Senior Bowl Day Two

As with yesterday’s practise I will update this thread throughout so stay tuned…

Cameron Jordan (DE, Cal) is fast becoming the star of the Senior Bowl. He’s flashing a great pass rush repetoire to add to excellent physical qualities. Jordan is by far the top five-technique prospect, but I’m not sure 4-3 teams will be put off drafting him either. I wonder if this week will put him into the top-1o pick range – something we’ve been talking about throughout 2010?

Reports suggest Jake Locker (QB, Washington) is still having a few issues with accuracy. It’s possible to blow this out of proportion – it’d be more of a concern if the tape showed anything different to what we’re seeing in Mobile. Locker will come out of this Senior Bowl in the same position he arrived – some will love his physical potential and therefore be willing to draft him as early as the top ten. Others will run a mile.

Kris O’Dowd (C, USC) is struggling and it’s not a huge surprise. Despite a lot of gradings even as high as the second round – his stock was based on being well known rather than actual performance. Wes Bunting from the NFP sums it up in this tweet.

It looked obvious to me ever since the Oklahoma game that Florida State’s Christian Ponder was a mid/late round prospect at best. Some high profile draft pundits kept him in the 1/2 round range despite no evidence to suggest this was possible. Events like the Senior Bowl focus minds and that’s happening again with Ponder. He’s not showing a good arm and his accuracy is all over the place.

Keep an eye on Brooks Reed (DE, Arizona). He’s a potential LEO candidate for Seattle and according to Scouts Inc is enjoying his time in Mobile:

“Arizona’s Brooks Reed had another good day. He has heavy, violent hands. You can hear the difference in bag drills between him and other D-linemen. He used his hands really well in one-on-ones and during team periods and disengaged defenders to keep them from shooting inside. He showed a variety of pass-rushing moves from outside pass rush to inside countermoves to a great spin move to beat Georgia’s Clint Boling during the team period. Just love the way the guy plays the game. He hustles, chases the ball downfield and is relentless off the edge as a pass-rusher.”

Not good news for Stephen Paea (DT, Oregon State) – he needs surgery on a knee injury and is out of the combine. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out for.

TFY’s Draft Insider is the site to visit during the Senior Bowl with opinions on every prospect for each day of practise. Click here for analysis on the North team and South Team. Here’s the report on Jake Locker’s Tuesday:

“Slightly better yet still struggling.  High of the mark and still has receivers getting vertical to grab the ball.”

Walter Cherepinsky has a daily stock report at Walterfootball.

Jake Locker spoke to the NFL Newtork on his Senior Bowl experience.

Todd McShay has a stock report from day two:

21 Comments

  1. Hunter

    After yesterdays practice the Redskins scout made a beeline straight for Locker.

    • Rob

      They will draft a QB in round one… if Locker is there he’s the guy.

  2. Matt

    Just kind of something I wanted to point out…there is zero consensus about who is doing well and who is not. I’ve heard that so and so was a standout, while another site says he was awful. It’s really in the eye of the beholder. I’ve heard ood and bad about Jake.

    The debate with Locker should be about what kind of time frame teams are willing to give him. It shouldn’t shock a lot of people that young QBs who are given time in a consistent system tend to be more successful than those who don’t. Aaron Rodgers and Alex Smith come to mind. I am hoping the Hawks get a chance at him and give him a year or 2 to adjust. I love everything about the kid. Let’s not forget he’s been a true QB for only 2 years. He shows flashes of greatness. Just give him time.

    • Rob

      I haven’t (and won’t) used the word consensus on guys where there is a debate. I think it’s consensus so far that Cameron Jordan is having a good time in Mobile – but the likes of Locker have received mixed reviews. What hasn’t been mixed though is the talk of inconsistency – which was the issue at Washington. He’s capable of great things, but he’s also very inaccurate at times. I don’t think we’re learning anything we didn’t already know with Locker this week. Someone will draft him – I suspect in the top 10-15 – because he has upside and physical qualities. Tebow had a poor week and still went in R1 because a coach was cocky enough to believe he could get by the negatives and enhance the positives. That will be no different with Locker and he’s a superior prospect to Tebow.

      • Matt

        Oh, not saying you did Rob. I was just making a point that if you go to 3 different scouting outlets during the senior bowl, you will get 3 completely different takes. More of a disclaimer for people to read various reports. That’s all.

        And I do agree about Cameron Jordan. He’s one of the few guys that has had a great week in everyone’s mind.

        • Rob

          Agreed Matt – it’s quite amusing on twitter to read… “This guy is dominant” and then a minute later someone writes “This guy is not getting it done.” Locker, Von Miller, Gabe Carimi – these guys are getting really mixed reviews. My intention was to be in Mobile watching practises, but for work purposes back home I have not been able to fly over (obviously difficult for me being in Europe, it’s not a fleeting visit). I am determined to go to these events annually in the future – I’d rather see this stuff for myself. Unfortunately a lot of journalists go to the Senior Bowl having not spent any time on College Football or the draft… they see these guys work out for a week and suddenly make snap judgements based on unreal scenarios. You can’t beat simply watching game tape.

      • plyka

        In all fairness that coach was fired for making such ridiculously stupid decisions, despite being an offensive genious! His personell decisions, Tebow so high included, the trading of Brandon MArshall, Peyton Hillis for peanuts, etc, were so horrid. It’s true that it only takes another guy making a stupid decision, but I just wanted to point out that the last guy making such a stupid decision was fired despite having great strengths elsewhere. So at the very least there are less incredibly stupid with personel people there, lol.

        I think Locker is availabe at 25 as is Mallet. I hear Clayton saying that once the QBs fall below #16 they will fall all the way to 25. Of course I don’t know how right he is since when i listen to him on other things he doesn’t really know what he is talking about. But it’s good to know.

        • Rob

          I think there’s a very strong possibility Mallett will be there at #25, but I also think there’s very little (almost no) chance of Locker being there. I have voiced concerns about him and I have debated a lot on here what I believe his situation will be. However – someone is going to draft him early. Let’s not forget that there’s almost certianly no free agency before this year’s draft. There are just too many teams at the top of R1 who need QB’s who won’t be able to address that position in any other way before the draft. Locker in Shanahan’s system looks like a perfect match. Personally – if he makes it past Washington I’ll write an article on here displaying how utterly wrong I can be – and it’ll be a detailed piece. Gabbert and Locker – IMO – are top ten locks. I put Cam Newton in that category too if he checks out at the combine in interviews and puts in an impressive performance. Mallett has top ten talent but the speculation with off the field stuff is most worrying if it’s proven to be true. If it’s false – then I see no reason why he will be there at #25.

          • plyka

            Don’t you think Cam Newton is for sure to go before Locker? I’d much rather have Newton, despite him not impressing me much in the BCS championship game.

            I agree with you, there are a lot of holes in Locker’s game. I understand that there is a reason why Kapernick is not rated as high as Locker, but I for one can’t see it.

  3. Jay

    What are your thoughts on Titus Young? What round do you think he should go?

    • Rob

      I’m hearing a lot of positive reports from Mobile and a lot of talk of DeSean Jackson type comparisons. I never saw that on tape and had him the round 4-5 range. Decent speed but never thought blistering pace, decent hands. Played in a nice passing system at Boise which didn’t demand too much from him. He may go earlier now because of a lack of great depth.

  4. Charlie

    What does the knee injury do to paea, and if its serious and he drops, do you think the seahawks would consider him in the 3-4 round range, i know we dont have a third, but we might make trades and aqcuire one, hes so physically strong that his lack of size might not make a difference in our scheme, some players are just gifted and deserve a chance, John randle comes to mind, not saying at all that paea is on his level, but that smaller doesnt mean you cant still be effective. So would it be worth it like we got thurmond? By the way, i really like brooks reed, i dont think you can go wrong at the leo spot with a guy that has pass rushing tools and a relentless motor. Just curious, what are your thoughts on dexter davis? and is brooks reed a better leo prospect than he was?

    • Rob

      The LEO position is defined by speed and I think Reed has the edge on Davis there. I’m not convinced DD has the kind of initial burst or quickness on the field to get the production the position accomodates. Reed might be quicker, he’s certainly intriguing and one to watch as we head to the combine.

      As for Paea – it’s unclear how serious the injury is at this stage. He’s a prospect I rate highly but it’s tough to find a fit. He’s small for a nose tackle – essentially the position he’s going to play. At 290lbs you’re really looking at Indianapolis as maybe he’s only real option in R1. I’m not sure he fits in Seattle in terms of scheme. Obviously if he falls so far eventually you take him as BPA but I think he’ll prove to be a R2 pick at worst if the injury isn’t that serious.

    • 1sthill

      Brooks Reed is probably a better fit at LDE; he does not have the quickness of a RDE or LEO position. I think a better mid-round guy that could be a good fit as the LEO is Florida State DE Markus White. White has a quick first step and good balance to get low and turn the corner. He just needs to develop some pass rush moves, but looked to me well worth a mid-round draft pick; he is not at the Senior Bowl (I scouted him when he played against South Carolina).

  5. plyka

    I’m watching a replay of the Monday practice for the North team (i think it is the north, it is the team with Locker, Colin Capernick and Stantz).

    Colin Capernick is just playing awesome in my opinion. He had this one pass to Vincent Brown, just a beautiful pass and catch. The way Brown snatched it out of the air was very impressive. But I think Colin as a QB has really shot himself up the draft board. His throws were all very nice. I saw some outs and he was tossing the ball before the WR went into the break.

    Regarding Jake Locker, I’m not sure if folks understand just how bad he was throwing on Monday. It wasn’t just that he was off, some of his throws were not even close and didn’t even look like college level throws. I haeard he did a lot better the next day.

    So far i’m pretty impressed with Kapernick and think that he has a lot of potential. I really wonder where he will be drafted. If he goes in the 2nd or 3rd or 4th round (I’ve got no idea) then the Hawks should really take a chance on him. I liked what he showed. He is incredibly elusive, very fast and has a great arm. He was also making accurate throws. Why isn’t he higher on the draft board is my only question.

    • plyka

      Forgot to mention, I’m very impressed with Vincent Brown. He catches the balls with his hands, kind of like Crabtree. He is a little short it looks, which may be a reason he falls down the draft board and provides great value for someone.

    • Patrick

      Agreed. I’ve never been sold on Locker at the pro level, and he’s not helping his case so far this week.

      As for Kap… I’m a Nevada fan and have seen every game he’s played in. Here’s what I can tell you… he’s a good kid, smart, eager to learn and passionate about the game. He leads by example and has a drive to succeed. He’s a lot bigger and stronger than he gets credit for… not just tall. He’s solid! He also has a strong arm. He flat our rockets the ball. It’s amazing how hard he throws across his body while on the move. Oh, and he’s deceptively fast. If he get’s to the outside, and a corner takes a bad angle… he’s gone. And once he hit’s his stride, no one is catching up to him.

      Because of the pistol offense, it’s hard to get a feel for how quickly he’ll take to a more pro style offense… but again, he’s smart and works hard, and has all of the physical tools, so I wouldn’t bet against him.

      As for my personal concerns… 1. He absolutely needs to tighten up his release. On long throws or when he really wants to zip the ball, he has a long wind up. Probably left over from baseball days. (He was drafted as a pitcher to the Cubs last year) I’m pretty sure he can fix these mechanics, but it might take some time. 2. Touch… he’s greatly improved it this last season, but there were times where he’d throw too hard on short and medium routes. He has really improved his accuracy as well and I think his touch we’ll come with improved mechanics. 3. Pistol vs. pro-style offense: You might never see a better pistol QB at the college level. He did exactly what his coach asked of him, but now he really needs to show that he can do 3 and 5 step drops and shotgun as well. I have no doubts… but he’s never really had to do it in college, so until he shows that he can it is a legit concern.

      Honestly, just because of his character, intelligence and desire to succeed, on top of the obvious physical tools… I think he’ll end up being better than Locker or Newton. Not sure how he’d fit into Carol’s system… but if the Hawks drafted him in the 2nd or 4th round and gave him a few years behind Matt… he could be amazing. Again, I’m a little bias… but it will be interesting to watch his stock rise as more and more people get exposed to this kid as we head towards the draft.

  6. Glen

    The 2 QBs that really intrigue me this week in Mobile are Kaepernick, and Andy Dalton. I think another guy to keep an eye on at the QB position would be Scott Tolzien from Wisconsin. I’ve read/heard more than one analyst question why he wasn’t not invited over a guy like Christian Ponder or Ricky Stanzi. Kaepernick needs to show (either at the combine, or his pro day) that he has shortened his throwing motion. Right now its a bit long. Another QB that I’ll be keeping an eye on (unfortunately he was not invited to Mobile) is Scott Tolzien from Wisconsin.

    I also read an interesting nugget today saying its likely Vince Young will land in Minnesota when all is said and done regarding the CBA since that is where Youngs former QB Coach in Tennesse went. That would take 1 QB needy team out of the equation ahead of Seattle if that proves to be true.

    • Matt

      I saw enough of Tolzien this year, specifically the Shrine Game and Rose Bowl that makes me think he is not even worthy of a practice squad invite. Just nothing there. Tools are well below average.

      • Matt

        It’s one thing to get passes knocked down, it’s another to be hitting guys at the line of scrimmage below the facemask. I saw way too much of that in the Rose Bowl in rather critical situations (not just the 2 pt conversion). Really don’t want to sound like I am hating on the guy, but his stats are terribly deceiving as he was a beneficiary of an elite O-line and run game, on top of most of his passes being very simple, high percentage passes.

        • Glen

          Well I can’t say when I watched Wisconsin play I paid too much attention to him. I heard a couple NFL talking heads this week express that they would have been happier to evaluate him this week over Christian Ponder. Thats what sparked my interest.

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