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2013 NFL Draft Stock - East-West Shrine Practices

This section highlights which players have improved or worsened their 2013 NFL Draft stock as the draft approaches.

By Charlie Campbell.
Send Charlie an e-mail here: draftcampbell@gmail.com
Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell for updates.

2013 NFL Draft Stock Up

Christine Michael, RB, Texas A&M
Michael had a phenomenal week of practice and probably helped himself more than any other prospect at the East-West Shrine. The 5-foot-11, 215-pounder showed off an impressive skill set. He ran with quickness, power, balance, vision and cutting ability. In every practice, Michael stood out.

As a senior in 2012, Michael totaled 417 yards on 88 carries (4.7 average) and 12 touchdowns. Injuries kept Michael from playing a full season in 2011 and 2010. In 2011 before going down with a knee injury, he outshined teammate Cyrus Gray. Michael led Texas A&M in rushing prior to the injury. He averaged six yards per carry with 899 yards and eight touchdowns. Michael was knocked out during the 2010 season too, breaking his tibia in the eighth game. He had 631 yards rushing with four touchdowns and a five yard per carry average. Michael had 844 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns as freshman, averaging 5.1 yards per carry.

Sources told WalterFootball.com that the Jets, Packers and Saints were showing a lot of interest in Michael. Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson was really watching Michael closely in practice. Tampa Bay and Chicago also displayed interest. After his strong week, Michael looks like he has vaulted his stock into the mid-rounds and it is possible he could sneak into the second day. Sources indicated that teams believe Michael has starting potential.

Gerald Hodges, OLB, Penn State
The Penn State standout didn't receive the opportunity to play in a bowl game, but he made up for it with an impressive week of practice at the East-West Shrine. Hodges was a tough run defender who showed nice speed to the perimeter. He was physical in the tackle box with the power to take on blockers and hold his ground.

NFL teams love versatility, and Hodges showed that at the East-West practices. He played middle and outside linebacker in a 4-3 set. That could lead to some teams could play Hodges on the inside, but at the very least he should be able to handle middle responsibilities if an injury occurred.

As a senior, Hodges played really well with 109 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, seven passes broken up, one forced fumble and two interceptions in 2012. He still has room for improvement with shedding blocks, but with good development he could be a starter in the NFL.

Josh Evans, S, Florida
The Gators' safety was consistently good all week at the East-West Shrine. Evans was overshadowed by teammate Matt Elam last season, but he was a rock-solid safety in his own right. In the practices, Evans was clearly a good run defending safety. He has good tackling technique and worked his way into position to make tackles. Evans clearly has been groomed well in the running SEC to defend the ground game.

Evans also showed impressive coverage skills. He did a nice job of picking up receivers and tight ends. He ran with them downfield and had consistently tight coverage. The coaches gave Evans a lot of praise and a lot of teams were showing interest in him, the Bears especially.

As a senior, Evans had three interceptions with 83 tackles, three passes batted away and 2.5 sacks. With his strong week of practice Evans could be an early-round pick on the third day of the NFL Draft.

Caleb Sturgis, K, Florida
It isn't common for kickers to rise up boards in the postseason, but Sturgis could be accomplishing that. Sturgis was phenomenal in the practices at Mobile. He displayed good accuracy with a booming leg. With ease Sturgis was drilling field goals from 54 and 56 yards. It looked like he had the power to make kicks from around 60 yards.

As a senior, Sturgis was 24-of-28 on his field goals with plenty of clutch kicks. The Gators' offense was inconsistent, but Sturgis helped them produce points when drives stalled. It wouldn't be surprising if Sturgis got consideration on the third day of the draft as a fourth or fifth-rounder.

Jasper Collins, WR, Mount Union
Mount Union has produced some quality NFL receivers with Pierre Garcon and Cecil Shorts. Collins is the latest in line and showed some nice ability at the East-West Shrine. The 6-foot, 190-pounder is very fast and runs his routes with quickness. The East-West quarterbacks struggled to get Collins the ball, but he was regularly getting separation from defensive backs.

The success of Shorts and Garcon should help Collins. He may not make it into the mid-rounds, but Collins' receiving and special teams return ability could get him drafted.

Demontre Hurst, CB, Oklahoma
Hurst had a quality senior season and was part of a good cornerback tandem with Aaron Colvin. Even though Hurst didn't record an interception, he showed nice coverage ability with nine passes broken up and 59 tackles. He wasn't dominant, but he was consistently sound in coverage. The Sooners played Hurst in a lot of man coverage in 2012, so he is used to being on his own.

At the East-West Shrine, Hurst continued to show man coverage skills. He also did well in zone. He has plus flexibility to flip his hips and run with receivers. This performance should help him to be a mid-rounder.

T.J. Johnson, C, South Carolina
There weren't too many offensive linemen who had good weeks in St. Petersburg, but Johnson was one of the few who did. At 6-foot-4, 315-pounds, Johnson already has good size and doesn't need to develop his body at the NFL level. In the team scrimmage sessions, Johnson did well to open holes on the ground and protect the passer. Johnson held his own in the one-on-ones and had his share of wins. He also displayed a tenacious attitude. Johnson blocked through the whistle and was extremely physical. It led to some near fights, but NFL coaches love that demeanor in their offensive linemen.

This isn't a strong class of centers, so Johnson picked a good time to have a strong week of practice. Johnson should have the flexibility for any offense but may be best in a man power scheme. The good performance at the East-West Shrine should help Johnson to get drafted on the third day.

Honorable Mentions: Michigan defensive tackle William Campbell, Connecticut linebacker Sio Moore, Iowa cornerback Micah Hyde, Illinois cornerback Terry Hawthorne, South Carolina defensive end Devin Taylor, Virginia linebacker Steve Greer, USC defensive end Wes Horton, Virginia Tech wide receiver Marcus Davis, Virginia Tech wide receiver Corey Fuller and North Carolina wide receiver Erik Highsmith.

2012 NFL Draft Stock Down

Collin Klein, QB, Kansas State
The Heisman Trophy finalist proved that he is a great college player and nothing more. He had a horrible week of practice at the East-West Shrine. Klein illustrated for NFL scouts that he has terrible throwing mechanics and footwork. That leads to him having bad accuracy with awful ball placement. Klein also showed that his arm strength is lacking and outside of his running ability, he doesn't offer much. Scouts were heard laughing at some of Klein's throws.

Klein was a tremendous playmaker for the Wildcats in 2012, but he looks like a quarterback for Canada or the arena league. In interviews, Klein said he isn't interested in changing positions. Entering the East-West, Klein could have been a late-round developmental project but with his performance in St. Petersburg Klein looks more like an undrafted free agent.

Manti Te'o, ILB, Notre Dame
It keeps getting worse for Te'o. The national championship was a disaster for Te'o. He had numerous missed tackles and seemed to really struggle with Alabama's speed. Te'o also took some bad angles and had plays where he was unable to wrap up power back Eddie Lacy. Notre Dame and Te'o had the ball bounce their way a lot in 2012, but the luck of the Irish ran out against the Crimson Tide.

Now the story has broken that Te'o was either duped or complicit in the story of his fake girlfriend who died of cancer within hours of the death of his Grandmother. Te'o hasn't done anything horrible like getting a DUI, testing positive on a drug test or fighting with a coach or teammate. However, this scandal could speak to character concerns and questions of Te'o's honesty, integrity and trustworthiness.

Te'o should remain a first-rounder, but all of this could push him into the back half of the first round.

Duke Williams, S, Nevada
Williams had a good collegiate career at Nevada and finished it with a quality senior year. Entering the East-West Shrine, Williams was one of the higher-rated players on either team. However in the practices, Williams did not stand out at all. He didn't make any splash plays against the run or pass. Williams also didn't illustrate the instincts to be an impact player.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder totaled 106 tackles with eight passes broken up, one interception and three passes broken up as a senior. He will need to perform well at the Combine and his pro day to help minimize the damage. Williams looked more like a fourth- or fifth-rounder rather than a second-day pick.

2013 East-West Shrine Game: Recap - 1/20
2013 East-West Shrine Game: Practice Stock Report - 1/19
2013 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's West Team Practice Report - 1/17
2013 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's West Team Interviews - 1/17
2013 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's East Team Practice Report - 1/17
2013 East-West Shrine Game: Wednesday's East Team Interviews - 1/17
2013 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday's West Team Practice Report - 1/16
2013 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday's West Team Interviews - 1/16
2013 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday's East Team Practice Report - 1/16
2013 East-West Shrine Game: Tuesday's East Team Interviews - 1/16
2013 East-West Shrine Game: Monday's East Team Practice Report - 1/15
2013 East-West Shrine Game: Monday's West Team Practice Report - 1/15
2013 East-West Shrine Game: Monday's West Team Interviews - 1/15
2013 East-West Shrine Game: Monday's East Team Interviews - 1/15
Good Talent at the East-West Shrine Game - 1/14

R.P. 01-29-2013 06:17 pm xxx.xxx.xxx7.36 (total posts: 1)

546

Ezekiel Ansah will have a tough time transitioning to safety in the NFL as he is 6-5 roughly 275........

A D 01-29-2013 05:42 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.193 (total posts: 1)

Honestly, the combine means nothing in terms of hidden gems, every combine star drafted last year was a bust so far.

tarzan 01-29-2013 02:09 pm xxx.xxx.xxx7.57 (total posts: 2)

i grew up watching denard robinson when they nicknamed him shoelace. hes honestly someone u have to literally make a play for like mayb as a back up that can run pistol offence 5 times a game because he cant handle the ball catching wise its always been like that even in high school. i raced him in track dont get me wrong hes fast but he needs to drastically improve in alot of areas to have a chance to to consistanly start for ANY team.

johnny a 01-29-2013 12:19 pm xxx.xxx.xxx.143 (total posts: 1)

This is where the NFL scouts who are worth a freaking damn make their money. Players like swope and Chase Thomas have performed at a high level ALL YEAR LONG, yet they have a "bad week of practicing against superior talent" and all of a sudden they're lucky to be drafted in the mid rounds?
Give me football players who perform on the big stage for thier universities at game time and let the over analytical, football version of money ball scouts take the players who were nowhere to be found on film all yr yet "shined" at the senior bowl and I'll take my chances as an NFL team looking to build a winner!
Funny, but New England will need a new receiverthey can move around, since Welker won't get paid by Beilicheat. I'm willing to bet Swope would carve out a decent niche for himself over there. And lastly, how do you grade the wide outs when the QB's sucked all wk long? What's more, how do we grade the qb's here when virtually every Olineman not named Fisher and Lane Johnson got his rear end handed to him?? WATCH THE GAME FILM ON THESE GUYS!

hector 01-29-2013 11:39 am xxx.xxx.xxx.228 (total posts: 1)

and where are sylvester williams and kawann short? those men were a headache for south squad linemen in seniorbowl.

also brandon williams who shown he can play against top competition.

lards 01-29-2013 06:09 am xxx.xxx.xxx.111 (total posts: 1)

kawann short doesnt even get a mention?? smh

KB 01-29-2013 05:20 am xxx.xxx.xxx.248 (total posts: 3)

I was surprised by Jonathan Franklin and Leon Mcfadden. Two players that really helped their draft stock IMO. I hope the Packers grab both of them along with Brian Schwenke. Would all be excellent picks in the mid rds.

@Hodges 01-24-2013 11:43 pm xxx.xxx.xxx3.97 (total posts: 3)

It seems like a coin toss to me. It seems he has the ability to play WILL because he's decent in coverage, but can also get in the backfield like a SAM. I think he's too small to be a MIKE. WILL is my guess but I can definitely see him as a SAM. Consider him as the Barrett Jones of LB.

Call him Chris 01-21-2013 04:33 am xxx.xxx.xxx.133 (total posts: 1)

Who names a boy "Christine"??

Hodges 01-19-2013 04:26 pm xxx.xxx.xxx3.97 (total posts: 3)

Would Hodges play WILL or SAM in the NFL if he doesn't play MIKE?

You're a jackass 01-19-2013 01:49 pm xxx.xxx.xxx5.36 (total posts: 1)

Logan Ryan is a redshirt Junior..he may very well come out, but it's not going to be because he's a senior.

BO 01-19-2013 11:18 am xxx.xxx.xxx.9.2 (total posts: 1)

Did they not practice on Thursday?

Bears 01-19-2013 10:10 am xxx.xxx.xxx.144 (total posts: 1)

"The coaches gave Evans a lot of praise and a lot of teams were showing interest in him, the Bears especially." We can't draft ANOTHER safety for like the 10th year in a row...

Just A Fan 01-19-2013 09:44 am xxx.xxx.xxx2.70 (total posts: 1)

They're saying teo will fall to the 2nd round cause of what happened. Its a bad deal

HEY DUDE WHO SAID HEY CAPS GUY 01-19-2013 02:15 am xxx.xxx.xxx1.48 (total posts: 2)

121

1372

I got 501 thumb ups so my opinion is obviously right

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2013 Fantasy Football Rankings - May 23

2013 NBA Mock Draft - May 22

2014 NFL Mock Draft - May 21

Charlie's 2014 NFL Mock Draft - May 20

NFL Picks - Feb. 3

2013 NFL Draft Stock - East-West Shrine Practices

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