Risen Star
01-25-2012, 09:19 AM
Linemen look good
• Florida State OT Zebrie Sanders (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/27672/zebrie-sanders) recovered from a tough start on Day 1, playing with better pad level and showing the ability to reset after initial contact. Sanders needs to add more overall strength and will never be a road grader in the running game, but he can protect the edge with his long arms and light feet, and he looked much better on Day 2.
• Illinois OT Jeff Allen (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/27796/jeff-allen) was knocked back a couple of times by North Carolina DE Quinton Coples (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28090/quinton-coples) -- to be fair, though, Coples has owned everyone he's faced -- but Allen displayed good feet and ability to anchor in pass protection. He was good sliding his feet and using his hands to stay in front of pass-rushers.
• South Carolina DE Melvin Ingram (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28296/melvin-ingram) continues to show an explosive first step, and impressive power and leverage to get into the pads of blockers and shock them back. Ingram also flashed a very good spin move when lined up inside, and with back-to-back solid performances he could be locking down a spot in the middle of the first round.
• Clemson DT Brandon Thompson (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/27556/brandon-thompson) is quietly having a good start to the week. Thompson has shown quickness and the ability to anchor against double-teams, and he has quick hands and more athleticism than you might think. He was disruptive during 9-on-7 running drills, collecting a couple of tackles for loss.
• Texas A&M DT Tony Jerod-Eddie flashed the strength and power to get good initial surge off the line. H's a limited athlete, but with is strong play at the point of attack Jerod-Eddie looks like a great fit as a 5-technique (DE) in a 3-4 scheme.
Defensive backs stand out
• Vanderbilt CB Casey Hayward (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28916/casey-hayward) is showing in Mobile what we saw from him during film study, which is the instinct to read quarterbacks and routes and make plays on balls in front of him. He's a tough player, but Hayward lacks ideal fluidity and will never be a great man-to-man cover corner.
• LSU SS Brandon Taylor (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/27923/brandon-taylor) is a bit slow transitioning out of his backpedal and will never be a great cover guy -- he could likely hold up well enough in zone coverage -- but even in this setting he's showing his toughness against the run. Taylor laid out Mississippi State RB Vick Ballard (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28711/vick-ballard), putting his physical game on display and proving his worth in run support.
WR Criner's impressive hands
Arizona WR Juron Criner (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/27467/juron-criner) had a hard time creating separation and didn't show much explosiveness out of breaks, but he caught everything thrown his way. Criner was excellent on Day 2 with his ability to extend his arms and snatch balls out of the air.
Moore making his case, too
If you ranked the six Senior Bowl quarterbacks coming into the week based on their overall profiles, the list would look like this: Foles, Weeden, Michigan State's Kirk Cousins (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28010/kirk-cousins), San Diego State's Ryan Lindley (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28260/ryan-lindley), Boise State's Kellen Moore (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28606/kellen-moore), Wisconsin's Russell Wilson (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28525/russell-wilson).
However, if you fell from the sky and saw only the first two days of practice, you'd have Moore at No. 3 on the list behind only Foles and Weeden.
Day 1 was not kind to Moore, who checked in at 5-foot-116 and 191 pounds and has to get the ball out quickly and put air under it downfield in order to make up for his lack or arm strength. That allows defensive backs to recover downfield and stood out as a negative, but Day 2 as much better for Moore.
His overall anticipation was outstanding and he's more consistently accurate than Cousins and Lindley, and Moore appears in control, decisive and understands where to go with the ball. The odds are stacked against him because of his size, but Moore is certainly helping his case as he attempts to solidify a late-round grade.
That's just one more reason the overall quarterback play continues to be one of the more intriguing storylines of the week.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft2012/notebook?page=seniorbowlbuzz0124
• Florida State OT Zebrie Sanders (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/27672/zebrie-sanders) recovered from a tough start on Day 1, playing with better pad level and showing the ability to reset after initial contact. Sanders needs to add more overall strength and will never be a road grader in the running game, but he can protect the edge with his long arms and light feet, and he looked much better on Day 2.
• Illinois OT Jeff Allen (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/27796/jeff-allen) was knocked back a couple of times by North Carolina DE Quinton Coples (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28090/quinton-coples) -- to be fair, though, Coples has owned everyone he's faced -- but Allen displayed good feet and ability to anchor in pass protection. He was good sliding his feet and using his hands to stay in front of pass-rushers.
• South Carolina DE Melvin Ingram (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28296/melvin-ingram) continues to show an explosive first step, and impressive power and leverage to get into the pads of blockers and shock them back. Ingram also flashed a very good spin move when lined up inside, and with back-to-back solid performances he could be locking down a spot in the middle of the first round.
• Clemson DT Brandon Thompson (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/27556/brandon-thompson) is quietly having a good start to the week. Thompson has shown quickness and the ability to anchor against double-teams, and he has quick hands and more athleticism than you might think. He was disruptive during 9-on-7 running drills, collecting a couple of tackles for loss.
• Texas A&M DT Tony Jerod-Eddie flashed the strength and power to get good initial surge off the line. H's a limited athlete, but with is strong play at the point of attack Jerod-Eddie looks like a great fit as a 5-technique (DE) in a 3-4 scheme.
Defensive backs stand out
• Vanderbilt CB Casey Hayward (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28916/casey-hayward) is showing in Mobile what we saw from him during film study, which is the instinct to read quarterbacks and routes and make plays on balls in front of him. He's a tough player, but Hayward lacks ideal fluidity and will never be a great man-to-man cover corner.
• LSU SS Brandon Taylor (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/27923/brandon-taylor) is a bit slow transitioning out of his backpedal and will never be a great cover guy -- he could likely hold up well enough in zone coverage -- but even in this setting he's showing his toughness against the run. Taylor laid out Mississippi State RB Vick Ballard (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28711/vick-ballard), putting his physical game on display and proving his worth in run support.
WR Criner's impressive hands
Arizona WR Juron Criner (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/27467/juron-criner) had a hard time creating separation and didn't show much explosiveness out of breaks, but he caught everything thrown his way. Criner was excellent on Day 2 with his ability to extend his arms and snatch balls out of the air.
Moore making his case, too
If you ranked the six Senior Bowl quarterbacks coming into the week based on their overall profiles, the list would look like this: Foles, Weeden, Michigan State's Kirk Cousins (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28010/kirk-cousins), San Diego State's Ryan Lindley (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28260/ryan-lindley), Boise State's Kellen Moore (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28606/kellen-moore), Wisconsin's Russell Wilson (http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/player/_/id/28525/russell-wilson).
However, if you fell from the sky and saw only the first two days of practice, you'd have Moore at No. 3 on the list behind only Foles and Weeden.
Day 1 was not kind to Moore, who checked in at 5-foot-116 and 191 pounds and has to get the ball out quickly and put air under it downfield in order to make up for his lack or arm strength. That allows defensive backs to recover downfield and stood out as a negative, but Day 2 as much better for Moore.
His overall anticipation was outstanding and he's more consistently accurate than Cousins and Lindley, and Moore appears in control, decisive and understands where to go with the ball. The odds are stacked against him because of his size, but Moore is certainly helping his case as he attempts to solidify a late-round grade.
That's just one more reason the overall quarterback play continues to be one of the more intriguing storylines of the week.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft2012/notebook?page=seniorbowlbuzz0124