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| Published: Jan 24, 2009 11:40 PM EST |
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Senior Bowl Recap |
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In my last entry I talked about Pat White and his ability to play in the NFL whether it be as a backup quarterback or at a different position. Saturday he didn't disappoint. Pat White is a playmaker and he made the necessary plays with both his arm and legs. The end resulted in White being named MVP of the Senior Bowl and all of a sudden he has some buzz surrounding himself. He still needs to workout as a receiver in my opinion, but he proved he has an arm and has forced teams to give him multiple looks.
Throughout the week it was B.J. Raji of Boston College whom was a disruptive force, but a pair of defensive lineman from the South dominated the line of scrimmage Saturday night. They were Robert Ayers of Tennessee and Peria Jerry of Ole Miss.
Ayers had an outstanding week and has elevated his stock from being a potential Day two pick to a possible second rounder and he may of cemented that with his performance in the game itself. His play in practice translated to a well played game and that's something a lot of players can't say.
While Ayers might of been a relative unknown before the week started, Jerry was a legit first round prospect and he cemented his status as the second best defensive tackle prospect in the 2009 draft. Not only can he penetrate the line of scrimmage and pressure the quarterback, but he's also stout against the run. I had Jerry going No. 27 to the Indianapolis Colts in my pre Senior Bowl mock draft and now I think the likely hood of him lasting that long is slim to none.
The Senior Bowl isn't always about good stories though and that holds true for a pair of quarterbacks. Rhett Bomar was my No. 3 rated quarterback entering the week and I had a second round grade on him, but his accuracy wasn't that great. In fact it was awful at times and I think he's a fourth round pick right now.
Graham Harrell looked good in the beginning of the week, but slowly started to kind of play inconsistent and he was not very good during the game. Harrell's arm strength is going to be a major concern leading up the draft. He just doesn't have the velocity on his throws to make the tough throws.
For the most part I believe more players helped their draft stock this week than they did to hurt it. The Senior Bowl is just one step in the draft process and the next is the NFL Combine. A poor combine can bring your stock right back up or it can drop it right back down.
Below I've listed the top ten players whom I believe helped their stock throughout the course of the week and the top ten players whom I believe hurt their stock throughout the course of the week.
Stock Up
1. Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee - I think he was the best pure 4-3 pass rusher that participated in the Senior Bowl.
2. B.J. Raji, DL, Boston College - He showed that he is the total package. He can play the run and rush the passer from the inside. He'll fit multiple schemes.
3. Peria Jerry, DL, Ole Miss - He can collapse the pocket and is also very stout against the run.
4. Clay Matthews, LB, Southern California - Excelled against the run and is a good pass rusher. Struggles in coverage though.
5. Andre Brown, RB, North Carolina State - Decisive runner that caught the ball out of the backfield well all week.
6. Pat White, QB, West Virginia - He proved he has an NFL caliber arm and ended the week with a solid performance in the game.
7. Alphonso Smith, CB, Wake Forest - The best instincts of any corner participating in the Senior Bowl. My No. 3 corner now.
8. Fili Moala, DL, Southern California - I think he's versatile defensive lineman that displayed an awful lot of talent. Consistency is still a question though.
9. Louis Delmas, S, Western Michigan - An aggressive safety that plays a lot bigger than what he really is. I think he's emerged as the best safety in the draft.
10. Brian Cushing, LB, Southern California - A very well disciplined player that is a big hitter.
Stock Down
1. Rhett Bomar, QB, Sam Houston State - A strong arm, but accuracy was not very good at all.
2. James Davis, RB, Clemson - I think most backs have to be able to catch out of the backfield and Davis didn't excel in that area. I think he'll drop because that.
3. William Moore, S, Missouri - Top rated safety coming in that didn't make any noise.
4. Cullen Harper, QB, Clemson - Has the size, but his arm strength and accuracy makes him a late round pick in my opinion.
5. Derrick Williams, WR, Penn State - He'll make a great return man, but he didn't stand out at receiver.
6. Clint Sintim, LB, Virginia - Has first round aspirations, but struggles to play in space and might get left out because of the talent at 3-4 linebacker this year.
7. Phil Loadholt, OT, Oklahoma - I thought he could have been a first round right tackle, but he struggles with his technique.
8. Herm Johnson, OL, LSU - He's probably a guard and he did play tackle a lot so it's hard to downgrade him to much but his play was to sloppy.
9. Greg Carr, WR, Florida State - He might of had more drops than any receiver participating. He started late, but that doesn't effect whether or not you can catch a ball.
10. Graham Harrell, QB, Texas Tech - I don't think he has the arm strength or the technique to play in the NFL right away. He has a lot of work to do. |
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| Published: Jan 24, 2009 11:40 PM EST |
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