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MOBILE, Ala. -- Today marked the first day of practice at the Senior Bowl, and the biggest news may have involved which players didn't play. Both Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan and Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm have chosen not to play this week, and Auburn defensive end/outside linebacker Quentin Groves isn't going to participate because of an undisclosed injury. Of the players who did participate on Day 1 of practice, though, these guys stood out the most, whether for good or bad reasons:
NORTH TEAM
1. Lavelle Hawkins, WR, California. Hawkins started off slowly today, but with each rep he improved and showed he can make big plays. He really stepped up on two occasions, in particularly, going up high to catch off-target passes with a cornerback right in his face.
2. Eddie Royal, WR, Virginia Tech.Royal was the star among the North squad's receivers today. He ran excellent routes and was really able to turn cornerback around easily and burst out of his cuts to gain separation from man. He also showed nice burst and top-end speed on deep routes -- not only did he get behind the cornerback, but he increased the distance between himself and the corner as he tried to catch up. Royal caught all seven of the passes we saw thrown his way and showed the hands, body control and concentration to reach out and make tough catches on passes away from his body.
3. DeJuan Tribble, CB, Boston College. Unfortunately for Tribble, he went up against Royal much of the first practice and struggled mightily. Tribble bit on double moves and consistently allowed the receiver to gain separation. On deep passes he struggled to stay with the receiver on straight "go" routes, and on a "stop and go," he bit on the move, lost a step and lacked the speed to recover and get back into good coverage position.
4. Jordon Dizon, OLB, Colorado. Dizon stood out as the quickest of the linebackers, and he used that speed to make plays all over the field. He was quick to diagnose the play and get started toward the ball, and he consistently chased hard until the play was over. Dizon also did a nice job of covering backs out of the backfield in drills.
5. Keith Rivers, OLB, USC. Rivers was clearly the elite linebacker for the North team today, and he showed why people are confident in his ability to be a highly productive NFL linebacker. While Dizon has slightly quicker feet, Rivers is a close second, and he then showed the best playing speed of any linebacker by getting out to the sideline with ease. Rivers was also smooth and fluid in coverage drills; he had no trouble flipping his hips and running with tight ends and running backs.
6. Mike Pollak, C, Arizona State. Despite his lack of top-level athleticism, Pollak had a strong day on Monday. He showed excellent competitiveness and aggressiveness as a blocker, which enabled him to consistently lock up on his man and eliminate him from the play. Pollak also showed a surprising ability to bend his knees and sink his hips to pass block with very good base.
7. Chad Rinehart, T/G, Northern Iowa. Despite coming from a lower level of competition at Division 1-AA Northern Iowa, Rinehart definitely showed he belongs in Mobile. An offensive tackle for the Panthers, Rinehart took reps at both guard and tackle on Monday, showing very good all-around athleticism and flexibility. He played with good knee bend and leverage, and because he played with a good base, he was able to slide and adjust easily. Rinehart also did a good job of locking up on the defensive lineman with good hand placement and consistently eliminated his man.
8. Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina. Bulmer continued to show he is one of the more athletic defensive tackles in the draft with his strong opening day in Mobile. His quick feet and snap anticipation really showed, as Bulmer was consistently able to get a very good first step off the ball. He also displayed good competitiveness; his play got better and better throughout practice.
NORTH TEAM
1. Lavelle Hawkins, WR, California. Hawkins started off slowly today, but with each rep he improved and showed he can make big plays. He really stepped up on two occasions, in particularly, going up high to catch off-target passes with a cornerback right in his face.
2. Eddie Royal, WR, Virginia Tech.Royal was the star among the North squad's receivers today. He ran excellent routes and was really able to turn cornerback around easily and burst out of his cuts to gain separation from man. He also showed nice burst and top-end speed on deep routes -- not only did he get behind the cornerback, but he increased the distance between himself and the corner as he tried to catch up. Royal caught all seven of the passes we saw thrown his way and showed the hands, body control and concentration to reach out and make tough catches on passes away from his body.
3. DeJuan Tribble, CB, Boston College. Unfortunately for Tribble, he went up against Royal much of the first practice and struggled mightily. Tribble bit on double moves and consistently allowed the receiver to gain separation. On deep passes he struggled to stay with the receiver on straight "go" routes, and on a "stop and go," he bit on the move, lost a step and lacked the speed to recover and get back into good coverage position.
4. Jordon Dizon, OLB, Colorado. Dizon stood out as the quickest of the linebackers, and he used that speed to make plays all over the field. He was quick to diagnose the play and get started toward the ball, and he consistently chased hard until the play was over. Dizon also did a nice job of covering backs out of the backfield in drills.
5. Keith Rivers, OLB, USC. Rivers was clearly the elite linebacker for the North team today, and he showed why people are confident in his ability to be a highly productive NFL linebacker. While Dizon has slightly quicker feet, Rivers is a close second, and he then showed the best playing speed of any linebacker by getting out to the sideline with ease. Rivers was also smooth and fluid in coverage drills; he had no trouble flipping his hips and running with tight ends and running backs.
6. Mike Pollak, C, Arizona State. Despite his lack of top-level athleticism, Pollak had a strong day on Monday. He showed excellent competitiveness and aggressiveness as a blocker, which enabled him to consistently lock up on his man and eliminate him from the play. Pollak also showed a surprising ability to bend his knees and sink his hips to pass block with very good base.
7. Chad Rinehart, T/G, Northern Iowa. Despite coming from a lower level of competition at Division 1-AA Northern Iowa, Rinehart definitely showed he belongs in Mobile. An offensive tackle for the Panthers, Rinehart took reps at both guard and tackle on Monday, showing very good all-around athleticism and flexibility. He played with good knee bend and leverage, and because he played with a good base, he was able to slide and adjust easily. Rinehart also did a good job of locking up on the defensive lineman with good hand placement and consistently eliminated his man.
8. Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina. Bulmer continued to show he is one of the more athletic defensive tackles in the draft with his strong opening day in Mobile. His quick feet and snap anticipation really showed, as Bulmer was consistently able to get a very good first step off the ball. He also displayed good competitiveness; his play got better and better throughout practice.
