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Tandon Doss.

Here's more reporting from Scott Wright. Only pasting the notable names / positions we need. There's much more to read via the links . . .

http://www.draftcountdown.com/features/SeniorBowl/reports/Practices/North-125.php

NORTH:

Boise St. WR Titus Young has been one of the North’s most impressive player so far this week. Young has a great burst off the line and is very quick, eating up turf in a hurry. On more than one occasion Young was praised by coaches for his route running and on a side note he actually grunts a lot while running. Young also showed the ability to avoid the jam at the line, which will be key for a guy with his slight frame. At one point Young was matched up with the likes of Quinton Carter and Eric Hagg, which wasn’t fair as he beat them with ease.

San Diego St. WR Vincent Brown is not super fast and doesn’t get a lot of separation but he catches everything, runs polished routes and knows how to use his body to his advantage.

Ohio St. WR Dane Sanzanbacher performed extremely well in his first practice since joining the squad as an injury replacement. Sanzanbacher flashed on a number of occasions today, making a couple of contested catches and adjusting to snag a ball that was thrown well behind him.

Indiana OT James Brewer had another solid day. As more of a run blocker, Brewer struggled to finish some plays in pass protection on the left side. In 7-on-7’s he performed under control and seemed to know what to do. Though his footwork and athleticism weren’t always top-notch, Brewer showed he could hold his own.

Wisconsin OT Gabe Carimi played both guard and tackle today. He was the one tackle who moved to guard who was effective most of the time. Against Stanford NT Sione Fua, for example, Carimi used his hands to keep Fua’s strength at bay. In 7-on-7’s, Carimi played left tackle and showed the feet and quickness needed to be a starter at the next level.

Boston College OT Anthony Castonzo showed good feet throughout the day. In a tough match-up against Ryan Kerrigan, Castonzo forced Kerrigan to go wide and as a result he didn’t make much of an impact on the play. At guard Castonzo struggled, getting pushed back by Sione Fua on one play. Castonzo also had a false start at guard in the 7-on-7’s. One key play was when Castonzo got off of a block and got to the second level to engage teammate Mark Herzlich, who promptly used a swim move to blow right past Castonzo. Overall, it was an up and down day.

Wisconsin OG John Moffitt had a very good day. Moffitt abused Sione Fua in “The Pit” early on, using his hands well to counter Fua’s strength. Moffitt also looked more athletic than anticipated when pulling.

Colorado OT Nate Solder looked very athletic, but he continues to struggle with the fundamentals. In “The Pit” Solder’s arm placement was poor and he never had good leverage. At one point Jeremy Beal blew past him with a speed rush. Cameron Jordan used a power move to knock Solder back and get around him. In the 7-on-7’s Solder struggled at guard, but had some shining moments against Ryan Kerrigan, finally getting good leverage. Overall it was an up and down performance.

Iowa DT Christian Ballard had a dynamic day. Ballard moved his feet well and spent most of his time at defensive end, which may be his best fit. In the 7-on-7’s Ballard showed a nice power move to go through Anthony Castonzo. In “The Pit” Ballard was using a variety of pass rush moves, including a swim around Jason Pinkston. Very impressive.

Stanford DT Sione Fua had a good day. He wasn’t flashy, but he showed fantastic strength to knock interior linemen back. Fua had some great push in “The Pit” as well. When Fua was on, he was really on and even beat a few double teams in a drill designed for it.

California DE Cameron Jordan was downright dominant. It did not matter who he matched up against, Cameron Jordan got past them. Jordan used power moves, swim moves, speed, strength and more to get the job done. Jordan’s motor was running high regardless of whether he was outside at end or inside at tackle. The best performance of the 2011 Senior Bowl so far, and by a wide margin.

Purdue DE Ryan Kerrigan had another very good day. In 7-on-7’s Kerrigan was working on jumping snaps. This led to a false start when he jumped one of Colin Kaepernick’s snaps and got into the backfield. In “The Pit” Kerrigan had some initial trouble with Nate Solder, then got around him for a few reps and later forced a hold.

Washington OLB Mason Foster displayed great change of direction skills and covers a lot of ground sideline-to-sideline. It’s almost like he's gliding across the field.

Boston College OLB Mark Herzlich doesn’t have great change of direction skills and is bordering on stiff but he is extremely active and always gives 110% effort.

Oregon ILB Casey Matthews was very active and aggressive in the box and around the line of scrimmage, flashing a number of times in that area.

Ohio St. OLB Ross Homan does a nice job in pursuit but wasn’t making plays by himself and always seemed to have help. Toward the end of practice Homan stepped up to fill in the hole and made a tackle in the backfield.

Oklahoma S Quinton Carter appears to have either been given to taken on a leadership role with the North defense. It was Carter who was responsible for his defense lining up properly today.

Colorado CB Jalil Brown flips his hips and transitions well for a guy his size. I was also impressed by how physical and violent Brown is while jamming at the line of scrimmage.

Virginia Tech CB Rashad Carmichael looked athletic and has very quick feet but struggled again at times today. One example was when he was unable to get a jam on Vincent Brown at the line.

http://www.draftcountdown.com/features/SeniorBowl/reports/Practices/South-125.php

SOUTH

South Alabama WR Courtney Smith is as athletically gifted as advertised. There is still plenty of work to do from a route running perspective, but Smith went out and used his natural talent to more often than not beat opposing corners. Of particular note, Smith got behind Shareece Wright for a HUGE diving catch that made the crowd go “Ooh”.

TCU WR Jeremy Kerley gave good effort but just wasn’t big or physical enough to match up with most South defenders. Kerley had a few good catches when the corners were playing back, but overall was nothing special.

Miami (FL) WR Leonard Hankerson did an excellent job of finding the soft spot in zones. Hankerson went over the middle a few times and made a nice catch on a crossing route from Greg McElroy, which he could have taken for more yardage. Hankerson had a few drops throughout the day, although he contends it was just one, but his natural skills were quite evident.

Hawaii WR Greg Salas had a great practice. Salas was extremely precise with his routes and cuts, also showcasing great hands. One of the best routes Salas ran was a simple hitch in the 11-on-11’s where he used his feet to fool Marcus Gilchrist. Salas’ highlight play was a stop-and-go where DeMarcus Van Dyke bit hard and Salas ran right past him for a long touchdown. In some ways Salas looked similar to Andre Roberts when he performed well in Mobile a year ago.

Mississippi St. OT Derek Sherrod really fires off the ball aggressively and got to the second level with ease. Sherrod also looked extremely comfortable in pass protection, stonewalling Allen Bailey with relative ease on multiple occasions.

Florida St. OG Rodney Hudson had a couple of nice battles with Allen Bailey. On the first rep Hudson got pushed backwards by Bailey but the next time around he was able to hold his ground.

Baylor OG Danny Watkins was the only guy who could slow down Cedric Thornton. Regardless of who he was matched up against, defenders facing Watkins could expect a lot of violence. Watkins had some particularly vicious encounters with Chris Nield.

Florida OT Marcus Gilbert was solid at right tackle against everyone he faced.

Arkansas OT DeMarcus Love struggled mightily, especially at guard.

Georgia OT Clint Boling did a nice job at right tackle for the most part.

Alabama OL James Carpenter was much more impressive than expected, especially after winning the weigh-in's mythical “Bad Body” award. Even though Carpenter played tackle for the Crimson Tide, most have him projected as a guard in the NFL. However, Carpenter played left tackle today and more than held his own. If he keeps it up that versatility will really work in Carpenter’s favor on Draft Day.

Miami (FL) DE Allen Bailey displayed nimble feet in drills and is very strong. However, Bailey did not showcase a wide array of moves and it seemed like bull rush after bull rush after bull rush, which often times wasn’t effective.

One of the surprises of the week thus far has been the play of Southern Arkansas DT Cedric Thornton. Much like Alex Carrington a year ago, Thornton came into the week firmly under the radar but has made quite a positive impression. Thornton is very strong and has shown the ability to make plays in the backfield. It seems as though Thornton was getting the best of every blocker he faced, getting under and dominating Lee Ziemba on back-to-back reps then dipping under Kris O’Dowd.

Baylor DT Phil Taylor looked outstanding. At different times Taylor dominated DeMarcus Love on back-to-back reps, ferociously jacked Lee Ziemba and walked back Jake Kirkpatrick. Based on his showing in Mobile so far, it appears safe to say that Taylor will be selected in the top three rounds.

Texas DE Sam Acho was supposedly trying out some new pass rush moves and if that’s the case I’d recommend he throw them out the window because they aren’t working. Acho was basically a non-factor all day long.

West Virginia DT Chris Nield stays low to the ground and is very active, displaying a motor that just won’t quit.

Clemson DT Jarvis Jenkins flashed at various times, beating DeMarcus Love then also using his speed and quickness to get by Kris O’Dowd.

Auburn ILB Josh Bynes was below average. He was beat by all three tight ends at one point in the one-on-one drills and did not show any range.

Miami OLB Colin McCarthy really had trouble getting off of blocks in the 11-on-11 drills. McCarthy had a few moments in coverage, intercepting an errant pass from Andy Dalton, but had a difficult time reacting to both tight ends and running backs.

Texas A&M OLB Von Miller had an above average day as a whole. In 11-on-11’s, Miller did a very good job of going sideline-to-sideline and sniffing out runners. Miller did have some trouble in coverage against the tight ends though. Miller worked through traffic much better than anticipated.

LSU LB Kelvin Sheppard was very impressive. Sheppard displayed some speed off the edge and got sideline-to-sideline well. Sheppard also served as a vocal leader for his fellow linebackers.

Florida S Ahmad Black had a very good day of practice. Black looked pretty tiny out on the field but he never let that dissuade him. Black was very smooth in the early movement drills and broke up a big pass in 7-on-7s in the flat. Black was fluid and really excelled in coverage. Based on the way he played today, a move to cornerback may not be out of the question.

Clemson CB Marcus Gilchrist was the vocal leader of the South secondary. Gilchrist could often be heard pumping up his teammates before a play was run and giving praise or suggestions as well. In drills, Gilchrist broke on a ball thrown by TCU’s Andy Dalton and dropped a sure-fire Pick 6. However, beyond that he didn’t appear to have great speed or technique.

Louisville CB Johnny Patrick was very impressive. Patrick showed great change of direction skills at the beginning of practice. Patrick was matched up against Courtney Smith a lot, who is much thicker and taller, yet Patrick rarely let him have much space deep.

L.S.U. CB Patrick Peterson was in attendance. Peterson, who is only a junior, wasn’t playing in the game but is in Mobile to interview with and glad-hand NFL scouts and decision-makers. In fact, Peterson was observed talking to the Carolina Panthers, who have the #1 overall pick. Peterson told us he hopes to check in at 6-1 and 208 pounds then run a 4.2 forty at the Scouting Combine.

Even though there were a number of impressive performances this morning, Cameron Jordan was by far the star of the show. In fact, based on the way he's been playing Jordan might be the best player in Mobile this year. With prospects like Jordan, Young, Kerrigan, Castonzo, Solder, Ballard, Locker, Carimi and Herzlich, the North squad is absolutely loaded with early round picks and that talent was evident between the lines today.

It usually takes a couple of practices to get a good feel for all the players but there were a number of impressive performances on the South squad today. The question is will those who stood out be able to maintain that momentum and will those who had some issues be able to turn things around? Only time will tell, but as always this South team is undeniably loaded with talent.

Pre Combine/pro days top:

CB;

1) Patrick Peterson
1) Prince Amukamara
1-2) Brandon Harris
1-2) Jimmy Smith
1-2) Aaron Williams
2) Johnny Patrick
2) Devon House
2-3) Brandon Burton
2-3) Curtis Brown
3) Justin Rogers
3) Ras-I Dowling±
3-4) Chimdi Chekwa
3-4) Chris L. Rucker
3-4) Corey Lindsey
4) Shareece Wright
4) Jaili Brown
4-5) Rashad Carmichea
4-5) Curtis Marsh
5) Cortez Allen
5) Chykie Brown
5) Anthony Gaitor
5-6) Brandon Hogan±
5-6) Kendric Burney
6) Chris Culliver±
6) Mario Butler
6) Devon Torrence
6-7) Ryan Jones
6-7) Josh Thomas
7-FA Andrew McGee
7-FA) DeMarkus VanDyke

± coming off an injury

My NFL Draft : Big Board

Legend
+ = Rising Stock
- = Falling Stock
= Injury Concerns
!!! = Character Concerns
??? = Work Ethic Concerns


Quarterbacks
--1-- Cam Newton - Auburn
--2-- Blaine Gabbert - Missouri ???
--3-- Ryan Mallett - Arkansas - / !!! / ???
--4-- Jake Locker - Washington -
--5-- Ricky Stanzi - Iowa
--6-- Andy Dalton - TCU
--7-- Christian Ponder - Florida State
--8-- Pat Devlin - Delaware
--9-- Greg McElroy - Alabama
--10-- Mitch Mustain - Southern Cal

Running Backs
--1-- Mikel LeShoure - Illinois
--2-- Jordan Todman - Connecticut +
--3-- Mark Ingram - Alabama
--4-- Daniel Thomas - Kansas State
--5-- Delone Carter - Syracuse +
--6-- DeMarco Murray - Oklahoma
--7-- Ryan Williams - Virginia Tech
--8-- Stevan Ridley - LSU
--9-- Taiwan Jones - Eastern Washington
--10-- Bilal Powell - Louisville +
--11-- Kendall Hunter - Oklahoma State +
--12-- Dion Lewis - Pittsburgh -
--13-- Derrick Locke - Kentucky +
--14-- Darren Evans - Virginia Tech
--15-- Roy Helu - Nebraska +

Fullbacks
--1-- Owen Marecic - Stanford+
--2-- Henry Hynoski - Pittsburgh
--3-- Preston Dial - Alabama
--4-- Charles Clay - Tulsa
--5-- Stanley Havili - Southern Cal

Wide Receivers
--1-- A.J. Green - Georgia
--2-- Julio Jones - Alabama
--3-- Torrey Smith - Maryland +
--4-- Titus Young - Boise State +
--5-- Jonathan Baldwin - Pittsburgh !!!
--6-- Tandon Doss - Indiana +
--7-- Leonard Hankerson - Miami (Fl) +
--8-- Austin Pettis - Boise State
--9-- Dwayne Harris - East Carolina +
--10-- Terrence Toliver - LSU
--11-- Randall Cobb - Kentucky
--12-- Greg Little - North Carolina
--13-- Tori Gurley - South Carolina
--14-- Courtney Smith - South Alabama +
--15-- Dane Sanzenbacher - Ohio State

Tight Ends
--1-- Kyle Rudolph - Notre Dame
--2-- Lance Kendricks - Wisconsin
--3-- Mike McNeill - Nebraska +
--4-- D.J. Williams - Arkansas
--5-- Andre Smith - Virginia Tech
--6-- Luke Stocker - Tennessee -
--7-- Jordan Cameron - Southern Cal +
--8-- Charlie Gantt - Michigan State
--9-- Virgil Green - Nevada
--10-- Zach Pianalto - North Carolina -

Offensive Tackles
--1-- Derek Sherrod - Mississippi State +
--2-- Gabe Carimi - Wisconsin +
--3-- Tyron Smith - Southern Cal
--4-- Marcus Cannon - TCU +
--5-- Anthony Castonzo - Boston College
--6-- Joseph Barksdale - LSU +
--7-- Nate Solder - Colorado
--8-- Danny Watkins - Baylor
--9-- DeMarcus Love - Arkansas -
--10-- Derek Hall - Stanford
--11-- Chris Hairston - Clemson
--12-- Derek Newton - Arkansas State +
--13-- Willie Smith - East Carolina
--14-- Mike Person - Montana State +
--15-- Marcus Gilbert - Florida -

Offensive Guards
--1-- Benjamin Ijalana - Vanderbilt +
--2-- Mike Pouncey - Florida
--3-- John Moffitt - Wisconsin
--4-- Jason Pinkston - Pittsburgh +
--5-- Rodney Hudson - Florida State ???
--6-- Stephen Schilling - Michigan
--7-- Will Rackley - Lehigh +
--8-- Orlando Franklin - Miami (Fl) -
--9-- Lee Ziemba - Auburn
--10-- Clint Boling - Georgia
--11-- James Carpenter - Alabama
--12-- Zach Hurd - Connecticut +
--13-- Andrew Jackson - Fresno State
--14-- Justin Boren - Ohio State -
--15-- Randall Hunt - Illinois

Centers
--1-- Stefan Wisniewski - Penn State
--2-- Kristofer O'Dowd - Southern Cal
--3-- Jake Kirkpatrick - TCU
--4-- Brandon Fusco - Slippery Rock
--5-- Kevin Kowalski - Toledo
--6-- Tim Barnes - Missouri
--7-- Alex Linnenkohl - Oregon State -
--7-- Jason Kelce - Cincinnati
--8-- Zach Williams - Washington State
--9-- Ryan Bartholomew - Stracuse +
--10-- Colin Baxter - Arizona

Defensive Ends (4-3)
--1-- Da'Quan Bowers - Clemson ???
--2-- Robert Quinn - North Carolina -
--3-- Aldon Smith - Missouri
--4-- J.J. Watt - Wisconsin
--5-- Jeremy Beal - Oklahoma +
--6-- Ryan Kerrigan - Purdue +
--7-- Jabaal Sheard - Pittsburgh +
--8-- Adrian Clayborn - Iowa -
--9-- Pernell McPhee - Mississippi State
--10-- Sam Acho - Texas +
--11-- Pierre Allen - Nebraska
--12-- Ricky Elmore - Arizona +
--13-- Cliff Matthews - South Carolina
--14-- Markus White - Florida State -
--15-- Greg Romeus - Pittsburgh

Defensive Tackles (4-3 & 3-4)
--1-- Nick Fairley - Auburn
--2-- Marcell Dareus - Alabama
--3-- Cameron Jordan - California +
--4-- Drake Nevis - LSU
--5-- Allen Bailey - Miami (Fl)
--6-- Corey Liuget - Illinois +
--7-- Muhammed Wilkerson - Temple +
--7-- Stephen Paea - Oregon State
--8-- Adrian Clayborn - Iowa -
--9-- Christian Ballard - Iowa +
--10-- Jurrell Casey - Southern Cal -
--11-- Phil Taylor - Baylor +
--12-- Marvin Austin - North Carolina !!!
--13-- Sione Fua - Stanford -
--14-- Lawrence Guy - Arizona State
--15-- Terrell McClain - South Florida +

Defensive Ends (Five-Techniques)
--1-- Nick Fairley - Auburn
--2-- Marcell Dareus - Alabama
--3-- Cameron Jordan - California +
--4-- Allen Bailey - Miami (Fl)
--5-- J.J. Watt - Wisconsin
--6-- Adrian Clayborn - Iowa -
--7-- Corey Liuget - Illinois +
--8-- Muhammed Wilkerson - Temple +
--9-- Christian Ballard - Iowa +
--10-- Cameron Heyward - Ohio State - / / ???

Linebackers (3-4)
--1-- Robert Quinn - North Carolina
--2-- Jeremy Beal - Oklahoma +
--3-- Ryan Kerrigan - Purdue +
--4-- Justin Houston - Georgia
--5-- Martez Wilson - Illinois +
--6-- Von Miller - Texas A&M +
--7-- Akeem Ayers - UCLA +
--8-- Jabaal Sheard - Pittsburgh
--9-- Mark Herzlich - Boston College +
--10-- Brooks Reed - Arizona
--11-- Thomas Keiser - Stanford +
--12-- Aldon Smith - Missouri
--13-- Lawrence Wilson - Connecticut +
--14-- Dontay Moch - Nevada -
--15-- Doug Hogue - Syracuse +

Outside Linebackers (4-3)
--1-- Akeem Ayers - UCLA +
--2-- Mark Herzlich - Boston College +
--3-- Quan Sturdivant - North Carolina
--4-- Mason Foster - Washington
--5-- Bruce Carter - North Carolina
--6-- Greg Jones - Michigan State -
--7-- K.J. Wright - Mississippi State
--8-- Quentin Davie - Northwestern
--9-- Doug Hogue - Syracuse +
--10-- Mario Harvey - Marshall +

Inside Linebackers (3-4 & 4-3)
--1-- Akeem Ayers - UCLA +
--2-- Martez Wilson - Illinois +
--3-- Quan Sturdivant - North Carolina
--4-- Casey Matthews - Oregon +
--5-- Greg Jones - Michigan State -
--6-- Bruce Carter - North Carolina
--7-- Nate Irving - North Carolina State
--8-- Kevlin Sheppard - LSU
--9-- Greg Lloyd - Connecticut +
--10-- Akeem Dent - Georgia

Cornerbacks
--1-- Patrick Peterson - LSU
--2-- Prince Amukumara - Nebraska
--3-- Brandon Harris - Miami (Fl) -
--4-- Johnny Patrick - Louisville +
--5-- Aaron Williams - Texas
--6-- Davon House - New Mexico
--7-- Korey Lindsey - Illinois State +
--8-- Jimmy Smith - Colorado -
--9-- Curtis Brown - Texas
--10-- Ras I Dowling - Virginia
--11-- Brandon Burton - Utah
--12-- Curtis Marsh - Utah State +
--13-- Justin Rogers - Richmond +
--14-- Rashad Carmichael - Virginia Tech
--15-- Chykie Brown - Texas -

Free Safety
--1-- Rahim Moore - UCLA ???
--2-- Quinton Carter - Oklahoma
--3-- Jerrard Tarrant - Georgia Tech +
--4-- DeAndre McDaniel - Clemson -
--5-- Deunta Williams - North Carolina
--6-- Robert Sands - West Virginia
--7-- Chris Conte - California
--8-- Chris Culliver - South Carolina
--9-- Tejay Johnson - TCU +
--10-- Jermale Hines - Ohio State -

Strong Safety
--1-- Jaiquawn Jarrett - Temple
--2-- Tyler Sash - Iowa +
--3-- Jeron Johnson - Boise State
--4-- Joe Lefeged - Rutgers +
--5-- DeAndre McDaniel - Clemson -
--6-- Nate Williams - Washington +
--7-- Shiloh Keo - Idaho +
--8-- Ahmad Black - Florida
--9-- Eugene Clifford - Tennessee State
--10-- Johnny Brown - Mississippi

Kickers/Punters
--1-- Derek Epperson - Baylor +
--2-- Ricky Henery - Nebraska
--3-- Chas Henry - Florida +
--4-- Ryan Donahue - Iowa
--5-- Matt Bosher - Miami (Fl)
--6-- Dan Bailey - Oklahoma State +
--7-- Josh Jasper - LSU
--8-- Anthony Santella - Illinois
--9-- Kyle Brotzman - Boise State -
--10-- David Ruffer - Notre Dame

The fact that Cam Newton can get rated as the #1 QB clearly indicates that there isn't a QB in this class at all.

Don't understand why Newton gets so much hate.

I don't think he's that great of a passer.

I have a few questions.

1. Why doesn't Newton have character concerns?

2. Do you think Fairley is possibly a one year wonder?

3. Why is Von Miller ranked so low? (Mayock has him as the top linebacker and Schefter has heard he is a possible top 5 pick)

4. Why does Rahim Moore have work ethic concerns? I live in L.A. and have never heard a negative word about Moore's work ethic. If anything I've heard only positives.

5. Did you forget Kai Forbath? He has to be in the top 10 of any Kicker/Punter list.

I have watched him play more than a couple games as Auburn was on a lot this year.

And yes he has great arm strength and alright accuracy. But he usually makes his first read and if that guy is not open he takes off. From what I saw anyway.

He also, like Tebow, didn't take many snaps from behind center. And I'm always wary of guys who had only one good year in college (no matter how good it was).

I think given the right situation he can succeed. But he needs a lot of work.

And here's more from Scott Wright for Wednesday . . .

http://www.draftcountdown.com/features/SeniorBowl/reports/Practices/North-126.php

NORTH

Boise State WR Titus Young had a few nice catches today. On a high pass in 7-on-7’s from Jake Locker, Young made a jumping catch and continued moving his feet to pick up yards after the catch. Didn’t always run perfect routes, but looked incredible the rest of the way.

San Diego State WR Vincent Brown showed a nice stride in 7-on-7’s. He adjusted to balls well and didn’t let anything hit the ground.

Boise State WR Austin Pettis had a great day. Pettis made some nice catches in 7-on-7’s where he extended for the ball. Pettis caught most balls at their highest point and in 11-on-11’s he beat North Carolina CB Kendric Burney for a long touchdown. Overall Pettis appears to be a complete wideout.

Ohio State WR Dane Sanzenbacher looked very sharp. Sanzenbacher rarely let a pass hit the ground and always caught with hands. Sanzenbacher does not get a whole lot of separation, but he runs precise routes and when thrown the ball he made the catch. At one point Sanzenbacher caught a rope over the middle from Jake Locker in 11-on-11’s then took it for big yards after the catch.

Indiana OT James Brewer had a pretty good day. In fact, Brewer was able to stonewall Christian Ballard in 11-on-11's and also held his own against Cameron Jordan. Not many blockers can say that this week!

Colorado OT Nate Solder is a fantastic pass protector who is smooth, fluid and really makes it look easy. That was especially evident today in 11-on-11's.

California DE Cameron Jordan’s reign of terror continued today. The North blockers couldn’t even contain Jordan by way of a double-team, with the duos of Nate Solder / Mike McNeill and Steve Schilling / Kevin Kowalski both failing to slow down the Cal star. At times Jordan also lined up at defensive tackle and was effective there as well. Jason Pinkston was one of Jordan’s many victims after he engaged then used a swim move to pass right on by the Pitt blocker. Jordan is even doing the little things. In 11-on-11’s the offense would have had a big play if Jordan didn’t keep contain when Colin Kaepernick rolled out to run. However, Jordan stayed disciplined and was able to limit the damage.

Purdue DE Ryan Kerrigan displayed better speed off the edge than I anticipated. Kerrigan also drew praised from the coaches for generating pressure in 11-on-11’s.

Iowa DT / DE Christian Ballard was downright dominant today. At one point in 11-on-11’s near the end of practice Ballard was playing like a man possessed, blowing up three plays in the backfield. Don’t be surprised if Ballard gets some late first round consideration after the week he’s had in Mobile.

Stanford DT Sione Fua continued to have a solid, albeit unspectacular, week and today he got the best of Brandon Fusco. Fua will never be much of a dynamic, playmaking force but he’s strong and stout and that schematic versatility will be a huge feather in his cap on Draft Day.

Washington OLB Mason Foster looked extremely “clean” today. Foster was shedding blocks left and right. In 7-on-7’s, Foster seemed to identify run and pass plays immediately, covering Lee Smith and Mike McNeil very well. Foster blew up a Da’Rel Scott run in the backfield at one point in 11-on-11’s as well. Overall it was another great day for Mason Foster.

Boston College OLB Mark Herzlich was okay today but nothing special. Early in coverage drills Herzlich got matched up with Niles Paul and couldn’t keep up. Herzlich did well against the run and was able to weed through traffic but he looked off balance on a few plays.

Oregon ILB Casey Matthews seemed to be lost a lot in this practice. Unlike his brother Clay, Matthews really isn’t a great pass rusher. Matthews was eaten up by blockers, specifically Lee Smith at one point.

Ohio State OLB Ross Homan had another poor day of practice. Homan was out of position in coverage drills a few times and rarely shed a block.

UConn OLB Lawrence Wilson had a strong day of practice. Wilson had some trouble shedding blocks in the 11-on-11’s, but he played intelligently and was surprisingly physical. Wilson also looked very good in coverage, batting down a big pass in 7-on-7’s from Colin Kaepernick.

Michigan State ILB Greg Jones had another mediocre day of practice. Jones has a nice burst, but got eaten up by any lineman he went up against.

Oklahoma S Quinton Carter looked like the best of the safeties today. Carter showed off good ball skills in the interception drills early in practice and looked pretty fluid in 7-on-7’s. Carter even contained Colin Kaepernick on an option play.

Colorado CB Jalil Brown had another solid day of practice. Brown did a nice job of creeping up and playing physical with opposing receivers. Brown needs to work on squaring his hips a bit more, but he had a few great battles. Loved the tenacity.

http://www.draftcountdown.com/features/SeniorBowl/reports/Practices/South-126.php

SOUTH

Miami (FL) WR Leonard Hankerson has big, strong hands and snatches balls out of air with natural pass catching abilites. Looks like he was born to play wideout.

Hawaii WR Greg Salas struggled at times today and rounded off some routes. Salas also isn’t very fast or explosive and won’t be a vertical threat at the next level.

Mississippi State OT Derek Sherrod had a volatile day. In his matchup with Von Miller in “The Pit,” he was beat twice in a row off the edge but got the best of Miller in their third meeting. Sherrod uses his hands very well and after getting beat he comes back the next play with a solution. Against Brooks Reed in “The Pit” he held up well in pass protection and wouldn’t let Reed get past him.

Georgia OT Clint Boling never got low in his stance and just seemed to lack leverage. A guard at the next level.

Auburn OT Lee Ziemba struggled again today, with players like Brooks Reed and Cedric Thornton pushing him back. Didn’t get his hands inside quick enough either.

Alabama OG James Carpenter held his own in “The Pit.” Moved around Sam Acho on one play and held up against Allen Bailey on another.

Arkansas OT DeMarcus Love improved from the day before, holding up for the most part. Didn’t show any power or a mean streak though. Allen Bailey got the best of him twice. Love is no longer in contention with that top tier of tackles.

Florida State OG Rodney Hudson struggled for most of the day. Baylor DT Phil Taylor dominated Hudson, driving him backwards in 7-on-7’s and in “The Pit.” Hudson just isn't strong enough to handle a guy like that.

Baylor OG Danny Watkins continues to play with violence and a mean streak. Watkins showed good strength at the point of attack and was pushing around Sam Acho in “The Pit.” Few players have been as consistent as Watkins this week.

Southern Arkansas DT Cedric Thornton impressed again with good penetration. Strong and tenacious, bullrushing Kris O’Dowd in “The Pit.”

Baylor DT Phil Taylor was extremely impressive. Taylor showcased his strength in dominating players like Jake Kirkpatrick and Rodney Hudson in “The Pit.” Not bad at churning his feet to create lower body strength or using his hands either.

Clemson DT Jarvis Jenkins also had a good day. Very effective in the 11-on-11s at getting penetration inside and disrupting the quarterback. Jenkins packs a bit of a punch too and gets under the pads of the linemen. Very impressive.

Miami DE Allen Bailey dominated DeMarcus Love in “The Pit,” but didn’t do much past that. Not much of an impact in 7-on-7’s or 11-on-11’s. Used bull rush most of the practice.

West Virginia DT Chris Neild has an extremely high motor and doesn’t quit despite a lack of athleticism.

Arizona DE Brooks Reed had a good day of practice. Reed’s motor ran non-stop throughout the day. In “The Pit” he went against Lee Ziemba and out-maneuvered him. Reed worked a bit on linebacker drills in practice and looked solid considering it’s a new experience. Reed seemed to move his feet well and excel in space.

Texas DE Sam Acho also worked a bit at linebacker and did much better there than at defensive end. Acho got pushed around with his hand down, but in space he seemed to use speed to his advantage.

Auburn LB Bynes is a marginal prosepect who who’s poor awareness. The only reason he was invited to this game is because he’s a local kid.

Texas CB Curtis Brown showcased his great hands and made a highlight reel catch down in the endzone.

Every year at the Senior Bowl the assumption is that the South has more talent, if for no other reason than they boast all of the guys from SEC schools. However, that isn’t necessarily the case this year. Guys like Cameron Jordan and Jake Locker are proof of that. In fact, don't be surprised if this North squad has more players selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft than their counterparts on the South.

This was a very interesting practice session for the South, with a number of standout performances as well as some intriguing situations in which prospects saw action at new positions. Most of the hay is now in the proverbial barn for the South squad and while there are still additional practices left, not to mention the game, NFL personnel have now conducted the bulk of their evaluations.

Kaepernick, Locker make different last impressions


By Rob Rang
The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com
Jan. 26, 2011

Tell Rob your opinion!

NFL scouts leave Mobile en masse Wednesday night and Thursday morning, making Wednesday's practice impressions incredibly important.

The focus of the morning practice was again the North team quarterbacks: Jake Locker (Washington), Colin Kaepernick (Nevada) and Ricky Stanzi (Iowa).

The best passer on the field was Kaepernick, who threw tight spirals to either side of the field, had an exceptional touch throw into the back right corner of the end zone, and looked smooth and fluid running out of the pocket when his primary receiver was covered. When he sets his feet and throws a tight ball, Kaepernick's velocity is more than what's needed to make every NFL throw.

 
Jake Locker again struggles with accuracy during Wednesday's practice.

His delivery is still an issue -- he winds up a bit and sometimes stops at the top of the delivery before unleashing. One of his passes to the far side of the field was knocked down by a linebacker dropped into coverage -- partially because of the pause, and partially because Kaepernick didn't read the linebacker. The elongation is not as bad as that shown by Tim Tebow and Byron Leftwich in recent years, but will need to be addressed once in an NFL camp.

Tuesday's practice seemed to be a step forward for Locker, who needed to make a solid impression all week to become more than a fantastic athlete with potential. Wednesday he struggled again to connect consistently with receivers while standing in the pocket, coming up short on multiple throws to the wide side of the field. It is clear the Pac-10 star passer is aiming or pressing, trying to be perfect on every throw instead of allowing his athleticism and arm strength to shine through.

If Locker cannot exhibit NFL-caliber accuracy on seam or out routes when playing against air in one-on-one drills, or even against a half-effort pass rush in team scrimmages, it is hard to project him doing it during his NFL career.

Stanzi's practice was very similar to Locker's. He came up short on multiple passes when his receiver was in perfect position to receive the throw and sailed the ball on seam passes. He is able to stand tall and deliver a tight ball from the pocket, which will entice teams who like his 6-foot-4, 221-pound frame and starting experience.

Notes:

• California defensive end Cameron Jordan consistently looks strong as a pass rusher, swimming over the top of guards and ripping them to the side to attack the quarterback. If allowed to hit passers in the pocket during team drills, Jordan might have had 10 sacks this week.

• Oklahoma State RB Kendall Hunter impressed Wednesday with a burst out of traffic on run drills, good hands out of the backfield, and by standing up to defenders in pass protection drills.

• Indiana tackle James Brewer fought through foot injuries in college. He moved his 6-foot-6, 323-pound frame well Wednesday lining up at right tackle or guard. Most of the talk has been about top-50 picks Anthony Castonzo and Gabe Carimi, but Brewer's long arms and upside give him a chance to be selected in the top 100 if he checks out medically at the Combine.

• Boise State receiver Titus Young again looked like the best pass-catcher on the North roster, running crisp, smooth routes and snagging every pass thrown in his direction. Though not as sudden and explosive as DeSean Jackson, Young's a close enough replica to earn top-75 consideration.


• Toledo center Kevin Kowalski lacks the athleticism to stay with the talented defensive line prospects on the North team, including bullish Stanford nose tackle Sione Fua. He is durable and tough, but he's shown poor quickness and only average strength.

• Iowa defensive tackle Christian Ballard is the North squad's version of South team standout Allen Bailey (Miami, Fla.), an exceptional athlete who looks great in one-on-one drills by using a quick first step to blow by lineman -- but whose game film screams third-round pick. Both will put up great numbers at the combine, but just don't make enough plays between the lines.

• Oklahoma RB Demarco Murray runs like he is 6 feet tall but puts his head down in traffic, which limits his ability to see cutback lanes. He did show the hands everyone knows he has as a receiver, but again failed to wow with explosive after-the-catch ability.

• Linebackers Mason Foster (Washington) and Lawrence Wilson (Connecticut) display instincts and agility to avoid blockers on stretch plays evident in Wednesday's practice, which only confirmed what teams had seen from the ultra-productive duo on film.

• Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich is one of the best stories of the draft, making a great comeback from bone cancer, but he did not look fluid in coverage Wednesday. He was stood up by running backs in pass protection drills, an area you'd think the 6-foot-4, 250-pound linebacker should dominate.

• Purdue defensive end Ryan Kerrigan dropped into coverage as a linebacker on a couple of plays in Wednesday's practice. He didn't make any plays and looked a bit raw, but flashed enough athleticism to have 3-4 teams like the Jets talk with him after practice.

Chad Reuter is a Senior Analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange.

Follow him on Twitter at @ChadReuter

...I'm starting to worry that Cameron Jordan could go in the top 5.

Titus Young sounds like he would be a nice option in the WCO and would compliment Robo and MoMass nicely, but he might be gone by the time of our selection in the second round at 37.

The good news is with the depth of the draft on the DL, there could possibly be some big boys available in rounds 3 and 4. If we use one of our 1st two selections on a WR.

And then there is the need for LBers

This class is so deep at DLine that I agree with you in theory that whomever we pick in rounds 1 or 2 will have a chance to be a more immediate impact player than a WR...unless that WR is Green or Jones. Either one of those two would step onto our roster and be the best WR on the team tomorrow.

From a talent standpoint, OK,...from a scheme variety view -- unless the OLine has been fixed, nothing willl change.

I don't know that I think the OLine needs fixed so much as it needs to just get healthy. Our right side of Yates/Womack played excellent. Our right side of Womack/St Clair was craptastic. We have too many other positions of need (WR/D Front 7 with the new 43) where we need STARTERS. I'm fine going with Yates as our starting RG and Womack as our starting RT next year. I think we draft a RT later in the draft as a developmental guy to get younger for the future in hopes that we can pair them with Lauvao a couple years down the road.

My biggest concern with the offense (assuming we draft a Green/Jones) isn't RT. It's Colt McCoy and our backup RB situation, or the lack thereof.

Quote:

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My biggest concern with the offense (assuming we draft a Green/Jones) isn't RT

---

Lately I keep seeing this St. Clair guy playing for some reason.

I hate that he's on this team. The fact that he gets to play is a real problem. He is a huge liability for our QBs.

This guy Pashos was supposed to come in and fix that spot, bam, he failed. He got injured, someone else got injured, St. Clair goes in. This to me shows that the RT position is still not shored up.

It is not shored up until this St. Clair character is off the team. It is a major need for me until we can find a RT who can be healthy and keep St. Clair off our roster.

The issue isn't St. Clair. He's terrible. We all know that. He wasn't supposed to be playing though. Our starting RT was Pashos, who got hurt (big surprise). After that we started Yates at RG and slid Womack to RT. This combo played not just well, but fantastic. Then Yates got injured (HUGE blow). That forced us to start Lauvao at RG...who was so bad he was pulled after 1 game. Only then were we forced to move Womack back to RG and put St. Clair at RT. He only played after 2 significant injuries AND our rookie falling on his face.

That would be like claiming LT is a position of need just b/c JT got hurt and his backup sucked all year. Would I like to see that spot get younger? Yes. Would I like to see better backups in the event of injuries? Yes. But we're talking backups here....at WR, DL, LB we don't even have starters yet. You can only "fix" so much.

See my point here?

http://www.draftcountdown.com/features/SeniorBowl/reports/Practices/North-127.php

NORTH

Boise St. WR Austin Pettis had a nice touchdown catch in which he elevated and over Joe Lefeged and snatched the ball out of the air.

San Diego St. WR Vincent Brown has been fantastic all week and today was no different. On one play Brown extended to snare a Ricky Stanzi pass over the middle.

Indiana OT James Brewer had an average day. Brewer held his own physically against rushers like Jeremy Beal and Christian Ballard when they did not get proper leverage, but he got beat by a power move from Cameron Jordan inside. Looked like a right tackle, not left tackle.

Wisconsin OT Gabe Carimi had another solid day. Carimi has shown great power and uses his hands well. Stonewalled Ian Williams once in one-on-one’s.

Boston College OT Anthony Castonzo had another okay day, but he wasn’t great. Castonzo certainly knows how to use his hands and he is fine if he gets good leverage from the start. Had a battle with Ryan Kerrigan at one point and won.

Wisconsin OG John Moffitt had another nice day. Moffitt gets good leverage but needs to work on feet a bit more. As a whole, Moffitt impressive.

Pittsburgh OT Jason Pinkston was beat twice by Casey Matthews when Matthews was put through defensive end drills. Pinkston idn’t have a very good day and showed he may be more of a backup type.

Michigan OG Stephen Schilling was average. Didn’t get beat quickly, but never completely stopped another player throughout practice.

Colorado OT Nate Solder had his best day yet. Since players were not in full shells, most did not get very physical with him. Dominated Herzlich in the defensive end drills and looked extremely athletic.

Nebraska DE Pierre Allen didn’t stand out. Allen has good lower body strength and used it in 11-on-11’s to drive Kowalski back.

Iowa DT Christian Ballard had another very good day and looked powerful. Ballard has extremely quick feet and keeps them churning. Overpowered Stephen Schilling at one point and beat Pinkston on another play with a swim move.

Stanford DT Sione Fua did not flash today. Fua seemed to eat up space well, but did not get penetration. Got pushed back by Brandon Fusco in one rep.

California DE Cameron Jordan continues to dominate. Unstoppable. Uses a variety of moves and beat Solder, Castonzo, Pinkston, and Brewer.

Purdue DE Ryan Kerrigan Got good leverage. Kerrigan beat Gabe Carimi using power and forced a hold. Gets to the edge very quickly, but sometimes goes too long.

Notre Dame DT Ian Williams tried to use more pass rush moves today, but struggled. Brandon Fusco held him in check three plays in a row. John Moffitt drove him back at one point in 11-on-11’s.

South Florida DT Terrell McClain did well for his first day of practice. He used a great swim move to beat Kevin Kowalski. John Moffitt got the best of him and drove him back in one-on-one’s and appeared to be in his gap in 11-on-11’s consistently.

Oklahoma’s Jeremy Beal got some work at outside linebacker today and didn’t look out of place. In fact, Beal looked downright comfortable playing standing up.

Michigan St. ILB Greg Jones had a ton of trouble in coverage. Not only did Jones show poor awareness when he lost a ball while running with DeMarco Murray, but he also fell down while trying to stick with Mike McNeill.

Boston College OLB Mark Herzlich isn’t great in coverage but he did a solid job on Da’Rel Scott, keeping up with the smaller, speedier player. I also liked how when the ball was in the air Herzlich started flashes his hands in front of Scott’s face, which was quite heady.

North Carolina CB Kendric Burney was todays star, intercepting two passes, one from Locker and one from Stanzi, but he dropped a third from Kaepernick.

Colorado CB Jalil Brown isn’t even considered to be the top corner prospect out of Colorado this year but he may be the best cover guy in Mobile. Brown held his own against Titus Young today and that is no small feat.

http://www.draftcountdown.com/features/SeniorBowl/reports/Practices/South-127.php

SOUTH

South Alabama WR Courtney Smith made a few great catches with good body control, but he isn’t overly fast and is just very raw. Looks like a late round pick.

TCU WR Jeremy Kerley didn’t do much in practice today. Kerely did some off his outstanding quickness in drills, but really wasn’t targeted much.

USC WR Ronald Johnson had a very good day at practice today. "RoJo" howed off some great hands. He did drop a touchdown pass in the red zone drills, but made up for it by beating teammate Sharece Wright for a touchdown catch later. Drops his hips very well and doesn’t round off his routes. Slot guy at the next level.

Miami (FL) WR Leonard Hankerson had an amazing catch tapping his feet on the sideline. However, "Hank" did have one drop in the endzone. Hankerson continued to find holes in the zone and after he caught passes would turn it upfield immediately. Really abused DeMacrus Van Dyke in the two-minute drill.

Hawaii WR Greg Salas isn't flashy, but he continued to catch nearly everything. Salas had a great catch in the back corner of the end zone over Marcus Gilchrist.

Baylor OG Danny Watkins continued to look strong and also looked excellent when on the move or pulling. After practice Watson was pulled aside to be coached up and run through some center drills. Watkins struggled at times but that is to be expected since it’s something new for him.

Miami (FL) DE Allen Bailey stood out as much as he has all week, consistently generating a good amount of pressure.

Arizona DE Brooks Reed flew by Alabama OT James Carpenter in 11-on-11’s then later used that same speed to get the best of Auburn’s Lee Ziemba.

Mississippi St. DE Pernell McPhee beat Auburn’s Lee Ziemba in 11-on-11’s.

Texas DE Sam Acho batted down an Andy Dalton pass inside the ten yard line during 11-on-11’s. Acho may not have the ideal physical tools you look for but after a rough start he has just found a way to make plays. As I've said all week, Acho is such an impressive young man that if he isn't playing for an NFL team he may eventually own one.

Auburn ILB Josh Bynes showed some quick feet and decent closing speed, but not much past that shown.

North Carolina State ILB Nate Irving had a great day of pass coverage. Broke up a pass in the end zone in the red zone drills where he leapt in the air to bat down an Andy Dalton pass. Still had some trouble shedding blocks, but looked like a starter.

Miami OLB Colin McCarthy showed a nice back pedal in coverage drills and looked improved at this practice. Instincts are still a bit suspect at time and had trouble adjusting to the run game.

LSU OLB Kelvin Sheppard continued to be impressive. He showed major range despite his size. Playing in the zone, he reacted very well to runs and even got behind the line of scrimmage when Greg McElroy decided to run in a red zone drill.

Mississippi State ILB Chris White was in good position against the run, but was often eaten up and simply not effective. Looks like more of a late round selection.

Florida S Ahmad Black has performed well all week but the focus today was on his hips. Black’s hips aren’t perfect, but he was able to turn himself in coverage with relative ease. They appear to be good enough to at least consider a move to corner.

Texas CB Curtis Brown had the best day of any defensive prospect. After struggling to adjust to the ball early, Brown made some great plays. He had a great break-up against Dwayne Harris and got in front of Ronald Johnson in the end zone and nearly intercepted a ball. He looked like he finally “got it” after the week of practice and showed off his athleticism.

Auburn S Zac Etheridge looked pretty good in the box, but lacks the hips to flip in coverage. Just didn’t quite match up in coverage.

Clemson CB Marcus Gilchrist was fairly average today. Gave up a few plays when playing man-to-man and seemed to do better in zone. Hips looked very stiff.

Clemson S DeAndre McDaniel had a very good day today. Had great closing speed on runners and receivers. Looked very good against the run game. He shed some blocks and got into the backfield a few times. Had a nice play to contain Charles Clay in red zone drill.

Miami CB DeMarcus Van Dyke had another average day. Was beat by Leonard Hankerson a few times in 2 minute drill. Seemed to have some mental mistakes in coverage and could not anticipate what the receivers will do.

USC CB Sharece Wright did alright. The physical ability is there, with fluid hips and a good backpedal, but Wright was often out of position which sometimes led to shaky coverage in 11-on-11’s of Trojan teammate Ronald Johnson. Wright just seemed one step too late in many instances.

All that is left now is Friday’s walk-through and then on Saturday it is game time. Most scouts have already gone home but those still in Mobile were treated to gorgeous weather, a lot of talent and some high-quality football. The question now becomes whether the North squad can take what they’ve learned this week and carry it over into the game. If that happens the South will have their hands full.

When the final whistle blew on this session the hay was basically in the barn for both the North and South squads, with only the walktrhough on Friday and the game on Saturday before the 2011 Senior Bowl week is officially in the books. As with the North squad, it seemed as though there were some uneven performances throughout the week of practices. Certain players would look good one day, then not so good the next. Perhaps the actual game will serve as the tie-breaker.