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2011 SENIOR BOWL GAME REVIEW:
by Colin Lindsay, Editor and Publisher, Great Blue North Draft Report
That’s a wrap… Another Senior Bowl is in the books after last week's game capped off activities in Mobile. And while most NFL teams generally place far more value on what the players do in practice than in the game itself, this year it's likely that NFL personnel people were hoping to get answers some from answers from the game itself on a number of players including several of the QBs in Mobile as well as the OT class which featured most of the top-rated prospects at the position for the 2011 draft. Unfortunately, though, those same NFL pro personnel people probably had as many questions about those particular players after the game as they had beforehand.
The all-star game format can be a tough environment in which to judge a QB as they are usually working in an unfamiliar offense with unfamilair receivers. Plus, they usually only get a couple of series in a row before giving way to the next guy so can never really get into a rythym. That said, no player at the 2010 Senior Bowl was under more pressure to preform than Washington QB Jake Locker who had had an inconsistent week of practice in Mobile after a very disappointing senior season in which he had fallen from a potential #1 pick overall to a possible mid-to-even-late first round prospect. Ubnfortunately though, all pro scouts saw from Locker during the Senior Bowl game was more of the same. Unlike most of the other QBs in Mobile, Locker did show the arm strength to get the ball downfield without a big windup and without much air under the ball, but few of his passes were right on target and he hung out at least a couple of receivers with ill-advised high passes late over the middle. As well, while he showed some athleticism when he forced from the pocket, Locker also put the ball on the ground a couple of times further questioning his football smarts and instincts.
On the other hand, Colin Kaepernick of Nevada continued to be something of a revelation in Mobile. Kaepernick still needs to speed up a very deliberate release, but showed exceptional am strength and accuracy as he really zipped a number of darts right on thenumbers well down-field. Meanwhile, each of the other four QBs in Mobile, including Christian Ponder of Florida State who was named the game's MVP after throwing a couple of TD passes, as well as Grg McElroy of Alabama, Iowa's Ricky Stanzi and Andy Dalton of TCU, had their moment as all four appeared accurate and in command when they took quick drops, planted and threw at underneath targets, however, all four also struggled to get the ball downfield with much authority or accuracy.
There is also undoubtably a lot of head scratching going on around NFL draft war rooms as a scouts and personnel executives study the offensive linemen in the Senior Bowl game tape. Indeed, with 4 of the 5 top-rated OT prospects for the 2011 draft in Mobile last weeks, pro scouts were expecting to be able to do some real sorting out at the position. Instead, they were left with almost as many questions as answers even after the game, although it certainly didn't help that Gabe Carimi of Wisconsin, who had possibly been the most consistent OT during the week of Senior Bowl practice, wasn't able to play because of a minor ankle injury. Meawnhile, those that did play all had demonstrated warts of some kind or another. Nate Solder of Colorado, for example, who was trying to solidify the #1 grade amog OTs at the Senior Bowl, looked like he missed the pre-game wake call as he stumbled out of the gate giving up an early sack and another pressure before settling down and playing reasonably very well over the final three quarters of the contest. Solder's early troubles appeared to result primarily from the fact that while backpeddling he was taking some very choppy, almost exaggerated steps, which dramatically reduced his ability to change direction or absorb contact. For some reason, Solder's setup angles were all wrong. Instead of setting up at roughly a 45 degree angle, Solder initially was setting up almost parallel to the line of scrimmage which opened a big inside gap to the pocket. For the most part, pro personnel people are likely going to view these issues as correctable; indeed, after the first two series of the game, Solder settled down and was close to dominating through the final three quarters, but those early stumbles were not what is normally expected of a potential top 15-20 draft prospect.
For his part, Boston College OT Anthony Castonzo was nothing if not versatile as he lined up at all four offensive line spots other than C. At least when he lined up outside, Castonzo showed quick feet and decent arm extension. And while he's also gets pretty good knee bend, too often he allowed defenders to get into his chest and either knock him off balance or drive him deep in to the pocket. Meanwhile, Mississippi State's Derek Sherrod was the most consistent of the big three OTs in the game, although Sherrod wasn't overly physical at the point of attack and for some reason often backpeddled literally into the QBs lap even though before he ad actually absorbed any contact. In the end, when all was said and done, the most efficient OTs in the actual Senior Bowl game were James Carpenter of Alabama and Auburn's Lee Ziemba. Neither was overly pretty, but both were effective with a solid punch and arm extension, while showing good balance and footwork in mirroring their man away from the pocket.
All that said, in fact, more players probably enhanced their draft grades as a result of their performance in this year's Senior Bowl game than saw their stock drop. Indeed, in no particular order, players who likely improved their cause in the Senior Bowl game itself included:
Texas A&M OLB Von Miller: Came to Mobile regarded as a terrific pass rusher destined to play as a 3-4 OLB at the next level, Miller added to his resume as he was fluid, instinctive and aggressive tracking down the ball all afternoon despite the fact that because of Senior Bowl rules he wasn't allowed to blitz. Indeed, its likely that even a few teams that run 4-3 defenses took notice and might consider Miller as an OLB in that scheme. As a result, Miller solidified his status as a potential top 10 prospect for the 2011 draft.
Miami WR Leonard Hankerson: Did drop a pass and bobbled a couple of others, but was otherwise the best player on the field in Mobile as he used his wide-body to create a lot of space for himself, while showing some surprising first-step quickness after catching the ball.
Kentucky RB Derrick Locke: Not all that big at under 190 pounds, but showed outstanding vision, quickness and instincts as well as a real burst once he got a crease.
Louisville RB Bilal Powell: Same state, different style; Powell lacks the burst to break off a lot of big runs, but like Locke he was able to find the hole, gets his pads turned upfield in a hurry and as a low-based 220-pounder didn't go down easily. For a bigger back, though, Powell did not block at all well as he pretty much completely whiffed on a couple of attempted blocks.
Florida State OG Rodney Hudson: Undersized at just over 290 pounds and may have to switch to C at the next level, but graded out very well in the Senior Bowl game. While Hudson isn't as big as NFL teams like their interior offensive linemen to be he has a thick lower body and tremendous leg strength; he also moves his feet very well, can make a block in space and plays hard to the whistle, but did give up some penetration on straight bull rushes by big DTs.
Michigan OG Stephen Schilling: Didn't get a whole lot of pub during the week of practice, either pro or con, but was very active during the game; also appeared to be tecnically solid as he played with a solid base and got good arm extension and played to the whistle.
Arizona DE/OLB Brooks Reed: One of several collegiate DEs getting a look at OLB at the Senior Bowl, Reed did a nice job getting off blocks and flowing to the ball; also showed some natural pass rush technique as he was able to get hsi shoulder under the pads of opposing blockers and maintain leverage. Reed also showed next level closing speed both tracking the ball and getting after the QB in the pocket.
Clemson DT Jarvis Jenkins: Showed that he was more than just a bull-rushing interior defensive lineman during the game; indeed, was tough to block as he showed good lateral agility and quickness for a 300-pounder as well as nice closing speed.
Miami LB Colin McCarthy: Fiery LB really got after the ball during the game in both the regular defense as well as on special teams; McCarthy showed good range, instincts and the ability to disengage from blockers; also solid wrap-up tackler who literally exploded through the ball-carrier when he honed in on the target.
LSU MLB Kelvin Sheppard: Not flashy but did a nice job finding the ball and avoiding blockers using his hands and feet; also showed excellent speed and sideline-to-sideline range, while really wrapping up when tackling.
North Carolina CB Kendric Burney: A bit undersized, but a very sure tackler who was very aggressive coming up in run support, while contributing on special teams. Did get beaten by Miami's Leonard Hankerson for a TD, but otherwise was solid in coverage including one PB in the red zone when he took away a slant and ended up running a better route than the receiver.
Honorable mentions: Wisconsin TE Lance Kendricks; Arkansas TE D.J. Williams; Mississippi DE Pernell McPhee; Ohio State WR Dane Sansenbacher; TCU C Jake Kirkpatrick; and Stanford NT Sione Fua.
It wasn't all fun and games in Mobile, though, and several players struggled at times during the game including, again in no particular order:
Nebraska RB Roy Helu: Not quick, instinctive or elusive
West Virginia RB Noel Devine: Quick as a bug but not much bigger than one and went down too easily once contacted
Arkansas OT Demarcus Love: As he did all week in practice, looked too much like a turnstile in pass protection in the actual game.
Nebraska DE Pierre Allen: One-direction pass rusher who didn't come close to overpowering anyone while lacking the speed and acceleration to run around anyone.
Oklahoma DE Jeremy Beal: Showed decent speed, acceleration and explosion in the open field when unblocked, but couldn't disengage from blocks when head up on an OT.
Oregon LB Casey Matthews: Overall lack of size and speed showed up as he couldn't get off blocks.
Miami CB Demarcus Van Dyke: Slow to come out of backpeddle was picked on every time he was on the field.
Return to the Great Blue North Draft Report.
If you have comments or suggestions, e-mail GBN Editor . The GBN can also be reached by phone at (613) 692-1088 or regular mail at 320 Shadehill Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2J 0L6.
Great Blue North Draft Report Privacy Policy.
by Colin Lindsay, Editor and Publisher, Great Blue North Draft Report
That’s a wrap… Another Senior Bowl is in the books after last week's game capped off activities in Mobile. And while most NFL teams generally place far more value on what the players do in practice than in the game itself, this year it's likely that NFL personnel people were hoping to get answers some from answers from the game itself on a number of players including several of the QBs in Mobile as well as the OT class which featured most of the top-rated prospects at the position for the 2011 draft. Unfortunately, though, those same NFL pro personnel people probably had as many questions about those particular players after the game as they had beforehand.
The all-star game format can be a tough environment in which to judge a QB as they are usually working in an unfamiliar offense with unfamilair receivers. Plus, they usually only get a couple of series in a row before giving way to the next guy so can never really get into a rythym. That said, no player at the 2010 Senior Bowl was under more pressure to preform than Washington QB Jake Locker who had had an inconsistent week of practice in Mobile after a very disappointing senior season in which he had fallen from a potential #1 pick overall to a possible mid-to-even-late first round prospect. Ubnfortunately though, all pro scouts saw from Locker during the Senior Bowl game was more of the same. Unlike most of the other QBs in Mobile, Locker did show the arm strength to get the ball downfield without a big windup and without much air under the ball, but few of his passes were right on target and he hung out at least a couple of receivers with ill-advised high passes late over the middle. As well, while he showed some athleticism when he forced from the pocket, Locker also put the ball on the ground a couple of times further questioning his football smarts and instincts.
On the other hand, Colin Kaepernick of Nevada continued to be something of a revelation in Mobile. Kaepernick still needs to speed up a very deliberate release, but showed exceptional am strength and accuracy as he really zipped a number of darts right on thenumbers well down-field. Meanwhile, each of the other four QBs in Mobile, including Christian Ponder of Florida State who was named the game's MVP after throwing a couple of TD passes, as well as Grg McElroy of Alabama, Iowa's Ricky Stanzi and Andy Dalton of TCU, had their moment as all four appeared accurate and in command when they took quick drops, planted and threw at underneath targets, however, all four also struggled to get the ball downfield with much authority or accuracy.
There is also undoubtably a lot of head scratching going on around NFL draft war rooms as a scouts and personnel executives study the offensive linemen in the Senior Bowl game tape. Indeed, with 4 of the 5 top-rated OT prospects for the 2011 draft in Mobile last weeks, pro scouts were expecting to be able to do some real sorting out at the position. Instead, they were left with almost as many questions as answers even after the game, although it certainly didn't help that Gabe Carimi of Wisconsin, who had possibly been the most consistent OT during the week of Senior Bowl practice, wasn't able to play because of a minor ankle injury. Meawnhile, those that did play all had demonstrated warts of some kind or another. Nate Solder of Colorado, for example, who was trying to solidify the #1 grade amog OTs at the Senior Bowl, looked like he missed the pre-game wake call as he stumbled out of the gate giving up an early sack and another pressure before settling down and playing reasonably very well over the final three quarters of the contest. Solder's early troubles appeared to result primarily from the fact that while backpeddling he was taking some very choppy, almost exaggerated steps, which dramatically reduced his ability to change direction or absorb contact. For some reason, Solder's setup angles were all wrong. Instead of setting up at roughly a 45 degree angle, Solder initially was setting up almost parallel to the line of scrimmage which opened a big inside gap to the pocket. For the most part, pro personnel people are likely going to view these issues as correctable; indeed, after the first two series of the game, Solder settled down and was close to dominating through the final three quarters, but those early stumbles were not what is normally expected of a potential top 15-20 draft prospect.
For his part, Boston College OT Anthony Castonzo was nothing if not versatile as he lined up at all four offensive line spots other than C. At least when he lined up outside, Castonzo showed quick feet and decent arm extension. And while he's also gets pretty good knee bend, too often he allowed defenders to get into his chest and either knock him off balance or drive him deep in to the pocket. Meanwhile, Mississippi State's Derek Sherrod was the most consistent of the big three OTs in the game, although Sherrod wasn't overly physical at the point of attack and for some reason often backpeddled literally into the QBs lap even though before he ad actually absorbed any contact. In the end, when all was said and done, the most efficient OTs in the actual Senior Bowl game were James Carpenter of Alabama and Auburn's Lee Ziemba. Neither was overly pretty, but both were effective with a solid punch and arm extension, while showing good balance and footwork in mirroring their man away from the pocket.
All that said, in fact, more players probably enhanced their draft grades as a result of their performance in this year's Senior Bowl game than saw their stock drop. Indeed, in no particular order, players who likely improved their cause in the Senior Bowl game itself included:
Texas A&M OLB Von Miller: Came to Mobile regarded as a terrific pass rusher destined to play as a 3-4 OLB at the next level, Miller added to his resume as he was fluid, instinctive and aggressive tracking down the ball all afternoon despite the fact that because of Senior Bowl rules he wasn't allowed to blitz. Indeed, its likely that even a few teams that run 4-3 defenses took notice and might consider Miller as an OLB in that scheme. As a result, Miller solidified his status as a potential top 10 prospect for the 2011 draft.
Miami WR Leonard Hankerson: Did drop a pass and bobbled a couple of others, but was otherwise the best player on the field in Mobile as he used his wide-body to create a lot of space for himself, while showing some surprising first-step quickness after catching the ball.
Kentucky RB Derrick Locke: Not all that big at under 190 pounds, but showed outstanding vision, quickness and instincts as well as a real burst once he got a crease.
Louisville RB Bilal Powell: Same state, different style; Powell lacks the burst to break off a lot of big runs, but like Locke he was able to find the hole, gets his pads turned upfield in a hurry and as a low-based 220-pounder didn't go down easily. For a bigger back, though, Powell did not block at all well as he pretty much completely whiffed on a couple of attempted blocks.
Florida State OG Rodney Hudson: Undersized at just over 290 pounds and may have to switch to C at the next level, but graded out very well in the Senior Bowl game. While Hudson isn't as big as NFL teams like their interior offensive linemen to be he has a thick lower body and tremendous leg strength; he also moves his feet very well, can make a block in space and plays hard to the whistle, but did give up some penetration on straight bull rushes by big DTs.
Michigan OG Stephen Schilling: Didn't get a whole lot of pub during the week of practice, either pro or con, but was very active during the game; also appeared to be tecnically solid as he played with a solid base and got good arm extension and played to the whistle.
Arizona DE/OLB Brooks Reed: One of several collegiate DEs getting a look at OLB at the Senior Bowl, Reed did a nice job getting off blocks and flowing to the ball; also showed some natural pass rush technique as he was able to get hsi shoulder under the pads of opposing blockers and maintain leverage. Reed also showed next level closing speed both tracking the ball and getting after the QB in the pocket.
Clemson DT Jarvis Jenkins: Showed that he was more than just a bull-rushing interior defensive lineman during the game; indeed, was tough to block as he showed good lateral agility and quickness for a 300-pounder as well as nice closing speed.
Miami LB Colin McCarthy: Fiery LB really got after the ball during the game in both the regular defense as well as on special teams; McCarthy showed good range, instincts and the ability to disengage from blockers; also solid wrap-up tackler who literally exploded through the ball-carrier when he honed in on the target.
LSU MLB Kelvin Sheppard: Not flashy but did a nice job finding the ball and avoiding blockers using his hands and feet; also showed excellent speed and sideline-to-sideline range, while really wrapping up when tackling.
North Carolina CB Kendric Burney: A bit undersized, but a very sure tackler who was very aggressive coming up in run support, while contributing on special teams. Did get beaten by Miami's Leonard Hankerson for a TD, but otherwise was solid in coverage including one PB in the red zone when he took away a slant and ended up running a better route than the receiver.
Honorable mentions: Wisconsin TE Lance Kendricks; Arkansas TE D.J. Williams; Mississippi DE Pernell McPhee; Ohio State WR Dane Sansenbacher; TCU C Jake Kirkpatrick; and Stanford NT Sione Fua.
It wasn't all fun and games in Mobile, though, and several players struggled at times during the game including, again in no particular order:
Nebraska RB Roy Helu: Not quick, instinctive or elusive
West Virginia RB Noel Devine: Quick as a bug but not much bigger than one and went down too easily once contacted
Arkansas OT Demarcus Love: As he did all week in practice, looked too much like a turnstile in pass protection in the actual game.
Nebraska DE Pierre Allen: One-direction pass rusher who didn't come close to overpowering anyone while lacking the speed and acceleration to run around anyone.
Oklahoma DE Jeremy Beal: Showed decent speed, acceleration and explosion in the open field when unblocked, but couldn't disengage from blocks when head up on an OT.
Oregon LB Casey Matthews: Overall lack of size and speed showed up as he couldn't get off blocks.
Miami CB Demarcus Van Dyke: Slow to come out of backpeddle was picked on every time he was on the field.
Return to the Great Blue North Draft Report.
If you have comments or suggestions, e-mail GBN Editor . The GBN can also be reached by phone at (613) 692-1088 or regular mail at 320 Shadehill Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2J 0L6.
Great Blue North Draft Report Privacy Policy.