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The 2015 Reese's Senior Bowl will be played Saturday, although some of the most important work done by prospects trying to impress NFL teams took place during this week's practices.
Which players performed the best and did the most to help their stocks for the 2015 NFL draft? Here are the top 10:
1. Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami (FL) Hurricanes
He was the fastest player in Mobile this week -- by a lot -- and he might be the fastest player in the 2015 class. His ability to accelerate off his cuts is a trait he shares with all of the NFL's elite speed threats (I compared it Wednesday to in-his-prime Chris Johnson). But it's about more than just speed with him. He plays under control, getting in and out of his breaks quickly to create separation, and he has very good ball skills.
2. Jamison Crowder, WR, Duke Blue Devils
He projects as a slot receiver due to his size (5-foot-8, 174 pounds), not a No. 1 target, but he had a great week from start to finish. He displayed very good quickness and hands, and he created a lot of separation in his routes, setting up defenders with subtle shoulder and head fakes that allowed him to break free and provide his QBs with an open target.
3. Clive Walford, TE, Miami (FL) Hurricanes
This isn't a great class of tight ends, and Walford has a chance to capitalize by being one of the first ones to go off the board. Speed was a question mark entering this week, but he showed plenty of it to go with very good athleticism, size (6-4, 254 pounds) and ball skills. Moreover, he can hold his own as an inline blocker, adding to his versatility.
4. Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke Blue Devils
We had him stamped with a fifth-round grade coming in, but he played a lot better than that during practices. He was the most consistent offensive lineman all week. He isn't an elite athlete but he does a good job of staying in balance in pass protection and the run game, and what really stands out is his inline power and powerful punch to drive defenders off the ball on running plays and redirect pass-rushers.
5. Marcus Hardison, DL, Arizona State Sun Devils
He really impressed us with his explosiveness and power. We hadn't seen much of that previously with him on tape, but we'll have to go back and study more of him. He has some improvements to make, including his ability to finish plays, but his combination of size and quickness is very intriguing, and he was a productive player for the Sun Devils.
6. Carl Davis, DT, Iowa Hawkeyes
He flashed this week, as we expected he would, for his excellent athletic ability for a player his size (6-5, 321 pounds). He has the potential to be a very good NFL player, but the issue for him at Iowa was that his motor ran hot and cold. He'll need to play with more consistent effort to succeed in the pros, but the tools are all there -- and that was on display again.
7. Henry Anderson, DE, Stanford Cardinal
This guy just wouldn't stay blocked. He isn't a great athlete but has very good length (6-6 with long arms) and excellent technique. He uses his hands very effectively to shed blocks. He always seems to have a plan out there as a pass-rusher and in the running game. He helped himself this week.
8. Nate Orchard, OLB, Utah Utes
He showed well in all three areas you want to see from a 3-4 outside linebacker: He converted speed to power as a pass-rusher and was effective in getting pressure on the quarterback, he held up in pass coverage and was particularly effective at setting the edge in the running game and holding up at the point of attack.
9. Kevin White, CB, TCU Horned Frogs
He had a really good week, displaying very good route recognition skills and football instincts to go with excellent quickness and athleticism. His size is a limitation -- he's just 5-9, 180 pounds and has short arms (29 7/8 inches) -- so it will be tough for him to go before Day 3. But his performance in Mobile helped boost his stock.
10. Ladarius Gunter, CB, Miami (FL) Hurricanes
I don't know if Gunter has elite top-end speed, but he has really good burst when closing on the ball. His strength and physicality really stand out, as he's willing to come up in run support and he excelled in red-zone drills (he stuck with his receivers and made a great play on a quick slant thrown to his teammate Dorsett, the most explosive receiver here). He has good instincts and is always around the ball.
Honorable mentions
• Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson
• Trey Flowers, DE, Arkansas
• Justin Hardy, WR, East Carolina
• David Johnson, RB, Northern Iowa
• Hau'oli Kikaha, OLB, Washington
• Tyler Lockett, WR, Kansas State
• Steven Nelson, CB, Oregon State
• Tom Obarski, K, Concordia-St. Paul
• Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
• Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi State
Anthony displayed very good awareness and closing burst, and excellent range for a linebacker his size (6-2, 245 pounds). ... Hardy was much more explosive than we expected, and he did a good job of getting open and catching the ball. ... Nelson was able to stick to receivers during practices, displaying good quickness and instincts and playing with an edge. ... Shelton is our highest-ranked player at the Senior Bowl, and he flashed the ability to push the pocket as an interior pass-rusher in addition to his dominant ability as a run-stuffer.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draf...performing-players-senior-bowl-2015-nfl-draft
Which players performed the best and did the most to help their stocks for the 2015 NFL draft? Here are the top 10:
1. Phillip Dorsett, WR, Miami (FL) Hurricanes
He was the fastest player in Mobile this week -- by a lot -- and he might be the fastest player in the 2015 class. His ability to accelerate off his cuts is a trait he shares with all of the NFL's elite speed threats (I compared it Wednesday to in-his-prime Chris Johnson). But it's about more than just speed with him. He plays under control, getting in and out of his breaks quickly to create separation, and he has very good ball skills.
2. Jamison Crowder, WR, Duke Blue Devils
He projects as a slot receiver due to his size (5-foot-8, 174 pounds), not a No. 1 target, but he had a great week from start to finish. He displayed very good quickness and hands, and he created a lot of separation in his routes, setting up defenders with subtle shoulder and head fakes that allowed him to break free and provide his QBs with an open target.
3. Clive Walford, TE, Miami (FL) Hurricanes
This isn't a great class of tight ends, and Walford has a chance to capitalize by being one of the first ones to go off the board. Speed was a question mark entering this week, but he showed plenty of it to go with very good athleticism, size (6-4, 254 pounds) and ball skills. Moreover, he can hold his own as an inline blocker, adding to his versatility.
4. Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke Blue Devils
We had him stamped with a fifth-round grade coming in, but he played a lot better than that during practices. He was the most consistent offensive lineman all week. He isn't an elite athlete but he does a good job of staying in balance in pass protection and the run game, and what really stands out is his inline power and powerful punch to drive defenders off the ball on running plays and redirect pass-rushers.
5. Marcus Hardison, DL, Arizona State Sun Devils
He really impressed us with his explosiveness and power. We hadn't seen much of that previously with him on tape, but we'll have to go back and study more of him. He has some improvements to make, including his ability to finish plays, but his combination of size and quickness is very intriguing, and he was a productive player for the Sun Devils.
6. Carl Davis, DT, Iowa Hawkeyes
He flashed this week, as we expected he would, for his excellent athletic ability for a player his size (6-5, 321 pounds). He has the potential to be a very good NFL player, but the issue for him at Iowa was that his motor ran hot and cold. He'll need to play with more consistent effort to succeed in the pros, but the tools are all there -- and that was on display again.
7. Henry Anderson, DE, Stanford Cardinal
This guy just wouldn't stay blocked. He isn't a great athlete but has very good length (6-6 with long arms) and excellent technique. He uses his hands very effectively to shed blocks. He always seems to have a plan out there as a pass-rusher and in the running game. He helped himself this week.
8. Nate Orchard, OLB, Utah Utes
He showed well in all three areas you want to see from a 3-4 outside linebacker: He converted speed to power as a pass-rusher and was effective in getting pressure on the quarterback, he held up in pass coverage and was particularly effective at setting the edge in the running game and holding up at the point of attack.
9. Kevin White, CB, TCU Horned Frogs
He had a really good week, displaying very good route recognition skills and football instincts to go with excellent quickness and athleticism. His size is a limitation -- he's just 5-9, 180 pounds and has short arms (29 7/8 inches) -- so it will be tough for him to go before Day 3. But his performance in Mobile helped boost his stock.
10. Ladarius Gunter, CB, Miami (FL) Hurricanes
I don't know if Gunter has elite top-end speed, but he has really good burst when closing on the ball. His strength and physicality really stand out, as he's willing to come up in run support and he excelled in red-zone drills (he stuck with his receivers and made a great play on a quick slant thrown to his teammate Dorsett, the most explosive receiver here). He has good instincts and is always around the ball.
Honorable mentions
• Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson
• Trey Flowers, DE, Arkansas
• Justin Hardy, WR, East Carolina
• David Johnson, RB, Northern Iowa
• Hau'oli Kikaha, OLB, Washington
• Tyler Lockett, WR, Kansas State
• Steven Nelson, CB, Oregon State
• Tom Obarski, K, Concordia-St. Paul
• Danny Shelton, DT, Washington
• Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi State
Anthony displayed very good awareness and closing burst, and excellent range for a linebacker his size (6-2, 245 pounds). ... Hardy was much more explosive than we expected, and he did a good job of getting open and catching the ball. ... Nelson was able to stick to receivers during practices, displaying good quickness and instincts and playing with an edge. ... Shelton is our highest-ranked player at the Senior Bowl, and he flashed the ability to push the pocket as an interior pass-rusher in addition to his dominant ability as a run-stuffer.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draf...performing-players-senior-bowl-2015-nfl-draft
