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’07 Senior Bowl Buzz

Fri, 01/26/2007 - 15:41 — Draft Insiders

’07 Senior Bowl Buzz
Practices Jan 22 thru 26 * Injured and will not play

The Complete Evaluation of Senior Bowl Week ’07 – Practices and Game
will be in Draft Insiders’ February Newsletter ‘07

Quarterbacks
Chris Leak of Florida had a quick delivery and good mechanics. He was very impressive on the 7-on-7 drills. He came in at an 1//8 under 6 feet tall and impressed throughout the week with his presence and passing skills. * Brady Quinn of Notre Dame opted out of the practices and game due to a minor knee problem. He should be ready for the NFL Combine, though may decide to workout at Notre Dame in March. Troy Smith of Ohio St displayed fine accuracy and arm strength. He moved well in the pocket and took command of the offense and had a good week in general. QB Drew Stanton of Michigan St threw the ball well most of the week. He can make all the throws with nice consistency and accuracy. He also moves well in the pocket with the ability to throw on the run with fine accuracy. Tyler Palko of Pittsburgh showed only adequate arm strength but he displayed fairly good accuracy and mobility. Kevin Kolb of Houston threw the ball well with good velocity and accuracy. He moved well in the pocket and made sound decisions under pressure.

Running Backs
Tony Hunt of Penn St had a strong effort with little fanfare. He hit the hole quickly and made sound running decisions. He caught the ball naturally and got into his routes easily. Lorenzo Booker of Florida St was very quick with the speed to accelerate through the hole and change directions on a dime. Thomas Clayton of Kansas St.was a late addition when * Garrett Wolfe sustained a hamstring injury. He ran hard showing power between the tackles and the ability to make defenders miss on the 2nd level. Brian Leonard of Rutgers lined up at both backfield spots with more reps as a fullback. He impressed in all areas, catching the ball extremely well and hitting the hole with quickness and power.

Wide Receivers
Aundrae Allison of East Carolina displayed fine separation ability with the deep speed to hit the home run. He caught the ball well on all his routes. Rhema McKnight of Notre Dame made a fine catch in the fad pattern late in the week. He has good body control and improved over the week with refined receiving skills. Dwayne Bowe of LSU was a physical receiver who got off the line well and used his big frame to shield defenders from the ball. He caught the ball well after a year removed from his lasik eye procedure. Jason Hill of Washington St caught the ball well and adjusted easily to errant passes displaying fine body control and good hands. Craig Davis LSU opted out of week with a groin injury during training. Brandon Myles of West Virginia was quick off the line and separated nicely in his routes. He displayed very good hands, in addition to excellent body control and fine leaping ability. Jeff Samadzija of Notre Dame signed a 10 year lucrative baseball contract the week before the event and cancelled his commitment. Paul Williams of Fresno St. was a late addition and displayed the top speed with the extra gear to separate in the deep game. He beat several corners in the deep game.

Offensive Linemen
OT Levi Brown Penn St has the prototypical skills. He is cut a little high but he has the long arms and the bubble butt the position demands. He can be slow to get his hands on a defender at times, but when he does he usually controls an opponent easily.
OT Joe Staley of Central Michigan is an imposing athlete. He looks lean at 6055 and 296 lbs. and moves very well. He sits well in his pro set and handles the bull rush well despite the lean frame. He slides very well with good hand placement to force rushers wide of the pocket. He counters quickly and handled physical and fast edge rushers well over the week. Guard Tim Duckworth of Auburn was physical at the point of attack once he gets his hands on a defender early on the down. He is an interesting prospect. Center Ryan Kalil of Southern Cal is a quick, tough and sound technician who gets the most out of his AA. He may have helped himself as much as any player over the course of the week.

Defensive Linemen
DE Adam Carriker of Nebraska was very impressive displaying fine pass rushing and run stuffing skills. He was one of the best performers on either side of the ball over the week. DE Chase Pittman of LSU was physical displaying fine run stuffing skills and the ability to bull rush and push the pocket.
Defensive Tackles
DT Amobi Okoye of Louisville had an impressive week and helped his status significantly. He was smaller than expected but very quick off the snap. He beat blockers consistently and was a disruptive force from the inside. He could move into the first round with a strong game and later workout. Brandon Mebane of California came on strong over the week. He flashed some explosiveness on the inside and the ability to make plays outside the box.

Defensive Backs
CB Daymeion Hughes of California had a strong week. He has well developed technique with good movement skills and the instincts to anticipate well and put himself in position to make plays. CB Aaron Ross of Texas looks like a blue chip athlete but has periods of inconsistencies. He came up to support the run quickly with the ability to get off blockers. In coverage, he needs some work on his play recognition but he showed good movement skills with the speed and agility to match up in man situations. Safety Kevin Payne of Louisiana-Monroe moved well and got to the ball consistently. He needs some development in pass coverage. Safety Eric Weddle of Utah is a fine athlete with decent size and top instincts to play a few positions. He located the ball consistently and displayed the AA to make plays in both run support and pass coverage.

The Complete Evaluation of Senior Bowl Week ’07 – Practices and Game
will be in Draft Insiders’ February Newsletter ‘07