Prospect Preview: Senior Bowl

[Burma]

From http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2013/...tml#more-22415

This is a great year for Senior Bowl talent. There are many players I will be watching. Here is a list of those I am most interested in for the Bengals. For a break down of the other players click the link above.Today is only a breakdown of the defense. The offense will follow later.

Ezekial Ansah, DE/OLB, BYU (6’6/270) - Ultra versatile and athletic pass rusher. Great frame and great length. Possesses incredible movement skills for a person of his size. Can line up at 4-5 positions and rush from any of them. Ghana native is new to the game of football but, has made huge improvements in terms of awareness and instincts over last two seasons, but still real raw. High upside player, who could “wow” this week in Mobile.

Jamie Collins, OLB, Southern Miss (6’4/238) – One of the most versatile edge players in this years draft. Moved from cornerback to LB at Southern Miss. Now plays a type of “elephant” position as a hybrid DE/OLB. Projects to OLB in the NFL due to his lack of bulk and strength to play on the line of scrimmage. Outstanding speed and mobility, has consistently gotten better each season. Was able to stay motivated and play hard despite a horrendous win-less season this year. Collins has the speed and closing burst to be a pass rush specialist or sub-package rusher at the NFL level. Overall instincts need improvement as he appears to be a second late to diagnose run/pass.

Sanders Commings, CB, Georgia (6’1/216) – Big corner, who possesses Safety like bulk. Good cover-man and fluidity for a corner of his size. I think he possesses a ton of natural talent, but needs to be more consistent in showing it. Was very impressed by the way he showed up in the SEC Championship game. Can play both safety and corner. At times he shies away from contact and isn’t as active in run support as he should be. Was suspended 1st two games of the season for domestic battery charge, which is a definite red flag.

Lavar Edwards, DE, LSU (6’5/258) – Speaking of overshadowed, no one got overshadowed more in college football than Lavar Edwards. He’s one of the top 12 pass rushers in this draft and couldn’t even crack the starting lineup every week at LSU. Edwards could be the break out star at the Senior Bowl, because the eyes will be on him now. He doesn’t have the same burst or quickness as the top guys, but he is smart and disciplined player. He can set the edge vs. the run and uses his motor and quickness to rush the passer. He’s also quite versatile as he plays SSDE and moved inside to tackle on obvious passing downs. Edwards has the natural size to be a 4-3 DE and should be a solid pro player.

Khaseem Greene, OLB, Rutgers (6’1/234) – One of the most productive players in college football this year. Made plays in ever facet of the games and is considered one of the top OLB prospects in this year’s draft. He’s a bit undersized, but has good range vs. the run and runs down the ball carrier with good angles and speed. Greene can stay on the field on 3rd down and exhibits good cover skills in space, as well as the ability to man up vs. backs coming out of the backfield. Greene is also a very good blitzer. Overall, he is one of the most complete OLB prospects in this year’s draft for his ability to play in all situations and impact the game on each down.

Margus Hunt, DE, Southern Methodist (6’8/280) – Hunt is a physical monster. At 6’8″ he displays incredible athleticism and ability for a person of that height. The problem with Hunt is that he is new to the game of football and lacks polish. He needs to work on his technique and way too often he loses leverage. He has great natural strength, but doens’t always translate that to football strength. Hunt had an unbelievable bowl game, which has left everyone wanting to see more of that. He’ll be one of the most watched players this week.

Leon McFadden, CB, San Diego State (5’10/190) – Very good zone cornerback. Has experience playing press coverages, but don’t think he’s physical enough to do it in NFL. Good instincts and anticipation when in zone coverage, passes off the wide receiver and makes quick, decisive breaks on the ball. Might project best to slot corner, but I believe he has the ability to play both. McFadden has clean fluid hips and can move laterally with ease. He’s made a number of big plays for the Aztecs over the last two seasons. It’s a very good cornerback crop in Mobile this year and McFadden will be battling for one of the top corner spots.

Alex Okafor, DE, Texas (6’5/260) – NFL ready frame, Okafor should be able to contribute right away on an NFL defensive line. He does a good job of converting his speed to power when pass rusher. Doesn’t bend and run the corner as good as other linemen, but possesses better playing strength and ability to bull-rush. Okafor struggles at time vs. the run because he takes a round-a-bout rush route, leaving large running lanes inside. He needs to learn how to maintain inside leverage while rushing. Okafor does a good job of uses his hands to both get leverage and rip inside. Okafor is talked about a a potential first round pick, but I like him in the second round better. Either way he could be in for a big week.

Sean Porter, OLB, Texas A&M (6’2/230) – Was once thought to be the heir apparent to Von Miller, but was quickly passed by Damontre Moore. Porter is an athletic edge rusher, but struggles with the physical aspects of the game. He’s coming off a down season where he only mustered 3.5 sacks after posting 9.5 the season before. Porter gets walled off and pushed out of the gap too easily when playing the run, and it’s obvious he needs to become stronger and more physical. He has displayed impressive acceleration as an edge rusher at times, but Porter is a player I have lots of questions about.

Bacari Rambo, SAF, Georgia (6’0/210) – Rambo is a free safety prospect whose size and speed translate well to the NFL. Rambo is a big time play maker hauling in 11 INTs over the last two seasons. He’s got good ball skills and can cover a lot of ground quickly. Compared to other safeties here, Rambo takes good angles and anticipates plays well. Was named team captain in 2012, after an All-American junior campaign. But, he does have some off the field concerns as he was suspended the first four games of the season for failed drug tests.


Kenny Vaccaro, SAF, Texas (6’1/218) – Perhaps the best free safety in this year’s draft, Vaccaro will also have the tag as the most versatile defensive back as well. Vaccaro is fluid in coverage and spent much of this year as a slot corner. He’s got good zone coverage instincts and certainly has the athleticism to cover in man to man. Aside from FS, Vaccaro could play SS, star CB and even outside CB in a pinch. He will mix it up in the run game and can blitz off the edge. Vaccaro does have some possible red flags off the field and will do his own thing at times on the field. With a big week in Mobile, Vaccaro will have even more people anxious to get their hands on him during the draft.

Cornelius Washington, OLB, Georgia (6’4/268) – Another last second edition to the Senior Bowl mix. Washington has the perfect frame to play DE/OLB in the NFL. He has enough size and strength to be an “elephant” in a 3-4 front or play with his hand in the dirt. Not the most explosive rusher, but gets by with his power rush moves. Washington like other Georgia defensive prospects has off the field issues as he was arrest during his time at Georgia.
Shawn Williams, SAF, Georgia (6’1/218) – One of the top pure strong safeties in this years class. Williams is good in run support and has shown good open field tackling ability. He has been the vocal leader of the Bulldogs defense this season. Williams loves to come forward and deliver big hits and has been one of the more consistent players on that defense. Unlike many of his counterparts, Williams doesn’t have many off the field concerns, but may not have as high a ceiling. Prior to locking down the SS spot he was one of the key special teams contributors on the Bulldogs team .

[bfine32]

Reading the write up on those Safeties make me hope we take a Safety in the 1st 3 rounds. There appears to be a lot of talent and it doesn't even include underclassmen: Eric Reid, Matt Elam, and Tony Jefferson.

[wolfkaosaun]

I'm very excited about this Bowl. I like Rambo and think he would work out well.

Also going to be interesting to watch Sean Porter

[Burma]

Originally Posted by bfine32

Reading the write up on those Safeties make me hope we take a Safety in the 1st 3 rounds. There appears to be a lot of talent and it doesn't even include underclassmen: Eric Reid, Matt Elam, and Tony Jefferson.

I honestly had not even considered that as a possibilty, our need is so great. If we fail to secure one of the 7 good safety pospects in the draft I would be incredibly disappointed.

[wolfkaosaun]

Originally Posted by Burma

I honestly had not even considered that as a possibilty, our need is so great. If we fail to secure one of the 7 good safety pospects in the draft I would be incredibly disappointed.

Agreed. I'm tired of just having random guys come in and play opposite of Nelson. I mean, we had to bring Crocker back this year. Granted, I think he had a decent season, but still.

[Bengalsnati85]

Really like Vaccaro and Rambo but my fav is Khaseem Greene.

[D's Nuts and Bolts]

Originally Posted by Burma

From http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2013/...tml#more-22415

This is a great year for Senior Bowl talent. There are many players I will be watching. Here is a list of those I am most interested in for the Bengals. For a break down of the other players click the link above.Today is only a breakdown of the defense. The offense will follow later.

Here's another link as well.
http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cf...top-20-preview
Here is a link to the rosters.

http://www.seniorbowl.com/rosters.asp

Jamie Collins really intrigues me and reminds me of Taze some. You are right, there will be some good players on display. I want to see the Margus Hunt vs Eric Fisher battle. I also want to see Barner, Ellington, Gillislee all guys that fit what I think we are looking for with a RB selection.

Would have liked to see T. Austin and Vaccaro both dropped out of it.

[et2house]

Weigh-ins today. Robbie Rouse came in at 5'5 7/8" now I want him even more. I'd love to see a 5'5" guy running around on an NFL field.

http://www.walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2013.php

[Burma]

Several names mentioned here that I recall a few board members touting. Khaseem Greene is looking very good, as are the CB Poyer and Trufant. Ricky Wagner did well against Margus Hunt, but Oakfor got the better of him. Braxton Cave, meanwhile, is not looking so good. TJ MacDonald is struggling a bit. Good stuff all around

From http://www.nepatriotsdraft.com/2013/...-practice.html

The pads went on today for the first time in Mobile as the players began to showcase their physical talents to these NFL teams. For the first day it was a physical practice with a good amount of hitting, a lot of enthusiasm and an uptempo pace.
It’s clear to see that there is a lot of competition between these positions this year, with many of the players ranked similarly and fitting for draft position.
Here are my 15 thoughts from the first practice of the 2013 Senior Bowl.
1. The QB play today was sub-par. If I had to rank them, Ryan Nassib would be first. He should good zip on the ball, pretty good ball placement on intermediate routes and moved well in the pocket. He’s definitely got the best arm of any QB on the North Squad. Mike Glennon would be next. He had an inconsistent day with a poorly thrown deep ball, missing the open receiver at times and it’s clear his large frame limits his ability to move around the pocket. It takes him a long time to reset and then get rid of the ball.
Lastly, Zac Dysert. It was a tough day for Zac, who threw a couple of picks, over/under-threw receivers and looked rattled at times. He held onto the ball for a long time and struggled to pull the trigger. He ended with a nice deep connection to Markus Wheaton, but it’s clear Dysert needs a better couple days starting tomorrow.
2. It was a very strong day for UCLA RB Johnathan Franklin. He was clearly the best running back on the North Side, showing good explosion, cutback ability and very good hands down the middle of the field. He ran hard all day and made one of the plays of the day, by cutting all the way back behind the line of scrimmage to turn the corner.
I also really liked the way he made sure to finish his runs, and sprinted to the goal line despite the play being over.
3. Receiver wise, I thought Markus Wheaton was in a class by himself. He showed extremely strong hands, with the ability to go over the middle and really snatch the ball out of the air. He ran well and made a terrific catch in tight coverage to end the passing drills, where he was able to track the deep ball make an adjustment and go up and get it.
Wheaton also worked to return punts. It was fun to watch him battle against his teammate Jordan Poyer who was in press coverage vs. him most of the practice. Wheaton called Poyer “the best corner he has faced” and remarked that “he has never met a smarter press cover corner”.
4. Speaking of Poyer, I thought along with Desmond Trufant they were the best corner-backs THAT I WATCHED today. (It’s tough to watch everything at once). Poyer’s press coverage was sound and his recovery is what stood out. One one play he got turned around out of press coverage, but was able to adjust and break on the pass, which if he caught it would have been a pick six. It looks like Poyer can play a number of different schemes. He is smart, physical and as Wheaton said incredibly savvy.
Trufant stood out for his competitiveness. He was going hard and he appeared to set some of the tone with his play to the whistle mentality and his ability to get his hands on the ball. Trufant was joined at practice by his brothers Marcus and Isaiah. When I asked him if he was more like Marcus or more like Isaiah he replied “he’s a combination of both, because he can play slot and outside.”
5. Datone Jones won the weigh in earlier today with his incredible physique, but he also had a great day of practice. Jones came off the ball with a great first step very good leverage and seemed to get very easy movement vs. which ever OL he was matched up against. Jones pointed out that he was playing a lot of 3-Tech today and feels he can be as versatile in the NFL, because of his frame and quickness.
He’s very explosive when he wants to be and he created a lot of havoc for the opposing offense with his penetration and collapsing of the line. As a side note, I was thoroughly impressed with Jones in an interview, he definitely prepared hard for his and is in prime shape. He’s very football savvy and pointed out that when he played NT at UCLA, his responsibility was to cover the RB. If he keeps hit up all week, we could be talking about a first round draft pick.
6. Speaking of the offensive line, I thought Eric Fisher was tremendous today. He slides his feet so well and gets his long arms extended. With a 6’7″ frame it’s clear he is the most NFL ready LT prospect here. He makes it look easy, because his technique is sound.
I give Fisher a lot of credit, because he could have easily pulled out of here this week, since he is projected to go so high. He chose to come and compete and he’s showing why he is a top OT prospect.
7. If you don’t know of Florida International Safety Jonathan Cyprien now you will know him soon. He was the most physical player out on the field today. Even though the players were only in shorts and shells, Cyprien was delivering hits and trying to strip players of the ball. He was flying around the field and flowing to the ball with regularity.
Cyprien set the tone for the North defense in team drills and it looked like the players feed off of them. Besides his play on the field Jonathan was one of the most impressive players at the weigh in this morning.
8. Rutgers LB Khaseem Greene looked very good in 7 on 7 coverage drills. He was able to stay with the tight ends and backs coming out of the backfield with relative ease. He’s a smart player and was communicating a lot with his other teammates calling out alerts and coverages.
On a side note, I think it’s great that Kansas State LB Arthur Brown was at practice today, even though he pulled out with an injury. He was watching drills and trying to stretch out what appeared to be a lower body ailment. At one point even, he was standing next to Dennis Allen picking his brain about the defense.
9. Texas WR Marquis Goodwin is undersized, but he is so explosive. He’s got another gear and plays with a smoothness and confidence about him. He was used one a ton of reverses and as a gadget type player.
It’s clear he didn’t even gear it up to top speed but, he still was running by players and turning the corner on reverses. Speaking to a scout in the lobby, Goodwin really turned heads in his one day of practice at the NFLPA Bowl with his explosive speed.
10. Denard Robinson was trying his hand at receiver and punt returner today. He didn’t look natural returning punts at all. He was caught in between a fair catch and letting it go and just seemed unsure of himself.
As a receiver there is definitely potential at the position, but a lot of work is needed. He was running rounded routes and just wasn’t as impressive as I thought he would be. Robinson has huge hands at 10″ and worked the sidelines well, it will be intriguing to see how Robinson grows as the week goes on.
11. Ohio State LB John Simon struggled in coverage, especially when dropping backwards. He’s just not used to it and isn’t fluid enough in his hips to turn and run with tight ends. However, when he is coming forward and playing with the play in front of him he is a different player. He was playing a lot of strong side linebacker and did a nice job of setting the edge vs. the run, especially on a reverse to Marquise Goodwin.
Tomorrow I want to see Simon in pass rush drills and one on ones, because that is where he will make his money. He’s got a great lower body and can see where he generates all his power from.
12. There are three UConn players on the North Roster and all three made impact plays today. I was impressed with how powerful Trevardo Williams was. He’s known for his speed but, converted that power to speed with leverage and really jolted the OT back off the snap. In change of direction drills he looked really fluid, coming out of his breaks nicely.
Dwayne Gratz made a good interception while covering Aaron Dobson and showed good coverage skills for a bigger corner, including good jams at the line of scrimmage. Blidi Wreh-Wright capped off the day with another interception. Looks like new BC Defensive Coordinator Don Brown did a great job coaching these guys up over the last three years.
13. Kansas State WR Chris Harper showed a tremendous blend of size and speed. He was physical at the line of scrimmage and was able to get off press coverage. He was able to catch the ball in tight coverage and was one of the tougher guys to cover. On one particular play he beat Utah State CB Will Davis badly.
14. Oregon OL Kyle Long rotated between RT and RG, it looked to me like he was more comfortable inside at guard and handle himself pretty well. His athleticism is evident as he looks like an NFL player in pads and is able to move his feet and bend well. UConn OLB Trevardo Williams gave him some problems with a power bull-rush move off the snap.
15. Finally, I think the overwhelming take away from day one is no QB managed to separate themselves today and the level of play compared to last year is much better. The north’s secondary is very good and we didn’t even talk about Jamar Taylor who made a nice INT on an under-thrown Mike Glennon ball. It will be fun to watch tomorrow as the full pads go one and the intensity is geared up even another notch. As one player told me today “today was just about knocking the rust off.”
Quick Thoughts from the Notebook:
- Aaron Dobson struggled today, ran a bad route, didn’t come back to the ball and got cut off by the corner.
- Missouri Southern NT Brandon Williams is an nose tackle only, but he is stout, powerful and quick for his size.
- Glennon really struggled on the deep ball, when he tries to put touch on the ball he under-throws it.
- Brian Winters played today just as he did during the season, he is mean, physical and has real good hands.
- Alex Okafor was real good at times today, showing strong pass rush moves.
- TJ McDonald had an INT playing what appeared to be cover 2. He’s an impressive athlete.
- UCLA punter Jeff Locke was booming punts with at least a 5.00 hang time about 55 yards in the air.

From http://www.draftbrowns.com/2013/01/2...ractice-notes/

Meanwhile, in one-on-one drills between the linemen, Wisconsin’s Ricky Wagner held his own against the more highly touted Margus Hunt of SMU. Hunt is a towering figure at 6’8, but had a hard time moving Wagner, who dug in and anchored very well. Texas defensive end Alex Okafor got the best of Wagner once or twice, but overall the Badger tackle did well for himself.
The same could not be said for Notre Dame center Braxston Cave. He had trouble handling just about anyone who lined up across from him, and was especially overmatched against defensive tackles Sylvester Williams of North Carolina and Brandon Williams of Missouri Southern. The latter Williams, whose belly hung out from the bottom of his jersey most of the afternoon, ragdolled both Cave and Oregon offensive tackle Kyle Long within a few plays of each other. Williams, the only Division II on the North team, is an intriguing prospect to watch moving forward.

USC safety TJ McDonald looks great in his pads, but in watching the agility drills he was consistently way too high in his backpedal and required an extra step to break laterally. He committed a hold when covering Mellette out of the slot and got torched on a seam route by Western Kentucky TE Jack Doyle, who was faster than advertised.

[Stewee28]

There have been a TON of people clamoring for the Bengals to go after Greene. I will admit, I had my reserves on the kid, mainly because of his size, but after reading up on him, I would love to see him in stripes!!

Would it be wrong to even think of drafting two LBs early?? I love Ogletree but damn, Greene is straight up making his stamp on those practices. A lot of people may just push this information away bc it is "just practice," but when you can find someone that gives it their all in practice, it usually translates well to the field.

Ogletree
Lacy
Greene
Rambo

That would be a dream come true!!

[berserkerone88]

the FIU safety is one people are drooling about right now.

[Pezmerga]

I am intrigued by Jamie Collins, Shawn Williams, Sean Porter, Jordan Poyer, Leon McFadden, and Chris Harper.

[McC]

Originally Posted by Stewee28

There have been a TON of people clamoring for the Bengals to go after Greene. I will admit, I had my reserves on the kid, mainly because of his size, but after reading up on him, I would love to see him in stripes!!

Would it be wrong to even think of drafting two LBs early?? I love Ogletree but damn, Greene is straight up making his stamp on those practices. A lot of people may just push this information away bc it is "just practice," but when you can find someone that gives it their all in practice, it usually translates well to the field.

Ogletree
Lacy
Greene
Rambo

That would be a dream come true!!

I don't think it would be wrong. I think it would be a beautiful thing to fix that problem once and for all so we can stop talking about the same holes year after year.

We finally bit the bullet nd drafted a top flight G last year. Gotta keep that ball rolling.

If you get a WR in FA, it makes things like this possible.

[bfine32]

Bumped for Game Time

[ibengals]

Ansah with a couple of impressive plays early.

[Burma]

Michael Williams showing he's more than just a blocking machine. Nice catch. **edit** awsome TD catch. love me some Michael Williams.

Tavares King has an amazing release. and blocks down field.

Shawn Williams sheding blocks and looking very good in man coverage.

[BobJones4980]

Two of my favorites looking good atm, Manuel and Williams.

[ibengals]

Originally Posted by BobJones4980

Two of my favorites looking good atm, Manuel and Williams.

Manuel is getting a good pocket every play. Great offensive = better quarterback.

[BobJones4980]

Originally Posted by ibengals

Manuel is getting a good pocket every play. Great offensive = better quarterback.

No Doubt but the guy has potential, has a good arm and the feet to make plays, sure he needs to work on some things but as a backup he could do just that so drafting him in the 4th or 5th as our back up Id be all for it.

[ibengals]

Originally Posted by BobJones4980

No Doubt but the guy has potential, has a good arm and the feet to make plays, sure he needs to work on some things but as a backup he could do just that so drafting him in the 4th or 5th as our back up Id be all for it.

Yup, just hasn't developed as well as people had hoped.



I think Tyler Wilson is the best quarterback in this draft by the way. He's done quite a bit with a very little this past season. Losing your head coach, playing through injuries, and losing your top three receivers will inevitably cause you to struggle a bit.

[BobJones4980]

Originally Posted by ibengals

Yup, just hasn't developed as well as people had hoped.



I think Tyler Wilson is the best quarterback in this draft by the way. He's done quite a bit with a very little this past season. Losing your head coach, playing through injuries, and losing your top three receivers will inevitably cause you to struggle a bit.

Honestly I'm just happy we don't need to go QB early this year because I'm not a huge fan of any of them. If we did have to take one Id go Wilson over Barkley or Smith though.

Also for all the talk of Goodwin this week he has been less than impressive. Ansah making plays all day. Rambo making plays.

[Bengalrocker]

Ansah flashing today.

Rambo played that ball perfectly.

[Burma]

Originally Posted by Bengalrocker

Ansah flashing today.

Rambo played that ball perfectly.

That is the ball hawking 2x all SEC safety that many of us want. Outstanding anticipation and break on the ball.

[BobJones4980]

Wilson with an under throw to Hamilton or thats a TD. Atleast Hamilton keeps it from being intercepted.

[Bengalrocker]

Originally Posted by Burma

That is the ball hawking 2x all SEC safety that many of us want. Outstanding anticipation and break on the ball.

Would love either Rambo or Cyprien in stripes.