OT Ciron Black– LSU DOWN
Looked very sluggish, just like most of the South’s offensive line, and could not keep up with the speed hustle rushers of the North’s defensive line. He really struggled at left tackle when put there which I think rule out an hope of him playing there in the NFL, and he wasn’t physically dominant at right tackle either. On several plays, his weight seemed to get in the way of the ball carrier.
DT Geno Atkins- Georgia UP
He’s an undersized defensive tackle who hasn’t been good since his sophomore year, but he did make a few nice hustle plays to break up the play in the backfield and actually ran down a running back from behind at one point, something very few defensive tackles can do.
RB LeGarrette Blount- Oregon UP
He probably had the most to prove in Mobile this week, after the incident in which he punched an opposing player earlier this season, but he flashes a lot of what made him an NFL prospect in the first place. He ran with great pad level at 245 pounds and also made nice plays in the open field. He scored once on a very nice 14 yard run, on which he leaped through a defender from about the 4 yard line to get into the end zone, and he almost scored again on a play in which he dragged pretty much the entire South’s defense from about the 5 yard to almost the goal line, setting up a 1 yard quarterback sneak on the next play. The character concerns are clearly there, but he is a load to take down in the open field and he moves well and runs with great pad level for someone of his size. He is, at the very least, a goal line back at the next level if he can control himself on and off the field.
CB/FS Chris Cook- Virginia UP
I was confused about why he was invited to this game, but he proved me wrong making some nice plays and being a very tough physical cover guy. He’s still a tweener, not fluid enough to play cornerback, but not quite big enough at 6-1 210 to be a free safety, but I can see him getting drafted in the late rounds.
WR Marshawn Gilyard– Cincinnati UP
He was the North’s leading receiver with 5 catches for 102 yards and a score and made some very impressive catches against tough coverage. These catches were ones where the defender didn’t give him a ton of room, but he either was able to create just enough separation to get the ball, or able to make an acrobatic catch away from his body. He also was one of the better kick returners in this game as well. I think he dispelled the concerns about his size from earlier this week (weighing in at 8-10 lighter and 2 inches shorter than he was listed), and actually got a comparison to DeSean Jackson by the commentators. I wouldn’t quite say that, but he certainly has the look of an NFL wide receiver and also a kick returner.
WR Danario Alexander- Missouri DOWN
For all he was targeted, and he was one of the most targeted wide receivers in the first half, he didn’t make a catch. He looked about two steps slower than everyone on the field and didn’t seem to have his head in the game. On one play he was wide open, but failed to catch the ball because he didn’t know it had been thrown to him until it was too late. He played very little in the 2nd half, not surprisingly.
WR Jeremy Williams- Tulane UP
He was the South’s Marshawn Gilyard, leading all receivers with 6 catches, and also added a nice 27 yard run where he flashed a lot of speed I didn’t even know he had. He has a nasty injuries of injuries, two ACL repairs, but he has all the skills and could be looking at the 2nd round now.
QB Tony Pike– Cincinnati DOWN
He showed more of what the coaches were seeing from him in practice, a ball that kind of dies at about 10 yard downfield. He did look more mobile in the pocket than I remember him from last year, but his arm strength was not good and he struggled to make a lot of the throws he’ll have to make in the NFL. He started out 3 of 3, but was 2 of his next 9 to finish 5-12 for 44 yards. He has good decision making and good short accuracy, but I think he’s a 3rd round prospect at best.
QB Sean Canfield- Oregon State DOWN
I was expecting him to show himself as a legitimate quarterback prospect in this game, as he has experience in a pro style offense, and I think he has a stronger arm than most quarterbacks in this game, but he didn’t look great in limited action, throwing an end zone pick to Taylor Mays. He did have one nice 31 yard completion to in state rival Ed Dickson, the Oregon tight end, but overall, he was disappointing and I may be rethinking his late 3rd/early 4th round grade.
QB Jarrett Brown- West Virginia UP
He didn’t have the best game overall, but he showed a lot of potential and physical tools. He’s an excellent athlete and has a running back’s frame, as shown in his weigh in, but he also showed a very good strong arm in the game. He really struggled with his touch and his footwork is very poor, he missed a wide open guy downfield because his feet weren’t set when he threw it, but overall, I like his upside a lot more now that I did before this week, when I saw him as a wildcat only.
QB Dan LeFevour– Central Michigan UP
I really didn’t like him going into this game, but he proved to me that his arm is a lot stronger than I lot and a lot more accurate on deep balls than I thought. He had a lot of nice deep throws, which surprised me because he comes from an offense that focuses on short throws. His footwork was still bad and he messed up a few easy throws, but he has some potential in the 4th or 5th round.
FB Rashawn Jackson- Virginia DOWN
First he measured up at 239 pounds at the weigh in, which is small for his position, and then he really struggled as a lead blocker in the actual game itself. All of this, coupled with an arrest last year, makes me think he’ll go undrafted.
S Myron Rolle– Florida State UP
He didn’t play a ton or have any signature moments, but he really did show that he is still in great shape on the plays when he did play and in his interview he really seemed committed to the sport. Both of these are good things for him. There was never an issue about his ability to play the game, just about how he would bounce back physically after a year off, and about his commitment.
QB/WR Joe Webb- UAB DOWN
I know he’s a former quarterback, but he really didn’t show that he has what it takes to be a wide receiver at the next level, which is what he needed to do because he’s not, I don’t think, an NFL caliber quarterback. On one play when Tim Tebow was in trouble, Webb needed to come back to his quarterback and help him out and he did not. His route running was poor and he also had a fairly easy drop. I think he’ll still get drafted late, but I’m not sure about his upside.
G/C Jeff Byers- USC UP
He’s undersized, but with great form he really held his own against much bigger defensive lineman. He played at center for most of the game, which is not his natural position, but he did a great overall job, which is very good because, due to his small frame, that’s likely the position he’ll have to play at the next level.
RLB/DE George Selvie– South Florida DOWN
He got destroyed by big blockers on run plays and made an ugly bite on a misdirection which went for a big gain. He also failed to make a fairly routine tackle. He’s not big enough to play in the trenches in the NFL and he didn’t show that he has the hustle or skills to be an elite pass rusher either.
NT Dan Williams- Tennessee UP
Williams was a big disruptive force all game and really pushed the defensive line back in a big way. However, what really impressed me is, at 325 pounds, how mobile he is. He moved around great and actually covered a running back and prevented him from catching the ball out of the backfield. He also had a pass deflection. He can play any scheme, unlike Terrence Cody. He’s big enough to play 3-4, but also fast and agile enough to play defensive tackle in a 4-3, and he actually has experience in a cover 2 scheme at Tennessee so, despite his size, he can play that scheme at the next level. I can’t see him falling past Tennessee at 16, who needs a big defensive tackle to play in their cover 2 defense. I currently have him ranked as the top nose tackle ahead of Terrence Cody because of his scheme versatility, even though Cody is a better natural run stopper. Cody also weighed in at 15 pounds higher than expected at his weigh in which is not good.
DE/RLB Brandon Lang- Troy UP
He didn’t play a ton, but I counted 3 quarterback pressures for him, and, as the commentators pointed out, he had 37 of those this season. He doesn’t have a huge sacks total, but he can create pressure, which is almost as good. He is a bit of a tweener though as he’s undersized for a defensive end, but not fluid enough to play rush linebacker.
C Ted Larsen- NC State DOWN
On one play, Larsen snapped the ball about 8 feet up in the air, above his quarterback’s head. The ball went about 5 yards behind him and was recovered by Murray State’s Austin Lane for a touchdown. I know its not good to base your judgements of a players on one play, but this was pretty bad.
DE/RLB Brandon Graham– Michigan UP
Graham had a huge Senior Bowl week. It started out bad when he measured up at just over 6 feet and with the shortest arms of any defensive lineman, but he really impressed in practice and even more so in the game. He won Senior Bowl MVP with 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, a tackle for a loss, and 5 tackles. He was disruptive on almost every play and had more signature plays than any other player. He really hustled and earned a lot of praise from the commentators. He chased down Jarrett Brown, the fastest quarterback on either roster, from behind, something that will only show up on the stat sheet as a tackle. He’s a former linebacker, with an excellent motor and an excellent pass rushing repertoire, but he’s also extremely stout and disruptive against the run. He can play both 4-3 left end and 4-3 right end, in addition to rush linebacker. The commentators compared him to LaMarr Woodley of the Pittsburgh Steelers and I think that comparison is dead on. I think he cemented himself as a 1st round pick.
OT Ed Wang- Virginia Tech DOWN
The reason the South lost was they couldn’t keep the North out of their backfield and more often than not, when a defender caused havoc in the backfield, he was going from the left side of the offensive line and sure enough, on each one of those plays, the man standing over there confused was Ed Wang. He’s a big offensive tackle at 6-5 310, but I don’t think he projects as a longterm left tackle, as he played in college. He is more likely a tweener, left tackle/right tackle, backup guy. I wouldn’t use more than a 6th round pick on him, but I think he’ll be drafted because teams always need depth on the offensive line.
3-4 DE/DT Mike Neal- Purdue UP
Neal had a bunch of nice hustle plays that won’t really show up on the stat sheet and was a huge part of the front 7 domination by the north. He’s a big undersized to be a defensive tackle, but he fits perfectly as a Darnell Dockett type 3-4 defensive end and I think he goes in the 2nd round.
OLB/MLB Sean Weatherspoon– Missouri UP
If there were a co-MVP, it would be Weatherspoon. He played middle linebacker for most of the game and that was where he indicated in an interview that he has best fit, but he really can play any 4-3 linebacker position, in addition to 3-4 middle linebacker, because hustle and vocal leadership don’t necessarily have a position and those are his signature traits. His coaching staff was raving ability his leadership ability all week and his hustle showed through on the field. On one play, Weatherspoon, a 241 pound linebacker, ran step for step with Mississippi’s Dexter McCluster, a 5-8 165 running back/wide receiver who is projected to run a 40 in the 4.3s, and trapped him in the corner of the end zone and broke up and almost intercepted the pass. He also had a late interception. His efforts were a huge part of the North’s front 7 domination and I think he has solidified himself as a 1st round prospect.
S Larry Asante- Nebraska DOWN
He had a nice tackle that forced a fumble, but he really looked lost for most of the game in pass coverage, including on a play in which he allowed a Marshawn Gilyard touchdown. He was supposed to play deep, but played too deep, about 6 yards into the endzone, allowing Gilyard the easy catch. He seemed to just not know where on the field he was and he doesn’t have good recovery speed at all. I think he’s just a situational strong safety.
S Taylor Mays– USC UP
He looked alright against the pass in this game and actually had a nice interception, which is good because one of the big knocks against him is he doesn’t make enough plays on the ball in the air. However, after a dismal week in practice, I can only categorize his entire Senior Bowl week as neutral. I still think he’ll go in the first round.
DT LaMarr Houston- Texas DOWN
He had a nice hustle play on a 4th down stop, in which he snuck into the backfield and made the play and overall he just showed why he was one of the best players on Texas’ defense last year with 7 sacks. This game, along with favorable reports out of Senior Bowl practice week, could shoot him into the 2nd round.
OT Selvish Capers- West Virginia DOWN
As bad as Ed Wang was, Capers might have actually been worse. He couldn’t block anything. Once the defender took out his hands, he couldn’t do anything. He let Koa Misi run straight past him, as if he didn’t even notice him, on one play that resulted in a Tim Tebow fumble. He has great athleticism at 6-5 304 with long arms and a 4.9 40, but he’s not a starting caliber offensive tackle at the next level. He seems destined to be a Raider.
TE Garrett Graham- Wisconsin DOWN
He had a few nice catches, including a touchdown that got wiped away by a penalty, but overall it was a bad week for him. First he weighed in at 234 pounds and then showed himself to be small on the field by not being able to block anything. He is the worst run blocker of any tight end that played in this game and I’m not sure he has a position at the next level.
CB Patrick Robinson- Florida State UP
You have to take Robinson good game with a grain of salt, because he only seems to play well when people who can give him money are watching, but it was a good game nonetheless. He showed his excellent footwork and size and was probably the best cover corner in the game. He almost had 2 interceptions as well, though both were just out of his reach.
NT Cam Thomas- North Carolina UP
Thomas cemented himself as the 3rd best nose tackle in this class, by pushing the offensive line forward with great strength, controlling two blockers, and even having a sack of his own. He’s not a pass rushing defensive lineman, but he has a role for himself as a run stopping shield type nose tackle at the next level and with the high number of NFL teams that now use 3-4 systems that need big nose tackles like him, he could ultimately go in the 2nd round, which is why I’d say he made himself the most money this week. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock went as far to say as he guarantees that Thomas will be a 2nd round pick. I will conservatively give him a 3rd round grade for now, but I was impressed nonetheless.
OLB Dekoda Watson- Florida State UP
He’s undersized, but he was a tough matchup for blockers because of his agility and quickness as a linebacker. He made a few nice stops on outside runs.
QB/WR Zac Robinson– Oklahoma State UP
Though he still may ultimately end up at wide receiver, Robinson showed he can throw by throwing for 175 yards on 12-21, with one touchdown and one pick. He showed a much stronger arm than he did in Oklahoma State’s offense this year, which was centered around the short pass. He really looked like the 3rd round prospect he was last year before going into this season without his top two receivers from 2008 and struggling. He really showed what he can do with a good supporting cast.
QB Tim Tebow– Florida ?
Contrary to what the media is saying, Tebow did not struggle in the Senior Bowl, in fact, his Senior Bowl was painfully neutral. I say painfully because I wanted him to either show me he’s not a true quarterback or that he is, but he did neither. He didn’t make a ton of tough throws, although he threw one impressive curl, and he completed 8 (should have been 9 if it weren’t for an easy drop) out of his 12 throws, but he was operating with Miami’s playbook which is one of the most college esque playbooks in the NFL. Basically, he was playing with the same Florida playbook he was comfortable and we didn’t get to see him be challenged by a pro style offense. So, basically, I learned nothing about Tebow in his Senior Bowl.
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