For our 2015 Senior Bowl scouting this year, we have two scouts, Alex Brown and Ian Wharton that are splitting up position groups. For day one of the North’s practices, Alex Brown looked at the quarterbacks, skill position players and defensive backs, while Ian Wharton evaluated the offensive and defensive line play.
The winners of the day were Josh Shaw, Antwan Goodley, Steven Nelson, Max Garcia, Danny Shelton and Laken Tomlinson.
Quarterbacks
-Both Sean Mannion and Shane Carden struggled at times on day one. Mannion seemed robotic in his movements and stiff in the upper half. His dropback footwork is clean and consistent, but he lacked decisiveness at the top of drops. With Carden, his issues involve passing mechanics as a whole. Base width is not consistent when maneuvering the pocket, resulting in an inconsistent platform from which to throw from. Additionally, Carden drops his elbow as he loads the throw and lacks an efficient delivery.
-Bryce Petty looked crisp at times with his drop backs and flashed the most arm talent of the North quarterbacks. As one might expect the timing aspect isn’t there and it will be worth noting how he progresses under the Tennessee Titans coaching staff.
Running Backs
-Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah moved at a different speed than the other running backs, showing off the burst and quickness that made him so effective in the Big Ten. He’s twitchy and built low to the ground, making him a small target to nail down. His 8 3/8’s hand measurements are a concern, but his overall skill set is fun to watch.
-Also hailing from the Big Ten, Minnesota’s David Cobb popped up in my notes for his ability to finish receptions away from his body. He weighed in at a solid 5’10 6/8’s, 229 pounds without an ounce of fat on his frame. Moving with controlled footwork and carrying compact power under the hood, Cobb seems like the type of prospect that will outperform his draft slot.
Wide Receivers
-Baylor’s Antwan Goodley was hit-or-miss in the opening press drill work and even fought off some early cramping, but really settled in as the day wore on and impressed with his physical tools. Goodley has obvious vertical speed to win downfield, but showed off better than expected foot quicks at the line and through the route. He also did a plus job of working back to his quarterback and extending for the football.
-Smaller than Goodley but even more impressive was Duke WR Jamison Crowder. Crowder has great initial burst through his release and an extra gear to accelerate through the route break. Working from the slot and outside spots, he created clear separation through his routes and showed the ability to finish catches along the sideline.
-Ohio State receiver Devin Smith didn’t win over doubters, as he had difficulty with the footwork and timing of the full route tree. At times he would turn late for the football, while other times he lacked the route break balance to create separation. He’s a one-trick pony as a vertical weapon and that was fairly obvious during today’s practice.
-Stanford’s Ty Montgomery appears to be a slot receiver at the next level, as he simply could not win at the line versus press. For a speed player that can win vertically, Montgomery isn’t very twitchy or creative with his releases. He’ll have to hammer down his footwork and hand use versus the press to make the most of his speed and ability to create after the catch.
-Another player that had a tough time with the press was Michigan State WR Tony Lippett. While long, lean and agile for his size, Lippett takes the path of least resistance versus physicality. He has to improve at protecting his chestplate from jams at the line of scrimmage and be much more physical through the release. There were some flashes of fluidity to avoid contact and create separation, but physicality gave him trouble in this practice.
Offensive Line
-One of the more consistent offensive linemen of the first day was Duke guard Laken Tomlinson. The 6’3”, 323-pounder had a couple of difficult matchups in Danny Shelton and Marcus Hardison. Shelton got the best of every other blocker except Tomlinson. Tomlinson is a power guard with strong hands, but he has enough quickness and balance to withstand the speed and strength combination that Shelton brings to the table. His monster performance Day 1 could signify that he’s going to be the top guard prospect.
-Three other interior linemen that stood out were Arizona State guard Jamil Douglas, Florida’s Max Garcia and Hobart’s Ali Marpet. Douglas moved inside from tackle this week, and he showed extended glimpses of brilliance. His lateral agility on pulls as the left guard demonstrated his potential to be an effective run blocker. In the passing game, he showed that his punch needs some more strength and refining as far as placement, but he held up well throughout individual and team drills.
-Garcia has experience at guard and center, and showed to be a tough, strong blocker at the point of attack. He was able to handle Shelton on all but one snap, which is very impressive. His ability to block without help is a major bonus, and he could rise if he continues his early success.
-Marpet is an intriguing small schooler that showed great versatility. He lined up as center, guard and tackle. With his physical profile and way that he uses his hands, he looks like a very natural guard in a zone-blocking scheme. Marpet is a little undersized, but his technique for handling power rushers is good and he has enough strength to make it work.
-Pittsburgh’s T.J. Clemmings drew a lot of attention from the Detroit Lions’ staff, and his immense athleticism showed all day long. He is naturally strong and has the length and quickness desired for a lineman. His issue right now is that he does not engage with defenders with a consistent punch, and his hands get sloppy when he’s trying to re-direct the rusher. Clemmings has all of the potential in the world, but he needs time to master his hand techniques.
-The player who struggled most was Penn State’s Donovan Smith. Smith has an intriguing physique, but he was out of breath early and didn’t take to coaching well. He lacks the anchor in his bottom to withstand power rushers, and he’s a liability against speed because he doesn’t use his length effectively. He allows the rusher into his body, or he will bend over at the waist to reach his man.
Defensive Line
-Washington’s Danny Shelton looked good with his combination of size, power and speed. He’s got weight concerns, but his ability to win in a phone booth shouldn’t be questioned. Shelton is extremely disruptive and continued to show that on Day 1.
-Stanford defensive end Henry Anderson can be a very intriguing player if he can continue to play with leverage. He’s as strong as an ox, but his 6’6” frame makes it difficult for him to consistently keep his pads low and explode through the snap. He blew through Clemmings on one play, but was shoved aside on another snap against Marpet.
-Nate Orchard of Utah had an inconsistent day that highlighted his positives and negatives. He wins with quickness and activity, which is nice for a secondary rusher. Orchard does struggle when he has to get inside of the lineman and use his length and strength, so it’ll be important to watch how he uses his hands the next couple of days.
Defensive Backs
-USC CB Josh Shaw dominated opposing receivers in press drills with his patient feet, physical hand usage and overwhelming size. He looks more like a safety in terms of body type and his lack of recovery speed shows in off-coverage. If he loses at the line of scrimmage, he does not have the speed to get back into phase. Ultimately, he is what he is –a press corner with experience to wear multiple hats in the secondary. He’ll be a player to watch develop in off technique this week.
-As far as a prospect that built hype prior to practices, scouts and evaluators were excited to see Miami (OH) corner Quinton Rollins. The foot quickness, hip fluidity and transition burst are all plus traits for Rollins, but his inexperience showed when the practice moved from drill work to live snaps. He pops upright too early when reading through the receiver’s route and doesn’t show the anticipation or instincts you like to see from corners. When he recognizes a pattern and is in a drive position, Rollins looks great. It’ll come down to player development with this guy though, as he only had one full season of college experience.
-A corner that stood in a big way was Oregon State’s Steven Nelson. Although he’s undersized, Nelson competes like no other cornerback on the North roster and wins with physicality. He did an effective job of rerouting at the line of scrimmage but needs to lay off the hand checks down the field, as the Titans staff had to remind him to be less grabby. Able to play press or sink back as a nickel defender in zone, I liked what I saw from Nelson.
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