2010 Senior Bowl Practice Report: Day 3 - North

By Matt McGuire
Jan. 28, 2010
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It was another sunny day in Mobile, Ala. at Ladd-Peebles Stadium for the Senior Bowl. Plenty of prospects really stepped up to the plate today, and while I feel I have been more negative in the past, a lot of prospects jumped out to me today. Let's get right to the North's practice report:

One addition today was Vanderbilt offensive tackle Matt Welch (6-7, 310), but he didn't impress me much as the day went on.

Early on in footwork drills, Utah rush linebacker Koa Misi looked the part. He has very smooth feet, hips and agility. Misi was a natural in coverage as well, but his problem at Utah was he simply didn't show up enough in games. If David Veikune can go in Round 2, then maybe someone will reach for Misi in the second because he certainly has intriguing athleticism.

Washington linebacker Donald Butler looked fluid in non-contact drills as well, but he needs to be more physical in 11v11's. Butler has a compact build and looks like a special teamer and versatile backup at the next level.

I thought Mardy Gilyard did a good job of using his hands and quickness to get off the line today, but his hands are still a little inconsistent. He has good athleticism, but with his smaller frame he needs to show more polish for NFL scouts.

Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon is easily the most fun player to watch in practice today - and all the draftniks rave about his extroverted personality. I was impressed with his range and athleticism today, but he is certainly a vocal player. Right after a nice play by Daryl Washington in 7v7's he yelled, "WHHHHEEWWWW! OH YEAHHH!" Another time "Spoon" chest bumped a teammate and said, "I SEE YOU OUT THERE!" Weatherspoon will be a fan favorite wherever he goes - that's one of the locks of the 2010 NFL Draft.

California corner Syd'Quan Thompson had a nice breakup today, but he is still struggling when asked to turn and run with receivers. He simply lacks the foot speed, but he is physical at the jam.

Remember whom I have been hyping up for the past two months in this corner class? Yes, Brandon Ghee from Wake Forest had an amazing practice today. Who has him the highest on their board on the Internet? Yours truly in my Top 25 and as my No. 3 CB in the 2010 NFL Draft. Ghee showed very good athleticism and excellent closing speed. He broke up several passes, and simply made a name for himself today amongst the scouts and coaches in attendance. I hope he's flying up boards after this week, but you never know. I think if Ghee can get with a good defensive backs coach to perfect his technique he could be a star.

Despite some analysts falling in love with Ohio receiver Taylor Price, I just don't see it. Sure he has great physical tools, but he's been highly inconsistent this week catching the football and generating separation with his routes. Later in the practice, Price made a great play really high pointing the football, but I think he is a very raw product.

I thought Clemson receiver Jacoby Ford had a solid practice. He's been one of the guys I wanted to focus on because he has very good speed and nice vision in the open field. He ran a very nice double move and burned Boise State's Kyle Wilson down the field for a big play.

Arkansas State defensive end Alex Carrington had a great day. He plays with good power and has intriguing athleticism. His skill set and body frame (6-5, 284) reminds me a lot of Kendall Langford coming out of Hampton. He has intriguing upside and has had a very solid week of practice. I think 3-4 teams will love him as a 5-technique in the league.

Another small school defensive line standout today was Austin Lane out of Murray State. He has great bend and flexibility, and showed a very good burst in 1v1's. He struggles against the run because he needs more strength and sand in the pants, but overall he is a solid mid-round sleeper with good upside.

Matt Tennant has quietly had a solid week as well at center. Don't hate on Boston College offensive linemen - check out this list: Doug Brzezinski, Dan Collins, Augie Hoffmann, Pete Kendall, Dan Koppen, Tom Nalen, Chris Snee, Damien Woody, Ron Stone, Jeremy Trueblood and James Marten. Tennant has solid strength and plays with a wide base - he shows good toughness in the phone booth and will fight.

North Carolina defensive tackle Cam Thomas has played his way up to my No. 3 nose tackle with a good week down in Mobile. He needs to show a rip move, but his power and bulk has been at times unblockable. In a weak nose tackle draft, he could very likely go off the board in the third round.

A guy I was really looking forward to seeing this week was UMass offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse. However, he has struggled this week going against more athleticism in Mobile. He struggles redirecting his feet and needs to stop overextending so much. No doubt some team will be intrigued in the second round, but I think the first is out of the question.

I'll admit I was wrong about Idaho guard Mike Iupati - who now has a solidified first-round grade on my board. He totally dominated today and showed better feet than I anticipated in 1v1's. He's a first-round pick and could go as high as No. 18 to Pittsburgh. He is more athletic than I thought and he is being a stud run-blocker throughout the week.





2010 Senior Bowl - Home
2010 Senior Bowl Recap
2010 NFL Draft Stock: Senior Bowl - Matt's
2010 NFL Draft Stock: Senior Bowl Game - Walt's
2010 NFL Draft Stock: Senior Bowl Practices - Walt's

2010 Senior Bowl Practice Report: Day 4 - North
2010 Senior Bowl Practice Report: Day 4 - South
2010 Senior Bowl Practice Report: Day 3 - North
2010 Senior Bowl Practice Report: Day 3 - South
2010 Senior Bowl Practice Report: Day 2 - North
2010 Senior Bowl Practice Report: Day 2 - South
2010 Senior Bowl Practice Report: Day 1 - North
2010 Senior Bowl Practice Report: Day 1 - South

2010 Senior Bowl Blog: Day Three
2010 Senior Bowl Blog: Day Two
2010 Senior Bowl Blog: Day One
2010 Senior Bowl Blog: Day Zero - Part Two
2010 Senior Bowl Blog: Day Zero

2010 Senior Bowl Preview: Offense
2010 Senior Bowl Preview: Defense

2010 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Quarterbacks
2010 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Running Backs
2010 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Wide Receivers
2010 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Tight Ends
2010 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Offensive Linemen
2010 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Defensive Ends
2010 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Defensive Tackles
2010 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Linebackers
2010 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Cornerbacks
2010 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Safeties
2010 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Special Teams






2010 Fantasy Football Rankings - Sept. 2


2011 NFL Draft Scouting Reports - Sept. 1


Matt McGuire's 2011 NFL Mock Draft - Aug. 26


2011 NFL Mock Draft - Aug. 19


2011 NBA Mock Draft - July 22


2012 NFL Mock Draft - July 22