In sharp contrast to the North’s first practice, the South performed at a much higher tempo. Pads were clicking in 1 on 1 drills with linebackers and running backs, and I finally got to see o-line and d-line match ups in the pit drill.
The big winners coming from the South’s first practice were Jordan Jefferson, Darius Reynolds, Jeremy Lane, Coty Sensabaugh, Daryl Richardson, Sammy Brown, and Aston Whiteside.
Quarterbacks
-Needing a strong week this week in terms of accuracy, placement, and timing, Jordan Jefferson took an encouraging step forward as a thrower. Was on point with his passes early, throwing on time and on target in the 3 step and 5 step passing game. Spun a really tight, clean ball all day, and looks like he would have no trouble cutting through adverse wind conditions (albeit there was hardly any wind today). Had a “wow” throw much like Tanney did in the North practice, perfectly placing a deep fade throw to the right sideline; easily zipped the ball a good 40 yards on the throw. I’ll be paying even closer attention to Jefferson tomorrow and Thursday, to see how he picks up the playbook, as well as builds chemistry with the wideouts.
-Central Arkansas signal caller Nathan Dick looks much more polished in terms of footwork in the pocket and anticipation over the middle of the field. I did not watch much of the pass skeleton, as I was occupied with pit drills, so tomorrow and Thursday will be much more in depth with this group of quarterbacks
Running Backs
–Joe Banyard from UTEP started off practice poorly to say the least, being beaten right and left in pass protection 1 on 1 drills versus the linebacking corps. However, as the drill continued, Banyard took to coaching real well, corrected his mistakes, and flashed a solid anchor for a back his size.
–Brandon Bolden, who is one of the more higher profiled prospects here, solidified his spot as the top running back here in Arkansas. Is able to take advantage of small running creases, accelerating up into the hole quickly, and shows ability to bounce runs smoothly and effectively.
-Bolden is a player I likely will watch more tape on when I go home, because I love his value as a mid-to-late round draft pick that has good upside as a future starter at the next level.
-The back who did himself the most good, both squads included, was Daryl Richardson of ACU. Richardson, whose half-brother is Bernard Scott (Bengals backup running back), showcased elite acceleration to and through the hole, and impressed scouts with his overall quickness as a runner. In 1 on 1 pass protection drills, Richardson received praise for his patience and ability to control his man. Allows the rusher to make first move and reacts very well. Richardson could work his way onto an NFL roster next season if he continues to impress throughout the week.
-Didn’t get a great look at Adrian Moore from Arkansas Pine-Bluff, but did like his overall playing speed, sharp cuts in the open field while running full speed, and fluid movement skills.
Wide Receivers
-In all honesty, I can’t say I saw Darius Reynolds drop a pass all day long. Snagging everything thrown his way, Reynolds put his excellent adjustment skills on display, picking balls out of the dirt and snatching receptions high, away from his body. Is a plus hand fighter that keeps his balance well in-route, and showed off suddenness and nice cuts in the short passing game. Maintained a high level of concentration each and every snap, competed very well throughout the practice, and reaffirmed my draft grade based off film from this past season.
–Toney Clemons (Colorado) was very sharp with his cuts all practice, showinde sudden change of direction getting in and out of breaks. Has very good off the line burst and quickness to defeat press.
-Hailing from Tusculum, Rashaad Carter left a positive first impression on me with his powerful hands and overall physical style of play. Refused to be hindered by press coverage and powered his way through the smaller corners. Flashed with a very nice post-corner, double move in which he really sold the post cut and left the opposing corner in the dust.
Tight Ends
–Taylor Thompson from SMU, brought his gloves today and showed signs of promise at tight end. Looks like a natural fit for the position, has the body and frame teams look for, and gave plus effort in blocking situations. Gets into his route without much trouble fighting through linebackers, but wasn’t thrown many passes. In limited opportunities, Thompson put his very underrated and unseen ball skills on display. I still don’t have a good read on Thompson, as today was the first time I’d seen him play tight end; a huge project that will take some time to develop, Thompson needs to really do something incredible this week in order to change his scouting report from “Practice squad material” to “draftable”.
-Small school standout from Ouachita Baptist Phillip Supernaw flashed with some decent snap at the point of attack, but poor hand placement ended up leaving something to be desired. Struggled to hold his blocks throughout the duration of the play and was unable to control the explosive outside linebacker Aston Whiteside. Did not create much separation in route running, but as noted in my preview, Supernaw is raw as a route runner and mostly bodies up opponents in order to complete the catch. Lined up in the backfield as an H-Back, as well as the traditional in-line tight end.
Offensive Line
–Jaymes Brooks (Virginia Tech) came off as a very coachable player that picks things up fast. Was only matched up for 3 snaps and did a nice job of recovering from initial jolt by repositioning his hands and reanchoring into his pass set.
–Antoine McClain (Clemson) was by far the best looking offensive line prospect on display for the South squad. Plays with plus hands, is patient with his pass set and really sits into his chair well, and showed an ability to control his defender’s midsection. Very solid, though not spectacular offensive guard prospect that could provide a team with immediate depth inside as a rookie.
–Jermarcus Hardrick (Nebraska) really struggled against the speed and suddenness of Rennie Moore (Clemson); gives up too much ground with his power step, lacks great foot speed, and has much work to do in terms of improving his kick slide technique.
–Ronald Leary (Memphis) only got a few snaps, but those were not very good snaps at all. Looked inferior to the much more explosive Rennie Moore, stopping his feet at contact and dropping his head down. It will be important to see how he reacts to this poor start, and if he can improve upon his technique problems.
–James Carmon (Mississippi State), though sloppy in the weigh-ins, flashed quick feet and good movement skills throughout the day but never consistently performed at a high level. I’ll be looking closely at Carmon tomorrow and Thursday.
Defensive Line
–Kendrick Adams (LSU) struggled to defeat physically inferior opponents for most of the day, and was late in bringing his hands to the point of attack, leaving his midsection vulnerable and controllable. Needs to do much better tomorrow and moving forward if he wants to be drafted.
–Jacquies Smith (Missouri) showed some power and leg drive in pressing down the pocket, plays with good leverage in all aspects (run and pass), and looks like a solid mid round prospect.
-I’m still trying to determine what scheme best fits Smith’s skill set.
–Dezman Moses (Tulane) played about as good as I expected; winning at times with his power rush and solid leverage, but struggling to consistently get to the quarterback due to a relatively undeveloped pass rush ability. Lacks rush variety and will have to develop a second move in order to force o-lineman to respect his pass rushing skills.
–Rennie Moore (Clemson) impressed many today with great burst and explosion off the snap, ripping, spinning, and dipping through blockers when lined up at the 3 technique. A weird looking specimen, as noted in the weigh-in notes, Moore has a noticeable pooch to his lower midsection.
-One of the few nose tackle prospects here this week, Ishmaa’ily Kitchen pushes the point extremely well, is a slow moving, yet effective pile mover, and is an absolute load to block. Fights hard to reset his hand placement back on the midsection of his opponent.
Outside Linebackers
-The biggest winner in my mind today, was former ACU defensive end Aston Whiteside. Put on a pass-rushing clinic in the pit drills with back-to-back winning moves. Set up inside spin perfectly, made contact and exploded through the move; followed that move with an inside rip move that made his opponent look helpless. Has a great get-off, is a smooth, polished rusher, and could make an impact early as a rookie. In coverage, Whiteside looked very confident and comfortable, stuck to his tight end’s hip pocket, and ran well downfield. Sits down into athletic stance, takes good read steps to run flow, and does a nice job with backside contain. I knew about Whiteside’s pass rush ability, explosiveness, and athletic ability as I’d seen him live already once this season; what impressed me the most today was his ability in coverage. It’s only day one, but I love what I see from this Wildcat.
-Another gifted pass rusher, Sammy Brown put on his own pass rushing show in the pit drill. Possessing elite hands at the point, Brown does a great job of getting his opponent off balance, attacking with his hands, and keeping clean en route to the QB. Has a good 1st step, and has great stop and go suddenness as a rusher; changes direction extremely well. Pure finesse pass rusher that lacks elite speed or power off the edge, but has developed pass rush skills and was highly productive against quality competition.
-Taking advantage of the opportunity given, small schooler Antonio Leak from Henderson State impressed me in the limited snaps I saw of him. Maintains a powerful lower half, generating a ton of snap at the point with bull rush, and showing a quick 1st and suddenness off the snap. Simply put, Leak is a good looking prospect that has plus hands to fend off blockers, the strength and girth to hold up in the NFL, and overall brings a certain amount of intrigue as today was my first look at the guy.
Defensive Backs
–Jeremy Lane from Northwestern State proved to be every bit the corner I anticipated him being. Opens his hips extremely well, is an explosive athlete, and has the burst teams vie for. At his best in physical press coverage where he can utilize his length, aggression, and explosive hands, coaches for the South squad wisely used today to begin refining Lane’s off man technique. Got better and better as the day wore on, showing comfort with the cushion and reading route concepts with more clarity. Physical and fast cornerback that has the frame to add more weight; sticks in hip pocket and runs exceptionally well. Athletically and talent-wise, the most gifted defensive back at the event, Jeremy Lane will likely leave this week, as a solid Day 3 grade.
–Coty Sensabaugh (Clemson) equally impressed but for different reasons. Not as effective in press coverage, Sensabaugh missed his jam multiple times in 1 on 1 matchups but had the speed to recover consistently and still make a play on the ball. Recovery speed was the most impressive facet of Sensabaugh’s play today. Savvy corner when giving cushion, displaying a high football IQ and ability to decipher opposing routes; multiple times, Sensabaugh beat the receiver to the route. Displays great feel up close and backed off the line of scrimmage, and looks like one of the more NFL ready corners here in Arkansas.
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