Senior Bowl-The Rise and Fall

On the Rise-Guys Who Benefited Most From Senior Bowl Week

1. Robert Ayers-DE-Tennessee-He definitely carried his weeks worth of great practices into the game. He got to the QB and was very active against the run. He is sneaking his way up into the "day 1" crowd.
   
2. Fili Moala-DT-USC-He wrecked the North's opening series all by himself. I think he is the kind of guy that teams will be able to line up anywhere, like Tuck does for the Giants, on the line depending on the situation. I think he is a definite day 1 pick after his senior bowl showing.
3. Andre Brown-RB-NC St.-He looks big and quick and he isn't afraid to lower the shoulder. He too, depending on his combine, could sneak into day 1.
4. Macho Harris-CB-Virginia Tech-He still needs to run a good time at the combine, but he proved he can hold up in coverage without constant help over the top. We already knew that he was a fierce competitor.
5. John Parker Wilson-QB-Alabama-Yes, I am serious. He emerged from the Senior bowl as the clear top senior QB in this years draft. I say that is a rise, since he was anywhere from 3-6 on most lists prior.
6. Darius Butler-CB-Connecticut-He displayed great feet and recovery speed all week. He now has an outside shot at the bottom of the first round. A few already had him slotted there. I think most do now.
7. Peria Jerry-DT-Mississippi-The big fella showed a tremendous amount of explosion. I think he showed enough to challenge Raji's standing as the #1 DT on some teams boards.
8. William Beatty-OL-Connecticut-Beatty is light on his feet. He reminds me of Chris Williams from Vandy last year. Guys with his skill set and frame always shoot up the board as the draft approaches.
9. Patrick Chung-S-Oregon-He proved that he can cover. We knew he could play in the box, but now we know that a team can put him on an island and he can take care of himself. He also made some excellent tackles during the game.
10. Evander Hood-DT-Missouri-Although he was already highly regarded, I think the extent of his athleticism opened the remaining eyes that were still closed.
    
11. Phil Loadholt-OT-During the pass block drills, he showed better feet than anticipated. When you add that to his size and strength you get a draft board riser.
12. Derrick Williams-WR-Penn St.-This guy has incredible feet and he is a natural hands catcher. He runs great routes, and he's a major RAC threat.
    
13. Antoine Caldwell-C/OG-Alabama-He was the only South OL that had any success blocking the sick South DL in one on one drills. He created significant movement during the game on several occasions.
14. Mike Wallace-WR-Mississippi-Speed! This guy can fly. He ran by people in practice and the game with ease. His combine should be impressive.
15. Ellis Lankster-CB-West Virginia-He got himself on the radar this week as a cover corner.

The above is not necessarily my list of the best players, it is simply those I think probably made the biggest climb up NFL team draft boards as a result of the Senior Bowl. For instance, I didn't list BJ Raji, but I still think he is the highest rated player that played this last week. He wasn't bad, but I think he pretty much just held the line.

Falling Down-Guys Who May See Their Stock Falling After The Senior Bowl

1. William Moore-SS-Missouri-I guess he is still coming off injury, but he looked terrible in coverage drills. He didn't look much better in the game unless missing tackles is good. If you are too injured to go, then why are you there? All of these mocks that have him as a first round pick need to kill it. I think he is sliding into day 2.
2. Michael Oher-OT-Mississippi-He was not impressive during practice. In the game he was adequate. I don't think that is good enough for a guy that many feel is a top five pick. Because of the need in the NFL for athletes at his position he probably won't slide too far, but I am sure some teams aren't near as high on him as they were.
3. Max Unger-C-Oregon-He struggled more than any OL during the week. He didn't look like he was strong enough to block bull rushers or quick enough to block speed guys. He fared a little better in the game, but he was clearly out classed by Caldwell and Eric Wood of Louisville. I do not see how anyone could still have him as the #1 rated center in the draft.
4. Sherrod Martin-DB-Troy-He emerges from Mobile as either a corner that can't cover or a safety that isn't physical and can't tackle. There isn't much need in the NFL for either. Are we sure this guy doesn't already play for the Texans.
5. Graham Harrell-QB-Texas Tech-He had a bit of roller coaster week. As the week progressed so did his ability to play under center. His footwork, drops, play fakes, reads, and rhythm were all looking pretty good. He was throwing the ball with nice velocity in team and getting praised by coach Lewis and the NFL network crew. And then came the game. The speed of the game threw him all out of whack. His weight transfer was off which was causing him to throw passes that looked like my mom threw them. Sure she has a hell of an arm for her age, but she's in her 60's. In the end I am not sure his status is any worse than it was before the week. He is the averaged arm guy that is a major project because he played in the spread that everyone though he was.
6. Rhett Bomar-QB-Sure, he has a strong arm and he is tough, but his mechanics and accuracy look terrible. I don't think this week did him any favors.
7. Ramses Barden-WR-Cal Poly-He came into the week as the 6'6" small school stud WR that was going to wow the scouts. He leaves as a big target that looks tentative and slow. He needs a good combine to resurrect the buzz.
8. Will Davis-DE-Illinois-He did show a great burst off the edge, but the dude quits. He did it in practice. He did it in the game. Someone gets there hands on him and he seems content to just lean on them and take a break. I don't know if this bothers some scouts as much as it bothers me. I am sure they think they can motivate and "coach em' up." I am not sure anyone can give a guy heart.
9. Brian Cushing-LB-USC-He didn't do major damage, but he showed a major tendency to over run plays. He got cut back on in the game and in practice due to over pursuit. I was surprised to see a guy so heralded consistently make the same mistake. For the record, over pursuit is often how 5 yard gains turn into 80 yard gains, so it is kind of a big deal.
   
10. Alphonso Smith-CB-Wake Forest-I know. I agree. I love him too. He is a small guy with first round talent. In practice he was out fought for the ball a few times and in the game he missed about three plays he should have made. One would have been a pick for a touchdown. I am just saying it wasn't a great showing for a smallish guy who hangs his hat on being a play maker.

Also, I wanted to put Pat White on both lists. Depending on the team evaluating he either rose or fell. I am sure some were upset that he didn't take any reps at WR. There are others that are hoping to make him the next "slash" type player. I have no idea where to predict what will happen to Pat White on draft day.

I will post my observations of the Texas Vs. The Nation game next weekend. Take it easy.
Management

Senior Bowl Practice Week-Impressed, Surprised, Disappointed

10 Most Impressive

1. Fili Moala-DT-USC-His combination of size, skill set, technique, and athleticism is amazing.
2. B.J. Raji-DT-Boston College- A little up an down through the week, but was unblockable and nasty when he wanted to be.
3. Peria Jerry-DT-Mississippi-He is a little less of a bull than Raji, but might be a step quicker.
4. Brandon Pettigrew-TE-Oklahoma St.-A great blocker with great hands and decent athleticism.
5. Macho Harris-CB-Virginia Tech-Long speed is still a question, but he is a technician and a a fierce competitor.
6. Phil Loadholt-OT-A road grader with the agility to reach a quick edge rusher. He reminds me of last years Otah with better feet.
7. Ron Brace-DT-Boston College-He goes where he wants to go.
8. Graham Harrell-QB-Texas Tech-He looked comfortable under center and taking his pass drops. He displayed an above average arm.
9. Darrius Butler-CB-Connecticut-He has the best feet of all the DB's at the senior bowl. He also forced the run well in team.
10. Derrick Williams-WR-Penn St.-He looked electric. He ran precise flawless routes and caught everything in sight.

10 Most Surprising

1. Robert Ayers-DE-Tenessee-He looked like a stud at practice. He was big, fast, and relentless. Nobody ever really handled him. Where was he during the season?
   
2. Ellis Lankster-CB-West Virginia-He covered everyone like a glove. He showed nice feet and technique in both off and press man.
3. Shawn Nelson-TE-Southern Miss-He looks like a "Dustin Keller" type that is actually willing to block someone.
4. William Beatty-OT-Connecticut-He is really light on his feet. He reminds me of Chris Williams from last year.
5. Lawrence Sidbury-DE-Richmond-He seemed to be able to get the edge any time he wanted. He consistently exploded out of his stance.
6. Coye Francies-CB-San Jose St.-His technique was hit and miss, but the raw materials are there. He flashed incredible recovery speed.
7. DeAngelo Smith-CB-Cincinnatti-He looked better each day as he became more comfortable. This guy will develop into a second day steal.
8. Patrick Chung-FS/SS-Oregon-He showed much better man cover skills than I anticipated. He looks like a real flexible guy that could fit somewhere into any secondary rotation.
9. Troy Kropog-OT-Tulane-This guy needs to add bulk but he does have great feet.
10. Andre Brown-RB-NC St.-He looked like the best back during the practice sessions. He looks big, aggresive, and fast enough.

Special Note-Although I am not sold on him as an NFL player. Arian Foster did have a surprising week of practice. Are you kidding me? 232 and ripped? He looked a lot tougher than he ever looked for the Vols. I was really surprised when he handled the ball like three times in a row without fumbling.

6 Most Disappointing

1. Michael Oher-OT-Mississippi-He consistently had a difficult time in one on one drills. He struggled with both speed and bull rushes. He may have the most upside, but he definitely will not be the number one tackle on my board.
2. Max Unger-OL-Oregon-He simply looked over matched in one on one drills. He looked a little better in team as the week progressed, but he definitely doesn't look like the draft's number one center.
3. William Moore-SS-Missouri-Terrible. He simply looked terrible in coverage. He is physical, but he looks like a liability in the pass game. He reminds me of Roy Williams but worse.
4. Larry English-DE-Northern Illinois-He did not look as explosive as I thought he would. He gained a little weight for the scouts and it ultimately may have hurt him.
5. Rhett Bomar-QB-Sam Houston St.-His footwork and accuracy were not impressive.
6. Will Davis-DE-Illinois-He showed his explosiveness at times, but he also showed that he is willing to throw in the towel when the OL get his hands on him. That is never good.

For the record. I think the South should win the game fairly easily. There front 7 is going to give the North fits. Now that I have stated it publicly, my advice is to put every penny you have on the North. We will be back tomorrow to post our game observations.

South Practice 2

Senior Bowl-South Practice 2

This is my first look at the South squad. One thing that jumps out about the workout is that the Jacksonville staff is running their workout at a much faster pace than the North squad. There is much less standing around. The kids are running back to get set again after each rep. They are getting a lot more done in the same amount of time. I like that the coaches aren't slowing the drills with a lot of instruction. They are waiting until a kid has finished his reps and instructing off to the side while the next set of players gets their reps.

Alphonso Smith-DB-Wake Forest-He has great feet and he competed well when the ball was in the air. He appears to have nice recovery speed and he definitely has solid technique. His only issue is his height. He did get beat on a jump ball by the much taller Massaquoi of Georgia. I don't care. If you can play, you can play.

Ellis Lankster-DB-West Virginia-For my money, he had the best workout of the South DB's. He showed excellent technique and closing speed. Nobody ran by or created much space against him. I haven't heard much about him, but I was impressed with what he showed during this practice.

Sherrod Martin-DB-Troy-He did not look very good in the one on one cover drills. He was easily beaten deep and he had an even harder time keeping his feet under him when a receiver made a break. Every time he looked slow reacting and he had to take false steps to redirect.

Coye Francies-DB-San Jose St.-He looks raw and a bit sloppy at times, but he is clearly talented. He showed great recovery speed when beaten on a deep route. He looks pretty thin, but he appears to have a tremendous upside.

Quan Cosby-WR-Texas-He looked in practice exactly like he looked all year for the Horns. Solid. He runs great routes. He is really sharp on his breaks. He catches everything. The main question for him is speed. With his size he needs to turn in something electric at the combine. I am not really sure what to expect.

Mohamed Massaquoi-WR-Georgia-He looks bigger than his listed weight of 198 from the season. Like Cosby this guy looks like the exact same player in practice that we saw all year. Great on one play and clueless the next. I think he dropped the two easiest balls he had all day. In between he made a couple of highlight type catches. If he ever gets focused this guy could really be a player.

Mike Wallace-WR-Mississippi-Extremely explosive off the line. I don't think there was any DB out there that could stay with him vertical.

Shawn Nelson-TE-So. Miss.-This guy looks like a player. He planted Maualuga two straight times in pass block/rush drill. In team he looked great running routes and he obviously his nice soft hands. He looks like Dustin Keller with more upside as a blocker.

Andre Brown-RB-NC State-He had a nice team session. He hits the hole hard and has an extra gear. At 225, he is going to start getting a lot of attention.

Arian Foster-RB-Tennessee-This one really caught me off guard. When I would watch him in college I often wondering why he was on the field. He danced, he didn't run tough, and he seemed to have contracted a terminal case of fumbilitis. The kind of fumbles where sometimes it looked like he just quit on the play and let the ball go. I must admit, he looked really good in team. He ran hard and caught the ball well. He looked really good in the open field. He looks huge and ripped. Mayock said he weighed in at 232. Maybe the guy has rededicated himself. I am curious what his combine results will look like. I still say he is a "buyer beware" product.

Rashad Jennings-RB-This big fella learned a valuable lesson about running too high courtesy of Brian Cushing during team. He probably didn't get hit like that in his conference very often.

Note-The South DL is sick. the North is going to have a hell of a time blocking them.

Fili Moala-DL-USC-He simply looked unblockable. He wasn't really even challenged. Caldwell almost slowed him down one rep. They worked him both in the middle and off the edge. He looks quick, powerful, technically sound, and nasty.

Corvey Irvin-DL-Georgia-He is more of a bull-rusher than Moala, but he does show quick feet and the ability to get over the block. He had his way as well.

Vance Walker-DL-Georgia Tech-He is a straight bull rush guy and quite good at it. Once again, Caldwell slowed him down once, but he easily shoved the rest of the ol's asses right into the QB. He is a tailor made nose.

Robert Ayers-DL-Tennessee-Again... Unblockable. He looked quick off the edge with a nice bull rush as well. He showed a wide variety of moves and a great motor in team. Where did this guy come from? Why didn't he stick out when I watched the Vols the last few years?

Lawrence Sidbury-DE-Richmond-Sick speed off the edge. He got the edge every time. He probably grades out as situational rush end. If these drills are any indication he could be a great one. As a Texans fan, I would love to see them look this guys direction in the 3rd and plug him in opposite Super Mario on passing situations.

Peria Jerry-Mississippi-DL-Stutter, stutter, stutter-Unblockable. He is quick and explosive. He is a lot like Raji but he looks even more athletic. Very impressive.

Antoine Caldwell-OL-Alabama-He held up fairly well a few times at center and guard. He was definitely the South OL standout. To me, he looks like a much better pro center prospect than the North team's Unger.

Michael Oher-OL-Misssissippi-He got used by Hawaii's David Veikune. One time he didn't even touch him. The next time around he did a better job. I know Veikune is quick, but this guy is supposed to be the #1 pick according to some. I think he is lucky he wasn't paired with Ayers or Moala or Sidbury or even Kyle Moore of USC.

Literary Note-Did you notice my usage of polysyndeton?

Troy Kropog-OL-Tulane-He looks really light on his feet. He also looks very thin. If he can add weight to his frame while maintaining his footwork, he could impress.

Senior Bowl-North Practice 2

North Practice 2



William Moore-S-Missouri-Moore took one rep in the one on one drills and got bent around like a pretzel. He truly looked lost in coverage. I know its one play, but it was gross. I will keep an open mind, and hopefully he shows more as the week progresses.

Keenan Lewis-CB-Oregon St.-I thought he looked terrible day 1 in off-man cover drills. I couldn't understand why Mayock and C. Davis where excited by this kid. Day 2 they worked press man and now I am coming around. His press man techniques is excellent. He was like velcro. Even when Iglesias tried to run an unrealistic quadruple move route, Lewis was right in his hip the whole time. His off-man technique is still a major problem, but I must admit, based on today's practice, his sick press technique plus his size make him intriguing.

Darrius Butler-CB-Connecticut-Conversely, Butler didn't look as strong in press technique as he did in off-man the day before. He wasn't bad, but it looked like press exposes his lack of size.

Macho Harris-CB-Virginia Tech-He looks like a stud. He can press. He can play off. He can intersect the quick routes. He can deliver a good pop when the ball is caught in front of him. He can stay with the vertical route. He competes and never gives up on a play. I can't wait to see him at the combine. After two workouts I am sold on his all around skill set now his athleticism
is all that is in question. Did I mention he is also an above average return man?

Patrick Chung-S-Oregon-Looked good in coverage, but he didn't look physical fighting for the ball. One would expect the opposite from a safety. In all fairness, he probably hasn't had to fight for the ball while in man very often. He normally sees the ball from a different angle.

DeAngelo Smith-CB-Cincinnati-He looked more comfortable and fluid today. He showed good cover skills during the few reps shown.

Derrick Williams-WR-Penn St.-He has flashed excellent route running ability over both days of practice. He has lightning quick feet and he understands how to set up DB's before making his break. Harris is really the only corner that he hasn't owned.

Ramses Barden-WR-Cal Poly-This is my first look at Barden. I had read about him, but it doesn't register until you see his 6'6" frame lined up against the average corner trying to press him. Dude looks friggin' huge! For a tall receiver he appears to make precise cuts. He looked smooth on his breaks, and he looked quick off the line. He did get de-cleated on a slant by Delmas, but he hung on to the ball.

William Beatty-OL-Connecticut-He is really light on his feet. He is only 290ish, but at 6'6" he can definitely carry more. He reminds me of Chris Williams from Vandy last year. My guess is this guy will jump up draft boards between now and April.

Trevor Canfield-OL-Cincinnati-He was hit and miss at guard. In one sequence he stoned Mitch King a few plays in a row. I was impressed because King is extremely quick and competitive. Canfield also showed a little nastiness by pushing King around after the drill had already ended. Later, Alex Magee form Purdue beat him easily on consecutive plays.

Phil Loadholt-OL-Oklahoma-He really surprised me with his feet. I thought Will Davis would blow right by him, but I was wrong. Loadholt cut him off easy. And when this big fella (6'9" 330) gets his hand on you, it is over. Loadholt has handled everyone he has gone up against over both days of practice. He plays a little high right now because he can. He will have to fix this in the league or the Dwight Freeneys of the world will eat him up.

Max Unger-OL-Oregon-According to many, he is one of this draft's top prospects at center. He got "it" handed to him on every rep today in practice. Whether it was a bull rush by Ron Brace shoving him into the backfield or getting lost by a finesse spin move courtesy of Evander Hood, he looked over matched and out classed. He simple doesn't look strong enough or quick enough to hold up in the NFL.

Brandon Pettigrew-TE-Oklahoma St.-The dude is a stud. He was both catching the ball and blowing people up in team at the end of practice. He will make somebody very happy on draft day.

Will Davis-DE-Illinois-As I mentioned earlier, Loadholt cut off Davis's speed rush today. What was troubling is that he seemed to quit on the play each time. I hope he isn't an all or nothing type player. I know Loadholt is a man-mountain, but you need to show some fight.

Evander "Ziggy" Hood-DT-Missouri-He displays a lot of quickness and energy. He is too in love with the spin move for my taste. He is good at it, but it has been my experience that spinners get collapsed more often than they make plays. The reality is that anyone could spin with success during the one on one drills. Nobody has any help. In a team situation a lot of those spins would get picked up by the next OL over. Also, when an OL does get a good piece of a guy while he is spinning he is dead and usually ends up washed out of the play. You compromise your balance when you spin. I would like to see him show more nastiness.

Alex Magee-DT-He also looked quick and he also likes the "spin" move. Unlike Hood, he also showed a push-pull move and a swim move. Variety is good. He looks like a solid situational pass rusher inside to me. I am not saying that he doesn't have the ability to play every down. I will have to see how he checks out in team and on Saturday.

Ron Brace-DT-Not as quick as his teammate Raji, but he is a load. After a few days it seems that Ron Brace goes where Ron Brace wants to go. Nobody has been able to anchor and keep this guy from getting a push. He reminds me of a little shorter John Henderson. I am not sure he can get off blocks and chase plays like Raji can, but there is value in a guy that can consistently knock the man over him a couple yards into backfield. This really messes up the zone blocking scheme that most NFL teams are so in love with. When the OL can't slip your dt's and get second level, your linebackers become free hitters. I feel sorry for the ACC guard-center trios that had to block these two nasty freaks during the seaon.

Kory Sheets-RB-Purdue-Charles Davis said to keep an eye on this cat and I am starting to think he is right. He looked aggressive and strong in the blitz pick-up drill. He also has shown good hands, a nice burst, and he isn't afraid to lower his shoulder. I am looking forward to seeing him on Saturday. He is really the only back that has stood out for the north squad.

The first televised South practice report is coming later...

Senior Bowl-North Practice 1

North Practice #1

DB's


Darius Butler-Connecticut-Butler by far had the best workout based on the reps that were broadcast on the NFL channel. His back pedal is smooth, and he transitioned well both breaking back up and opening his hips to stay over the top. On one play, although he was in good shape, he lost the ball and the WR out fought him for it. I will hold judgement on his overall ball skills until I see more. His fundamental technique is textbook.

Macho Harris-Virginia Tech-His technique looked good as well. Unfortunately, I didn't see a WR make him open his hips and run vertical. I know the knock on him is his speed. He has received the dreaded "cover2" corner label. I think this is often overstated. Nobody runs exclusively 2, 2match, or 2man. Some teams base out of a 2 shell but everybody has blitz schemes that require 1 or even 0 in the back end. Do they sub their "cover 2" corner out when the go 0? The point is you have to do it all to garner significant playing time. Harris has sound footwork, he is tough, and if we must label him, he is a "football player." Hopefully we will see during another practice or the game if his speed is an issue.

Louis Delmas-Western Michigan-Considering he is a safety and matched up in one on one drills against Iglesias from OU, I thought he fared quite well. He really looks like a guy that has the skill set to play both free and CB. His footwork was better than several of the other corners in the drill. He transitioned without wasted movement or false steps. Guys like this are valuable commodities on an NFL roster.

Keenan Lewis-Oregon St.-In the reps I saw, he looked extremely sloppy. His weight was way too far back on his heels in his backpedal. He almost fell and had to take 3 false steps breaking back up on an out cut. Later he couldn't throw his hips open quick enough to run vertical so he chucked the wr about 15 yards down field. This would be a flag every time. I know Charles Davis, who I respect immensely, was really singing this kids praises, but he looks a long way away to me. He is big, but his technique is unsound.

DeAngelo Smith-Cincinnati-His technique looked inconsistent. His back pedal is mechanical. He kept himself in decent shape with the receiver, but he definitely wasn't shutting anyone down. He may just look stiff because of nerves. We will see how the week progresses.

Mike Mickens-Cincinnati-First of all he looks rail thin. His legs are extremely skinny. Second he just looked slow. He couldn't pull the trigger on the out cut and on a vertical route Brandon Gibson from Wash St. ran by him with ease. With all fairness, he doesn't look like he has fully recovered from his knee injury.

It was hard to get a read on the QB's because they didn't show many reps. The one thing I noticed is that Harrell looked comfortable under center and he looked smooth on his play-action fakes. He didn't have that "fish out of water" look that Colt Brennan had last year.

DE Will Davis-Illinois-Looked extremely quick off the edge. He easily beat the RT in both of his reps. It will be interesting to see how he counters someone that has quick enough feet to reach him.

DE Larry English-Northern Illinois-He didn't look as quick as I expected, and he definitely didn't look physical on day 1. Mayock pointed out that he put on 10 pounds for the scouts and it might be slowing down his explosiveness.

DT B.J. Raji-Boston College-Wow. This guy looks nasty. Hey is a load at 325 and he has great feet. He really looked explosive. He reminds me of Wilfork or Hampton. He could be a nightmare inside in any scheme.

DL Mitch King-This guy is football player. I don't know if he can hold up at DT in the league, but you got to love his motor. I think he could be a nice situational pass rusher inside because of his effort, quickness, and desire. It will be interesting to see where he ends up and how he is used.

84th East West Shrine Game

I attended the 84th annual East West Shrine game and here are my thoughts:

Players That Impressed (in no particular order)

1. RB Gartrell Johnson-CSU-Showed more quickness and acceleration to and through the hole than expected. The dude's thighs look Earl Campbell's. He is a rock. He will never be a long threat but he could be a guy you could count on for 1o+ tough carries a game (think McClain in Baltimore) . For instance, I think he would be a perfect complement to Slaton in Houston. His performance vaulted him from a UFA to a mid to late pick.
2. RB Tyrell Sutton-Northwestern-Ran hard. He can really move the pile for his size. He consistently hit the hole quickly with a lot of violence. Showed nice feet by side stepping trash in the running lane and by taking advantage of the cutback after pressing the hole. He never had enough daylight to show off a 2nd gear, so we will have to wait until the combine and his pro day for that evaluation. I think he is a definite mid round pick.
3. RB Marlon Lucky-Nebraska-See above commentary. There styles are very similar. He is bigger than Sutton, but may be a step slower as well. Just like every game I saw him play in college, he showed nice feet and vision and he got caught from behind on play that other backs may have taken the distance. Like Sutton, he will make somebody very happy next year as a capable back up and a special teams player. He should be a mid to late round pick.
4. RB Javarris Williams-Tennessee St.-This kid was unknown to me other than seeing his name and stats on draft boards. He looked extremely quick in person. After his first carry I was surprised to see him listed at 220. He really hits the hole hard with good body lean. Once again, like Sutton he never got into the clear so I do not have any comments on his top end speed, but he looked nice on several 10-6 yard gains. He is late rounder that could shoot up the boards with a nice combine.
5. QB Brian Hoyer-Michigan St.-After a terrible senior season, Hoyer helped himself with a great week in Houston. He looked really good in the game. He displayed poise, composure, and a decent arm. Late pick to UFA.
   
6. QB Tom Brandstater-Fresno St.-I thought he faired fairly well in the game. He moved better live than I remember from games I watched on TV. He made several nice throws and kept plays alive with his feet allowing him to find targets downfield. On a few throws, the ball really appeared to jump out of his hand. At 6'5" he definitely has the size to play in the league. Late round draft pick.
7. DT Roy Miller-Texas-He was very active inside. He often defeated the block with a quick first step. He also ran himself out of the play a few times by running around blocks instead of taking them on. Although he isn't the ideal height, I think he is best suited to play the 5 tech for a 3-4 team. His quickness is his strength. I do not know if he can hold up as 1 or 3 tech down in down out in the NFL. He will be an early pick on the second day of the draft.
8. DE Matt Shaughnessy-Wisconsin-This guy is a high motor, high energy guy. He was all over the feild. He was getting a consistent push against the pass, he anchored the run, and he chased plays from the backside. He was really impressive. He has been given the dreaded "tweener" label. The last time I checked, their were a lot of guys in the league making a good living that were given that label. I think he will be an early second day pick with an outside shot of moving into day 1.
   

Guys that Disappointed

1. QB Chase Daniel-Missouri-He looked too short and he looked uncomfortable under center. He also doesn't appear to have a lot of arm strength
2. RB Jorvorskie Lane-Texas A&M-Dude looked like a silo. If he doesn't get away from the table, he is not going to have a job.
3. WR Darius Passmore-Marshall-He didn't really do anything. He looked disinterested, and he appeared to loaf on a few plays. He has a lot of talent. I hope he finds the passion to go with it.
4. RB Ian Johnson-Boise St.-During his college career he always appeared to me to have pretty good quicks. This was not the case live. Maybe it was indecision because of a new system, but he did not look as quick to the hole as the other backs excluding Lane of course. He wasn't bad, but I was expecting a little more acceleration.
   

This is the best I could do live with my two year old son next to me. I am sure I missed some plays chasing him around. Butler from Penn St. and Thomas from Arizona each had nice games as wr's, but I can't say that I noticed anything noteworthy about either. I did DVR the game and I will try to add some analysis after viewing the TV broadcast. I don't think much will be gained. Unfortunately, I am just a random hack with nothing better to do and I am not privy to actual game field. Hey, at least I acknowledge that I understand the difference between Tv and film which puts me ahead of 98% of the other internet hacks out there.

I will be posting my observations of the Senior Bowl practices as the week goes on.

Later