I got to watch the South Practices today on NFL network, so I thought I would share some of my notes.
Notes from the South Practice
- The South D-Line was a dominant unit and they really overmatched the O-Line in one on ones, although they do have an advantage due to the amount of space.
- Quinten Coples showed both speed and power moves to get into the backfield and really cause some problems.
- Courtney Upshaw was almost unblockable and really stood out as a competitor. I don’t think his measurables are an issue, and I think his height matched his style of play well because it allow him to out leverage his opponents.
- Melvin Ingram lacks size and length, but makes up for it with explosion off the line and gets into the backfield with ease.
- Brandon Thompson flashed some explosion inside, and looks a good fit as a 4-3 DT.
- Kheston Randle showed some power inside and tossed some O-lineman around when he got leverage. He’s a much better run defender than pass rusher and I like his as a 3-4 DE.
- Tony Jerod-Eddie really showed some power with some strong bull rushes and has good size as a potential 3-4 DE at 6’4” 301lbs and 34 3/8 inch arms.
- Janoris Jenkins is by far the best CB at the Senior Bowl and I would have no problem taking him in the first round. He is undersized, but he is a quality cover corner and I think he is probably the #3 CB in the draft behind Claiborne and Kirkpatrick.
- Dwight Bentley flashed some ability, but he still needs some work, especially against double moves. Brandon Boykin is another guy that showed some ability and great athleticism, although he too is undersized
- Brandon Taylor is an intelligent and physical player who I think would fit well in the secondary. Markel Martin also looked good on the 1 play I saw of him breaking up a pass to a TE.
- Chris Rainey is FAST, and he burnt Jenkins deep on 1 play, however Jenkins came back to break up the next ball. Rainey needs a lot of work on his route running, but you can’t teach world class speed.
- Juron Criner has been a favourite of mine for a while and he looked pretty good, especially when making the catch of the day with a 1 handed catch thrown too far inside. Although he measured in a bit shorter than expected at 6’2”, he has HUGE hands and uses his body well. And he still hasn’t had the opportunity to show off his best asset, his ability after the catch.
- Joe Adams looked really good, and is really quick in and out of his breaks. I think he is going to be a good player in the NFL as a WR/KR guy.
- Dwight Jones was a little disappointing, but the biggest concern for me was the size of his hands. They are only 9 inches, which is tiny for a guy his size and much smaller than all of the other big WR’s. To put it into perspective, his hands are the same size as sub 5’8” Marquise Maze. I think it could explain some of his issues catching the ball and is a big red flag
- Jeff Fuller looks good at 6’4” with a huge wingspan, but he really wasn’t impressive to me. He is really slow off the line and takes a long time to build up his speed. He is also really slow in and out of his breaks and will struggle to gain separation. If he was more physical it wouldn’t be as much of a problem, but he is soft and is really going to struggle gaining separation and getting off the line against press coverage. His hands are also poor and he doesn’t compete at all.
- I think Ladarius Green could be a guy to watch at TE. He needs a lot of work as a blocker, and really needs to bulk up because he is 6056 237lbs. He has huge upside as a pass catcher and I think he could be a solid option in the 4th round.
- Zach Brown showed his elite athleticism in coverage, and Butch Davis thinks he could even play SLB in a 4-3 due to his wrestling background. He even holds the North Carolina record for the indoor 60 meters. If we stick with a 4-3 I think he is definitely a guy to look at.
- I also like the look of the two Texas LBers Emmanuel Acho and Keenan Robinson, even though Acho did get beat once in coverage. I think both are solid mid round options.
