Jan. 27, 2013
2013 Senior Bowl: NFL Draft Stock Up
Robert Alford, CB/KR, SE Louisiana One of the great things about the Senior Bowl is seeing small-school prospects like Robert Alford go up against BCS prospects. Alford took advantage of the opportunity, shining as one of the top cornerbacks in practice. He also had a 95-yard kickoff return to open the game and then made some nice pass break-ups and picked off Zac Dysert on a two-point conversion attempt. There’s now a chance that Alford will be picked in the second round, and it’s difficult to imagine him getting into Day 3.
Ezekiel Ansah, DE/OLB, BYU Ezekiel Ansah was just OK in the Senior Bowl practices because he was thinking too much. He stopped thinking and just played during the game, and the result was a dominant performance. Ansah destroyed every lineman he went up against. He put tons of pressure on the quarterbacks and stopped ball-carriers for minimal gains (or losses). He also recorded a strip-sack of Ryan Nassib. Ansah was awesome, and there’s a good chance he’ll be taken as high as ninth overall in the 2013 NFL Draft. I currently have him going to the Giants in my 2013 NFL Mock Draft, but it’s doubtful that he’s getting there now.
Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida International Jonathan Cyprien had a great week in Mobile. He stood out in the practices then made several great plays during the game. He may have sneaked into third-round consideration.
Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan Eric Fisher made tons of money during Senior Bowl week. It all started with Mike Mayock proclaiming that Fisher could challenge Texas A&M’s Luke Joeckel to be the No. 1 tackle off the board. Fisher then won almost all of his one-on-one reps against the top pass-rushers during the practices. That trend continued during the game. Fisher won’t go any lower than No. 11 on Draft Day, and he could go as high as No. 4 to the Eagles.
Jonathan Franklin, RB, UCLA Jonathan Franklin rushed for a North team-high 41 yards on just five carries in the Senior Bowl. He received some nice blocks, particularly from guard Hugh Thornton, but he showed great patience on many of his carries.
Mike Gillislee, RB, Florida As Charlie Campbell wrote, “One scout who has had success finding running backs is a fan of Gators running back Mike Gillislee. He believes that Gillislee could reward the team that drafts him with the ability to play on all three downs. The scout said that Gillislee is a good worker who really prepared himself well in the weight room for the 2012 season when he finally had a chance to be the starter with Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps out of Gainesville.” Gillislee showed great running ability during the game, rushing for 46 yards on 10 carries.
Marquise Goodwin, WR/KR, Texas Marquise Goodwin impressed with his speed in Mobile. He’s drawn some comparisons to Mike Wallace. Goodwin, who hauled in five receptions for 43 yards during the game, may sneak into Day 2.
Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma Lane Johnson went into Senior Bowl week as a fringe first-round prospect, but he definitely solidified that standing with a great performance in Mobile. He’s not sound as Eric Fisher, but he moves his feet extremely well for his position and possesses tons of upside. There’s a good chance he now gets taken off the board in the 16-24 range.
Datone Jones, DE, UCLA Datone Jones had a great week. He was one of the top defensive linemen in the drills and made some great plays during the game. Unfortunately, some teams are befuddled by what to do with him because he has no real natural position at the next level.
E.J. Manuel, QB, Florida State E.J. Manuel was the top quarterback in the Senior Bowl, leading the South team to all 21 of its points. Manuel, who went 7-of-10 for 76 yards, one touchdown and an interception, dropped in a beautiful touch pass to Michael Williams for a 20-yard score. He also rushed four times for 10 yards on the ground and a second touchdown. The pick wasn’t his fault; it came on a tip on a fourth down, so the South squad would have given up possession anyway. Mike Mayock said that he was hearing third- and fourth-round grades for Manuel, which means the Florida State product will be going in Rounds 2-3 because quarterbacks are usually chosen earlier than anticipated.
Michael Mauti, ILB, Penn State Michael Mauti isn’t at the Senior Bowl because of a knee injury, but he’s getting a stock up for sending a handwritten note to every single NFL general manager during the week about how much football means to him. Most general managers were reportedly impressed. Mauti is a great leader and will prove to be a mid-round steal.
Quinton Patton, WR, Louisiana Tech Quinton Patton earned the Senior Bowl practice award for the top receiver in Mobile. He was easily the best wideout on the South team during practice, showing off his excellent route-running ability. He also blocked well during the game, though he didn’t register a reception. This was a pleasant surprise; he was slotted in the fourth round of my recent 2013 NFL Mock Draft, but he could be making a second-round appearance soon.
David Quessenberry, OT/G/C, San Jose State David Quessenberry, a former tight end, showed off his athleticism at the Senior Bowl. He won most of his one-on-one battles. Even better, he showed that he can play all five positions on the offensive line, including center. He figures to be chosen on Day 2 this April.
Brian Schwenke, C/G, California One of Mike Mayock’s favorite prospects, Brian Schwenke lived up to the NFL Draft analyst’s hype. Schwenke used his quickness to beat opposing defensive linemen in the one-on-one drills. Schwenke has experience in guard, so teams will like his versatility.
Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington There were a number of impressive corners in Mobile. Desmond Trufant was the best of the group. He routinely shut down receivers in the one-on-ones, which is more difficult than it already sounds since the wideout has the advantage in those drills. Multiple scouts and sources have indicated that Trufant will be chosen in the first round. He’ll be there in the next edition of my 2013 NFL Mock Draft.
Larry Warford, G, Kentucky Larry Warford is a beast. He had a dominant week at the Senior Bowl, rarely getting beat in the one-on-ones in practice. He also had a massive block to open up a big running lane for Mike Gillislee during the game. He solidified his second-round status.
Markus Wheaton, WR, Oregon State Markus Wheaton was one of the top receivers in Mobile. He showed off his speed, which complements his size well. He also made several spectacular catches, beating most receivers not named Marcus Trufant in the one-on-one battles. Wheaton had four receptions for 48 yards in the game.
J.J. Wilcox, S, Georgia Southern J.J. Wilcox is one of a few small-school prospects to step up during Senior Bowl week. Despite weighing 215 pounds, Wilcox displayed impressive feet during practice. He has a shot at being drafted in the third round.
Brandon Williams, NT, Missouri Southern Brandon Williams was one of the top defensive linemen at the Senior Bowl. Like Robert Alford, Williams showed off his ability and dominated BCS competition. The consensus is that Williams has entered second-round territory; players with massive bodies (6-2, 340) who can move as well as Williams are a rare commodity.
Michael Williams, TE, Alabama Michael Williams, a 270-pound tight end, showed receiving ability during the game when he beat USC safety T.J. McDonald down the field for a 20-yard touchdown. Williams made two grabs for a South team-high 39 yards.
2013 Senior Bowl: NFL Draft Stock Down
Oday Aboushi, G/OT, Virginia Oday Aboushi struggled in Mobile. He looked slow when trying to block in the one-on-one drills. He was also whistled for a penalty during the game. He’ll have to move inside to guard because he’s just not athletic enough to be outside.
Braxston Cave, C, Notre Dame Braxston Cave was the interior lineman who struggled the most at Mobile. He didn’t look good in the one-on-ones at all. He’s probably a late-round pick.
Nico Johnson, LB, Alabama Nico Johnson struggled in coverage during the Senior Bowl practices. He reportedly is being pegged as a two-down linebacker in the NFL.
Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma Landry Jones was absolutely abysmal in the game, going just 3-of-10 for 16 yards. He often checks the ball down and feels phantom pressure in the pocket. He’s so rattled by pass-rushers that he sometimes doesn’t look downfield. Jones may not be draftable.
Robert Lester, S, Alabama Robert Lester was a huge disappointment during Senior Bowl week. He frequently struggled in coverage during practice, making some believe that he was just a product of a great supporting cast in Alabama. That carried over into the game when he was beaten on a Mike Glennon deep pass down the seam.
Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse As Charlie Campbell noted earlier during the week in his Senior Bowl Rumors post, scouts were disappointed with Ryan Nassib all week. DraftCountdown’s Shane Hallam agreed: “Struggled all week at planting his front foot and driving the ball even when coached individually about it.” This carried over into the game, as Nassib made a poor decision and tossed a pick following a low snap. Nassib did nothing positive of note, finishing 4-of-10 for 44 yards and the interception.
Justin Pugh, G/OT, Syracuse Scouts were extremely disappointed by Justin Pugh’s 31-inch arms at the weigh-in. Pugh went on to surrender a strip-sack to Georgia’s Cornelius Washington during the game. The consensus is that Pugh will have to play guard in the NFL.
Chase Thomas, DE/OLB, Stanford Chase Thomas was one of the most disappointing players at the Senior Bowl. He was destroyed on a Hugh Thornton block on a Jonathan Franklin rushing touchdown. Thomas may have entered Round 4-5 range.
Ricky Wagner, OT, Wisconsin Ricky Wagner had a miserable performance in the Senior Bowl. He was beaten repeatedly by a variety of pass-rushers. He should have been whistled for a blatant hold on one occasion.
Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas Tyler Wilson looked like a right-handed version of Matt Leinart in the Senior Bowl. He spent most of his time checking down, and his one deep attempt died in the air and was nearly picked off. This was only one throw, but scouts already had reservations about his deep ball heading into the Senior Bowl, so this only validated their concerns. It’s tough to imagine Wilson going in the first round now. He finished 8-of-11, but for only 39 yards.
2013 Senior Bowl Home
2013 Senior Bowl Recap
2013 Senior Bowl Draft Stock
2013 Senior Bowl Quarterbacks
2013 Senior Bowl Ezekiel Ansah Stock
2013 Senior Bowl Interview: Mike Mayock
2013 Senior Bowl: Thursday's Rumor Mill
2013 Senior Bowl Wednesday's South Practice
2013 Senior Bowl Wednesday's North Practice
2013 Senior Bowl Wednesday's South Prospect Meetings
2013 Senior Bowl Wednesday's North Prospect Meetings
2013 Senior Bowl Interview: Monte Kiffin
2013 Senior Bowl: Wednesday's Rumor Mill
2013 Senior Bowl: Q&A with Marcus Lattimore
2013 Senior Bowl Tuesday's South Practice
2013 Senior Bowl Tuesday's South Prospect Meetings
2013 Senior Bowl Tuesday's North Practice
2013 Senior Bowl Interview: Mike Glennon
2013 Senior Bowl Tuesday's North Prospect Meetings
2013 Senior Bowl: Tuesday's Rumor Mill
2013 Senior Bowl Interview: Margus Hunt
2013 Senior Bowl Monday's North Practice
2013 Senior Bowl Monday's North Prospect Meetings
2013 Senior Bowl Monday's South Practice
2013 Senior Bowl Monday's South Prospect Meetings
2013 Senior Bowl Weigh-In Analysis
2013 Senior Bowl: Monday's Rumor Mill
2013 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Quarterbacks
2013 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Running Backs
2013 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Wide Receivers
2013 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Tight Ends
2013 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Offensive Linemen
2013 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Defensive Linemen
2013 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Linebackers
2013 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Defensive Backs
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