Senior Bowl Day 3: South Squad

I know this is a day late but like they say, “better late than never”…let’s get into who/what caught my attention.

-Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden is the best quarterback down in Mobile this week and he has improved his stock greatly for his play. I have been impressed how well he has adapted to the pro-style offense as his footwork on his 3 and 5 foot drops look pretty crisp, and he is showing nice timing with his receivers. He’s not looking uncomfortable or overwhelmed at all, which was something that had potentially concerned me with leading up to the week. Weeden’s arm strength isn’t elite but it is good enough and he is showing good torque to drive the ball into tight windows. His balance when he drops back has also been impressive and he is proving to clear up many of the concerns I had with him leading into the week, including anticipation. Weeden still has questions to answer because of his age and whether he can come in and compete right away or needs further development and time, but this week has been a good step in the right direction for him.

Louisiana Tech RB Lennon Creer was a late add to the Senior Bowl after enjoying a successful week at the East-West Shrine Game. Creer has continued that momentum and parlayed that into another solid showing here this week. A former Tennessee Volunteer, Creer has always possessed a unique blend of talent to garner division one interest but he ultimately left and transferred to Louisiana Tech. Creer has pressed the line of scrimmage well and is showing some natural burst and lateral movement skills. I am excited to see how well he does in the game Saturday, but there is no doubt he has turned some heads and caught the attention of coach’s and scouts with his play the past two weeks.

-Florida WR/RB Chris Rainey has proved to be a very dynamic and versatile player all week. He has taken a lot of reps at Wide Receiver and while his routes have been a bit raw, his pure speed and quickness has been overwhelming for some Cornerbacks to keep up with. Speed kills in the NFL and Rainey definitely has it, which could get him drafted in the Top 100 because he is such a weapon in the return and passing game. The Dexter McCluster comparison definitely fits and Rainey is more of a luxury player who if you can get him his touches he could be a very viable and valuable weapon.

-Arkansas WR Joe Adams may not be as fast as Chris Rainey but he is a better Wide Receiver overall and is displaying some impressive traits. His foot speed and short area quickness are two of the things that make him such a nightmare to defend for an extended period of time and make him one of the best returners in this entire draft. He has also done a good job adjusting to the football and I really appreciate/like his overall skill-set as I think he can be a bit like an Antonio Brown or Randall Cobb in your offense and special teams unit.

-Arizona WR Juron Criner has opened up a lot of eyes this week with his play. Criner has displayed very solid hands even coming down with what had to be the catch of the week so far during Tuesday’s practice session. While he is not overly sudden or necessarily explosive in and out of his breaks he does a great job with body control and spacial awareness, which allows him to come down with the catch even in tight coverage. Criner is one of those interesting players I am excited to go do more film work on because of his performance.

-Texas A&M WR Jeff Fuller has been extremely disappointing this week and looks like a shell of his former self. His lack of physicality has been exposed and he has a very tough time creating much of any sort of separation due to his lack of any quality burst or speed in and out of his routes. Fuller has also struggled to get his head around quickly enough to locate the ball and his concentration and hand-eye coordination has been lacking overall as he has failed to haul in some passes this week. Fuller reminds me of a poor man’s Roy Williams which isn’t saying a lot for him…his draft stock has dropped more than any other player from this year to last.

-North Carolina WR Dwight Jones has not impressed me this week. He struggled mightily with press coverage and failed to show the type of foot quickness and agility to create separation. He also got a bit upright and failed to drop his pad level when re-directed. I haven’t liked his level of physicality nor his attitude to compete at this point and while I admit he has loads of upside, he just hasn’t showed me enough to consider him in the 1st round as some have mentioned him in. Jones is more of a 2nd-3rd round WR for me at this point.

-Illinois OT Jeff Allen was a late replacement as well and has done a good job competing on short notice. A tackle for Illinois, Jeff Allen alternated between both the right and left side all season for the fighting Illini. His versatility had also been key for him here this week as he took snaps at guard and held his own for the most part. He is not overly athletic or long like some of the other highly touted offensive lineman prospects but don’t get it twisted Allen can play in the NFL. Allen plays with solid leverage and technique overall and can handle the bull rush by playing with a nice wide base and good inside hand positioning. His anchoring skills make him a soid fit to play at right tackle or guard in the NFL and I like him as a mid-round steal.

-Baylor C Phillip Blake has also caught my attention this week. Playing with players like RG3 and Kendall Wright it is very hard to notice a player like Blake on the line but he has held his own very well in 1 on 1’s. Blake is a thickly built player who neutralizes the bull rush and knows how to re-direct when beaten initially. He has quietly enjoyed a great week and will be getting extra looks on film from me and I am sure a handful of other scouts.

-Georgia OT/OG Cordy Glenn…or the “Dancing Bear: as I like to call him was the most impressive player for me today on either squad. He has nimble feet and displays nice quickness to get into his sets off the snap. His movement skills for a man who nearly weighs 350 lbs. is extremely rare and had me smiling and shaking my head at one point during team drills. On a toss sweep to the left Glenn pulled and fired out of his stance, getting out in front to pick up an attacking linebacker with great tenacity and aggressiveness. I was astonished at how well he moved and quickly he got up to speed to hit a moving target in space. Glenn also matched up very well with some of the best pass-rushers in Mobile this week in Upshaw, Coples, and Ingram and consistently held his own against these caliber players. Glenn is a long, strong, and surprisingly athletic big man who will be a very good offensive lineman in the NFL, who can start immediately. I was so impressed I haven’t ruled out the possibility of him staying at Left Tackle quite yet, but if that doesn’t work out he should be versatile enough to play Right Tackle or kick inside to Guard. I can’t wait to disect more film on this fine player, he is a real riser this week for me.

-Florida State OT Zebrie Sanders on the other hand struggled all week and really unimpressed me. He was consistently off-balance, dropping his head and bending at the waist, giving up ground to defenders all week. Granted he was lining up with some of the best defensive lineman in Mobile all week, he will face that caliber of competition on a week to week basis in the NFL. He lunged and got over-extended regularly and consistently failed to find his fit inside his man’s numbers. This was a big opportunity and week for Sanders to show what he is capable of but he failed to impress on a multitude of levels. I no longer see him as a potential first round pick and could fall out of the Top 50 overall completely with his poor showing.

-North Carolina DL Quinton Coples once again flashed his powerful and explosive nature by disengaging with relative ease on a consistent basis. As has been noted his get-off is nowhere near elite but he is just simply a sound and solid football player. I don’t think he warrants Top 10 talent but I would be shocked to see him fall out of the Top 15 overall at this point.

-South Carolina DL Melvin Ingram is probably the third best player on the South’s impressive defensive line after Upshaw and Coples. However, what makes Ingram special is his incredible quickness and athleticism as he does a great job of setting up his man and keeping them off-balance. His quick-twitch athleticism allows him to strike at a moment’s notice and his movements are extremely sudden and hard to mirror for opponents. Ingram is still developing in the handwork department and could do a better job turning his power to speed, but this a solid and versatile player who can make an impact immediately from multiple angles and positions along the defensive front….I like to call him the “Flying Torpedo”

-Alabama DE/OLB Courtney Upshaw has been the most impressive player in Mobile this week and while his lack of great height and sheer get-off may not be elite, Upshaw is a very fine player who has Top 10 talent in my opinion. No one player here can mix up his pass rush moves with speed and power better than Upshaw. He has extremely strong hands and plays with great leverage by consistently locking out and extending his elbows, being able to shed through contact. I really like Upshaw as a prospect and will be moving him up on my Big Board because of his consistent performances…I expect a big game from him Saturday.

-LB Zach Brown North Carolina has been flying around all over this entire week displaying his incredible range and athleticism..there’s a chance he could run as high as 4.4 in the 40 at the Combine. However, this doesn’t dis-warrant my notion that Brown is a better athlete than football at this point. I just don’t see his ability to make much of an impact in the run game and think he will be a liability in this area because of his average instincts and lack of physicality, as I’m not sure he enjoys contact. Brown will get over-drafted because of his great athleticism and while that is great because it makes him a great coverage player, I do not think he is a 3-down linebacker yet and prefer Lavonte David to him if I was an NFL Executive.

-Miami LB Sean Spence is another player turning heads and opening up eyes here this week. His physical demeanor and incredible instincts and ability to fly to the football is incredibly enticing despite his size (5-11 228 lbs.). Spence is another guy who was just a few inches taller we would be talking about a first round pick. Spence is one of my favorite linebackers in this draft despite his size…you just can’t teach attitude and physicality as it is something you have or don’t have, which Spence definitely does. 2nd-3rd round pick for me and solid player.

-Louisianna-Lafayette DB Dwight Bentley has intrigued me and others plenty with his play this week. Coming into the week I had heard he was a potential sleeper but never was I expecting him to be this good. He competed early and often and showed the ability to mirror his opponents and stay in their hip pockets with great consistency. His footwork and balance was good and he showed the ability to click and close on the football with good acceleration to a point rather than his man. I need to do more film work if I can find any on Bentley but he is the small schooler who got me most excited this week.

-Georgia DB Brandon Boykin has also been very impressive. His lack of height (5-9) and size (183 lbs.) will likely limit him a little, however this is one of the better slot/nickel corners available in this year’s draft. His footwork and short area quickness is very good and he competed hard on every rep from what I was able to see. The South squad has a lot of talented players in the secondary and Boykin is one of many who impressed this week. I’m giving him a solid 2nd round grade because of his coverage ability and for the fact that he can help you out in the return game.

-DB Casey Hayward Vanderbilt had an up and down week but was solid overall. His coverage was tight although he did struggle with foot speed at times. His punch/jam at the line is very good but I need to see him be a little less physical down the field as he got a little grabby well into the receiver’s routes..these things will draw P.I’s in the NFL. Nevertheless he seems to have very good ball skills evidenced by his 15 career interceptions and always seems to be around the football. I like him in the late 2nd early 3rd round range and think his best fit lies in a Cover 2 scheme.

-Last but certainly not least was North Alabama DB Janoris Jenkins who impressed greatly this week and showcased the skills that made him so effective against top SEC talent at Florida last year. He flips his hips so quickly and efficiently and can turn and run with receivers. He tends to gamble a little here and there by squatting on routes and stopping his feet, but overall he has been plenty impressive…just trying to make the big play instead of relying on his technique. He reminds me a lot of Asante Samuel and could be making a claim to be the 2nd CB taken after Morris Clairborne.

-Thanks for reading…sorry I was unable to get it out sooner.-

-Brandon

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Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas: Texas A&M vs. Northwestern

Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill-

Tannehill's draft stock is soaring and will continue to climb once NFL evaluators see the type of potential and upside he has as a starting QB.

Tannehill is a player I have been touting and been high on for a while now. He just seems to be progressing and getting better with each passing game and he has a good amount of upside. In this game Tannehill seemed to be very much in control and the game seems to be slowing down for him some. For the most part Tannehill has improved his decision-making although he at times will trust/believe in his arm almost to a fault, thinking he can make any throw. This shows that me that while Tannehill is improving he also doesn’t quite understand his limitations as a passer just quite yet, but this should come with more time and experience under center. I really like the velocity, anticipation, timing, and accuracy Tannehill possesses as he is capable of making throws from both inside and outside the pocket. He shows nice ability and looks comfortable in rolling out to his left or right and throwing a deliverable ball down the field, especially towards the sidelines. In the pocket Tannehill is beginning to look more and more comfortable in the pocket, especially using his footwork and shoulder dip moves to evade the rush and create more throwing room. One question I have had with Tannehill this season is his ability to deliver a nice deep ball with proper arc and touch. Before this game his deep ball lacked touch and seemed to come out a little flat. In this game Tannehill showed natural touch and was mostly accurate in delivering the long ball where his receiver had an opportunity to make a play. Another thing I am beginning to see from Tannehill is the ability to make pre-snap reads and adjustments. This shows me that his understanding of the game and coverages are beginning to show as well as the fact that he is putting in the extra time to get a leg up on his competition. As I have said before Tannehill is a prime candidate to have sit for a year or so before throwing him into the wolves so to speak. Ryan Tannehill is an excellent player to groom and develop for your future, I just hope the team that takes him understands this and gives him the proper time to develop his game and not ruin his confidence.

Texas A&M WR Jeff Fuller-

Fuller's draft stock has taken one of the bigger hits out of anybody this season. He needs to be more physical and display the type of ability he showed during his Junior campaign.

Fuller is a player that has disappointed all season and failed to live up to the expectations that were put upon him for this season. In this game Fuller made some big catches, including a TD that was big for his team. Fuller’s long frame allowed him to come down with a couple big time catches in key situations for the Aggies offense. I can see Fuller becoming  a pretty reliable red-zone threat as I appreciate his ability to extend his long body/arms and go up for the football. I have always appreciated Fuller’s long nicely developed frame, however he needs to become much more physical if he is ever going to make an impact in the NFL. Far too many times in this game Fuller would receive a quick screen and instantly make his way towards the sidelines, avoiding contact. I fear that corners who can match his length and get physical with him at the line of scrimmage will be able to re-route and throw him off his intended path. Fuller isn’t the type of a player that scares you deep so it could be very simple for team’s to take him out completely by challenging him with man to man coverage as he has also struggled to make catches in traffic this season. I don’t know if injuries have been the reason for Fuller’s decline in production or not, but he surely needs to do something drastic to get back to where he was at the end of the 2010 season. Currently I would rank Fuller outside of my Top 100 players, but with a good off-season he could work his way back up some people’s draft board. Jeff Fuller is a player that reminds me of Chicago Bears WR Roy Williams.

Texas A&M LB Sean Porter-

Porter will have a tough decision on whether he wants to return for another season at College Station, however he already possesses the skills to be a high draft choice due to his great pass rushing potential.

Porter got off to a hot start in this game and showed why he is one of the premier pass rushing players in the entire country. In the first few possessions Porter’s great burst and athleticism was on full display, showing the ability to dip his shoulder and work around the corner in tight quarters by lowering his center of gravity around the edge. Unfortunately for Porter he likely would have recorded up to 2 or 3 sacks if not for the fact that he was held on multiple occasions. The sad part was that the refs seemed to miss these blatant holding calls time and time again as he was more or less tackled to be prevented from getting to the quarterback. The refs missed these calls today, but scouts will surely take note of these plays and understand that he can impact the game by creating pressure, making sacks, and drawing holding calls due to his impressive pass rush skills. One thing that really excited me in this game was seeing Porter show the added ability of turning speed into power. On one play Porter set up his man and threatened the edge before timing his bull rush just as the offensive lineman was opening his hips to turn and run with Porter up the field. This timing allowed Porter to knock his man off-balance and create some push as a bull rusher, collapsing the pocket. There is no doubting that Porter could stand to get stronger and develop more power to his game but it is exciting to see him scratching the surface of another dangerous pass rush arsenal that would take him one step closer to being an elite pass rusher. Porter is also very reliable in coverage and seems very natural settling into his zone. He shows good instincts and looks comfortable/fluid in space in picking up players entering his zone or area. He made a great stick/form tackle by reading the quarterbacks eyes and jumping a wide receiver working a drag route underneath his coverage. On another play later in the game he stayed in his zone despite that the play was moving away from his side of the field. Staying true to his assignment he was rewarded when the quarterback turned back to his side of the field and threw it completely across his body where Porter made a play on the ball and almost came up with the pick. This awareness and discipline is very admirable in a young linebacker and makes you confident in his ability to stay on the field at all times and feel confident about it. I’m not sure if Porter will choose to declare this season but he has surely caught the attention of NFL personnel people everywhere and should be a highly valued player once he decides to come out.

Texas A&M Linebacker Damontre Moore-

Moore is a player that shows good hustle and ability to continually work the edge on his way to the QB. Only a Sophomore, Moore is a player to keep an eye on in the coming years.

Damontre Moore is the other quality linebacker on the Aggies defense and is only a Sophomore. Standing 6-4 245 lbs. Moore has good size and really started to come on during the later part of the season, collecting 6 of his 8.5 sacks in the final four games of the season. Moore is a player who doesn’t possess spectacular speed around the edge but continually works his man around the corner to collect hustle sacks and plays. I’m not sure if he will make a better defensive end in a 4-3 quite yet or if his natural fit is at outside linebacker in a 3-4 but he is definitely a player to keep an eye on in the coming years. I really appreciate the body lean and angles he takes around the corner as well as his consistent motor to bend the edge and get after the quarterback. Moore also works down the line of scrimmage very smoothly and shows good pursuit to the football. Moore needs to do a better job keeping contain and trusting his eyes as he fell for many zone option read plays in this football game. These read and react skills will hopefully develop some in time and I am excited to watch him next season as he continues to develop a more consistent overall game.