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East Vs West Shrine Game, Senior Bowl Etc..


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I figure i start a topic relating to all topics from these games for people to check out heres some info..

 

2012 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday's East Team Practice Report

 

By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

 

The East team started off the second day of the East-West Shrine Game with a morning practice in St. Petersburg, Fla. For the first time this week, the East squad wore pads and had full hitting. Players were not tackling ball carriers to the ground, as instructed. On a stop, the defender would wrap and hug the ball carrier before letting go. This practicing technique is done to prevent injuries.

 

To get the practice started, the East worked in its individual position groups. Overall, the wide receivers had a bad case of the drops on Tuesday. One receiver who struggled in particular was The Citadel's Kevin Hardy. He had a dropped pass and struggled with the technique of keeping his eyes up while running routes. His inclination is to look at the ground and that hurts him for seeing how quickly the ball is coming towards him. Another receiver who had problems catching the ball was California University of Pennsylvania product Thomas Mayo. After multiple drops, he was dispirited and took his helmet off in frustration. That earned Mayo some yelling from the coaching staff.

 

Michigan State wide receiver B.J. Cunningham, Illinois wide receiver A.J. Jenkins and Temple tight end Evan Rodriguez all dropped passes. Cunningham's came on a deep bomb in one-on-ones after he got a step on the cornerback. Jenkins' drop was after he stumbled, and throughout the practice, Jenkins had some problems maintaining his footing. He did have a nice gain after beating USF safety Jerrell Young on a slant route.

 

Miami tight end Chase Ford (6-6, 258) had a good practice on Tuesday after looking bad the day before. He made a nice catch in one-on-ones over the head of Duke safety Matt Daniels. In the team scrimmage, Ford caught a deflected pass for a good gain. University of Miami has been a factory for good tight ends, and he is more athletic than one might think. If Ford finishes the week strong, he could be a quality sleeper prospect for the third day of the 2012 NFL Draft.

 

One of the early stars of the East-West Shrine has been Coastal Carolina cornerback Josh Norman. He had a dominant practice on Tuesday. In tight coverage, Norman made a twisting acrobatic interception of Tennessee Chattanooga quarterback B.J. Coleman. Norman is physical with and some nice hits. The 6-foot, 203-pounder has good size to go along with athleticism. He is really helping himself thus far, and is making the case to be a mid-round pick.

 

With the pads on, it was a great opportunity to see the battle in the trenches between the defensive and offensive lines. They showcased their abilities in a nine-on-nine run scrimmage session, a one-on-one pass rushing scrimmage, and a full 11-on-11 team period to end the practice. Generally, the defensive line got the better of the matchups.

 

South Carolina defensive tackle Travian Robertson had his second straight strong practice. On one play, he swallowed a back at the line of scrimmage after not budging in an inch. Robertson beat Mississippi State center Quentin Saulsberry repeatedly in the scrimmages and in a one-on-one. He wasn't the only one, as Robertson had an impressive rush with a rip move to defeat Rutgers guard Desmond Wynn. Robertson is helping himself, although he got shouted at for getting overly aggressive and putting a nice tackle on a running back in the team scrimmage. However, some coaches will like seeing that.

 

Saulsberry has really struggled this week. For the next level, he will need to add some more power as the 6-foot-2, 302-pounder has gotten pushed around. Saulsberry lost reps to Miami's Micanor Regis and Baylor's Nick Jean-Baptiste. Wynn didn't perform as well on Tuesday as he did in the first day, but he had some nice plays. In the run scrimmage, Wynn sprung a back by getting to the second level to block a linebacker. In the one-on-ones, he had a nice win against Regis and did well at a rep at left tackle. Saulsberry has been a disappointment up to now, while Wynn has played well.

 

Jean-Baptiste may be the most impressive defensive lineman thus far. He dominated the one-on-ones and was a tough load at the line in the run and team scrimmage. The massive Jean-Baptiste (6-1, 335) powered his way through Miami center Tyler Horn on a few reps. He also had wins against Saulsberry and guard Rishaw Johnson. The only rush Jean-Baptiste lost was when he rushed from defensive end against offensive tackle Jeremiah Warren. Jean-Baptiste has natural pad level. He gets under the pads of linemen and uses his heavy weight and size to bull rush into the backfield. Jean-Baptiste should get a real boost this week and have an appeal to 3-4 teams looking for a nose tackle.

 

Two offensive tackles did well. South Florida's Warren played much better on Tuesday after a bad day on Monday. Warren beat Robertson in a one-on-one play. Ole Miss offensive tackle Bradley Sowell had a quality showing. He had some wins in one-on-ones and combined with Wynn and Johnson to open up a big running lane in the team scrimmage. The coaches have flipped Sowell from left and right tackle. He could be a backup swing tackle on game days, but as a permanent player in an NFL lineup, Sowell should probably be a right tackle.

 

West Virgnia defensive end Julian Miller had a strong practice. He had a few good stuffs in run support. On one of them, Miller held his ground against a pulling guard and shed the block to make the tackle. In the one-on-ones, he beat left tackle Joe Long from Wayne State on a nice spin move.

 

There were some other brief notables from the Tuesday practice. None of the quarterbacks really stood out, and Southern Miss Austin Davis is the best of the bunch. Coleman has to improve his footwork and accuracy. He threw one easy screen pass into the dirt unintentionally. Brantley threw an interception to Penn State's Nick Sukay on a poorly underthrown deep ball that dropped short of Rodriguez and fell into Sukay.

 

Pittsburgh defensive end turned outside linebacker Brandon Lindsey has been fairly quiet this week. Lindsey (6-1, 255) had a dropped interception in a pass in the flat during the team scrimmage. Canadian product Akiem Hicks played better on Tuesday with a win against Saulsberry in the one-on-ones, but also had a loss against Sowell. The small-school product Rishaw Johnson did not play as well on day two, but still won some of his blocks.

 

 

 

Here is a run down of some of the post-practice interviews between the player and a team that was spending some time talking to the prospect:

 

Jacksonville - Coastal Carolina cornerback Josh Norman

 

Arizona - University of Regina defensive tackle Akiem Hicks

 

Houston - Tennessee Tech wide receiver Tim Benford (second day of interviews)

 

San Francisco - Virginia defensive end Matt Conrath

 

New York Giants - Miami wide receiver LaRon Byrd

 

New York Jets - California University of Pennsylvania guard Rishaw Johnson and Columbia offensive tackle Jeff Adams

 

New Orleans - Rutgers guard Desmond Wynn

 

Kansas City - University of Regina defensive tackle Akiem Hicks and Rutgers guard Desmond Wynn

 

San Diego - Temple tight end Evan Rodriguez

 

Indianapolis - Florida Atlantic running back Alfred Morris and Presbyterian cornerback Justin Bethel

 

Philadelphia - California University of Pennsylvania wide receiver Thomas Mayo

 

Buffalo - Notre Dame cornerback R.J. Blanton

 

Minnesota - Miami defensive end Micanor Regis

 

Baltimore - South Florida offensive tackle Jeremiah Warren, Columbia offensive tackle Jeff Adams and Florida quarterback John Brantley

 

 

 

2012 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's West Team Practice Report

 

By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

 

The West squad held its final padded practice of the East-West Shrine Bowl on Wednesday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fl. A storm came in and the entire practice was played in steady rain. That caused 90 percent of the NFL scouts and media to leave the field and skip the practice. As a result, the coaches ended the practice about an hour early.

 

It was a good decision, as the wet conditions were clearly having an impact on the players. Passes were being dropped by both the offense and defense, while some players were losing their footing. Fortunately, no prospect seemed to sustain an injury as a result of playing on the wet high-school field. While it was disappointing not to have a complete practice, the West squad had 2.5 padded practices this week, while the East squad had padded sessions only on Wednesday and Tuesday.

 

The West team did some scrimmaging in its final vigorous workout before the East-West Shrine Game. The West had a seven-on-seven passing session, a one-on-one defensive vs. offensive lineman battle, along with a brief full-team workout. In the seven-on-seven session, Arkansas linebacker Jerry Franklin showed good reaction skills, along with some nice hands, in jumping to make a leaping interception. Franklin (6-1, 241) is a quick linebacker who has some instincts, but at his size, he should probably be a 4-3 outside linebacker in the NFL.

 

As mentioned, both offensive and defensive players were dropping passes. Arizona cornerback Trevin Wade dropped an interception, while Fresno State wide receiver Devon Wylie had some issues that saw him get corrected by the coaching staff. It looked like Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa may have had the ball slip out of his hand as he almost threw an interception on a dump-off screen pass. The linebackers and running backs seemed to handle the weather better than the receivers and defensive backs.

 

USC running back Marc Tyler had another strong practice. He churned his way through the field, and his downhill running style was suited to the conditions. Tyler made a nice catch and run on a screen pass during the team scrimmage. He was chased down about 15 yards downfield by TCU linebacker Tank Carder.

 

Tight end George Bryan had a good gain with a catch down the middle seam on a well-thrown pass from Colorado quarterback Tyler Hansen. The offensive line had some struggles in the 11-on-11 session and allowed multiple sacks. SMU guard Josh LeRibeus and Nebraska offensive tackle Marcel Jones gave up sacks on back-to-back plays to Missouri defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton and Rutgers defensive end Justin Francis. Both used speed rushes to jet by the linemen and have the signal caller in their sights as if it were an actual game. Boise State defensive end Tyrone Crawford had a good day with some strong rushes in the one-on-ones and the team scrimmage.

 

Colorado guard Ryan Miller had a false start in the team scrimmage, but bounced back to do a nice job in pass protection on some speed rushes at right tackle. It has been a mixed week for Miller with some plays that showed real power and athleticism while also giving up some pass pressures to powerful bull-rushers or speed rushes around the edge. After entering the Shrine week as a potential second-rounder, Miller is now more likely to be a mid-round pick.

 

Some of the highlights from the one-on-one session included Marcel Jones getting destroyed by Laval University's (Canada) Armaud Nadon on a speed rush around the edge. Dominique Hamilton blew up Connecticut center Moe Petrus with a bull rush for an impressive victory.

 

One power player in the NFL, Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson, watched the session in the rain. After practice, there were very few scouts around because of the rain, but there were a few teams that met with players on the field for interviews.

 

 

 

Here is the rundown of some of the post-practice interviews between the player and a team that was spending some time talking to the prospect:

 

Jacksonville- Rutgers Justin Francis, Boise State defensive end Tyrone Crawford and Michigan tight end Kevin Koger

 

Detroit- Boise State defensive end Tyrone Crawford

 

 

 

 

2012 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's East Team Practice Report

 

By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

 

The East team held its final padded practice of the East-West Shrine Game with a morning session in St. Petersburg, Fl. on Wednesday. It was the second time that the East squad wore pads and had full hitting. Players were not tackling ball-carriers to the ground, as instructed. On a stop, the defender would wrap up and hug the ball carrier before letting go. This practicing technique is done to prevent injuries.

 

To begin practice, the different players worked in their individual position groups. The defensive linemen did some work with blocking dummies, and it provided some good insight into which players have better quickness and footwork. The standouts in the drills were Miami defensive tackle Micanor Regis, South Carolina's Travian Robertson and West Virginia's Julian Miller. When the bags were brought in, closer some of the other defensive tackles performed better. Baylor's Nick Jean-Baptiste and University of Regina (Canada) tackle Akiem Hicks showed improvement in the short-area bag drills. The 6-foot-4, 324-pound Hicks used his power to win some one-on-ones with bull rushes as well.

 

One of the top performers in Wednesday's practice was Regis. The Miami product started strong in the run scrimmage nine-on-nine session, continued it into the one-on-ones and finished with a standout team scrimmage. He burst through the line for a run stuff in the nine-on-nine. During the one-on-ones, Regis beat Mississippi State's Quentin Saulsberry among others. In the team scrimmage, he came close to a sack on quarterback Austin Davis when he fired through the gap and almost ran down Davis on a bootleg. Later on, Regis beat guard Rishaw Johnson with a speed rush to get a sack. On an interception return, he laid out a wide receiver with a massive block from the blind side. It was a bit of a cheap shot in an All-Star game setting like the East-West Shrine Game, but it was an impressive block.

 

The other defensive lineman who stood out on Wednesday was Robertson. He has had an excellent week, and has been a problem for all the offensive linemen. He used a powerful rip move to beat both Saulsberry and Johnson in the one-on-ones. He has a good get off, and he uses that to quickly get under the pads of offensive linemen to gain leverage. Robertson also beat South Florida guard/tackle Jeremiah Warren with a speed rush and showcased some quick hands to shed the block. That came after he blew up Warren to bust up a run in the nine-on-nine scrimmage. This week, Robertson has definitely helped himself, but it leaves one wondering where this performance level was during the 2011 season when he totaled only 2.5 sacks and eight tackles for a loss.

 

Aside from his losses to Robertson, Warren had a quality practice. He looks much better on the inside at guard compared to playing on the edge. However, he beat Virginia defensive end Matt Conrath in one-on-ones on an edge rush. Warren opened up some holes in the ground game. Tennessee running back Tauren Poole had a solid day running the ball and Warren provided some nice run blocks. Poole juggled a screen pass, but he had some nice runs on sweeps to the perimeter.

 

The offensive star on Wednesday was Miami tight end Chase Ford. He had a rough day on Monday but has bounced back to perform well over the two most recent practices. In the team scrimmage, Ford was a force. He made a diving catch for a gain of about 20 yards and a touchdown. He -got open running down the seam on that play. He had a nice kick out block on a safety to spring Poole for a big run on an off-tackle run to the left. To conclude practice, Ford made a leaping touchdown catch in the end zone.

 

In speaking with some scouts, Ford is considered a mid- to late-rounder depending on the team and offense. He clearly struggles as a drive blocker, and does not have the strength to block at the line of scrimmage. At the same time, Ford is a good athlete with some deceptive speed to be a receiving threat. The 6-foot-6, 258-pounder is lean, but has the frame to add more strength and power. He is viewed as a developmental project, but one that could yield some definite rewards.

 

Another prospect who helped his stock on Wednesday was Duke safety Matt Daniels. He had a nice pass break up by perfectly timing when to slap the ball out of the receiver's hands on a quick slant. Daniels (6-1, 215) dropped an interception when he made a good read and broke on a ball in the middle of the field.

 

Of all the players on the East squad, there has been one prospect who has stood out across the board as being very physically talented and a potential player at the next level. That player is Coastal Carolina cornerback Josh Norman. Yesterday, we featured him in our write-up of the Tuesday practice after he made an acrobatic interception, and he was even better Wednesday. The 6-foot, 203-pounder has size and athleticism to go along with quickness. He has blanketed receivers all week and shown excellent instincts to get in position to make splash plays. Norman had a few interceptions in the Wednesday practice.

 

The first one came when the receiver ran the wrong route, and Norman read the quarterback to make a diving interception in the flat. The receiver cut in when he was supposed to go out. Norman got up with the ball and ran down the sideline. Coaches yelled at him to put the ball away, just like they did on an interception return on Tuesday. Norman was screaming in celebration and did a little dance after the play. The showboating may turn evaluators off, but it was a great catch to be proud of.

 

Norman's second interception came on an overthrown intermediate pass. He broke off his man a ways behind the other intended target and made a second diving catch. He sprung up and raced down the sideline for what probably would have been a touchdown return. He once again was screaming at the end of the play. Of all the prospects on either squad, Norman may have helped himself the most this week. He has been dominant, and could be pushing into the second day of the 2012 NFL Draft.

 

There were some other prospect performances worth noting on Wednesday. Florida quarterback John Brantely underwhelmed with a couple fumbled snaps and he tripped on a backpedal. Scouts said that California University of Pennsylvania wide receiver Thomas Mayo has hurt his stock this week with dropped passes. Tennessee Chattanooga quarterback B.J. Coleman was improved on Wednesday, but scouts are down on his week overall. Southern Miss quarterback Austin Davis threw an ugly floater into the flat that was picked off by Central Florida linebacker Joshua Linam.

 

Scouts have praised Tennessee Tech wide out Tim Benford. When matched up with safeties in one-on-ones, scouts were saying that the safeties had no chance to stop the speedy Benford. Michigan State wide receiver B.J. Cunningham has performed better as the week has progressed after having had a rough start. He had big gain on an end around with some quality receptions.

 

 

 

Here is a rundown of some of the post-practice interviews between the player and a team that was spending some time talking to the prospect:

 

Kansas City - Army linebacker Steven Erzinger and South Carolina defensive tackle Travian Robertson

 

Cleveland - Michigan State wide receiver B.J. Cunningham, Coastal Carolina cornerback Josh Norman and Presbyterian cornerback Justin Bethel

 

Jacksonville - Illinois wide receiver A.J. Jenkins, South Carolina defensive tackle Travian Robertson, Hampton cornerback Micah Pellerin and West Virginia defensive end Julian Miller

 

Indianapolis - Temple tight end Evan Rodriguez, and Hampton cornerback Micah Pellerin

 

Philadelphia - Ole Miss offensive tackle Bradley Sowell and California University of Pennsylvania wide receiver Thomas Mayo

 

Baltimore - Southern Miss offensive tackle Lamarr Holmes and Georgia fullback Bruce Figgins

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That's where I go, they're putting out at least one prospect a year and that's pretty good for a program that's only existed for 9 years.

 

They do pull in some talented athletes/players from around here. I wouldn't say that they are first day picks for the NFL but they do have a few guys who can play in the NFL.

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They do pull in some talented athletes/players from around here. I wouldn't say that they are first day picks for the NFL but they do have a few guys who can play in the NFL.

 

 

Yeah. Jerome Simpson is their only first day pick in school history, and that was in the second round. Back when the second round was still on the first day.

 

 

With this new multi-billionaire head coach funding the program, I feel they're going to be able to rope in some top notch talent and coaches. I doubt this guy is half the man who David Bennett is as a coach or person, but he sure does have deep pockets.

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2012 College Senior Bowl

North (Vikings)

 

QB - Kirk Cousins - Michigan State - 6'2 1/4", 209lb

QB - Russell Wilson - Wisconsin - 5'10 5/8", 203

QB - Kellen Moore - Boise State - 5'11 3/4", 191

 

FB - Brady Ewing - Wisconsin - 5'11 5/8", 241

RB - Daniel Herron - Ohio State - 5'9 1/4", 198

RB - Doug Martin - Boise State - 5'9", 219

RB - Isaiah Pead - Cincinnati - 5'9 7/8", 193

RB - Chris Polk - Washington - 5'10 1/2", 224

 

OC - Garth Gerhart - Arizona State - 6'1 1/8", 301

OC - Mike Brewster - Ohio State - 6'4 1/4", 310

OG - Kelechi Osemele - Iowa State - 6'5 3/8", 333

OG - Senio Kelemete - Washington - 6'3 1/2", 300

OG - Kevin Zeitler - Wisconsin - 6'3 7/8", 315

OG - Johnnie Troutman - Penn State - 6'4 1/8" 325

OT - Mike Adams - Ohio State - 6'7", 323

OT - Tony Bergstrom - Utah - 6'5 1/2", 315

OT - Mitchell Schwartz - California - 6'5 1/8", 317

 

TE - Brian Linthicium - Michigan State - 6'3 3/4", 249

TE - Michael Egnew - Missouri - 6'5 1/4", 251

TE - Emil Igwenagu - Massachusetts - 6'1 1/8", 245

 

WR - TJ Graham - North Carolina State - 5'11 3/8", 182

WR - Marvin Jones - California - 6'1 7/8", 198

WR - Marvin McNutt - Iowa - 6'2 1/2", 216

WR - DeVier Posey - Ohio State - 6'1 5/8", 209

WR - Brian Quick - Appalachian State - 6'3 1/2", 222

WR - Gerell Robinson - Arizona State - 6'3 1/8", 223

 

DT - Alameda Ta’amu - Washington - 6'2 1/2", 341

DT - Kendall Reyes - Connecticut - 6'3 7/8", 300

DT - Mike Martin - Michigan - 6'1 1/4", 307

DT - Billy Winn - Boise State - 6'3 3/8", 296

DT - Derek Wolfe - Cincinnati - 6'4 7/8", 286

DL - Jack Crawford - Penn State - 6'4 7/8", 268

DE - Shea McClellin - Boise State - 6'3 1/4", 248

DE - Vinny Curry - Marshall - 6'3", 265

DE/OLB - Cameron Johnson - Virginia - 6'3 3/4", 267

 

ILB - James-Michael Johnson - Nevada - 6'1 1/8", 249

ILB - Lavonte David - Nebraska - 6'0 1/2", 225

OLB - Audie Cole - North Carolina State - 6'4 1/8", 248

OLB - Bobby Wagner - Utah State - 6'0 1/2", 241

 

CB - Leonard Johnson - Iowa State - 5'9 7/8", 198

CB - Alfonzo Dennard - Nebraska - 5'10", 203

CB - Jamell Fleming - Oklahoma - 5'10 5/8", 202

CB - Donnie Fletcher - Boston College - 6'0 1/4", 201

CB - Asa Jackson - Cal Poly - 5'9 7/8", 193

S - George Iloka - Boise State - 6'3 5/8", 222

S - Anthony Lynn - Penn State - 5'11 5/8" 205

S - Trenton Robinson - Michigan State - 5'9 1/2", 193

S - Harrison Smith - Notre Dame - 6'1 3/4" 212

 

 

 

South (Redskins)

 

QB - Brandon Weeden - Oklahoma State - 6'3 1/2", 219

QB - Nick Foles - Arizona - 6'5", 244

QB - Ryan Lindley - San Diego State - 6'3 3/4", 229

 

FB - Chad Diehl - Clemson - 6'1 1/2", 257

RB - Vick Ballard - Mississippi State - 5'10 1/8", 217

RB - Zach Brown - Pittsburgh -

RB - Terrance Ganaway - Baylor - 5'11 1/2", 241

RB - Cyrus Gray - Texas A&M - 5'10 1/4", 198

RB - Chris Rainey - Florida - 5'8 3/8", 178

 

OC - Ben Jones - Georgia - 6'2 5/8", 304

OC - William Vlachos - Alabama - 6'0 3/8, 306

OG - Cordy Glenn - Georgia - 6'5 1/2, 346

OL - Will Blackwell - LSU - 6'3 1/2, 314

OT - Jeff Allen - Illinois - 6'4", 306

OT - Philip Blake - Baylor - 6'2 3/8", 312

OT - James Brown - Troy - 6'3 1/2", 307

OT - Matt McCants - UAB - 6'5 5/8", 309

OT - Zebrie Sanders - Florida State - 6'5 1/2", 308

 

TE - Brad Smelley - Alabama - 6'1 7/8", 233

TE - Ladarius Green - La-Lafayette - 6'5 3/4, 237

TE - Deangelo Peterson - LSU - 6'2 7/8", 230

 

WR - Dwight Jones - North Carolina - 6'3 1/8", 226

WR - Joe Adams - Arkansas - 5'10 1/2", 174

WR - Juron Criner - Arizona - 6'2 1/8", 220

WR - Patrick Edwards - Houston - 5'8 7/8", 178

WR - Jeff Fuller - Texas A&M - 6'4 1/8", 217

WR - Marquis Maze - Alabama - 5'7 3/4", 184

 

DT - Brandon Thompson - Clemson - 6'2", 311

DT - Tydreke Powell - North Carolina - 6'2 3/8", 309

DT - Kheeston Randall - Texas - 6'4 1/2", 297

DT - Tony Jerod-Eddie - Texas A&M - 6'4", 301

DT - Jaye Howard - Florida - 6'3", 292

DE - Melvin Ingram - South Carolina - 6'1 7/8", 276

DE - Jake Bequette - Arkansas - 6'4 1/2", 264

DE - Quinton Coples - North Carolina - 6'5 3/4", 281

DE/OLB - Courtney Upshaw - Alabama - 6'1 1/2", 273

 

OLB - Nigel Bradham - Florida State - 6'1 5/8", 237

OLB - Keenan Robinson - Texas - 6'3 1/8", 240

OLB - Sean Spence - Miami-Fl - 5'11 1/4", 228

OLB - Emmanuel Acho - Texas - 6'1", 235

 

CB - DeQuan Menzie - Alabama - 5'10 1/2", 195

CB - Casey Hayward - Vanderbilt - 5'11", 188

CB - Janoris Jenkins - North Alabama - 5'9 3/4", 191

CB - Ryan Steed - Furman - 5'10 3/8", 190

DB - Dwight Bentley - La-Lafayette - 5'9 7/8", 176

S - Markelle Martin - Oklahoma State - 6'0 3/4", 203

S - Antonio Allen - South Carolina - 6'1 1/4", 202

S - Brandon Taylor - LSU - 5'11 1/4", 202

 

 

Initial Confirmed Invitees Not Playing Due to Injury or Other Reason

 

QB - Ryan Tannehill - Texas A&M

 

OG - Amini Silatolu - Midwestern State

OT - Brandon Mosley - Auburn

OT - Levy Adcock - Oklahoma State

 

WR - Nick Toon - Wisconsin

WR - Kendall Wright - Baylor

 

DT - Mike Daniels - Iowa

DE *- Andre Branch - Clemson

 

OLB - Mychal Kendricks - California

 

 

I'll update once the measurements and reports start to filter in. Still have a few missing, not sure if they're not playing or just missing yet.

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2012 Senior Bowl: Weigh-In Analysis

 

By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

 

 

Senior Bowl North Team Weigh-In Analysis:

 

Ohio State center Mike Brewster (6-4, 310) is built well and firm. He had maybe the most impressive body of any center prospect.

 

North Carolina State linebacker Audie Cole (6-4, 248) is lean with defined abs. He has the frame to add more weight if necessary.

 

Marshall defensive end Vinny Curry (6-3, 265) was put together well. He has the size for a 4-3 as well as a 3-4. Previously some thought that Curry was too small for a 4-3.

 

Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David (6-0, 225) hit his listed measurements, and while he is undersized, he doesn't have an ounce of fat on him. David is very chiseled.

 

One can see that Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard (5-10, 203) puts time in at the weight room.

 

Ohio State running back Boom Herron (5-9, 212) is jacked. He has the upper body strength to handle the hits.

 

Boise State safety George Iloka (6-3, 222) is a big safety who will appeal to teams that want an enforcer type.

 

Washington left tackle Senio Kelemete (6-3, 300) is well built but a little short.

 

Boise State running back Doug Martin (5-9, 219) looks like a body builder. Like Lavonte David, there isn't an ounce of fat on Martin.

 

Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin (6-1, 307) could try out for the Incredible Hulk. He has a massive upper body with a huge chest, shoulders and arms. He may be a little top heavy.

 

 

 

Boise State outside linebacker Shea McClellin (6-3, 248) was lighter and leaner than his listed measurements. At that weight he isn't an option to play defensive end in a 4-3 defense and really is only a 3-4 prospect.

 

Iowa State tackle/guard Kelechi Osemele ( 6-5, 333) could use some work in the weight room, but he has a good frame and starting point.

 

Appalachian State wideout Brian Quick (6-3, 222) and Arizona State wide receiver Gerell Robinson (6-3, 223) have similar bodies and are put together well. They both are lean but defined.

 

Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith (6-1, 212) looks like a boxer with a ripped physique.

 

Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner (6-2, 241) has a powerful chest and definitely is a weight-room standout.

 

Boise State defensive tackle Billy Winn (6-3, 296) is flabby and needs to redefine his body.

 

Cincinnati defensive tackle Derek Wolfe (6-4, 286) is lighter than expected. He has a broad chest and may be able to put on weight. At his current size, he is too light for the inside of a 4-3 defense and would be best going to defensive end in a 3-4 defense.

 

 

 

 

Senior Bowl South Team Weigh-In Analysis:

 

Mississippi State running back Vick Ballard (5-10, 217) has an excellent build. He has a strong upper body that looks like good armor to take the pounding that comes with his position.

 

Baylor center Philip Blake (6-2, 312) looked sloppy. He needs to redefine his body and turn some fat into muscle.

 

While Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin (5-9, 183) is short, he is ripped. Boykin looks like he trains hard and obviously is in phenomenal shape.

 

North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples (6-5, 281) has big, powerful upper body. He looks like a prototype 4-3 defensive end.

 

Houston wide receiver Patrick Edwards (5-8, 168) is extremely small. Few receivers have careers in the NFL at that size.

 

Arizona quarterback Nick Foles (6-5, 244) had a perfect body for an NFL signal-caller. He is tall and filled out to take the hits. There were oos and ahhs from scouts after his measurements were announced.

 

Texas A&M wide receiver Jeff Fuller (6-4, 217) has a defined body. He looked good in the eyeball test.

 

Baylor running back Terrance Ganaway (5-11, 241) needs to lose some fat. He should drop some weight around a midsection that looked too soft for a running back. Dropping a few pounds should make him quicker as well.

 

Georgia guard/tackle Cordy Glenn (6-5, 346) was a little sloppy in his appearance, but he is a massive man who has the frame to be a beast. If he can trim some fat while adding some functional strength he could help his power and quickness.

 

Texas A&M running back Cyrus Gray (5-10, 198) was impressive. He looked bigger and more chiseled than was expected.

 

Vanderbilt cornerback Casey Hawyard (5-11, 188) is ripped. He posted good numbers and didn't check in shorter than listed.

 

North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins (5-9, 191) is a little short, but he is built. He obviously works hard in the weight room.

 

Georgia center Ben Jones (6-2, 304) has a sloppy body that needs some work.

 

North Carolina wide receiver Dwight Jones (6-3, 226) has an ideal frame for a pro wide receiver. He was very impressive with his build, height and weight.

 

Alabama cornerback Marquis Maze (5-7, 184) is strikingly short. That measurement could really hurt him.

 

North Carolina defensive tackle Tydreke Powell (6-2, 309) had a disappointing weigh in. He is undefined with no pecs. He looks like he hasn't hit the weight room hard in college.

 

Alabama tight end Brad Smelley (6-1, 233) is very undersized. He probably has to move to fullback and is not big enough to play tight end.

 

LSU safety Brandon Taylor (5-11, 202) is defined and has a tough-looking physique.

 

Clemson defensive tackle Brandon Thompson (6-2, 311) carries his weight extremely well. That was good for his stock to show that he is not a soft body type.

 

Alabama outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw (6-1, 273) was heavier than expected, but he carries that weight really well. He is extremely strong and looks like a bear.

 

Alabama center William Vlachos (6-0, 306) had a fat, ugly body. He needs to hit the weight room hard at the next level.

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2012 Senior Bowl: Monday Practice Report

 

Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

Mike Adams is off to a good start. Amid reports by the National Football Post's Wes Bunting that some teams are considering Adams to be a top-15 prospect, the Ohio State tackle fared well in the drills. Vinny Curry beat him once when he got leverage, but Adams handled him and another defensive lineman on the other occasions.

 

"He's got the length you want and good feet," said Mike Mayock.

 

Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

Alfonzo Dennard was one of the players who hurt himself the most on Monday. First of all, he measured in at an even 5-10 at the weigh-ins. That's not going to kill him, but teams looking for taller corners won't be interested. What really damaged Dennard's stock was how he looked in the drills. He was really stiff in the hips and lost in the one-on-one drills.

 

Scott Wright from DraftCountdown.com said it best: "Alfonzo Dennard hasn't looked like a first-round pick in any way so far. Fine when action is in front but can't turn and run."

 

Donnie Fletcher, CB/FS, Boston College

Mike Mayock is a Boston College guy, so when he criticizes an Eagle, you know that player isn't any good. Mayock opined that Fletcher probably won't be able to play cornerback in the NFL, as he criticized his tight hips.

 

Mayock then suggested that Fletcher might have to play free safety, but pointed out that Fletcher doesn't hit aggressively. A safety who doesn't hit aggressively isn't going to be in the league very long.

 

 

 

Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

Two areas of concern for Melvin Ingram at the weigh-in: First, he was only 6-1, 7/8, which is too small for a defensive end. More problematic are his 30 1/2-inch arms, which will almost certainly hurt him at the next level.

 

Leonard Johnson, CB, Iowa State

One corner Mike Mayock likes is Leonard Johnson. Mayock compared Johnson to Brandon Flowers. The Iowa State product was beat once in the one-on-one drills, but getting heavy praise like that from Mayock has to give his stock a slight boost.

 

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

I'm rooting for Kellen Moore because no one else is. No one had anything positive to say about Moore today, as some criticized his measurements (5-11 3/4, 191), while others predicted that he would be exposed this week. And he almost definitely will be. It could get so bad that Moore won't even be drafted. I hope not, but it's a possibility.

 

Mike Mayock isn't much of a fan either, but he did have one positive thing to say about the Boise quarterback: "He does not have big arm. He can't drive it outside numbers. But nobody understands the game any better."

 

In other words, Moore has a chance to be a solid backup quarterback in the NFL, but he doesn't have any starting potential.

 

Kelechi Osemele, G, Iowa State

We can now confirm that Kelechi Osemele has no shot at being a right tackle. He was completely exposed in the one-on-one drills while playing outside. I have no idea why the Senior Bowl coaches lined him up at tackle. He looked really bad. Fortunately, he has great potential at guard.

 

 

 

Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State

Brian Quick was the consensus most physically impressive receiver during the weigh-ins. He measured in at 6-3 1/2, 222 pounds, with very long 33 1/2-inch arms.

 

Johnnie Troutman, G, Penn State

I want to have good things to say about a fellow Penn Stater, but Johnnie Troutman was beaten like a mule in the one-on-one drills. He doesn't look like a draftable prospect.

 

Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin

Mike Mayock had glowing things to say about Russell Wilson:

 

"He could be Doug Flutie. I mean, that's how good this kid is. He has an innate understanding of making plays. He's a playmaker. I don't care how tall he is. He's got a good enough arm. That kid is special."

 

Mayock also complimented Wilson's arm strength, which is something that critics are skeptical about. He has a good chance to be a third-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft

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2012 Senior Bowl: Monday Practice Report

 

By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

 

The North team took to the field of Ladd Peebles Stadium for their first practice of Senior Bowl on Monday afternoon. The Minnesota Vikings coaching staff was in charge of the North team and they had the players practicing in shells, shorts, shoulder pads and helmets. Typically, Tuesday and Wednesday are the full-padded sessions. To start out practice, they worked on special teams and in their individual position groups.

 

The wide receivers worked specifically on body control along the sideline. Appalachian State wide receiver Brian Quick is a big, athletic prospect. He needs to be developed some and work on his footwork for the NFL, but that isn't surprising considering the jump in competition. Ohio State wide receiver Devier Posey and Iowa wideout Marvin McNutt are both polished. McNutt had a fancy one-handed catch.

 

Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson was spinning the ball and showing a quality arm on passes. Meanwhile, Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore does not have the same arm strength, and his balls were floating a fair amount. Michigan State tight end Brian Linthicum had a bad dropped pass working with the quarterbacks. Wilson and Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins both had fumbled snaps.

 

After the individual period, the squad was broken into a scrimmage session of one-on-ones between the wide receivers and the defensive backs, while a nine-on-nine run scrimmage was waged on the other half of the field. Generally, the wideouts got the best of the one-on-ones. Cal wideout Marvin Jones had a quality practice. He had an impressive win against Iowa State cornerback Leonard Johnson. Jones also beat Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard on a deep post going into the end zone. Dennard almost broke the pass up but Jones showed impressive strength to hang onto the football as Dennard tried to slap it out.

 

Quick had a nice leaping catch along the sideline on a pass thrown off the mark, while McNutt burned Cal Poly cornerback Asa Jackson on slant route. Posey had position on Jackson on a deep ball in the front corner of the end zone, but Posey dropped the pass. Jackson did well fielding punts, but he struggled with defending the receivers.

 

Boston College cornerback Donnie Fletcher had a solid practice. He has some size, athleticism and strength. He made some good reads and hits on receivers in the one-on-ones.

 

One of the most impressive players on Monday for the North team was Arizona State wide receiver Gerell Robinson. He beat Johnson in the one-on-ones, and got the better of Fletcher with a beautiful one-handed catch reaching back behind his body. In the 11-on-11 full team scrimmage, Robinson was moving the chains for the offense. He was very effective running the short to intermediate slant. He beat Oklahoma cornerback Jamell Fleming on a comeback route. After making the catch, Robinson dodged Fleming's reach to break free downfield for a good gain. It wasn't all good for Robinson, as he dropped one slant pass. Overall he was a real challenge for defensive backs and Robinson made his presence felt.

 

 

 

The defensive and offensive linemen battled in one-on-ones, and the defensive linemen had the better overall day. Here is a scorecard of some of the one-on-one action:

Connecticut defensive tackle Kendall Reyes beat Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler with a speed rush followed by a swim move.

 

Zeitler came back to end the session by winning two reps against Washington nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu. He stonewalled two bull rushes as the thick Zeitler is very good at anchoring. The way to beat Zeitler is with speed, as bull rushes tend to go nowhere.

 

Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin and Ohio State center Mike Brewster split four reps with each getting two victories. Brewster rode Martin around the pocket on the first try, while Martin bull rushed Brewster into the quarterback marker on the rematch. The next rep saw Brewster hold off Martin long enough for a pass to be thrown. The final rep had Martin blasting Brewster back and rocking the center onto his heels. That let Martin jet by him to get to the marker.

 

Boise State defensive tackle Billy Winn battled Penn State guard Johnnie Troutman. Winn lost the first rep as Troutman held him off long enough. They had a draw on another rep where Winn got some charge before being stopped. Winn beat Utah guard Tony Bergstrom with a speed rush.

 

Bergstrom lost two reps to Virginia defensive end Cam Johnson. He burned him with speed rushes to the inside. Johnson had a good practice overall. He also beat Iowa State offensive tackle/guard Kelechi Osemele with some speed rushes to the inside. Osemele was at right tackle. Johnson would start to the outside before darting by Osemele to the interior.

 

Cincinnati defensive tackle/end Derek Wolfe had two draws going against Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams. Each rep saw Wolfe push the pocket before being stopped short of getting to the marker. Wolfe split two reps with Zeitler. Wolfe won with a speed rush and lost when he tried to bull rush Zeitler.

 

Adams split two battles with Marshall defensive end Vinny Curry. The first time saw Adams get a hold of Curry, and he was unable to shed the block. The rematch had Curry getting low around the edge and turning the corner to get by Adams.

 

Washington offensive tackle Senio Kelemete won two reps against Penn State defensive end Jack Crawford. The first rep saw Kelemete stop a bull rush dead on. The second attempt was a speed rush that Kelemete mirrored well.

 

There were some impressive wins in the line play during the team scrimmage. Vinny Curry and Cam Johnson had good rushes in the 11-on-11 battles. Curry had Russell Wilson sacked on one play after he beat Kelemete on a speed rush around the corner. Johnson beat Osemele on a speed rush with Osemele at right tackle. In judging by the first day, Osemele is misfit at tackle and should move inside to guard. Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin got blown up by a bump block from Troutman and Zeitler. The big offensive linemen put Martin into the turf hard. That is a hard block to beat in the NFL and can give a lot of defensive tackles fits, but beating that block can separate the men from the boys.

 

To conclude practice, the teams worked on punts. Wisconsin punter Brad Nortman had a good day and was getting good hang time. The Vikings coaches praised Nortman. Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David did well as a personal protector for the punter, while Michigan State safety Trenton Robinson was a gritty and effective gunner. Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead, North Carolina State wide receiver T.J. Graham and Cal Poly cornerback Asa Jackson returned the punts. None of them muffed a kick.

 

There were some other brief notables from the Monday practice. Washington running back Chris Polk and Boise State running back Doug Martin looked good, but it can be tough to read when tackles aren't being made. Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins look like better prospects than Kellen Moore. Moore's arm is seriously lacking. Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler spent some time after practice working on snapping the ball with the Vikings coaching staff. Many NFL guards are required to learn some center in case of injury. A late add to the Senior Bowl is Arkansas State linebacker Demario Davis. He had a solid debut with some good plays in pass coverage in the team scrimmage.

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2012 Senior Bowl: Tuesday North Practice Report

 

Audie Cole, ILB, N.C. State

Audie Cole is having a really good week thus far. He looked solid in full pads, and as DraftCountdown's Scott Wright described, "[Cole is] rangy and athletic with good speed and quick feet."

 

Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State

The consensus is that Kirk Cousins has been the most impressive quarterback on the North Team despite an interception to George Iloka, with Russell Wilson being a close second (more on that later). Kellen Moore hasn't done anything to change the popular belief that he's just a backup at the next level.

 

 

 

Vinny Curry, DE/OLB, Marshall

Vinny Curry came into this week as a second-round prospect, and it appears that won't change. He's had some good and some bad moments in the one-on-one drills.

 

"He has a little bit of stiffness to him, but he has the effort, athleticism and motor to rush the passer," said Mike Mayock. "I'm hearing a lot a second-round grade."

 

Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

Alfonzo Dennard really struggled on Monday. He was much better Tuesday, though he was used at nickel pretty often, which might ultimately be his position at the next level.

 

Mike Mayock likened Dennard's body type to Prince Amukamara's, but really questioned his ball skills. That's not surprising, as Dennard had four career interceptions at Nebraska.

 

Mike Martin, DT, Michigan

An entertaining portion of Tuesday's practice was a brief fight between Mike Brewster and Mike Martin. Martin beat Brewster twice (was held once), which angered the declining Ohio State center. Martin is really helping himself with a strong week. I'll be shocked if he doesn't make it into the top three rounds of my 2012 NFL Mock Draft, which will be updated tonight.

 

Chris Polk, RB, Washington

I haven't talked about the running backs much, but Chris Polk has been a major disappointment this week. Charlie has more on this in his Tuesday Senior Bowl Practice Report.

 

 

 

Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State

Brian Quick was one of the winners of the weigh-in yesterday, but he dropped two passes in Tuesday's practice and didn't really look that explosive. Bucky Brooks complimented him in an interview, however, so at least Quick has that going for him.

 

Kendall Reyes, DE/DT, Connecticut

Kendall Reyes looked pretty solid in Tuesday's practice. He beat second-round prospect Kevin Zeitler in the one-on-one drills.

 

Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin

Mike Mayock once again had glowing praise for Russell Wilson. Like yesterday, he compared him to Doug Flutie in terms of being physically challenged but emerging when it matters most. Coaches and general managers have to love his initiative to take mental practice reps when it's not his turn behind center.

 

Some team will give Russell Wilson a shot with its third- or fourth-round pick. Perhaps that will be the Redskins, who met extensively with Wilson, as chronicled in Monday's Senior Bowl Rumor Mill

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2012 Senior Bowl: Tuesday North Practice Report

 

By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

 

The North team took to the field of Ladd Peebles Stadium for their second practice of Senior Bowl on Tuesday morning. The Minnesota Vikings coaching staff was in charge of the North team and they had the players practicing in full pads. Tuesday and Wednesday are the full-padded sessions. To start out practice they worked on special teams and in their individual position groups.

 

During the practice and beforehand, Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler spent a lot of time working at center. Zeitler played next to the best center in college football in Peter Konz, so he didn't see any game action at the position as a collegiate player the past few years. If Zeitler can show NFL teams that he has the capacity to play some center, that could give his draft stock a boost.

 

During the individual period the linebackers worked on their footwork. Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David has extremely quick feet, and David stood out above the other linebackers. North Carolina State linebacker Audie Cole is a little stiff. He probably would fit best as an inside linebacker in the 3-4. Boise State outside linebacker Shea McClellin was surprisingly athletic.

 

After the individual period, the linebackers went to a one-on-one scrimmage against running backs, fullbacks and tight ends in blitz protection. Overall the linebackers have the advantage in this drill, but there were players who stood out on both sides of the ball. Here is a scorecard of some of the one-on-one action:

 

David started the session by blasting Wisconsin fullback Bradie Ewing. The hit from David was extremely hard and rocked Ewing off balance. That allowed the speedy David to jet by him for the victory. David ran through Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead on a rush. David blasted Washington running back Chris Polk to the ground for another win. The only player who beat David was Massachusetts tight end Emil Igwenagu. He rode David around the outside on a speed rush.

 

Other than David, the other linebacker to really standout was Cole. He beat Polk with a swim move, dodged Ewing with a jab step, and defeated Ohio State running back Boom Herron with a power swim move. Cole lost a rep to Missouri tight end Michael Egnew when he rode him around the pocket.

 

Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner shed a block from Boise State's Doug Martin before getting to the marker. Wagner bull rushed through Polk for a victory.

 

Nevada linebacker James-Michael Johnson had a resounding win when he ran over Herron on one rush. Johnson also had wins against Ewing and Igwenagu.

 

Ewing lost a number of reps but he also had a win against Boise State's Shea McClellin when he rode him around the pocket.

 

McClellin destroyed Herron on a power rush.

 

Pead stuffed Johnson on one rush. Of the running backs, Pead has the best technique in fitting up on blitzers and getting in good position. Even in his losses he fought well.

 

Pead and Martin were the two running backs who performed the best in their position group. Polk had an ugly session, while Herron was beat with ease. Both Pead and Martin are helping their draft stock with showing the potential to be trusted third-down running backs.

 

 

 

The wide receivers and cornerbacks went against each other in one-on-ones. Overall the defensive backs fared better than they did on Monday, but wideouts have an advantage in this drill as they know the route and the cornerback has no safety help. Here is a run down of some of the one-on-one action:

 

Iowa wide receiver Marvin McNutt is a polished route-runner and he had a good session. McNutt had wins against Iowa State cornerback Leonard Johnson, Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard and Cal Poly cornerback Asa Jackson. McNutt executes the slant route extremely well and that worked to get open against those cornerbacks. On a deep post, McNutt had a step on Boston College cornerback Donnie Fletcher, but McNutt couldn't get a handle on a pass thrown behind him. It was a catch he probably should've made.

 

A real standout so far has been Cal wide receiver Marvin Jones. He beat Dennard on a deep pass along the sideline for a big catch downfield. Jones burned Johnson on a slant route and got a good deal of space to come open. On Monday and Tuesday, Jones has shown quickness in and out of his breaks to get separation from defensive backs.

 

Dennard hasn't had a strong week. At times he hasn't done well in turning and running with receivers. Dennard did have a win when he forced an incompletion on a quick out to North Carolina State wide receiver T.J. Graham. This environment isn't the best for Dennard as he performs better in the games when he is playing within a scheme. This week could bump his stock down.

 

Ohio State wide receiver DeVier Posey didn't impress and had a bad dropped pass.

 

Fletcher had a good session overall. He almost had a diving interception after Appalachian State wide receiver Brian Quick slipped on the play. Fletcher had tight coverage on Gerell Robinson on an out route and forced a bobbled pass that went incomplete as Robinson went out of bounds.

 

The defensive line and offensive lines battled in one-on-ones, and there are definitely some prospects who are really helping themselves. The defensive line has a bigger advantage in this drill because they don't have to play the run before rushing the passer like they do in many plays in an actual game. They also don't take on any double teams or have to overcome a chip from a running back or tight end. Here is a scorecard of some of the one-on-one action:

 

On two reps, Connecticut defensive tackle Kendall Reyes beat Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler with a speed rush. Reyes had a really good day. He also bull rushed Wake Forest guard Joe Looney to get to the quarterback marker.

 

Looney was a late addition to the Senior Bowl, and he had a horrible debut practice. He was bull rushed twice by Washington defensive tackle Alameda Ta'amu. The big nose tackle had no problem pushing Looney onto the marker. It is tough for players to come in late, but Looney showed no strength to anchor.

 

Zeitler had a win when he stonewalled a bull rush from Boise State defensive tackle Billy Winn, but he also had a rare loss to a bull rush courtesy of Ta'amu.

 

One of the biggest stars on Tuesday was Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin. He abused Ohio State center Mike Brewster on multiple reps. He had a few wins on bull rushes and got one win after he rocked Brewster onto his heels before jetting by the center. It was an impressive day from Martin and a disappointing day for Brewster. There was a win for Brewster when he rode Ta'amu around the middle of the pocket on a bull rush.

 

Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams is a potential first-round pick but he is very inconsistent. He can look great and terrible in back-to-back plays. His first rep was a loss as Virginia defensive end Cam Johnson blew by him on a speed rush. Penn State defensive Jack Crawford did the same thing. Adams rebounded to get some wins including a rush that he stopped cold from Johnson. Adams is a more advanced run blocker than pass blocker entering the next level.

 

Overall Cincinnati defensive end Derek Wolfe showed well in the one-on-ones. It started slowly when he got pushed around in an ugly fashion by Iowa State tackle/guard Kelechi Osemele. Osemele shoved Wolfe off balance and into the ground. Wolfe bull rushed Penn State's Johnnie Troutman on one rep to get a win. In the rematch Wolfe beat Troutman with a speed rush around the edge. Wolfe beat Washington offensive tackle Senio Kelemete with a bull rush.

 

Osemele had an impressive win when he stopped a spin move dead in its tracks from Marshall's Vinny Curry. After a tough opening day, Osemele played much better on Tuesday.

 

Kelemete battled tough with some wins and losses. He had a win on one rep against Curry. After some initial penetration, Kelemete recovered to keep Curry at bay. Curry beat Kelemete with a speed edge rush to close out the one-on-ones.

 

In the team scrimmage portion of practice, Martin continued to stand out. He burst through the line to blow up one run early on. Martin kept coming and stuffed Polk at the line of scrimmage after Martin beat Utah guard Tony Bergstrom. Don't be surprised if you hear about Martin being one of the stars of Senior Bowl.

 

There were a few other notable events in Monday's practice. In the team scrimmage McClellin got a sack on a speed rush around the corner. Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson overthrew tight end Michael Egnew running down the middle of the field after Egnew got a step on Nevada linebacker James-Michael Johnson. Cousins was intercepted by Boise State safety George Iloka after he undercut a pass intended for Igwenagu. It was a good read and break on the ball by Iloka. The quarterbacks did not impress on Tuesday. Cousins is the best prospect of the bunch. All of them had fumbled snaps, especially Boise State's Kellen Moore, who wasn't under center much in college

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:15 p.m. CT -- The South practice is over and so ends the Tuesday schedule at the Senior Bowl.

Chris Rainey of Florida really stood out with his versatility and ability to be a true receiving threat. On one play he even threw a block on defensive lineman Tony Jerod-Eddie of Texas A&M and removed him from the action. Jerod-Eddie weighed in more than 125 pounds heavier than Rainey on Monday.

Former Gator Janoris Jenkins continues to impress. He sticks like glue to opposing receivers and shows terrific ball skills.

We start against tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. CT for what is the most important day of Senior Bowl practices of the week.

2:58 p.m. CT -- Vick Ballard finally caught a pass in full scrimmage. He also just had a pair of terrific runs. He's shown a nice burst of speed and did a great job following his blocks. He also showed elusiveness and on his second long gainer made several defenders miss.

- Nigel Bradham looks incredibly athletic on the field. He covers a lot of area on the field and easily stays with backs or tight ends in coverage.

- A point of concern in Courtney Upshaw's game is the limited speed he shows on the field. While he's effective rushing the passer out of a three-point stance, Upshaw looks very limited in his ability to pursue and catch the ball-handler from the backside when stood up at linebacker.

- QB Ryan Lindley of San Diego State has looked good in scrimmage. He's an effective short yardage passer who's been on the mark with his throws. Lindley has also shown a lot of skill rolling outside the pocket and throwing on the move.

- Emmanuel Acho is just a smart, instinctive football player. He's not the greatest athlete but does a great job diagnosing the action and putting himself in a position to make plays on the ball. Acho has looked good against the run and pass.

- WR Juron Criner of Arizona has had his moments today. He's incredibly athletic and made several acrobatic receptions over defenders. Criner lacks downfield speed, but quickly gets off the line and shows the ability to get separation in underneath coverage.

- WR Patrick Edwards of Houston has been a bit of an enigma today. He's incredibly quick and shows a burst of speed, but does not make the receptions that are seemingly very catchable.

- TE LaDarius Green of Louisiana Lafayette has caught the ball exceptionally well today. He's very fluid and the 237-pounder looks more like a possession receiver. He needs to improve his blocking, which will come by adding strength, but he looks like a good candidate as a move tight end for the next level.

- S Antonio Allen of South Carolina has flashed skill all day. He's a very sudden player that jumps out of nowhere to make plays. Allen is also a vicous hitter. He just needs to show more consistency against the pass, but you can tell he has the underlying skills.

- DT Jaye Howard of Florida has made several nice plays. He fires off the snap and is able to penetrate the line of scrimmage.

2:48 p.m. CT -- Former Florida Gator cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who played for North Alabama last season, has looked good. He's fast, easily stays downfield with opponents and ,despite playing at a low level of competition last year, looks as though his ball skills have improved. Scouts have to be thinking first round for Jenkins after his performance.

- RB Vick Ballard of Mississippi has dropped a ton of catchable passes today in practice.

- OL Philip Blake of Baylor has shown some promise. He's a feisty blocker who does a great job controlling defenders when he squares into the opponent.

- OL Jeff Allen of Illinois continues to do a fine job on Quinton Coples of North Carolina. Coples struggles getting off of Allen's blocks.

- Coples has had his moments today, as he just ran around Zebrie Sanders in scrimmage. He is an impressive looking athlete with great movement skills. But you get the sense that Coples does not play with a sense of urgency and gives up on plays too easily.

2:28 p.m. CT -- CB Dwight Bentley of Louisiana Lafayette is having a terrific day. He's been able to stay downfield with receivers and shows the ability to stay on their hips out of breaks.

- LB Courtney Upshaw of Alabama has been standing up over tackle as a rush linebacker in a three four. He's an impressive looking athlete but has yet to show he can get off blocks. Upshaw has been handled on several occasions by Jeff Allen of Illinois, who's lined up at left tackle.

- WR Chris Rainey of Florida continues to be very impressive in drills. Defenders just cannot stay downfield with the speedster and he's made a number of sensational catches.

- QB Brandon Weeden of Oklahoma State has looked terrific thus far. He has a monster arm and spins his passes with speed to get the ball through the tight windows. He just fired a brilliant pass through triple coverage into the hands of Joe Adams of Arkansas.

- T Zebrie Sanders of Florida State has looked good in one-on-one drills. He's handled Quinton Coples twice.

- Alabama's Courtney Upshaw is now being used at defensive end and looks good. He put offensive tackle Matt McCants of UAB on his bottom with a powerful bull-rush, then did the same to James Brown of Troy State.

- DL-OLB Melvin Ingram of South Carolina has looked terrific in pass rushing drills. He plays low and has been tough to block.

2:10 p.m. CT -- WR Marquis Maze of Alabama has been running terrific routes thus far. He quickly gets into breaks and positions himself to make the reception on exit. He's caught the ball well from the fastball quarterbacks on the South.

- WR Jeff Fuller of Texas A&M on the other hand has struggled. He's slow getting into breaks and rounds off his routes. Fuller shows some stiffness in his game. He has caught the ball well and looks very impressive getting vertical to grab the pass for such a large receiver.

- DL Jake Bequette of Arkansas weighed in at 265 pounds. He's being used at linebacker today and is really struggling in pass coverage drills. Looks slow and has difficulty flipping his hips.

- LB Sean Spence of Miami is having a tough go of it early in practice. He's guessing wrong in coverage drills and has been beaten by running backs down the field several times.

- QB Nick Foles of Arizona has been overthrowing his passes today. He seems to be trying to impress scouts with his arm strength, but his point of release has been high and passes have been sailing over the intended targets' heads.

- OL Cordy Glenn of Georgia, who played left tackle as a senior for the Bulldogs, was moved back inside to guard at practice and has been very effective. He's strong and has stayed with blocks.

- RB Chris Rainey of Florida has shown impressive downfield speed and hands in receiver drills. He just beat former Gator teammate Janoris Jenkins for a long gainer on two separate instances.

- Jeff Fuller just let a pass go through his hands and bounce off his chest. It was intercepted Dwight Bentley of Louisiana Lafayette on the ricochet.

1:58 p.m. CT -- Tuesday afternoon practice is underway, as the South squad has finished their warm-ups. The biggest crowds of the week have been on hand for the South practice, as their roster offers the greatest firepower at quarterback. The fact that a handful of players from national champion Alabama are on the field has also caught the interest of local folks in Mobile.

Defensive lineman Malik Jackson was a late entry to the game and will be taking the field today.

Updating the injury suffered by Joe Looney this morning, the Wake Forest guard has been diagnosed with a torn ligament in his foot which will require surgery. No timetable for his full recovery was given.

10:57 a.m. CT -- Morning practice is over. Without a doubt the two most impressive players this morning came from the defensive line. Mike Martin of Michigan and Kendall Reyes of UConn were both impossible to stop and set up shop behind the line of scrimmage.

The South practice begins at 1:45 p.m. CT. Thus far the early reports on Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden have been terrific. We'll be here to cover it live.

10:42 a.m. CT -- S George Iloka of Boise State just made a beautiful interception of a pass thrown by Kirk Cousins. Iloka stepped in front of the receiver and grabbed the ball away.

- RB Chris Polk of Washington display terrific straigh ahead speed and power yet shows little in the way of creativity or the ability to elude defenders.

- DL Mike Martin of Michigan continues to impress. He's shown the ability to finish plays today and has been a disruptive force all day.

- DT Derek Wolfe of Cincinnati has been mostly quiet but just made a terrific play beating a double team block to get behind the line of scrimmage.

- WR Marvn McNutt of Iowa continues to struggle. He had a step on a defender 30 yards downfield, Leonard Johnsin of Iowa State, but dropped a pass perfectly placed in his hands by Kirk Cousins.

- OL Joe Looney of Wake Forest, who replaced the injured Garth Gerhart, is gingerly walking off the field with what looks like an ankle injury.

- LB James-Michael Johnson of Nevada has shown a lot of athleticism on the field today. He easily moves about the field, showing the ability to quickly get outside the box or get depth on pass drops. He's not made many plays on the ball, but is omnipresent moving around the field.

- WR Gerrell Robinson of Arizona State made several terrific catches in scrimmage. He continues to run good routes and really does a nice job using his 220-pound frame to box out cornerbacks and physically beat them down for the catch.

- RB Doug Martin of Boise State continues to impress scouts with his versatility. Beside displaying a variety of skils carrying the ball he looked good returning kicks during special teams practice.

- CB Asa Jackson of Cal-Poly has been quiet during the defensive drills but looked very good returning punts. He's been able to handle the 60-yard moonshots that have been coming off the foot of Wisconsin's Brad Nortman on a very breezy day.

10:18 a.m. CT -- QB Russell Wilson of Wisconsin has been up and down all morning. At times he throws beautiful, catchable passes that quickly arrive to the receivers' hands. Other times his passes resemble a wounded duck as they flutter in the air.

- RB Doug Martin of Boise State has looked terrific thus far. He runs with great quickness and shows a burst through the hole. Martin is also very patient and does a nice job side-stepping defenders to create yardage.

- DT Mike Martin of Michigan has been a disruptive force all morning. He just threw Penn State lineman Johnnie Troutman to the ground and blew up a running play.

- RB Isaiah Pead of Cincinnati is again the toughest running back to tackle. He shows terrific footwork and just gave Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith a nice stiff arm to keep his play alive.

- WR Brian Quick of Appalachian State continues to struggle. He shows very limited quickness in his game and cannot separate from defenders.

- TE Emil Igwenagu of UMass has looked terrific as a blocker this morning. He's lined up at both fullback and on the line as a tight end, and no one has been able to get by him. He's small, but tough and strong. Igwenagu just made a terrific catch in double coverage.

- OL Kevin Zeitler of Wisconsin has been shifting with Mike Brewster at the center position today.

- DT Kendall Reyes of UConn has been a force this morning. He shows great explosion off the snap, as well as a variety of moves with his hands. Reyes has gotten a lot of penetration and just destoryed Zeitler of Wisconsin in one-on-one drills.

- C Mike Brewster of Ohio State and DT Mike Martine of Michigan are again battling hard in practice. Brewster laughed about it yesterday and noted it's just a continuation of what's taken place the past four years.

- G Kelechi Osemele of Iowa State has had a solid morning. He uses his wide body to seal defenders from the action and was able to overwhelm the smaller Vinny Curry.

- OL Tony Bergstrom of Utah has had a solid day. One one play he steered the athletic Jack Craford of Penn State from his pass-rush angle, then in another instance buried Billy Winn of Boise State. Winn has not looked good at all. He looked sloppy in weigh-ins and has not been a factor at all in practice.

10 a.m. CT -- Safety George Iloka of Boise State has had a quick start to the morning. He looks terrific in drills, displaying sound footwork in reverse and the ability to burst to the ball out of his plant.

- QB Kellen Moore of Boise State continues to struggle. The speed on his throws is notably slower than any of the other signal callers at practice this morning.

- WR Gerell Robinson of Arizona State looks solid. He runs exceptionally quick and crisp routes for a receiver that tips the scales in excess of 220 pounds.

- QB Kirk Cousins of Michigan State continues to throw the ball with terrific speed and velocity. Receivers are never waiting on the pass as they leave their breaks.

- OLB Shea McCLellin of Boise State continues to impress since making the move to linebacker. He destroyed several running backs and fullbacks this morning in pass-rushing drills in which he simulated standing up over a tackle.

- What's so impressive about T Mike Adams of Ohio State is the way he easily moves his 330-pound frame around the field. Even this morning, when asked to block in motion, Adams quickly gets out to the second level and is able to adjust and block linebackers thanks to his agililty.

9:42 a.m. CT -- The weather this morning in Mobile has taken a turn for the better, as it's sunny and 60 degrees. The players now have prime conditions to practice in front of the hundreds of scouts on hand.

Early news has DE Andre Branch of Clemson as a last-second scratch from the Senior Bowl. He's reportedly suffering from a groin injury. Garth Gerhart, who left the field with an injury Monday afternoon, is not on the field this morning. Guard Joe Looney of Wake Forest is, however, I assume as a replacement for Gerhart

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2012 Senior Bowl: Tuesday South Practice Report

 

Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas

Joe Adams looked pretty impressive during the one-on-one drills, displaying an array of nifty moves to get open downfield. He's back in my four-round 2012 NFL Mock Draft, updated tonight!

 

Dwight Bentley, CB, Louisiana-Lafayette

Dwight Bentley is relatively unknown - one of the NFL Network announcers (probably Charles Davis) called him "Bill Bentley" during the broadcast - but he had a solid Tuesday practice. He made a nice break-up against Dwight Jones in the one-on-one drills, and the analysts mentioned that there's some buzz about him. He could be an early Day 3 pick.

 

James Brown, OT, Troy

Another non-BCS player impressed on Tuesday. Troy tackle James Brown drew some praise from Mike Mayock:

 

"I'm really intrigued by James Brown. He did a great job keeping the pocket clean against Clemson."

 

 

 

Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

Quinton Coples' issue is consistency. He had a dynamic junior campaign, but struggled as a senior. People will blame the coaching staff for that, but the same inconsistency has manifested itself in the Senior Bowl. Coples was reportedly unblockable on Monday, but he looked like an ordinary mid-round defensive lineman on Tuesday. He was blocked easily in most of the one-on-one matchups.

 

"Coples doesn't have that elite burst that Julius Peppers does," said Mike Mayock.

 

Juron Criner, WR, Arizona

Juron Criner made the catch of the day when he made a great adjustment on one throw and came up with an extended, one-handed grab. He reportedly looked solid on Monday.

 

Nick Foles, QB, Arizona

Juron Criner's quarterback didn't fare too well. Nick Foles had trouble operating the offense, as some snaps were botched. When everything worked, Foles threw his trademark checkdowns. That's pretty much all he did at Arizona.

 

Forum member and Redskins fan bball37 joked about Foles' struggles: "Don't worry Nick Foles, nobody understands Kyle Shanahan's offense."

 

Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M

Jeff Fuller stinks. He dropped a pass that bounced out of his hands and into a cornerback's, which wasn't a surprise because he had issues with drops all season. He was also easily jammed at the line of scrimmage on another one-on-one matchup.

 

"I'm not sure if he's quick enough or physical enough," said Mike Mayock.

 

Fuller is not in my top four rounds in tonight's 2012 NFL Mock Draft update.

 

Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina

Melvin Ingram is too short and has tiny arms, but he completely makes up for it with his dynamic explosion. He was pretty much unblockable in the one-on-one drills and showed off a brilliant spin move that easily allowed him to get by the offensive lineman.

 

 

 

Chris Rainey, RB/WR, Florida

Chris Rainey saw some action at receiver. He completely torched first-round prospect Janoris Jenkins on one instance. He's going to be an intriguing weapon for some team.

 

Keenan Robinson, OLB, Texas

Keenan Robinson made a great play in the one-on-ones to break up a pass.

 

Sean Spence, OLB, Miami

Sean Spence, meanwhile, whiffed on a play in a one-on-one matchup, allowing his opponent to easily get by him.

 

Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson

Just a quote from Mike Mayock on Brandon Thompson's draft position:

 

"Some have a first-round grade on Brandon Thompson. I have a second-round grade on him."

 

Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

Courtney Upshaw had a terrific practice. He was unblockable on most instances, and he completely abused offensive tackle Mike McCants, a potential third-rounder.

 

"That was a complete mismatch," said Mike Mayock.

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2012 Senior Bowl: Tuesday South Practice Report

 

By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

 

The South team took to the field of Ladd Peebles Stadium for their second practice of Senior Bowl on Tuesday afternoon. The Washington Redskins coaching staff was in charge of the South team and they had the players practicing in full pads with a quick tempo. Tuesday and Wednesday are the full-padded sessions. To start out practice they worked in their individual position groups. Soon the linebackers and running backs got together to battle in a one-on-one pass coverage session.

 

North Carolina outside linebacker Zach Brown showed off his athleticism and agility by blanketing Baylor running back Terrance Ganaway on two reps. The second pass was slapped out of Ganaway's hands by Brown. In a game he may have been called for pass interference, but it would have been a close call. Ganaway also couldn't get separation from Texas linebacker Keenan Robinson.

 

Miami linebacker Sean Spence lost a rep to Louisiana Tech running back Lennon Creer and also had tight coverage to get a win against Clemson's Chad Diehl.

 

Mississippi State running back Vick Ballard burned Texas linebacker Emmanuel Acho on an out route. Acho came back to have good coverage against Florida running back Chris Rainey. Ballard dropped a pass after getting a step on Florida State linebacker Nigel Bradham. Aside from that drop, Ballard had a strong practice. In the team scrimmage session, Ballard had a big run behind the right side of the offensive line. About 15 yards downfield, he was popped by LSU safety Brandon Taylor and taken to the ground on a hard tackle. That got scouts to "ooh" and "ahh" even though Taylor wasn't supposed to tackle Ballard. The hard tackle didn't phase him, as Ballard broke off another big run in the 11-on-11 scrimmage when he started to the left and slashed across the field towards the right side for a big gain.

 

The one-on-one scrimmages continued when the wide receivers and cornerbacks battled. Here is a scorecard of some of that action:

 

Arkansas wide receiver Joe Adams beat Furman cornerback Joe Steed on two reps. The first win was on a slant pass. The second rep saw Steed get a good jam on Adams, but after the wideout released, he got some separation and caught a deep pass running along the sideline.

 

Louisiana-Lafayette cornerback Bill Bentley split reps with North Carolina's Dwight Jones. The big wideout won on a slant pass, but lost on a deep cross. Jones stayed with the big receiver running across the field to force an incompletion. Bentley also had two wins against Texas A&M wide receiver Jeff Fuller. Bentley had an impressive interception after Fuller dropped a pass that bounced off his pads. Fuller quit on the ball, while Bentley dived and intercepted it. He blanketed Fuller again when Bentley didn't bite on a double move.

 

Arizona wide receiver Juron Criner split two reps with Vanderbilt's Casey Hayward. The first rep saw Hayward guard Criner closely and not allow any separation. The second rep was maybe the best catch thus far at Senior Bowl. Criner got a step on Hayward but the pass was thrown off the mark. Criner reached behind his body with one hand and grabbed the ball. It was a phenomenal catch that drew a collective "wow" from the stands.

 

Oklahoma State safety Markelle Martin had tight coverage and slapped away a pass from Louisiana-Lafayette tight end Ladarius Green.

 

Alabama tight end Brad Smelley had good outing in the one-on-ones. He beat Alabama teammate cornerback DeQuan Menzie for a diving catch on an out pass. Against LSU safety Taylor, Smelley had a completion on a deep crossing route. Taylor came back to pop Smelley immediately after a short catch was made for a minimal gain.

 

Two former Gators teammates battled with running back Chris Rainey beating cornerback Janoris Jenkins on a slant route.

 

Houston wide receiver Patrick Edwards lost a rep to Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin. Edwards didn't get separation from Boykin and Edwards couldn't reach a couple feet over his head. The 5-foot-9 Edwards is clearly limited with the type of target he provides quarterbacks.

 

 

 

In the team scrimmage portion of practice, Jenkins had a nice pass breakup when he read a bootleg well and closed on the receiver. Jenkins timed his hit perfectly and popped the receiver to force an incompletion. The other defensive back who stood out in the team scrimmage was Menzie. He had a nice tackle of LSU tight end DeAngelo Peterson. Menzie followed that by running up to break down and make a nice open field tackle of Rainey.

 

The defensive line and offensive line had their one-on-one battles as well. Overall the defense had a dominant day, but that shouldn't be surprising as the line has three definite first-round picks in North Carolina's Quinton Coples, South Carolina's Melvin Ingram and Alabama's Courtney Upshaw. Here is a scorecard of some of the one-on-one action:

 

Coples was dynamite. He beat tackles with a elite skill set, and was essentially unblockable. He started out by beating Tory tackle James Brown with a speed rush towards the interior of the pocket. Coples slapped and fought away Florida State offensive tackle Zebrie Sanders to win an edge rush. In the rematch, Coples grabbed a hold of Sanders and tossed him aside to run free to the quarterback marker. Coples beat Illinois tackle Jeff Allen twice, once with a nice speed rush and a swim move to cut to the inside. Another win came at the expense of UAB tackle Matt McCants. Coples showed a complete package with speed and power to go along with a repertoire of moves.

 

Ingram was dominant as well. He beat Sanders with a bull rush. He also burned Sanders with with a speed rush around the corner. Ingram got Sanders again by starting to the outside before darting to the inside to get pressure. Ingram burst by Georgia guard Cordy Glenn and Allen to win two more reps.

 

Upshaw went virtually undefeated as well. He burned McCants on a speed rush around the corner on two reps. Upshaw also bull rushed his way through James Brown.

 

Glenn came back to stop some bull rushes cold. He blocked Texas defensive tackle Kheeston Randall, Tennessee defensive tackle Malik Jackson and Florida's Jaye Howard.

 

Clemson defensive tackle Brandon Thompson had one of the most impressive rushes when he burned Glenn with a quick spin move. Thompson started to the outside before spinning back to the inside to jet by Glenn. Thompson was stopped by Jones. Thompson had wins against Baylor center Philip Blake and LSU guard Will Blackwell.

 

Blake walled off a bull rush from North Carolina defensive tackle Tydreke Powell.

 

Upshaw got a win with a bull rush running right through Brown.

 

Texas A&M's Tony Jerod-Eddie beat Allen and Blackwell. Blackwell really struggled on Tuesday. Jerod-Eddie bull rushed through Georgia guard Ben Jones.

 

Randle had beat Jones with a rush where he knocked Jones back on his heels before jetting by him.

 

In the team scrimmage session, Coples kept coming. He bull rushed through Sanders on a zone run to the right. That let him start a gang tackle for a loss. Coples blew by Sanders a few more times on speed rushes. In a game, he easily could have had a sack or two. To finish out the impressive day for the defensive line, Jerod-Eddie and Howard combined to record a sack after they burst through the line.

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2012 Senior Bowl: Wednesday North Practice Report

 

Audie Cole, ILB, N.C. State

Audie Cole had another really nice practice, as he stood out in the one-on-one drills. He could be making his way toward the second round.

 

Vinny Curry, DE/OLB, Marshall

Another up-and-down practice for Vinny Curry, who easily beat Kevin Zeitler, but then was stonewalled by Kelechi Osemele when lining up inside.

 

"There's a little buzz going on about him," said Mike Mayock. "He doesn't do anything great, but he does everything well. That motor is going to get him into the second round."

 

 

 

Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska

Two cornerbacks bounced back from a rough start to this week. Alfonzo Dennard made a really nice pass break-up on Brian Quick on seven-on-sevens.

 

Donnie Fletcher, CB, Boston College

The other corner who rebounded was Donnie Fletcher, who hit hard and excelled in the run-blocking drill. Mike Mayock noted that onlookers like it when prospects improve off a bad start.

 

"Fletcher struggled Monday," Mayock said. "But I thought he came back yesterday and got a bit of a buzz when he got his hands on people."

 

Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia

Cam Johnson has enjoyed some very good Senior Bowl practices. Mike Mayock took note of this.

 

"Cam Johnson is interesting," Mayock said. "I don't know where you line him up, but he's had a really good week."

 

Mike Martin, DT, Michigan

Mike Martin wasn't as dominant as he was Tuesday, but he still stood out with some solid performances in the one-on-ones. He's probably helped himself more than anybody at the Senior Bowl. He's listed in the third round of today's 2012 NFL Mock Draft update, but I may have to move him up next week.

 

 

 

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

Another poor outing for Kellen Moore. All I'm hearing is "he's the next Tyler Palko." If you watched the Chiefs this year, you know that's not a good thing.

 

Chris Polk, RB, Washington

The Sun Tan Man suggested that Chris Polk has hurt himself more than any running back this week, and I couldn't agree more. Perhaps it's the weight he recently put on, but he looks really slow on the field.

 

Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California

Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz caught my eye when he made some nice blocks in the one-on-ones on Monday, but I didn't mention him. He stood out again today, prompting Mike Mayock to compliment him.

 

"Schwartz is going to force me to do some more tapework on him," Mayock said. "He's a better athlete than I thought."

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2012 Senior Bowl: Wednesday North Practice Report

 

By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

 

The North team took to the field of Ladd Peebles Stadium for their third practice of Senior Bowl on Wednesday morning. The Minnesota Vikings coaching staff was in charge of the North team and they had the players practicing in full pads. Tuesday and Wednesday are the full-padded sessions. To start out practice they worked on special teams and in their individual position groups.

 

The linebackers received some expert coaching from Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary. Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David has very quick feet, but Singletary was riding him not to be too high in his upper body and maintain a better body lean. Singletary had a lot of praise for Boise State outside linebacker Shea McClellin. Nevada linebacker James-Michael Johnson looked bad in the bag work. Singletary made him start over numerous times because Johnson's footwork and body lean were sloppy. Johnson seemed to be frustrating Singletary.

 

Shortly later, the linebackers, safeties, tight ends and running backs battled in a one-on-one pass defense scrimmage. Wisconsin fullback Bradie Ewing started the session strong by burning Johnson. Ewing ran a slant and than cut out across the field. Overall, Johnson looks rather stiff and probably should play on the inside of a 3-4 defense. David had tight coverage on Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead to force an incompletion.

 

Boise State running back Doug Martin had a solid practice. In the one-on-ones he burned college teammate McClellin on a corner post route. Martin ran a deep post to get separation on North Carolina State linebacker Audie Cole for another catch.

 

One running back that wasn't getting much separation was Washington's Chris Polk. He was covered closely by Utah State's Bobby Wagner on a few reps. Polk has been unimpressive this week and his stock could take a dip as a result.

 

Michigan State tight end Brian Linthicum had a nice win over Penn State defensive back D'Anton Lynn. Notre Dame safety Harrison Smith stayed stride for stride with Missouri tight end Michael Egnew. Massachusetts tight end Emil Igwenagu burned Boise State safety George Iloka on a slant route. Igwenagu followed that up with a nice one-handed catch during the install session.

 

The wide receivers and cornerbacks had another one-on-one session on one part of the field while a nine-on-nine run scrimmage was held on the other side. Half of this practice period was a different kind of one-on-one. On Wednesday they had the cornerbacks and wide receivers going against each other in blocks as if there was a perimeter run.

 

One receiver who had an impressive day was Iowa's Marvin McNutt. He won his first receiving rep by beating Oklahoma cornerback Jamell Fleming on a dig route. Fleming got some revenge by getting by a block from McNutt later on, but the big wideout played well in the team scrimmage.

 

Boston College cornerback Donnie Fletcher played well and he stood out on Wednesday. He's had a strong Senior Bowl overall. Fletcher had a nice jam on a route from Ohio State's DeVier Posey. Fletcher stayed with Posey as he ran his route and slapped the ball away for an incompletion. Fletcher showed real strength and physicality in the run defense portion. He blasted Arizona State wide receiver Gerell Robinson in two reps. The second one saw Fletcher knock Robinson to the ground to defeat the block.

 

Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard had a mixed performance. He looked bad in trailing a pass route from Cal receiver Marvin Jones. Dennard didn't turn and run well with Jones. Downfield Dennard lost his feet and fell down to let Jones get wide open. In run blocking, Dennard came back to beat two blocks from Posey. Jones lost a block to Iowa State's Leonard Johnson, but out-muscled Johnson for a reception in the pass-receiving portion.

 

 

 

The defensive line and offensive lines battled in one-on-ones, and there are definitely some prospects that are really helping themselves. The defensive line has a bigger advantage in this drill because they don't have to play the run before rushing the passer like they do in many plays in an actual game. They also don't take on any double teams or have to overcome a chip from a running back or tight end. Here is a scorecard of some of the one-on-one action:

 

One of the standouts for the North has been Connecticut defensive tackle Kendall Reyes. He beat Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler with a speed rush and as he shoved Zeitler away he popped the guard's helmet off. Reyes bull rushed through Washington left tackle Senio Kelemete. On a speed rush, Reyes burned Penn State guard Johnnie Troutman. Troutman was on his heels so much that he stumbled and fell flat on his a**.

 

Washington defensive tackle Alameda Ta'amu had a solid day on Wednesday. He bull rushed through Ohio State center Mike Brewster for a win. Brewster got some revenge by riding Ta'amu around the pocket on a rematch. Ta'amu showed some speed when he rocked Troutman off the snap and ran by the off-balanced lineman. In a rematch, Ta'amu beat Troutman again. Ta'amu started with a bull rush and then executed a spin move that caught Troutman by surprise, and Ta'amu jetted to the quarterback marker.

 

Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin had a big day Tuesday, but did not do as well on Wednesday. Utah guard Tony Bergstrom stood Martin straight up on a bull rush. Martin won the rematch with a speed rush to the outside shoulder of Bergstrom. Martin used a speed rush and a swim move to get by Wake Forest offensive lineman Joe Looney.

 

One of the stars of Wednesday's practice was Virginia defensive end Cam Johnson. He blasted by Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams to cause a tackle in the nine-on-nine scrimmage, and Johnson kept up the heat in the one-on-ones. He beat Adams on a speed rush. Adams tried to grab Johnson, but he was tossed aside as Johnson coasted to the marker. Adams won a rep against Johnson when he stuffed a bull rush.

 

Adams once again had some reps where he looked great followed by others where he was terrible. One win came against Marshall's Vinny Curry. At left tackle, Adams got a hold of Curry on an edge rush and kept him out of the pocket. At right tackle, Curry fired off the snap with speed off the edge. He sunk his hips and got skinny to get leverage on Adams. The big tackle couldn't do the same as Curry reached the marker with Adams falling onto the ground at the spot of the quarterback.

 

Curry exploited a couple of mismatches when he lined up at defensive tackle. He beat Bergstrom and Zeitler. Zeitler had no answer for Curry's speed as he raced by him with a swim move. Zeitler also lost on a speed rush to Boise State defensive tackle Billy Winn. It was an ugly rep for Zeitler.

 

Cincinnati defensive tackle/end Derek Wolfe was ridden around the pocket by Brewster on one rep. Wolfe beat Cal offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz with a speed rush around the corner.

 

Iowa State offensive tackle/guard Kelechi Osemele had a good practice. He put Winn into the ground with a near pancake block. Osemele also mirrored a speed rush from Penn State defensive end Jack Crawford.

 

In the 11-on-11 team scrimmage, the offensive line had some better plays. Zeitler and Schwartz combined on the right side of the line to blast open a big hole for Boise State running back Doug Martin. Zeitler also had a pancake block later.

 

Reyes kept charging through the line and forced a big tackle for a loss. Wolfe had a sack of Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson on a bootleg. Wolfe made a good read and fired into the backfield to tap Wilson's pads before running by him. Curry had a nice rush where he blew by Adams to flush the quarterback out of the pocket. Lavonte David also had a tackle for a loss after he fired into the backfield on a play. Johnson beat Adams for a probable sack on a speed rush. Ta'amu had some good plays and was disruptive.

 

Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore hit McNutt on a deep out after he beat Fleming to get open. On another play Moore had Ewing running wide open after Michigan State safety Trenton Robinson lost track of his man. The pass was horribly thrown and sailed incomplete. Moore also had a fumbled snap in shotgun. McNutt worked his way through zone coverage to make a big gain on a pass from Michigan State's Kirk Cousins.

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2012 Senior Bowl: Wednesday South Practice Report

 

By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell

 

The South team took to the field of Ladd Peebles Stadium for their third practice of Senior Bowl on Wednesday afternoon. The Washington Redskins coaching staff was in charge of the South team and they had the players practicing in full pads with a quick tempo. Tuesday and Wednesday are the full-padded sessions. To start out practice they worked in their individual position groups. Soon the linebackers and running backs got together to battle in a one-on-one blitz pickup session.

 

The star of the drill was Arkansas defensive end/outside linebacker Jake Bequette. In college he didn't play outside linebacker, but some 3-4 defenses will consider Bequette for that role in the NFL. Bequette was too big and powerful for the backs to block. He bull rushed through Louisiana Tech running back Lennon Creer on two reps. He blasted his way through Florida Atlantic running back Alfred Morris and Mississippi State running back Vick Ballard. Bequette had a huge size advantage and he used that to win his reps.

 

Texas linebackers Emmanuel Acho and Keenan Robinson had success as well. Acho torched Baylor running back Terrance Ganaway with a rush around the edge. Robinson flew by a block with a speed rush. There was a rep that Robinson lost as he was held off by Creer. Ganaway earned a victory after he stood up Miami linebacker Sean Spence after withstanding the initial hit. Spence also had a win over Ganaway with a swim move after rocking Ganaway with some hard contact.

 

North Carolina outside linebacker Zach Brown thrived. He beat blockers with speed and strength. Brown had wins over Ballard, Ganaway and Creer. Morris had the best block of Brown and stalled him long enough for a quarterback to potentially get a pass off.

 

The one-on-one scrimmages continued when the wide receivers and cornerbacks battled. Here is a scorecard of some of that action:

 

 

Texas A&M wide receiver Jeff Fuller started slowly with a leaping dropped touchdown on a deep ball. On another rep, North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins had tight coverage on Fuller to force an incompletion. Fuller did beat Jenkins on a deep post for a nice gain.

 

 

North Carolina wide receiver Dwight Jones had a step on Jenkins, but the pass was thrown too late. Jenkins recovered to slap the ball away.

 

 

Arizona wide receiver Juron Criner had a good practice and beat Furman cornerback Ryan Steed on a deep crossing route. On another rep, Criner was covered closely by Alabama cornerback DeQuan Menzie running down the middle of the field, but the big wideout used his size to climb the ladder and make an impressive catch over Menzie. On a jump ball for Criner in the end zone, Steed bounced back by forcing an incompletion as he slapped the pass away.

 

 

Louisiana-Lafayette tight end Ladarius Green beat Menzie for a reception on a crossing route. Menzie was close, but it was impressive to see Green get the completion against a quality cover corner.

 

 

South Carolina safety Antonio Allen forced an incompletion against Arkansas wide receiver Joe Adams. Martin used the sideline as help as he angled Adams out of bounds. That got praise from Washington Redskins defensive backs coach Raheem Morris.

 

 

Vanderbilt cornerback Casey Hayward had a nice win as he recovered after Houston wide receiver Patrick Edwards briefly came open. Hayward gave Edwards a hard shove to push him to the turf along the sideline. Shortly later Edwards appeared to pull his hamstring while running downfield.

 

 

Alabama tight end Brad Smelley had a good gain on a crossing route going against LSU safety Brandon Taylor.

 

 

 

 

The defensive and offensive lines had their final padded one-on-one session of the Senior Bowl week on Wednesday afternoon. The defensive line of the South is the clearly the most talented position group on either team. North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples looks like a top-10 pick, while Alabama's Courtney Upshaw and South Carolina's Melvin Ingram could easily go in the top 25 on Draft Day. The rundown of these one-on-one battles features a lot of wins for those three prospects.

 

 

Coples got it started by beating Florida State offensive tackle Zebrie Sanders with a speed rush to the interior of the pocket. In the rematch Coples got by Sanders with speed around the edge. Coples went back to the inside to get a win against Georgia guard/tackle Cordy Glenn. In the rematch, Coples started with a bull rush into Glenn before disengaging and winning with a speed rush.

 

 

Ingram got his wins started with a spin move to slide by Illinois lineman Jeff Allen. UAB offensive tackle Matt McCants had a near draw with Ingram as he slowed him down after allowing some initial penetration. Ingram beat LSU's Will Blackwell with a speed rush around the edge. Ingram had two wins against Sanders on speed rushes around the corner. The one loss that Ingram had came when he rushed against Alabama center William Vlachos and the heavy center was able to grab a hold of Ingram and push him around the center of the pocket.

 

 

Upshaw's reps didn't start well as Glenn mirrored and fought him off on an edge rush. In the rematch, Upshaw jetted by Glenn to get a victory. Upshaw had a draw with a bull rush against Sanders that was stopped after allowing some pressure. Upshaw came back to beat Sanders with a speed and power rush along the outside. Upshaw had a win with a bull rush through McCants.

 

 

Glenn had an easy time stopping Tennessee's Malik Jackson. Against Sanders, Jackson got the better of the rep with a speed rush and a swim move after contact. He also beat McCants on a bull rush.

 

 

Texas A&M defensive tackle Tony Jerod-Eddie had a draw going against Alabama center William Vlachos. Jerod-Eddie tried a bull rush against Baylor center Philip Blake and it went nowhere, but Blake did lose a rep to Texas defensive tackle Kheeston Randall.

 

 

Vlachos lost a bull rush to North Carolina defensive tackle Tydreke Powell as he charged hard to the quarterback marker.

 

 

Clemson defensive tackle Brandon Thompson was put into the ground when he tried to do a spin move on Blackwell. Thompson rebounded to get a win with a bull rush through Georgia center Ben Jones.

 

In the 11-on-11 team scrimmage, the star defensive linemen continued to have their way. On one of the first plays, Upshaw burned Sanders with a speed rush to get a likely sack of Arizona quarterback Nick Foles. Robinson had a nice tackle of Creer.

 

Florida running back Chris Rainey came wide open in the deep part of the field but dropped the pass from quarterback Ryan Lindley as Rainey backpedaled. Oklahoma State safety Markelle Martin had a nice run stuff and filled the hole at the point of attack. Martin also showcased tough run defense in the nine-on-nine scrimmage. Rainey did catch a short cross with Martin a hair late coming to break the pass up. The speedy Rainey turned into some open field and sprinted through the secondary for a good gain.

 

Coples burned Sanders on a speed rush for a likely sack in a real game on one of the final practice reps. After practice, it looked like Sanders and agent Drew Rosenhaus were having an unpleasant conversation.

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Word is that the Cleveland Browns have serious interest in Ohio State offensive tackle Mike Adams. He has been inconsistent in Mobile, and that was his track record with the Buckeyes. Still, Adams plays a position with a high demand, and at the Senior Bowl he has also taken reps at right tackle. Cleveland could target Adams with their second first-round pick (from Atlanta) to upgrade their right side and replace veteran Tony Pashos. Adams could be a good bookend on the other side from Joe Thomas.

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