TFY Senior Bowl Analysis

[mayoclinic]

TFYdraft has their summary of the daily practice notes for each player along with a weekly analysis:

Senior Bowl: South Practice Page
Senior Bowl: North Practice Page

It's interesting because you can see daily practice summaries plus an overall analysis. Some analyses of interest:

- Tim Tebow, QB, Florida: "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."

- Sean Canfield, QB, Oregon: "Canfield 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."

- Dexter McCluster, RB, Mississippi: "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."

- Jimmy Graham, TE, Miami: "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."

- Dorin ****erson, TE, Pittsburgh: "****erson 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 ****erson be used at the next level?"

- Colin Peek, TE, Alabama: "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."

- Jacoby Ford, WR, Clemson: "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."

- Marshawn Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati: "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."

- Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho: "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." This is much less enthusiastic than move reviews of Iupati's Senior Bowl week.

- Mike Johnson, OG, Alabama: "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."

- Vlad Ducasse, OL, UMass: "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."

- Ciron Black, OL, LSU: "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."

- Terrance Cody, DT, Alabama: "What 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."

- Jared Odrick, DE/DT, Penn St.: "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."

- Alex Carrington, DE, Arkansas St.: "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, DE, Michigan: "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, DE, Murray St.: "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."

 

[mayoclinic]

A few more analyses (too long to fit into the previous post):

- Koa Misi, DE, Utah: "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."

- George Selvie, DE, USF: "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."

- Eric Norwood, LB, South Carolina: "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."

- AJ Edds, LB, Iowa: "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."

- Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Missouri: "Weatherspoon was not too 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."

- Taylor Mays, S, USC: "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."

- Myron Rolle, S, Florida St.: "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."

- Brandon Ghee, CB, Wake Forrest: "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."

- Patrick Robinson, CB, Florida St.: "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."

- Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers: "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, CB, Cal: "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, CB, Boise St.: "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."

- Zoltan Mesko, P, Michigan: "Did nothing to make us think he can punt at the next level."

 

[mayoclinic]

Scouts Inc. from ESPN Insider also has analysis on prospects.

They had previously rated Vlad Ducasse the #31 prospect on their big board. Their Senior Bowl summary:

"Grade = C-. We knew coming in that Ducasse was a raw prospect. His limited football experience, the lower level of competition he faced in college and the fact that English is his second language all work against him, but we had no idea just how much work be needs. Ducasse looks dominant because he moves well for his size and simply engulfs and manhandles defenders at the FCS level. We saw at the Senior Bowl weight-in, though, that he needs to develop physically and turn some of his baby fat into muscle. The bigger issues were on the field, however. Ducasse was very inconsistent and appeared to take time to absorb what the coaches were telling him and then putting it into action. He struggled to deliver a strong punch as a run blocker and did not play with a wide base or sink his hips well. In addition, his footwork is too raw for him to hold up on the edge and we see him as a better fit at guard. Ducasse had a chance to prove himself at tackle and get into the first-round discussion, but he has so far to go that he clearly does not rank among th elite offensive line prospects and is now in the third-round range. "

Scouts Inc.: Scouting UMass OL Vladimir Ducasse at the Senior Bowl - ESPN

 

[mayoclinic]

Scouts Inc. Senior Bowl analysis on Dan Williams:

"Grade = B+. Williams used Senior Bowl week to clearly separate himself from Alabama's Terrence Cody as the best two-gap defensive tackle in this year's draft. Cody was completely out of shape at the weigh-in while Williams carried his 329 pounds well. Most of his weight was in his trunk, which is what you want from a player who is asked to anchor and hold his ground against double-teams. Williams did both of those things much better than Cody during practice, using his arms to control defenders and showing more balance and athleticism. In fact, Williams had such a strong overall week that he is solidly in the late-first round area. He is the prototypical two-gap player and will be capable of playing at the NFL in either a 4-3 system in which he protects the linebackers or in a 3-4 scheme in which he lines up at nose tackle. Williams would grade out a bit higher if he had a wider arsenal of pass rush moves to complement his strong bull rush, but he helped himself a lot at the Senior Bowl."

Scouts Inc.: Scouting Tennessee DT Dan Williams at the Senior Bowl - ESPN

 

[bucky]

Mayo,

thanks for posting this link. This is by far the most thorough and comprehensive evaluation I've seen from the Pro Bowl. Based mostly on these comments, here are some of my thoughts:

- Seems like a rather weak CB class this year. All the more important to get Bodden resigned.

- Conversely, it looks like a deep TE class. Wouldn't be surprised if we took 2 this year - one in the early rounds and another one in the later ones.

- O'Brien Schofield tore his ACL. That's too bad for the kid. I definitely think he's worth a flier in the 6th or 7th round. He'll be out all year, but considering he's a conversion project anyway, it's not that bad.

- The only player at the Sr Bowl I'd expect the Pats to consider at 22 is Odrick. But I wonder if he's more of a 1-gap DT. That will be the question that has to be answered.

- Koa Misi hasn't been mentioned much, but he sounds like a legit OLB prospect. He's taller and has longer arms than Graham and can probably play in the 250s. And he's be more of a complete OLB as opposed to a great pass rusher who would have to learn the coverage part of the game.

- Carrington is going to get a lot of hype after this performance, but according to these guys, he projects as a 34 DE, not OLB. Which means he's going to have to add 15-20 lbs and work quite a bit on his technique. Also, for a guy who's 6'5", he's got pretty short arms - almost 3 inches shorter than Odrick's . And long arms are critical for a 5 technique in the Pats' scheme.

- One guy I'm torn about is McCluster. On the one hand, it would be great to have a guy who's so explosive and can line up at WR or RB and it sounds like he could be the guy. On the other hand, I can't see a 165 lb guy playing in the NFL. Darren Sproles is 2 inches shorter and 20 lbs heavier. And McCluster only has 1 year of real productivity. Sproles was an amazing college RB.

 

[mayoclinic]

Mayo,

thanks for posting this link. This is by far the most thorough and comprehensive evaluation I've seen from the Pro Bowl.

No problem. Their coverage is terrific, especially their format. It's really helpful to be able to read their daily practice notes on a player for 3 days in a row followed by a summary analysis.

Based mostly on these comments, here are some of my thoughts:

- Seems like a rather weak CB class this year. All the more important to get Bodden resigned.

I agree. There's Joe Haden and then there's a bunch of other guys who are still clumped together. Donovan Warren, Brandon Ghee, Kyle Wilson, Kareem Jackson, Amari Spievey. Guys like Trevard Lindley and Patrick Robinson were underwhelming at the Senior Bowl. While Wilson was the big winner at the Senior Bowl, I'm still not sure there's a clear 1st round CB after Haden, who will likely go top 10.

- Conversely, it looks like a deep TE class. Wouldn't be surprised if we took 2 this year - one in the early rounds and another one in the later ones.

You could be correct. I think a late round TE is almost a certainty. Someone like Alabama's Colin Peek or Stanford's Jim Dray, both of whom are terrific blockers with good hands. Opinions are mixed on Jimmy Graham from Miami, but I wouldn't rule him out yet.

I personally don't want to see an "early" round TE, but a 3rd-4th round guy like Tony Moeaki, Ed ****son, or Dennis Pitta is an option.

- O'Brien Schofield tore his ACL. That's too bad for the kid. I definitely think he's worth a flier in the 6th or 7th round. He'll be out all year, but considering he's a conversion project anyway, it's not that bad.

Very sad about Schofield. I wasn't certain he was a good fit for us, but I'd be happy to take a 6ht-7th round flier on him.

- The only player at the Sr Bowl I'd expect the Pats to consider at 22 is Odrick. But I wonder if he's more of a 1-gap DT. That will be the question that has to be answered.

I'm still not sold on Odrick, and I'd probably trade back from 22 for him if he was the target. I think Dan Williams would be better value at 22 out of the Senior Bowl group.

- Koa Misi hasn't been mentioned much, but he sounds like a legit OLB prospect. He's taller and has longer arms than Graham and can probably play in the 250s. And he's be more of a complete OLB as opposed to a great pass rusher who would have to learn the coverage part of the game.

I'd take Misi over Graham at either OLB or SILB. He has a bit more height, he's shown that he can play LB and play in space, and he apparently looked good in coverage at the Senior Bowl. He excels at the trench warfare kind of skills which the Pats covet in their LBs. Graham is a better pass rusher. Misi is a more complete player.

- Carrington is going to get a lot of hype after this performance, but according to these guys, he projects as a 34 DE, not OLB. Which means he's going to have to add 15-20 lbs and work quite a bit on his technique. Also, for a guy who's 6'5", he's got pretty short arms - almost 3 inches shorter than Odrick's . And long arms are critical for a 5 technique in the Pats' scheme.

Valid points. Carrington looked terrific at the Senior Bowl, but his short arms and the lack of clarity about where he pays are issues that have to be addressed. It's fashionable to compare Carrington to Jarron Gilbert from last year, but Gilbert had 35 5/8" arms, which is a huge difference.

- One guy I'm torn about is McCluster. On the one hand, it would be great to have a guy who's so explosive and can line up at WR or RB and it sounds like he could be the guy. On the other hand, I can't see a 165 lb guy playing in the NFL. Darren Sproles is 2 inches shorter and 20 lbs heavier. And McCluster only has 1 year of real productivity. Sproles was an amazing college RB.

I think someone will pick McCluster before I would, which is the early 3rd round.

 

[ausbacker]

I love Tebow as a competitor, but it was brutally painful watching him play at the Senior Bowl. I really would like him to succeed, I just can't see how it's going to happen.

 

[PatsCanDoIt]

I'd take Misi over Graham at either OLB or SILB. He has a bit more height, he's shown that he can play LB and play in space, and he apparently looked good in coverage at the Senior Bowl. He excels at the trench warfare kind of skills which the Pats covet in their LBs. Graham is a better pass rusher. Misi is a more complete player.

I don't think Misi can play OLB for us every down. His best pressure comes when he is blitzed, coverage sack, and unblocked. He isn't a good pass rusher. I think Ninkovich might be better outside. I want to see some accurate combine numbers on him. I do like him at SILB though.

 

[mayoclinic]

I don't think Misi can play OLB for us every down. His best pressure comes when he is blitzed, coverage sack, and unblocked. He isn't a good pass rusher. I think Ninkovich might be better outside. I want to see some accurate combine numbers on him. I do like him at SILB though.

I agree that Misi would be best at SILB.

 

[MaineMan]

I wonder how Carrington might perform in a TBC-type role if he shed about 5-10 pounds instead of packing more on.

 

[BlackFrancis]

I agree. There's Joe Haden and then there's a bunch of other guys who are still clumped together. Donovan Warren, Brandon Ghee, Kyle Wilson, Kareem Jackson, Amari Spievey. Guys like Trevard Lindley and Patrick Robinson were underwhelming at the Senior Bowl. While Wilson was the big winner at the Senior Bowl, I'm still not sure there's a clear 1st round CB after Haden, who will likely go top 10.

I defy anybody to watch tape of Perrish Cox and the season he put on for OK State and tell me he's not a first round prospect. Of course, you'd have to ignore the fact that he'll be voted "Most likely to murder a teammate" at the combine but the talent is certainly there. And if you ignored tackling aptitude and technique, you could make a case that Cox is right there with Haden.

After McGowan's sissy revelations over the past couple of days, maybe this secondary could use an infusion of toughness from a dude who might have killed a Mexican during his gang initiation.

 

[SanAngeloState]

I defy anybody to watch tape of Perrish Cox and the season he put on for OK State and tell me he's not a first round prospect. Of course, you'd have to ignore the fact that he'll be voted "Most likely to murder a teammate" at the combine but the talent is certainly there. And if you ignored tackling aptitude and technique, you could make a case that Cox is right there with Haden.

After McGowan's sissy revelations over the past couple of days, maybe this secondary could use an infusion of toughness from a dude who might have killed a Mexican during his gang initiation.

McGowan's sissy revelations ...what?

 

[BlackFrancis]

McGowan's sissy revelations ...what?

In a Curran article last week, McGowan gave a ration to Levoir for destroying Donald Strickland on a pull block. His displeasure was echoed by Butler, which indicates there may be a toughness problem with the Patriots secondary.

 

[upstater1]

I defy anybody to watch tape of Perrish Cox and the season he put on for OK State and tell me he's not a first round prospect. Of course, you'd have to ignore the fact that he'll be voted "Most likely to murder a teammate" at the combine but the talent is certainly there. And if you ignored tackling aptitude and technique, you could make a case that Cox is right there with Haden.

After McGowan's sissy revelations over the past couple of days, maybe this secondary could use an infusion of toughness from a dude who might have killed a Mexican during his gang initiation.

Just curious, what world do you live in?

 

[BlackFrancis]

Just curious, what world do you live in?

Might be more productive to highlight your disagreement, rather than issue the general ad hominem dismissal. Is it Cox's talent you dispute or his gang related past or present?

 

[SanAngeloState]

In a Curran article last week, McGowan gave a ration to Levoir for destroying Donald Strickland on a pull block. His displeasure was echoed by Butler, which indicates there may be a toughness problem with the Patriots secondary.

They're lousy bums for that. It was a block, it's football. I hate loud mouth stinkers like that.

Secondary needs to practice this thing called "tackling".

In pre-season do they have tackling drills or are they too worried about injuries or do they consider the players too advanced for that? Cause we are BAD at it.

 

[mayoclinic]

I defy anybody to watch tape of Perrish Cox and the season he put on for OK State and tell me he's not a first round prospect. Of course, you'd have to ignore the fact that he'll be voted "Most likely to murder a teammate" at the combine but the talent is certainly there. And if you ignored tackling aptitude and technique, you could make a case that Cox is right there with Haden.

I should have included Cox in my list. And I certainly haven't watched all of Oklahoma St.'s season. But he's certainly not a concensus 1st round pick right now.

 

[bucky]

They're lousy bums for that. It was a block, it's football. I hate loud mouth stinkers like that.

Secondary needs to practice this thing called "tackling".

In pre-season do they have tackling drills or are they too worried about injuries or do they consider the players too advanced for that? Cause we are BAD at it.

That's a very interesting find. It's not clear whether they were being sarcastic or serious. If they were being serious, they shouldn't be playing football. I believe LeVoir got a game ball from BB after that game.

 

[mayoclinic]

TFY's analysis of Dan Williams, which was missing when I made this thread yesterday:

- Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee: "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."

I would include Williams in my short list of 5 or 6 guys worth taking at 22.

 

[BlackFrancis]

I should have included Cox in my list. And I certainly haven't watched all of Oklahoma St.'s season. But he's certainly not a concensus 1st round pick right now.

Absolutely agree. There is no chance he goes in the first round. But he is talented enough to go in the first, if he weren't a knucklehead. As it stands, he'll likely get picked in the third or fourth, unless someone digs up a truly disturbing Perrish Cox story before late April.