2011 Senior Bowl Winners

Note: This is solely my opinion based on what I watched and was told with conversations with people at the practices.

It's the final day of Senior Bowl practices and for the most part what's been done is done. There won't be a whole lot a final day of practice will change. There were some players who definitely hurt their draft stock and some who definitely helped their draft stock. After the jump, I'm going to give you some guys that I think hurt their stock and helped their stock. In this post we'll focus on the winners.

WINNERS

Ricky Stanzi, QB, Iowa

Ricky Stanzi came into the game with most viewing him as a great back up with starting quarterback potential, but surprised a lot of on-lookers with his size and his arm. Stanzi measured in at a legit 6-5, bigger than most expected him to be. Most knew he had the arm to make all of the throws, but he impressed with his arm being stronger than most expected. Stanzi wasn't great during the week, but he wasn't bad either. He improved each day and showed good decision making and poise. He was even keel through the week and showed he could work through his progressions.

Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama

I'm not sure Greg McElroy will be anything more than a back up quarterback in the NFL, but he surprised on-lookers and scouts with his ability. His arm while not very strong, was better than he was given credit for. Despite coming in at just 6 feet tall, he showed the ability to find his passing lanes and create lanes to work the middle of the football field. McElroy looks like a late-round flier type of guy who can stick in the league for years as a back up.

Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada

Kaepernick was an interesting guy coming into the Senior Bowl, but he's been moderately impressive. His footwork and throwing mechanics leave a lot to be desired, but he's got a nice arm and puts zip on all his throws. He's an impressive runner when he gets out of the pocket and throws well on the move. He'll need to work on his footwork and throwing motion a bit, but he's a very intriging prospect. Reminds me physically of Vince Young.

Nate Irving, LB, NC State

I've been high on Nate Irving for a while and hoped he'd show well during the week and he did. One particular text I got from a scout on Tuesday read, "Nate Irving is awesome."  I agree, he is. He's a sideline to sideline linebacker who holds up in coverage. He's got good size for the position and showed out during the week. He's feisty on the football field and a vocal leader.

Greg Jones, LB, Michigan State

Despite coming in at under 6 feet, Greg Jones showed scouts he could do everything needed of a middle linebacker. Jones likely will be strictly an inside guy in the NFL, but he's a tackling machine that is all over the field. His speed leaves something to be desired, but he's a smart player who knows how to avoid the trash. He didn't do great in drills and was blocked out by running backs, but he impressed scouts and on-lookers with his motor and activeness. He reminds me a lot of Mike Peterson.

Vincent Brown, WR, San Deigo State

While Vincent Brown was known by hardcore college fans because of his highly productive season, he was still looked on as an unknown. Brown doesn't have great speed or great size, but he just gets things done. He's a good route runner who gets open and catches the football with his hands. He's consistent in what he does and was good all week long.

Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma State

Kendall Hunter drew some criticism for his size when he measured in at 5-7, but covering the Jaguars we know how much height can be over played at the running back position. While only 5-7, he's a solid 200 pounds. Hunter showed surprisingly well in pass blocking drills and blitz pick up, often stoning much bigger defenders. He also showed the ability to make plays out of the backfield and the quicks to shoot through the line.

Ahmad Black, S, Florida

Ahmad Black drew some shock with how small he measured in at for the Senior Bowl at just 5-9 and 184 pounds, but he showed up big in practice all week. Black showed the ability to flow to the football in coverage and was one of the few safeties who was actually noticeable all week. Despite his lack of size he wasn't scared to come up and deliver a hit and didn't have too much trouble covering much bigger receivers and tight ends.

Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami(FL)

A lot of people wondered just how good Leonard Hankerson was, and he showed this week with better quarterback play than he saw at Miami. Hankerson was the toughest receiver to cover all week long and showed he knew how to use his big frame to box out receivers and catch passes with his hands. He needs to work on his route running, but overall he had a very good week.

Christian Ballard, DL, Iowa

Christian Ballard doesn't really have a set position, but he showed the ability to rush the passer from both the tackle and end position all week. He was explosive and often beat some premier offensive lineman in the drills. He's big enough to hold up against the run on the inside and quick enough to rush the passer from the outside. He certainly helped his draft stock all week. Reminded me a lot of current Jaguar Tyson Alualu.

Cameron Jordan, DL, California

Cameron Jordan was the star of practice all week long. He was explosive and dominated everyone he went against. He was quite literally unblockable much of the week. He's another defensive lineman who can play all over the place, but his bet fit looks like a defensive end in a 3-4 defense. He reminds me a lot of Richard Seymour.

Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M

Von Miller was known as a great pass rusher, and he certainly showed that all week. What he also showed however, is that he's not limited to outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. He played well in the 4-3 at outside linebacker and was surprisingly better in coverage than most expected him to be. By showing he can play in both schemes, he helped his draft stock ten-fold.