digitaldean
01-25-2007, 12:35 AM
Here's what good old Mel is saying about the future prospects:
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A player's performance at the Senior Bowl can go a long way toward determining his draft status. Here's a quick look at how some of this year's prospects are doing.
Checking In On The North
Michigan DB Leon Hall is smooth and displays good hands and hips, but is a little slow in transitioning. He doesn't have an explosive burst. His combine and individual workouts will be important. Hall is a good, solid football player.
Wake Forest safety Josh Gattis lumbers a little bit and gets beat in coverage. However, safeties aren't used to playing bump-and-run coverage. He doesn't look real natural catching the football in drills. Having questionable hands won't enamor a safety to defensive back coaches.
Tanard Jackson shows good body control and hands. The Clemson DB has a good burst, but Fresno State WR Paul Williams ran right by him. Pure speed receivers could give him some trouble.
Cal DB Daymeion Hughes shows great instincts in coverage, but his recovery speed is in question. His combine workouts will answer that question.
Fresno State corner Marcus McCauley had a great junior year, but struggled as a senior. He shows flashes, but is not consistent.
Virginia Tech safety Aaron Rouse looks a little stiff. He has questionable coverage ability, didn't play the deep ball well and didn't turn his hips.
Ohio State's Troy Smith needs to have a big week in Mobile.
Troy Smith lacks some velocity and accuracy on his throws. The Ohio State QB wasn't real sharp and didn't have much zip on the ball when he needed it. After struggling against Florida in the national title game, Smith needed a big week. It hasn't happened so far.
Pitt QB Tyler Palko showed a long, sweeping motion, which will give NFL cornerbacks a big edge on him. Michigan State QB Drew Stanton got off to a nice start, but needs to work on his consistency.
Rhema McKnight's speed is in question. The Notre Dame wideout doesn't gain much separation. NFL cornerbacks will be in his hip pocket.
Washington State WR Jason Hill struggled with three drops during practice. He didn't look the ball into his hands and needs to work on his concentration.
Fresno State WR Paul Williams looks very, very good. He shows good hands and quickness out of his cuts.
Rutgers fullback Brian Leonard did a good job blocking linebackers, but uncharacteristically had some drops. Leonard runs, catches and blocks. His versatility should make him a second-round selection.
Amobi Okoye, the defensive lineman from Louisville, displays great pass-rush moves and explosiveness. His transition into a spin move gives centers fits. Okoye is arguably one of the top two players in Mobile.
Nebraska's Adam Carriker excels at using his hands.
Nebraska DE Adam Carriker looks outstanding. He has all the physical attributes. Carriker uses his hands extremely well. His teammate and fellow DE Jay Moore shows a quick first step. He gets on the tackle's outside shoulder and beats him around the corner.
Cal DL Brandon Mebane shows a good power rush. The hard-nosed kid has success pushing the pocket.
Levi Brown has proven to be one of the better players at the Senior Bowl. The Penn State offensive lineman has good feet and adjusts to the secondary move pretty well.
Guard/center Samson Satele is very athletic. The Hawaii product struggles some in one-on-one drills, but his versatility will make him a solid second-round choice.
Colorado kicker Mason Crosby booms the ball. He displays great leg strength. Crosby is not a product of the high altitude in Colorado. He can connect on long field goals under any conditions. Crosby could be a second-round pick.
Checking In On The South
Jordan Palmer, Kevin Kolb and Chris Leak have performed OK. Leak's lack of height was evident in some drills and could push him late into the second day. Palmer and Kolb have thrown the ball pretty well. Palmer has displayed the best velocity of the bunch.
Jordan Palmer
Dan Anderson/Special to ESPN.com
UTEP's Jordan Palmer has shown good velocity on his passes.
LSU's Dwayne Bowe has been one of the best players in Mobile. He is smooth and explodes out of his breaks. Bowe displays great body positioning. He is the most polished of all the wide receivers.
WR Aundrae Allison from East Carolina catches the ball well. He runs good routes and altered his speeds.
Texas offensive lineman Justin Blalock does a good job exploding into the defensive tackle and gets some movement. He has done a good job in one-on-one pass drills and in run blocking.
Auburn guard Ben Grubbs is a stud. He pushed around Miami DT Kareem Brown. Grubbs is physically and athletically impressive. He should be a late first or early second round pick.
USC center Ryan Kalil showed he can be a strong anchor. He did a good job in one-on-one drills.
Arkansas OT Tony Ugoh shows good natural athletic ability. He can handle the quick outside pass rushers. Ugoh has outstanding upside. His best football is ahead of him.
Joe Staley, an offensive tackle from Central Michigan, needs another solid year in the weight room to improve his overall strength quotient. However, his good feet, balance and athletic ability are evident.
Georgia DE Quentin Moses shows some outside pass rush ability. However, offensive linemen have had success against him when they get their hands on him.
Texas DE Tim Crowder flashes a dominant pass rush ability, but other times is neutralized. Crowder needs to show more consistency.
Oklahoma State DT Ryan McBean shows good quickness and technique.
Texas cornerback Aaron Ross lacks a little recovery speed, but shows good coverage technique and smooth hips. Ross also displays good feet, toughness, instincts and ball skills. As for his football mentality, Ross is a safety playing corner. His status as a first-round pick is secure.
Baylor's Daniel Sepulveda punts the ball with great hang time and distance.
Players Who Have Shined
DT Amobi Okoye, Louisville
DE Adam Carriker, Nebraska
WR Dwayne Bowe, LSU
G Ben Grubbs, Auburn
Players Who Need To Step It Up
C Doug Datish, Ohio State
OT Ryan Harris, Notre Dame
WR Jason Hill, Washington State
CB Marcus McCauley, Fresno State
WR Rhema McKnight, Notre Dame
C Dan Mozes, West Virginia
S Aaron Rouse, Virginia Tech
DT Tank Tyler, NC State
_____________
A player's performance at the Senior Bowl can go a long way toward determining his draft status. Here's a quick look at how some of this year's prospects are doing.
Checking In On The North
Michigan DB Leon Hall is smooth and displays good hands and hips, but is a little slow in transitioning. He doesn't have an explosive burst. His combine and individual workouts will be important. Hall is a good, solid football player.
Wake Forest safety Josh Gattis lumbers a little bit and gets beat in coverage. However, safeties aren't used to playing bump-and-run coverage. He doesn't look real natural catching the football in drills. Having questionable hands won't enamor a safety to defensive back coaches.
Tanard Jackson shows good body control and hands. The Clemson DB has a good burst, but Fresno State WR Paul Williams ran right by him. Pure speed receivers could give him some trouble.
Cal DB Daymeion Hughes shows great instincts in coverage, but his recovery speed is in question. His combine workouts will answer that question.
Fresno State corner Marcus McCauley had a great junior year, but struggled as a senior. He shows flashes, but is not consistent.
Virginia Tech safety Aaron Rouse looks a little stiff. He has questionable coverage ability, didn't play the deep ball well and didn't turn his hips.
Ohio State's Troy Smith needs to have a big week in Mobile.
Troy Smith lacks some velocity and accuracy on his throws. The Ohio State QB wasn't real sharp and didn't have much zip on the ball when he needed it. After struggling against Florida in the national title game, Smith needed a big week. It hasn't happened so far.
Pitt QB Tyler Palko showed a long, sweeping motion, which will give NFL cornerbacks a big edge on him. Michigan State QB Drew Stanton got off to a nice start, but needs to work on his consistency.
Rhema McKnight's speed is in question. The Notre Dame wideout doesn't gain much separation. NFL cornerbacks will be in his hip pocket.
Washington State WR Jason Hill struggled with three drops during practice. He didn't look the ball into his hands and needs to work on his concentration.
Fresno State WR Paul Williams looks very, very good. He shows good hands and quickness out of his cuts.
Rutgers fullback Brian Leonard did a good job blocking linebackers, but uncharacteristically had some drops. Leonard runs, catches and blocks. His versatility should make him a second-round selection.
Amobi Okoye, the defensive lineman from Louisville, displays great pass-rush moves and explosiveness. His transition into a spin move gives centers fits. Okoye is arguably one of the top two players in Mobile.
Nebraska's Adam Carriker excels at using his hands.
Nebraska DE Adam Carriker looks outstanding. He has all the physical attributes. Carriker uses his hands extremely well. His teammate and fellow DE Jay Moore shows a quick first step. He gets on the tackle's outside shoulder and beats him around the corner.
Cal DL Brandon Mebane shows a good power rush. The hard-nosed kid has success pushing the pocket.
Levi Brown has proven to be one of the better players at the Senior Bowl. The Penn State offensive lineman has good feet and adjusts to the secondary move pretty well.
Guard/center Samson Satele is very athletic. The Hawaii product struggles some in one-on-one drills, but his versatility will make him a solid second-round choice.
Colorado kicker Mason Crosby booms the ball. He displays great leg strength. Crosby is not a product of the high altitude in Colorado. He can connect on long field goals under any conditions. Crosby could be a second-round pick.
Checking In On The South
Jordan Palmer, Kevin Kolb and Chris Leak have performed OK. Leak's lack of height was evident in some drills and could push him late into the second day. Palmer and Kolb have thrown the ball pretty well. Palmer has displayed the best velocity of the bunch.
Jordan Palmer
Dan Anderson/Special to ESPN.com
UTEP's Jordan Palmer has shown good velocity on his passes.
LSU's Dwayne Bowe has been one of the best players in Mobile. He is smooth and explodes out of his breaks. Bowe displays great body positioning. He is the most polished of all the wide receivers.
WR Aundrae Allison from East Carolina catches the ball well. He runs good routes and altered his speeds.
Texas offensive lineman Justin Blalock does a good job exploding into the defensive tackle and gets some movement. He has done a good job in one-on-one pass drills and in run blocking.
Auburn guard Ben Grubbs is a stud. He pushed around Miami DT Kareem Brown. Grubbs is physically and athletically impressive. He should be a late first or early second round pick.
USC center Ryan Kalil showed he can be a strong anchor. He did a good job in one-on-one drills.
Arkansas OT Tony Ugoh shows good natural athletic ability. He can handle the quick outside pass rushers. Ugoh has outstanding upside. His best football is ahead of him.
Joe Staley, an offensive tackle from Central Michigan, needs another solid year in the weight room to improve his overall strength quotient. However, his good feet, balance and athletic ability are evident.
Georgia DE Quentin Moses shows some outside pass rush ability. However, offensive linemen have had success against him when they get their hands on him.
Texas DE Tim Crowder flashes a dominant pass rush ability, but other times is neutralized. Crowder needs to show more consistency.
Oklahoma State DT Ryan McBean shows good quickness and technique.
Texas cornerback Aaron Ross lacks a little recovery speed, but shows good coverage technique and smooth hips. Ross also displays good feet, toughness, instincts and ball skills. As for his football mentality, Ross is a safety playing corner. His status as a first-round pick is secure.
Baylor's Daniel Sepulveda punts the ball with great hang time and distance.
Players Who Have Shined
DT Amobi Okoye, Louisville
DE Adam Carriker, Nebraska
WR Dwayne Bowe, LSU
G Ben Grubbs, Auburn
Players Who Need To Step It Up
C Doug Datish, Ohio State
OT Ryan Harris, Notre Dame
WR Jason Hill, Washington State
CB Marcus McCauley, Fresno State
WR Rhema McKnight, Notre Dame
C Dan Mozes, West Virginia
S Aaron Rouse, Virginia Tech
DT Tank Tyler, NC State