2010 Senior Bowl Fallout
Alright, I'm back in Jacksonville from covering the Pro Bowl. I will FINALLY have a full feature story up on that tomorrow sometime. In the meantime, I'm going to assess who I think helped or hurt their stock the most during the practices this week at the Senior Bowl. It's something I've been meaning to do as well. Now, on with the assessments.
Stock Way Up
Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan
No player was more physically dominant at the Senior Bowl practices than Graham. He was a force to be reckoned with on every play and showed he has the tools to be a 4-3 DE at the next level.
Dexter McCluster, RB, Ole Miss
McCluster really sparked in the latter half of the week and showed he can be a do anything back, something that will send him shooting up boards over the next few months. He drew some comparisons to Minnesota WR Percy Harvin, and they are warranted.
Joique Bell, RB, Wayne St.
Bell was easily from the most obscure college at the Senior Bowl. The only player from Division II (A full division below FCS/I-AA) going against I-A players and looked good.
Stock Up
Mike Iupati, G, Idaho
Iupati would be in the first category if not for his poor showing when he tried to play tackle. However, he is clearly the best interior lineman in the draft and likely solidified himself a late 1st round spot.
Riley Cooper, WR, Florida
Cooper did exactly what he needed to do this weekend, catch anything and everything thrown to him. He doesn't have great speed, but his hands will keep him on a NFL roster.
Nate Allen, S, USF
Allen was already a highly thought of player coming into the Senior Bowl, but he showed a lot more in Mobile. He is fast, has good coverage skills, and should be an excellent safety in the NFL. He's the #2 safety behind Eric Berry in the draft now.
Stock Ideling
Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
Great intangibles, can't read a defense and can't make all the throws. I think we've been saying this for awhile.
Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
He'll do great as a run plugging DT, either at nose in a 3-4 or in a 4-3. However, he doesn't get a lot of pass rush going.
AJ Edds, LB, Iowa
I liked Edds alot already so what I've read/seen of him in Mobile doesn't surprise me. He's a good linebacker with an excellent football IQ.
Stock Down
Terrance Cody, DT, Alabama
What is it with Bama players and showing up so overweight? It's practically impossible to move Cody, but his technique is still an issue and can he even be a 2 down lineman at this point?
Every other QB at the Senior Bowl
We all know the story with Tebow, but some of the other QBs there were looking to show they were ready to play in the NFL. They all struggled to some degree and we likely won't see any of the QBs taken before round 3.
Stock Way Down
Trevard Lindley, CB, Kentucky
At one point Lindley was a mid-late first round player and he may have played his way into Day 3 of the Draft. Perhaps except for his South teammate who also finds himself in this category, he had the worst individual week of any player.
Taylor Mays, S, USC
Remember the scouting report I did on Mays? Remember all the negatives I listed? Those were all on full display this week. I've heard there is serious talk he's now being projected at LB instead of S because of how poor his coverage skills were.
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Comments
Sadly, Graham and McClain will go in the 1st
barring trade.
Mccluster we might be able to get in the 3rd round.
"HULU: An evil plot to destroy the world. Enjoy"
Driver of the "Cut Reggie Nelson" Bandwagon.
Doubt it, I think he's gone by the early part of round 2
Christian Ponder in 2011! Bring him home Wayne, he can actually play QB in the NFL
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by Jonathan Loesche on Feb 1, 2010 9:09 PM EST up reply actions
is it ironic that ive been entioning mccluster and Graham since the beginning of this football year?no, i think its just my talent genius
we need graham. no matter where in the first i want him.
by harveyismyboy on Feb 2, 2010 7:03 PM EST up reply actions
OK… about Graham… i’ve read three reports on him… one says he is good for a 3-4… the other says a 4-3… can someone clarify why and not just say “because he is”… merci.
Sean Jax Beach Bum
Not trying to pimp myself too much, but I just put up this scouting report on Graham tonight.
He doesn’t have good long agility, meaning he can get after a guy within a couple yards. But if he has to change direction a lot and move down the linen, he has some problems. He’s a little more straight-line than you’d want in a 3-4 OLB. Just my opinion, though.
Mocking the Draft: Your NFL Draft source.
I agree
I don’t think he would have great coverage abilities.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
thanks dan. going to read it now… but, basically you’re saying he’s not so hot with lateral movement? just tryin’ to get it right in my big ol’ brain.
Sean Jax Beach Bum
Of course you can pimp yourself ;)
Anything you think I’m off base on?
Christian Ponder in 2011! Bring him home Wayne, he can actually play QB in the NFL
Big Cat Country Radio, Every Wednesday Night at 10 PM EST
by Jonathan Loesche on Feb 1, 2010 10:09 PM EST up reply actions
Dan
What do you think of Jarrett Brown? I’d love to grab him late and develop him, because he definitely needs a few years holding a clipboard.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
I think he’s a developmental guy for sure. He not only needs to learn the game more, but he needs a ton of reps. To me, there’s not a lot separating him from Mike Kafka, Zac Robinson and Ryan Perrilloux.
Mocking the Draft: Your NFL Draft source.
I like Perrilloux
As well. People forget he was once the next great at LSU. Of course he would do some bench time as well, but the talent is there.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
I View
Graham as a 4-3 prospect. No way he plays end in a 3-4, and I’m not sure how he would be dropping back into coverage as an outside linebacker. I’d love to get him and put him at right end, pretty much the position in my mind he is destined to play, and keep Harvey on the left, who I also think with some coaching could have a break out season next year.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
I think of him
like another Lamarr Woodley. But also got a little Robert Mathis in him.
My main problem with him is his stacking, shedding, and getting the tackle in the run game. He can stack well. He can get off blocks And he can get off blocks. But doing all 3, one after the other….Not so much. And I think its mainly because of his short arms.
Would I still want him on my team, as a 43DE? Yes
I wouldn’t put him at RE though. Because we run a 1 gap scheme we might as well let him play strong side and let him penetrate the C gap. Then let Harvey take the right side again, which he can contain by himself.
Some Thoughts
I loved Graham. I only saw him play a full game once this season, so the Pro Bowl was a nice display for me. I love his motor, something Jack should love as well.
Dexter McCluster does possess beast mode.
None of the south QBs had good games, but I did like what I saw from Jarrett Brown. Dan LeFeavour didn’t have a bad game.
I like Mike Johnson more than Iupati. I like Johnson’s technique better, and he has a higher football I.Q. And on top of that, Johnson can play all of the interior positions like Iupati, and maybe right tackle in a pinch.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
Here's a guy I have noticed
Guard Simmons from Oklahoma. Can pass block well. Decent anchor, and the athleticism to play any OL position. That’s my assessment anyhow. Could be like a Dennis Norman except more of a pass blocker than run blocker.
Is he
Coming out this year? I haven’t heard of him.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
Yeah he's coming out this year
but you wont hear much about him. He’ll be a late round pick or PFA. He was a DT conversion, so he’s a little behind on the learning curve. And he played on a OL with a lot of turnover and he missed a little time due to injury. But he looks like one of those guys that gets into camp and can play so many positions well, that he will be hard to get rid of. I saw him even switching, mid game, between LG and RG when the offense went to a more pass first mentality, and he did it without a hitch.
I guess the best way to describe him is to say he’s got versatility upside. Was a highly touted DT prospect out of high school, and still shows the athleticism of a DL player when blocking in space. Could stand to gain some more strength.
I Really
Like Ciron Black from LSU. A few months ago I had him going top 15 in a mock on MTD and I got monkey shit thrown at me. “He’s the next Andre Smith, but worse. Can’t run” He looked pretty good lead blocking down the sideline in the senior bowl. I said he would rise up boards. Looks thats already started happening this week.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
Those guys at MTD do that all the time
They all do the same mock drafts with a couple small tweaks, then yell at anyone with a different mock.
"I just love the Jaguars. Thereeee great! Wow look at the Jaguars almost won the games to the Super Bowl XXXI!" - 2nd Grade Journal entry
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Haha
Word. Ciron is really rising up boards already. And when he goes in the first, I’m going to post a fan shot on MTD containing this masterpiece.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
RIley Cooper
I don’t think you are exactly correct in regards to his speed. He definitely isn’t what I would call “quick,” but he has great top-end speed. If you want him to just go long, he’ll out-run a lot of corners, but he’s not a Wes Welker type who can juke you out of your shoes.
I Don't Think
Mays killed his stock. He didn’t have a horrible week, he just struggled in man to man and with his change of direction. Neither is something that is needed playing in the cover two.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik
I think the biggest think he showed a lack of
Was football instincts. That’s definitely needed for a cover two and is hard to teach too.
"I just love the Jaguars. Thereeee great! Wow look at the Jaguars almost won the games to the Super Bowl XXXI!" - 2nd Grade Journal entry
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Basically, he legitimized the concerns most analysts had of him: lack of instincts, poor coverage skills, and a tendency to over-pursue. He’s definitely a beast, but I don’t think free safety is his best position. Maybe ILB or SS, but he may have issues with coverage even in those positions. Furthermore, I’ve read several comparisons of him to Roy Williams (DAL), who has similar shortcomings, and many of those have been exposed lately.
No LB for him
he’s not a guy with a great base for stopping the run. Nor does he have the hips to be dropping in zones. He’s probably best at FS. Just have to ignore the size factor. It’s useless. Took me a while to get over trying to give him less of a coverage role. He’s just not going to be that good. I think even Roy Williams is better than he is in coverage.
Exactly.
He really isn’t a good fit for any position. No matter how hard I try, he’ll at least have to cover a few TEs sooner or later, and he’ll likely fail badly. How is he projected in the first round? Other than Al Davis, I can’t see anyone willing to take those risks.
What if a team tried to make him a WR?
"I just love the Jaguars. Thereeee great! Wow look at the Jaguars almost won the games to the Super Bowl XXXI!" - 2nd Grade Journal entry
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Again, I agree.
I really can’t think of anything that’s a good match for him. Speed and strength will only get you so far.
great discussion guys
and might i add that this is a more intellectual stuff than most draft coverages?
Am i the only one with the Le"fever"?
Is this derrick morgan fellow really that good? He is on our spot on at least 20 mock drafts.
Dan Price? same deal.
Dan,
thanks for stopping by.
LateRoundPick.com
Welcome back Brandon
Good to see I’M not the only one who sometimes make errors
Are you exited because of tonight? The wait is finally over…
Life without knowledge is death in disguise
by Zoltan from Budapest on Feb 2, 2010 1:23 PM EST up reply actions
Le Fever!
What round are you thinking for him? I think he improved his draft stock, but he wasn’t listed above. I think that he won’t fall to 10/11 in the third, but if he does, I see a Chippewa in teal next year. It’s too bad he didn’t stay under the radar.
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by DownTownJax on Feb 2, 2010 12:58 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Mays
is drawing comparison to when Thomas Davis came out of Georgia, it seems. Thomas was a safety @ Georgia, then Carolina moved him to LB.
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by floridafalcons#63 on Feb 2, 2010 10:29 AM EST reply actions
I think we have the exact same views on Mays.
He’s physically a big safety, but lacks the skills necessary to play safety. He’s certainly too lanky to play DE, and that’s the only position I can think of that doesn’t require ball and coverage skills, and his positives match up with. Even then, his reliance on physical ability will keep him from succeeding. To put it bluntly, I don’t think he’ll be very good. In an ideal system, everyone and their mother will be able to cover for him, and he’ll occasionally lay some good hits, but that’s about the extent of his abilities.
Kick/punt returns?
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He's not very agile.
He won’t be able to make many people miss, and he won’t break many tackles if the person tackling him has more inertia, which is often the case with the coverage team since the gunner is usually going full speed.
I think he’ll be serviceable as a situational player, but he won’t be anything near what his draft position will dictate. Basically, he’s built enough or strong enough to play LB, and he doesn’t have the coverage skills to play safety. As for offense, the same issues he has with regards to playing LB will be problems when playing RB, and he lacks the balls skills to play receiver or TE. I can’t think of anything he’ll excel at, from a physical standpoint. He has all the negatives, and not enough of the positives of being a ’tweener.
in the mock draft
they have us taking dez bryant can we change that to taylor mays
by jesusjagfan2009 on Feb 2, 2010 10:44 AM EST reply actions
If we win the coin flip
then we could use Dez as trade bait with the Broncos who are looking to be desperate for a WR with the Marshall situation. If make it look like we would take Dez at the 10 spot then the Broncos might be willing to trade up a spot in exchange for their pick and maybe a 4 or 5 rounder which would be a nice addition
"I’m going to punish him. If he hits me, fine, but if I catch him, believe me, I’m going to get the better shot." - Fred Taylor
Maybe, but that offense isn't
exactly the type that is built around 1 or 2 stars. It’s more of a team oriented team. Probably why Brandon Marshall and Tony Sheffler were benched. No one is bigger than the team. He just wants team first guys that do their job.
Josh thinks he can win with average talent at WR. He’ll probably look for more defensive players in the first round.
Ha, I agree
The same reason Jullian Edelman was able to catch 11 passes in that system as a rookie free agent who has never played receiver before. You don’t have to be a physically imposing receiver in the spread.
If hip hop is dead, then it happened the day that Dilla died.
-Akrobatik

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