QB Kellen Moore DOWN

Moore had been proving all week what many suspected, he just doesn’t have an NFL arm. He continued to do that in this one going 6 of 12 for 50 yards. He took a couple sacks as well and there wasn’t a lot of zip on any of his balls, even his short ones, some of which were actually incomplete and one almost picked by Dwight Bentley. He didn’t throw anything more than 5 yards downfield for most of his time. One of his deeper balls was dropped by Marvin McNutt. McNutt should have made the catch, but Moore’s lack of zip on the ball made it possible for the defensive back to recover on the route and knock the ball out.

Another one to DeVier Posey was deflected by Casey Hayward, who was able to recover because the ball was slow. It was called PI on Hayward, but it looked clean. His best ball of the night was to DeVier Posey. It should have been a touchdown, but Posey just dropped it. However, all in all he didn’t look good. There was not a lot of zip of any of his balls and most of his completions were to the middle of the field. He won’t have the arm strength to complete consistently on the outside. He also had a couple deflected at the line, as a result of his short stature. He doesn’t look like anything more than a solid backup at the next level.

QB Russell Wilson DOWN

It was really a tale of two Russell Wilsons tonight. There was pocket Russell Wilson and outside the pocket Russell Wilson and they were complete opposites. In the pocket, Wilson struggles to complete passes, overshooting an open Marvin McNutt in the end zone and throwing a lazy pick into coverage, jumped by Brandon Taylor. However, outside the pocket he was great, contributing to a 4 of 7 for 45 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 pick performance. He survived a couple bad snaps by converted guard Rishaw Johnson at center and when able to freestyle and get out of the pocket, he was great, completing a broken play into 23 yards to Gerell Robinson, throwing an 8 yard touchdown to Marvin Jones on a roll out, and picking up a few chunks of yards on the ground. I am moving him down, however, because of how awful he was in the pocket. He’ll need to be a better pocket quarterback to start in the NFL.

QB Brandon Weeden DOWN

At times, Weeden looked like the best quarterback out there. He started out very good, completing 5 of his first 6, leading a field goal drive and another drive that could have gone for points had it not been for a Joe Adams fumble. He made great NFL caliber throws. However, after that, he was awful, finishing 5 of 9 for 56 yards, no touchdowns, and 2 picks. Both picks were awful decisions and one was placed in the worst spot possible after Dwight Jones ran a pretty good route. Weeden has a great arm, but needs work. That’d be fine if he was 22, but he’s 28. You don’t have a year or two to wait on him. He looks like a career backup.

RB Isaiah Pead UP

Isaiah Pead started out the week weighing in at 193, bad for a running back, but the best of the week was great for him and he ended up winning the MVP for this game. He was the best back all week in pass catching and blocking drills, showing his ability to stay in on 3^rd down right away in the NFL. 37 catches as a senior at Cincinnati also help. Then, in the game, he had punt returns of 60 and 38 and easily could have scored on the first one. Both set the North, who had significantly fewer total yards than the South, with good field position as they were able to win despite not having as many yards. He wasn’t extremely impressive as a runner, going for 31 yards on 8 carries, but he continued to show good ability in space. There’s a role for this kid in the NFL right away and it’s as a 3^rd down back and a return man. He’ll probably never be a feature back, but someone will draft him in rounds 3-4 in that Darren Sproles role.

RB Doug Martin UP

Other than Pead, Martin was the best back in practice all week, showing his ability to be a 3 down back. For some reason, he didn’t get a lot of carries, but on his 4 carries, he was the most impressive back there, rushing for 19 yards, including an impressive 11 yarder. He caught fire down the stretch once he got healthy. He doesn’t have great speed, but he’s shifty and breaks a lot of tackles. He runs with great pad level and reminds me of a young Maurice Jones Drew. He can play all 3 downs in the NFL and could be the 3^rd back off the board after Trent Richardson and Lamar Miller.

RB Vick Ballard UP

The 2^nd most impressive back in the game was Vick Ballard. Ballard rushed for 29 yards on 7 carries and showed great fight on every single one. He didn’t have a lot of room to work with, but still managed to get a good gain on every carry, including one outside one, which is not his strong suit. The 5-11 220 pounder made a good case to be picked in the 3^rd or 4^th round.

FB Bradie Ewing UP

Bradie Ewing made a beautiful 23 yard catch. When I saw it, I instantly checked the number and tried to find out which wide receiver it was and sure enough it was Bradie Ewing, the fullback. Ewing caught 20 passes as a senior at Wisconsin and I remember being impressed by his ability in space for a 240 pound fullback after the catch. He went to Wisconsin so you know he can block and he also converted a short yardage situation on the ground in this one. He was my top fullback going into this game, but he reaffirmed it with his performance here. He should go off the board in the 5^th round or so, which is when fullback typically start coming off the board.

WR DeVier Posey DOWN

I don’t know where DeVier Posey’s head was, but it wasn’t in this game. He dropped a touchdown in the end zone and gave up on a route that led to a pick in the end zone. That play was awful. Posey cut off his route almost as soon as the ball was thrown. He made no effort to play the ball on a throw that wasn’t that great to begin with and the defensive back caught in it in the end zone as if he were the receiver. It almost seemed like Posey, an Ohio State Buckeye, was trying to sabotage Kirk Cousins, a Michigan State Spartan at quarterback.

Posey has freakish ability and he showed some of that in this game with a nice 33 yard catch in stride and a good run after catch. He could easily run in the 4.4s at The Combine at 6-3 210, but couple his off the field problems with his absentmindedness in games and you’ve got a day 3 prospect. He’s got a chance this be this year’s Mike Williams if he gets everything together, but I wanted chance anything higher than a 4^th rounder on him.

WR Joe Adams UP

Adams fumbled on the South’s first drive of the game, but that was a bit of a fluky play and he more than made up for it. Adams caught 8 passes for 133 yards and probably would have been the game MVP if his team had one. He broke countless tackles. Several of his catches were bubble screens that he took for big gains, but he also showed a much more mature route tree than he did at Arkansas, where he mostly ran bubble screens and straight go routes. Adams was overshadowed by Jarius Wright and Greg Childs at Arkansas, but he’s also a phenomenal return man who returned 5 punts to the house in his career, 4 this season. Deadly in space, someone will take a chance on him in rounds 2-4 as a punt returner and try to develop him into a receiver. I think he’s got great potential at the receiver position once he becomes a better route runner because of his ability in space.

WR TJ Graham UP

Graham is like a poor man’s Joe Adams. A great return man who has 4 career special teams touchdowns, Graham dedicated himself to becoming  a better receiver last offseason and it paid off as he was by far his team’s leading receiver on a conservative offense with 46 catches for 757 yards and 7 touchdowns. He’s deadly in space and continued to show that today, breaking tackles on his 2 catches for 27 yards and his one kickoff return for 27. Graham is still an unrefined player, but seeing how good of a receiver he’s become after just one year playing the position full time, and his work ethic, I would take a chance on him early on day 3, try to groom him into a receiver and if that doesn’t work out, he’s still an above average return man.

WR Marvin Jones UP

Marvin Jones impressed all week, exceeding expectations once he was out of Keenan Allen’s shadow at Cal, and continued in this game with a great route run in the end zone for a 8 yard touchdown. The 6-2 Jones has turned some heads this week and could be drafted in the 4^th or 5^th round.

WR Juron Criner UP

Joe Adams led the South team in receiving, but Criner wasn’t too shabby himself with 6 catches for 77 yards and a touchdown and he may have been targeted even more as both Nick Foles and Ryan Lindley were seemingly forcing the ball to him and throwing to him on every play. Criner had a bunch of inaccurate balls thrown his way, but still managed to have a great game. He’s got a good catch radius and bailed Nick Foles out on countless occasions at Arizona. Criner is not a #1 receiver or a deep threat at the next level, but as far as #2 possession guys go, Criner should be at the top of that list.

WR Jeff Fuller DOWN

Fuller looked awesome at his weigh in, but he was a mess in practice all week, dropping balls left and right. He dropped a deep ball that easily could have been taken for a touchdown today. He had 3 catches for 19 yards, but two of those were short on 3^rd and long that the defense gave to him. Fuller is a physical freak, but he doesn’t have the fundamentals of the receiver position down and there are rumors his 40 could be in the 4.7s or 4.8s. If that happens, he’s not going any earlier than the 4^th round.

WR Dwight Jones DOWN

He wasn’t particularly bad in this game, but the big physical receiver didn’t impress as much as he should have all week. A potential 2^nd rounder, Jones kind of faded into the background all week and scouts were reportedly disappointed. Jones is still very talented, but I’m moving him down some.

OT Mike Adams UP

Mike Adams is frustrating. At times he looks like an elite left tackle and today was one of those times. I argued he should have been MVP for the North in this one because he shot Courtney Upshaw down almost completely and Melvin Ingram down completely. He did allow a sack to Upshaw, but that was a coverage sack that Upshaw wouldn’t have gotten had Russell Wilson just stepped up in the pocket. Upshaw didn’t have an awful day, but most of his impact was when Adams was not blocking him. Adams was awesome in this one and looked like the top 15 pick he’s being rumored as. However, he had a lot of inconsistent tape this season and I don’t think that can be forgotten. He still struggled with speed rushers like Whitney Mercilus and Jack Crawford this year and may be a right tackle long term ala Michael Oher, but I have a feeling someone takes a chance on him very early after this game. In my next mock, I’ll him 16^th to the Jets, who desperately need a right tackle.

OT Kelechi Osemele DOWN

Osemele proved, once again, that he belongs inside at the next level. Osemele didn’t stand a chance against Quinton Coples in this one. Coples was unblockable again him. I wish the coaches had put him at guard in this one like the South did with Cordy Glenn so I could see him at his long term position. Someone will still take a chance on him in the 2^nd round, but not as a tackle.

OT Senio Kelemete DOWN

Kelemete played left tackle at Washington, but he just confirmed the suspicion that he’s a guard at the next level in this one. Quinton Coples turned him into a ragdoll.

OT Mitchell Schwartz UP

Schwartz made himself a lot of money this week. He caught scouts’ eyes in practice this week in one on one, holding his own against higher rated prospects and in this one, he, for the most part, won his snaps against Quinton Coples at right tackle. He could sneak into the 3^rd round as a right tackle or swing tackle.

OT Zebrie Sanders DOWN

I don’t get why this guy is supposed to be good. He wasn’t in this one. Mike Mayock blamed it on his lack of comfort with the right side and that he’s a left tackle long term (somehow), but Sanders spent most of his college career at right tackle and only moved to the left side when Andrew Datko got hurt. I saw him at left tackle this year and I was not impressed with him there either. He might be a swing tackle at the next level, but I don’t see him as much higher than a 3^rd or 4^th rounder.

G Tony Bergstrom DOWN

Bergstrom continued to be the worst offensive lineman out there. He was overmatched all week and couldn’t block anything tonight. He’ll find it tough getting drafted now. A right tackle in college, Bergstrom looked lost at guard this week. He’s not athletic enough for the outside either.

C Ben Jones DOWN

Alameda Ta’amu just overpowered Ben Jones in this one and Jones is supposed to be known for his size and power. He also helped allow a sack as Ta’amu pushed him back into the quarterback, who fled right into Vinny Curry’s sack.

 

DT Kendall Reyes UP

DT Mike Martin UP

DT Derek Wolfe UP

DT Kheeston Randall UP

DT Brandon Thompson UP

I’m putting this group together. None of the running backs really had a great day and that wasn’t necessarily their fault. With a few exceptions, the defensive tackle play in this one was spectacular. I know this includes sacks, but the North rushed for 2.1 yards per carry and the South for 1.8. Reyes, Martin, and Wolfe were great for the North, while Kheeston Randall and Brandon Thompson were dominant for the South. The North were especially impressive in practice as well, while Randall and Thompson made a few nice plays against the run in the game. This group should go anywhere from rounds 2-4 and is in that 2^nd group after Michael Brockers, Devon Still, Fletcher Cox, Dontari Poe and Jerel Worthy, all of whom did not attend this game. You can also mix in Billy Winn, a talented player, who did not stand out in this one, Josh Chapman, who did not attend, and Alameda Ta’amu, who I’ll get to.

DT Alameda Ta’amu UP

Ta’amu was the most dominant of the defensive tackles in this game, for about a quarter and a half. After that, he was pretty invisible. He had this problem all year and even in practice this week. His motor runs hot and cold and he’s extremely frustrating and inconsistent. He’s so big at 340 pounds that someone will take him as a 3-4 nose in the 2^nd round, but I’m not convinced he’s worth that yet. I hate defensive linemen with inconsistent motors, but he gets a slight up for some of his plays in this one.

DE Quinton Coples DOWN

Quinton Coples made a ton of plays in this one and was downright unblockable at times, key word, at times. Coples dominated both Senio Kelemete and Kelechi Osemele, who belong at guard long term, but mid rounder Mitchell Schwartz kept him in check for most of his reps. Coples had a couple sacks, some pressures, and a couple tackles for loss, including one where he half disengaged from Kelechi Osemele, stuck one arm out and threw Isaiah Pead backwards for a loss. It was extremely physically impressive. A real WOW play.

However, he’s got some issues about his motor and consistency. When he’s on, he’s absolutely unblockable in all facets and can take over a game by himself. However, that’s not always the case. If this were the pre-rookie cap era, I’d be afraid of using a top 10 pick on him because he’s the type that you give 60 million to and then he spends his whole career counting it. However, with a rookie salary cap, he needs to give you 4 or 5 good years to get paid big money. I wouldn’t want to be the one to give him that big money, but I’d still use a top 10 pick on him because of his upside and hope that someone could light a fire under him. Motor issues do knock him down some in my book.

DE Vinny Curry UP

The South had all the big name defensive ends, Coples, Upshaw, and Melvin Ingram, but Vinny Curry might have had the best game with 2 sacks and unlike Coples, his motor was on all game. Curry impressed in practice, which was important for him coming from Marshall, a smaller school, and he also weighed in at 264, rather than under 260. Once a 2^nd or 3^rd rounder, Curry is now on the 1^st round borderline and could be picked by someone like Green Bay or New England late in the first.

DE Melvin Ingram DOWN

Ingram and Upshaw were both dominated by Mike Adams. Ingram gets the stock down and Upshaw doesn’t because Upshaw had success against other linemen, as well as some plays were he was unblocked or blocked by a back. Melvin Ingram was just invisible. This was really disappointing for someone who could go in the top 15.

OLB Bobby Wagner UP

Wagner stood out in the linebacking corps in this one with a good amount of impact plays. He had a pick, a deflection on 3^rd down which could have saved 4 points, breaking up a potential touchdown and forcing a field goal. He also had a tackle for loss on a check down. Wagner has played himself into that 3^rd or 4^th round range from small school Utah State.

OLB Nigel Bradham UP

Bradham was a very active tackler in this one and also had a sack, chasing down a scrambling Russell Wilson. Bradham has been flying under the radar in a great linebacker class, but is worth a 3^rd or 4^th rounder. He’ll probably be drafted early on day 3.

CB Leonard Johnson UP

Leonard Johnson had a bad missed tackle on Joe Adams, but who didn’t. Johnson impressed as a one on one shutdown cornerback in this game, earning praise from Mike Mayock, as he has throughout the week. He also had a great deflection and near pick on 4^th down. Johnson is undersized at less than 5-10, but he’s a physical player and a competitor who could go in the 3^rd or 4^th round as a nickel back.

CB Ryan Steed UP

Steed didn’t impress in one of his only chances against a big school, coming from Furman, against Florida, however, he had a great week this week. He and Dwight Bentley really helped their stocks coming from small schools and dominating with the big boys. Both are in that 3^rd or 4^th round range now.

CB Dwight Bentley UP

See above.

S Brandon Taylor UP

Brandon Taylor had a great pick of Russell Wilson to cap off a good week. Mike Mayock said that Taylor was under the radar at LSU with guys like Morris Claiborne, Tyrann Mathieu, and Eric Reid in the defensive backfield, but that he’s a legitimate starting free safety in the league. I would agree.

S Trenton Robinson DOWN

Robinson, a former cornerback, is way too small to be a safety in the league at 5-9 195 he didn’t play well, either giving up a couple big plays in coverage and making a horrible read on the South’s longest run of the game, Terrance Ganaway for 16.