fluid and moved weill in individual drills.  He was able to cover a lot of ground in his back pedal and drive on the football.  His former cornerback skills came back a bit on this day.   He was able to pick of North quarterback Tony Pike at one point in practice.
Tuesday Practice Notes: After a solid session on Monday, Skinner struggled today.  His pedal looked poor, he struggled in reverse and had several tackles broken in scrimmage.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Skinner was very disappointing to us.  He struggled pedaling in reverse and had trouble covering even tight ends.
Analysis: Skinner started hot then faded.  By Wednesday he was consistently getting beat by tight ends in coverage.  Not a way to end the week.
Zoltan Mesko P Michigan 6042 235 32 7/8 10
Monday Practice Notes:
Tuesday Practice Notes:Inconsistent day.  Had some long punts of 50-yards plus and handled pressure well.  That said he’s very slow getting the ball off his foot, does not drive punts nor get great hang time.
Wednesday Practice Notes: Another poor outing from Mesko.
Analysis: Did nothing to make us think he can punt at the next level.
Brett Swenson PK Michigan State 5077 173 28 ½ 9
Monday Practice Notes:
Tuesday Practice Notes:
Wednesday Practice Notes:

Analysis:

Senior Bowl Buzz: Thursday

28 Jan

The coaches favorite?Most of the coaches and general managers have left Mobile and just a skeleton staff of scouts from most of the 32 teams remain at the Senior Bowl.  Yet there’s plenty of buzz on the field and in the hotel and we’ve got it for you.

-  What will the Seattle Seahawks do with the 14th pick of round one?  The word at the Senior Bowl is Pete Carroll loves his former USC star Taylor Mays yet the scouting staff really does not think Mays can handle the safety position at the next level, even in the Seahawks defense.  In his press conference yesterday South coach Tony Sparano alluded to something we’ve said all week; Mays cannot play outside the numbers.  It will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds.

- Joique Bell will participate in the Michigan State pro-day on March 17th.  Smart move as it gives the small school back another opportunity to show off his skills against top competition.  Bell has really helped himself in Mobile.

- Another player who’s helped himself with a terrific week of practice in Mobile is TCU linebacker Daryl Washington.  The consensus is Washington is the superior athlete of any linebacker from both teams and one of the few true three down players at the position.

-  Scouts have also like what they’ve witnessed from Javier Arenas.  Most feel he’ll run well at the combine and will be selected in the 3rd/4th round area.

- Close sources have told us the Green Bay Packers will concentrate cornerbacks and offensive tackles in April’s draft.  Specifically they will be looking for smaller, quick corners.

- We had a long conversation with one of the head scouts from the Tennessee Titans during Thursday mornings practice.  Talking about different players our conversation shifted to Western Illinois defensive back Patrick Stoudamire, who played in last weeks Shrine Game.  The general thought is Stoudamire, who played cornerback in college, would be better off at the safety position in the NFL.  His body type (Stoudamire has a thick lower body more reminiscent of a ball carrier), classroom intelligence (he’s a double major with a 3.9 GPA) and aggressive style would be better off in centerfield.

- Just spoke with Alabama tight end Colin Peek.  He did not practice yesterday and will not participate in no-pads practice today.  He told us he was suffering from the stomach flu which is making its’ way through the South team.  He was sent to the hospital and given IV’s.  Peek told us Roy Upchurch is another victim of the flu.  He expects to play on Saturday.

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