Practices started today. NFL Draft Countdown's reports will be posted here. http://www.draftcountdown.com/features/SeniorBowl/Senior-Bowl.php Here's some weigh-in details. http://www.draftcountdown.com/features/SeniorBowl/reports/Weigh-In.php I'll watch the practices on NFLNetwork tonight. The 5 guys I am most interested in at the Senior Bowl 1. Alphonso Smith (CB) - Wake Forest. I am infatuated with this guy (not that there's anything wrong with that). Great fit for us and a heck of a player. 2. Derrick Williams (WR) - Penn State. I want to know if the kid can be a conventional WR. The CB/WR match-ups are usually great indicators of a pleyr's potential at the next level, so will be watching these with interest. 3. Darius Butler (CB) - Connecticut. Another tough and athletic CB with good man-man skills. 4. Fili Moala (DT) - USC. There aren't many decent sized DTs at the Senior Bowl and one of them will have to make an impact. Moala has some explosiveness about him. 5. Kenny McKinley (WR) - South Carolina. He always looked good to me in games, but need to know whether or not he's a system guy or if he can beat man coverage.
Ramses Barden is my Alphonso Smith, Carpy. I'm really anxious to see what he does against top competition. Wright liked his frame, so that's a good start. Hopefully we can make a play for him in the 3rd.
I watched the first round of North practices yesterday. Guys that caught my eye Darius Butler - CB - Connecticut. Very smooth mover and good quickness. Brian Robiskie - WR - Ohio State. Looked to be running his routes with more precision than anyone else. Derrick Williams - WR - Penn State. Man. He is REALLY quick. His hands were good from what I saw, but he could be an incredible slot receiver. Ziggy Hood - DT - Missouri. Really good quickness inside, but would need to see how he holds up defending the run. The DT from Iowa (name escapes me). Tony Brown clone. Real fireplug inside and played to the whistle. Didn't get to see much of the LBs or RBs, and none of the QBs impressed me much.
I've been watching practices, and reading some of Todd McShay's blogs... He had some interesting things to say, I can't link since most of this is insider, so forgive the long post... Most impressive player so far at the Senior bowl is Boston College DT BJ Raji. Quote from yesterday's update on Raji. "On Monday, we said that Boston College DT B.J. Raji is the clear front-runner to emerge as the top prospect at lineman -- defensive or offensive -- in his class by the time we leave Mobile. After this morning's practice, we now feel that he is one of the top two or three prospects here regardless of position. Raji continues to showcase his rare blend of size, burst and agility, and he manhandled highly touted Oregon C Max Unger on more than one occasion. In fact, he got under Unger's pads, drove him back and then put him on his back on one snap during one-on-one pass-rushing drills." Derrick Williams reportedly struggled returning punts both days, and questions were raised about his route running skills. "Williams turned in another mixed-bag performance during Tuesday morning's practice. On one hand, he showed a good initial burst off the line of scrimmage and displayed his top-end speed on a reverse when he was able to get the corner. He also did an excellent job of setting up defenders and gaining leverage off his stem. However, he continued to show too much wasted motion out of breaks, limiting his separation. He also was unable to turn around his returning woes that started during Monday's practice. Williams appeared to struggle tracking the ball in the wind, barely hanging on to one punt that he let into his pads and dropping another one that hung up in the wind and fell short of him. " Cushing and Clay Matthews have been getting rave reviews, and the fact that Cushing can play so many positions reportedly ups his stock. Alphonso Smith reviews have been excellent: "Wake Forest CB Alphonso Smith is one corner who scouts were anxious to see this week and he has not disappointed. Smith is clearly the most instinctive corner on either roster and does a tremendous job of anticipating and jumping routes. He has been able to use these qualities to come up with interceptions on both days of practice. Scouts have been impressed by his loose hips and top-end burst, which give him the ability to recover. This trait was showcased during one-on-drills when he was overaggressive defending Massaquoi, who did a nice job of setting Smith up with a double move and looked to be wide open down the sideline. Smith was able to use his burst to get back into position, and while Massaquoi came down with a circus catch Smith made him work much harder than expected for the catch. If Smith continues to play at such a high level this week he will see his stock soar in what is an overall weak crop of corners this year. " And the list of biggest fallers and risers: Biggest risers 1. Boston College DT B.J. Raji 2. Southern Miss TE Shawn Nelson 3. USC linebackers Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews 4. Western Michigan S Louis Delmas 5. California C Alex Mack Biggest fallers 1. KSU G Herman Johnson 2. Central Arkansas QB Nate Brown 3. Alabama QB John Parker Wilson 4. Oklahoma OT Phil Loadholt 5. Penn State WR/RS Derrick Williams
In my eyes our ideal draft at this point would be taking Cushing in the 1st then going DT in the 2nd, Asher Allen (CB, Georgia, JR; he reminds me of Nnamdia Asmawhatever of the Raiders) in the 3rd. And Harrell in the 4th.
