The
Senior Bowl annually showcases the top NFL Prospects and is considered the
premier post-season college football all-star game. It’s played in Mobile, AL
and majority of NFL teams send their entire scouting personnel department and coaching
staff to evaluate prospects during the all-star game practice week. This year’s
game will be played Saturday January 25th on NFL Network at 4PM.
NORTH ROSTER:
Ra’Shede Hageman, DT
Minnesota
Hageman
was the best interior defensive linemen in the Big Ten and had an impressive
final two seasons for the Gophers. Hageman was mostly a backup lineman early in
his career after switching from tight end to defensive tackle. He possesses
great athleticism, strength and size at (6-6 311). Scouts like his combination
of power, length and quickness. His consistency is still a question for scouts
but he’s played with more of a motor in his senior year, which has them excited
about his potential. Hageman is a versatile lineman who can play in any
defensive scheme and will selected in the first round.
Deone Bucannon, SS
Washington State
Bucannon
is the top rated senior strong safety prospect in the eyes of most scouts after
an All-American 2013 season. He possesses NFL size at (6-1 215), speed,
instincts and ball skills that teams heavily covet for the position. Bucannon
led the conference and team in tackles with 109 while also snagging 6
interceptions. He plays in the box closely towards the line of scrimmage and is
an aggressive hitter and punishing tackler. Bucannon plays with exceptional
range and shows good awareness in coverage. He does get caught with his eyes in
the backfield at times leading to some blown coverages. Bucannon needs to
improve his consistency when diagnosing play-action and also reading the eyes
of quarterback. Overall, he is a top 60 NFL prospect that is projected to be
drafted in the early to mid second round.
Josh Huff, Oregon WR
Huff is an exciting player to watch and is one of Oregon’s top
offensive weapons. He is Oregon’s most experienced and sure handed receiver as
he finds the open spots in the defense. Huff displays above average lateral
quickness and a good burst of speed. His ability to stop on a dime and create
separation makes him a tough receiver to defend. He is very effective working
out of the slot but can also make plays when lined up outside as well. Huff
possesses the strength and quickness to beat press coverage and is a solidly
built receiver. He is listed a shade under 6-foot-0, which is a concern for
scouts and is probably the main reason why he is currently rated as a middle
round prospect. Huff will be a great pick up in the middle rounds because of
his value as a receiver and return man.
Aaron Donald, DT Pittsburgh
Donald
is an undersized, highly productive interior defensive lineman who’s been
unstoppable all season. He leads the nation with an astounding 26 tackles for
loss. This gridiron warrior was very disruptive against offensive lineman all
season. He uses pure strength and quickness to beat offensive lineman in the
trenches and is very active with his hands. The issue with Donald is his size.
At 6-foot-0, 285-pounds where does he fit into a NFL defensive scheme? He is
too good of a player to ignore and the NFL team that selects Donald will find
somewhere on the field for him to contribute.
E.
Illinois QB Jimmy Garoppolo
Garoppolo participated in last weeks East West Shrine game and
did not disappointment. The 2013 Walter Payton Award winner impressed scouts
last week with his quick release, accuracy, decision-making and presence in the
pocket. He has good size at (6-3, 222) and is quickly soaring up draft boards
in most scouts’ opinion. Garoppolo lacks a very strongest arm but makes up for
it with the accuracy and timing on his passes. He led FCS in passing yards with
5,050 passing yards (26 yards away from FCS single season record), 53 TDs and
only 9 interceptions. An impressive Senior Bowl week for Garoppolo could push
him into potentially being selected in the first round.
Marcus Smith, DE
Louisville
Smith
is an explosive and athletic defensive lineman who had a breakout senior year
as he led the nation in with 14 ½ sacks. He started his Louisville career as a
quarterback but made the transition over to the defensive side ball and
improved with each season. Smith is very quick of the snap and shows a good
burst of speed. He’s undersized to play DE in a 4-3 at (6-3/252) and is
projected as a 3-4 OLB in the NFL. Smith will need to show scouts during the week
practices that he rush standing up and play in space.
Cyril
Richardson, OG, Baylor
Richardson
had a strong senior year and has solidified himself as the top guard prospect
for the 2014 NFL Draft. He played right tackle for a season in college, which
gives him some versatility, but his natural NFL position is at guard. He’s a massive and dominant drive-blocking lineman who easily
opens up running lanes for ball carriers. Richardson is extremely powerful at
the point of attack getting a good push off the line of scrimmage while
consistently finishing his blocks. He has quick feet and is agile in the pass
game. Richardson possesses a forceful punch and uses good hand placement when
sliding back in pass protection. Richardson has struggled against fast interior
pass rushers and gets overextended on some of his blocks. He must improve
getting to the second level while getting his hands on LBs as he has some
limitations moving laterally, which doesn’t make him an ideal fit for NFL
offensive zone-blocking scheme. Richardson opens up a lot of running
lanes and has greatly improved as an interior pass protector. He has great size
and enough quickness at guard to start right away in the NFL.
Taylor Hart, DT, Oregon:
Hart
is a tall, athletic defensive lineman with tremendous size and ability. He is
an explosive player and consistently got pressure in the pocket against UCLA
offensive linemen. Hart is a gritty, tough interior lineman who does the dirty
work of taking on blocks to tie up offensive linemen. This allows his defensive
mates to make plays. He is a versatile player that can line up on the outside
or inside at the three technique. Hart is a perfect fit as a DE in a 3-4
defense and has the frame to gain weight as he can easily carry over
300-pounds. His toughness, versatility and quickness could also land him with a
4-3 team as well. Hart provides great value in the middle to late rounds
because of his versatility to play multiple positions along the defensive
front.
Derek Carr, Fresno State
QB
Carr
had a sensational senior campaign and set a FBS record for not throwing an
interception in 266 pass attempts. He does a decent job of taking care of the
football and has impressed scouts all season with his efficiency and pinpoint
accuracy from the pocket. Carr has the size, arm strength and mobility of a
true NFL QB prospect. He’s backed up those skills with a highly productive
season and is the number rated senior QB on most draft boards.
C.J.
Fiedorowicz, TE, Iowa 6-7, 265 lbs.
Fiedorowicz
is a tall TE with excellent size, athleticism and strength. He also shows soft hands and comes back to the ball out
of breaks. Fiedorowicz uses his body well to
box out defenders extending his hands. He makes the difficult catch in traffic,
physically beating opponents to come away with the pass. Fiedorowicz is
an effective blocker and opens up running lanes. Will
occasionally drop catchable passes and lose focus when looking the ball
in. Fiedorowicz has been a solid blocker
for the Hawkeyes but also needs to improve in this area to become more
consistent. Heavily relies on his athleticism and could use more fine-tuning in
both his receiving and blocking technique. Fiedorowicz definitely has the size
and strength to be a starting TE in the NFL. He has the receiving ability to be
a weapon in the passing game and provides a nice target for quarterbacks.
James
Gayle, DE Virginia Tech
Gayle is a
freakish athlete with great length and tremendous ability. He is an explosive edge rusher who displays good movement skills
and fluid change of direction. He is quick off the snap and gets penetration in
the pocket. He is an elite athlete who plays with tremendous speed in pursuit
and covers a lot of area. He struggles with consistently getting off blocks and
stays engaged too long with offensive linemen. Gayle needs to learn how to
works his hands and consistently play with better pad level. He is a little
undersized for a NFL defensive end and would fit best in a 3-4 defense as a
stand up outside linebacker. If his production can ever match his measurable,
Gayle could be a top 100 draft picks. He
is a player that needs a great practice week and needs to put it all together
to be considered an elite prospect.
Jacob
Pederson,TE Wisconsin
Pederson
is an athletic TE who plays with solid strength and quickness. He does a good
job of quickly releasing off the line of scrimmage
with selling his routes. He knows how to find the open spots in the defense.
Pederson shows good hands and makes receptions away from his body. Effectively
uses his hands and quickness to separate against linebackers and defensive
backs. He doesn’t possess the prototypical
size at (6-4/241) for the NFL TE position and needs to add more bulk to his
frame. He easily gets overextended when blocking and doesn’t consistently show
good balance against defenders. Pederson also doesn’t have great speed to
vertically threaten defenders. Pederson is a decent receiving tight end
who could also serve as an H-back in the NFL.
Kadeem Edwards, OT
Tennessee State
This
athletic offensive lineman has really put it all together this season. Edwards
has good size at (6-3/320) and the athleticism to pull on screens, traps and
power plays. He’s shown better technique and awareness in both the run and pass
game. Edwards is a late round prospect that could rise with a good Senior Bowl
showing.
Sharmar
Stephen, DT UConn
Stephen possesses
an impressive combination of size at (6-5/315) and athleticism. He is very
explosive off the snap and shows quick closing burst of speed when in pursuit.
Stephen gets penetration in the backfield and displays the ability to be
disruptive at times as an interior pass-rusher and run stuffer. He needs to improve
his technique and hand placement to consistently get off blocks. Scouts would
like him to improve his upper body strength and become more active with his
hand and length. They are intrigued with Stephen’s upside, athleticism and
potential to get stronger. He started all 12 games and compiled 60 tackles,
including 10 for loss and three sacks finishing third on the team in total
tackles while leading the defense in tackles for loss and finishing second in
sacks. Stephen productive senior campaign definitely put him on the radar of more
NFL teams this year.
Shaquelle
Evans, WR UCLA:
Evans is a
well-built receiver that has a nice combination of size, speed, and quickness.
He started his college football career at Notre Dame and flashed some talent
early on. However, he didn't become a star until the 2012 season, emerging as
UCLA's top receiving target in his first year at the school as a transfer.
Evans did not live up to lofty expectations in 2013 as his production declined from
the previous year and he disappeared in some big matchup games. NFL scouts are
intrigued with his soft hands, size and unique skill set but would like to see
him become more consistent in his route running while limiting his occasional
drops. He doesn't possess the burst of speed to vertically stretch defenses and
is projected as a possession receiver for the next level. Evans offers a decent
package as a 4th/5th NFL receiver.
SOUTH ROSTER:
Will
Sutton, DT Arizona State
Sutton
is an explosive defensive line prospect that fits
best as a 3-technique at the next level. He plays with exceptional balance and
is very active with his hands against offensive lineman showing an effective
punch. Sutton stays low to the ground out of his stance, displaying quick feet
and agility when changing direction. He fires off the snap aggressively
with an explosive first step using his speed to beat offensive guards to
disrupt the pocket. NFL scouts like that
he runs with a relentless motor and goes hard until
the end the play. Lacks the great size for the DT position, which makes NFL
scouts fear that he may struggle against larger offensive lineman at the next
level. He’s battled some injuries throughout his college career, which also has
scouts wondering if his body can hold up in the NFL. Sutton had a
sensational 2012 season but had a slow start to 2013 and came on strong towards
the middle of the season. He finished his career as a highly productive player
for the Sun Devils and he’s been one of the best pass-rushing interior defensive
linemen in college football.
Jalen Saunders, WR
Oklahoma
The
Fresno State transfer is a small but explosive
playmaker who is a threat to score any time he touches the ball. Saunders
quickly releases off the line and can immediately get to top speed. He is a
tremendously quick, elusive receiver that easily separates from defenders and
quickly get in and out of his breaks. Saunders is also a dangerous punt
returner and had a return for a TD against Oklahoma State in the Big 12
Championship game. He is Oklahoma’s primary slot receiver and effectively works
the middle of the field mostly running underneath routes. Saunders caught the
game winning TD with a few seconds left in the Oklahoma game showing good
hands, body control and concentration. He has been Oklahoma’s most exciting
player to watch this season and is rated as a 3rd to 4th
round prospect by NFL scouts.
Christian Jones, OLB
Florida State
Jones
is a hybrid athlete and versatile defender who’s been a perfect fit in Florida
State’s multiple scheme defenses. Jones is moved around all over the field
mostly lining up in their outside linebacker position and is the team’s best pure
pass rusher. He is an exceptionally fast and physical player that can make
plays anywhere on the field. Jones has showcased his big playmaking ability all
season and his athleticism, versatility and ability to play in space make him a
very interesting outside linebacker prospect that NFL teams love to covet.
Scouts love his motor and his ability to drop back in coverage. Jones is
projected as a standup outside linebacker prospect in a 3-4 NFL defense and his
stock has continue to rise to where he should be taken within the first three
rounds.
Kenny
Ladler, S Vanderbilt
Ladler
is an underrated player with an impressive overall
game at the safety position. He is an instinctive and aggressive
defender who flies around the field and is always near the ball. Ladler shows good discipline in coverage displaying a
great burst of speed. He constantly locates the football and puts himself in a
position to make the play. Ladler comes up the field fast when defending the
run and is a solid wrap up tackler. He’s undersized at (5-11/205) for
the safety position and also lacks the height that NFL scouts look for. At
times, Ladler becomes overmatched in man coverage
situations especially when covering the tight end down the field. Ladler
has been an extremely productive player for Vanderbilt the last two season and
burst on to the college football scene in 2012 as a prospect. Every time I
watch the Commodores defense, Ladler stands out on film and is one of the
team’s top leaders. He led Vanderbilt in tackles two straight seasons and has
the ability to mix it up in the pass and run defense. Ladler has a great
opportunity to climb up NFL draft boards with an impressive all-star week of
practices and could land somewhere in the top two rounds.
Dee Ford, DE/LB Auburn:
Ford
is an athletically talented pass rushing specialist who possesses an explosive
first step. He is a fierce edge rusher with exceptional speed and power to get
around tackles. Ford uses his long arms and active hands to fight off blocks.
He beats offensive tackles with speed, quickness and strength. He consistently
gets pressure in the pocket and Auburn has specific schemes for him to rush the
QB from a three-point stance and also the two point stance standing up. He
looks confortable rushing from the two-point stance, which is his projected
position at the NFL level in a 3-4 defense as an OLB. Ford will need to adjust
to dropping back in coverage and also playing in space. He rushes too far up
the field at times, which takes him out of the play on running plays. Overall,
scouts are excited about his upside and athleticism at the next level. Ford is
still a raw player and will need to land with the right NFL team that could
groom him into a starter.
Adrian Hubbard, LB
Alabama:
Hubbard is Alabama’s top pass-rushing specialist and his athleticism and size
makes him a great fit as OLB in a NFL 3-4 defense. He rushing hard up field and
gets pressure, which forces quarterbacks to escape out of the pocket. Scouts
would like to see him have more production in the sack department. He has
steadily improved his play in the run game this year and added more weight to
his imposing 6-6, 252 lbs. frame in the offseason. Hubbard is an athletic, instinctive
and physical player that NFL scouts believe has excellent potential at the next
level.
Craig
Loston, S, LSU
Loston
is an athletic and explosive hitting safety with
good size at (6-2/210). He moves quickly from the secondary to the box when
stuffing the run. He is very fluid and navigates well through traffic to locate
the ball. Loston plays with terrific closing speed and executes textbook angles
when tackling ball carriers. He shows good range in coverage with the ability
to make plays in the secondary as well as outside the hashes. Loston has
made vast improvements in coverage, but still needs to show better instincts in
this part of his game. He will occasionally bite on play action and ball-fakes
causing him to get caught out of position. He possesses average quickness,
which creates a struggle when covering receivers come out of the slot. Loston is a solid player for LSU and has greatly improved
his style of play each season. He’s also a decent special-teams player, which
gives him added value as a defensive back at the next level.
Solomon
Patton, WR
Florida
Patton at (5-9/178) is a small but explosive receiver who is a
threat to score anytime he has the ball in his hands. He quickly gets to top end
speed and acceleration when releasing off the line of scrimmage. This allows
him to vertically stretch defenses deep. Patton is extremely elusive and can
easily separate from defenders when breaking out of his route. He shows sure
hands and will make the difficult reception in traffic. Patton is also a
creative runner after the catch with exceptional agility and quickness.
Defenses have been successful at times when moving up their corners to
aggressively press Patton and jam him at the line of scrimmage in order to slow
him down. The team that selects Patton should use him primarily out of the slot
so he an easily release of the line. Patton is a prospect to keep an eye on
because of his dangerous speed and also the value he shows in the return game.
Gabe
Jackson, OG, Mississippi State
Jackson
is a powerful run blocker who has great size and is
agile for a big man. He gets good leverage and knows how to position himself to
control his opponent. He is explosive and moves relatively light on his feet
showing the ability to change or redirect to defensive lineman. Jackson
is better at run blocking than pass protection, but he’s made great
improvements in the latter. Jackson needs to become
more consistently active with his hands especially in the pass game. He also
needs to improve his footwork when sliding back in protection. NFL Scouts would
like to see him improve his recognition in picking up twists, stunts and
blitzes.
Jackson
is a terrific guard prospect who has a large upside
and great potential. He can effectively block in a zone or ground-and-pound run
offense. Jackson possesses the tools that teams look for to develop into
a quality starter in the NFL.
Caraun Reid, DT Princeton
He
is an athletic and productive defensive lineman who’s been on scout’s radar
since early last season. Reid plays with a relentless motor and quickness.
Scouts are very interested to see how he will play in the Senior Bowl.
Chris Davis, CB Auburn
Davis
is an aggressive and physical cornerback who is three-year starter in the
Auburn secondary. He is an underrated player who makes plays around the ball
and is Auburn’s best cover man. Davis is currently the teams leading tackler
and has really stepped up his play this year in coverage with 15 PBU’s. He
comes up strong in run support and fights through blocks to make tackles. I
have been impressed with his man coverage skills and his ability to make some
nice breaks on passes thrown his way. He shows the speed to run with receiver
with a smooth backpedal and ability to change direction. Davis is also a
dynamic punt returner, who ran back a kick for 85 yards this season. He is
undersized at 5-foot-10, which is a concern for scouts. Some think he may be
better suited as a safety at the next level because of his aggressive style of
play. He is also a little too aggressive at times and will bite on fakes and
play action, causing him to blow some coverage assignments. I believe that
Davis has the tools to be a productive third or fourth defensive back along
with the ability to serve as a nickel corner. His combination of speed and
athleticism, along with his production and return skills has him projected as a
4th-6th round draft prospect.
Aaron Colvin, CB
Oklahoma
Colvin
came into the season as a highly rated CB prospect but has played his way out
of those rankings in 2013. He struggles in press coverage and is overly
aggressive. Colvin bites on play action and double fakes showing average
awareness and instincts. He is strong against the run and is a big hitter,
which has many scouts believing that he will transition over to his natural
position at safety in the NFL. Colvin, a good size defensive back with decent
speed and athleticism, will need strong performances in all-star games and
combines to keep his status as a Top 100 draft prospect.
Telvin Smith, LB Florida
State
Smith
is a very physical and athletic player with great range and speed. He is the
emotional leader of Florida State’s defense and sets the tone for their fast
style of play. Smith is a big hitter and is more like a safety playing LB who
uses his exceptional closing speed to his advantage. He is a high-energy player
that covers a lot of ground with his non-stop motor. The issue with Smith is
where he will play at the next level. Some scouts project him as a strong
safety while others believe he can add weight to his (6-3/218) frame keeping
him at linebacker playing on the weak-side of a 4-3 defense. Smith has been one
of my favorite college defensive players to watch this season and it will be
very interesting to see where he will play in the NFL.
Brent Urban, DE/DT
Virginia
At
6-foot-7 and 295-pounds, Urban has the combination of speed, power and size
that NFL scouts heavily covet for the interior defensive tackle position. He is
a well-built player that is extremely athletic and explosive off the snap.
Urban shows great upper body strength at the point of attack and uses his long
arms effectively to get off blocks. I been impressed with his lateral quickness
that he displays down the line of scrimmage as well as his instincts to beat
offensive lineman to the spot causing penetration in the backfield. Urban gets
his arms and hands up on pass plays to knock balls down and has a total of nine
PBU’s on the season. Scouts would like to see him play with more controlled
strength, technique and leverage. He also needs to improve his skills as a pass
rusher while developing some moves to become more productive in this area.
Urban has the ability to be a dominant player but needs to put it all together.
He’s drawn some comparisons to Houston Texans star J.J. Watt because of similar
size and body build coming out of college. NFL scouts believe that he can fit
into a 3-4 or 4-3 defensive scheme because of his athleticism and versatility.
He’s battled through some injuries during his senior season, which shows
toughness. Urban has a great opportunity this week to increase his stock.
Jerick McKinnon, RB
Georgia Southern
McKinnon
played QB at Georgia Southern and proved to be a versatile athlete. This year’s
version of Dennard Robinson will need to make the transition to RB in the NFL.
He will get every opportunity at the Senior Bowl to display his quickness and
field vision.
Billy Turner, OL North
Dakota State:
Turner is a tall, athletic offensive lineman with tremendous starting potential
at the NFL level. He’s mostly played left tackle in college but is projected to
move inside to guard for the NFL. Turner is an extremely fluid and
powerful lineman who plays with a nasty streak. He was extremely dominant all
season against FCS competition. Turner is very strong as a run blocker and
finishes off his blocks to the end of the play. He needs to improve his
consistency; technique and footwork in pass protection. If Turner receives the necessary
NFL coaching that will improve his weakness as a pass blocker he could stay on
the left side in the NFL because of his excellent size at (6-5 315), athleticism
and upside that scouts covet. Turner is one of the top rated offensive lineman
prospects and will be drafted in the early middle rounds.
Terrence Brooks, FS
Florida State
Brooks
is a run-defending safety who has played with
improved awareness this season. He is an aggressive player who is best coming
downhill in the box to tackle ball carriers. Brooks shows good range in
coverage and burst of speed to run with receivers. He also has some versatility
and spent sometime early in his career at cornerback. Brooks is a very solid player
that will bring good value to a team as a projected 2nd day pick.
Jordan
Matthews, WR Vanderbilt
An
explosive receiver that possesses nice size, sure hands and the instincts to
reads defenses. Matthews consistently finds the open spot on the field and is a
fluid receiver who flashes big play ability. He plays with both balance and
body control and is elusive running after the catch. Runs good routes and shows
good timing out of his breaks. A good downfield blocker and is a consistent
player. Matthews doesn't possess a quick release off the line of scrimmage and
is not a constant deep vertical threat. He needs to learn how to fight through
double teams to get open. Matthews is a complete receiver who has the ability to
be a number one receiver at the next level and sometimes gets lost in the
shuffle with all the highly rated declared junior wide receivers. He’s been a
very consistent player for Vanderbilt and brings a strong work ethic to all
areas of his game. He is projected as a middle-to-late first round pick and
could go higher if he performs well at the Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.
Lorenzo
Taliaferro, RB Coastal Carolina
A big bruising running back at (6-1/230) with NFL size that
wears down defenses is the best way to describe this gridiron terror. He
intrigued scouts with his running ability and skills at the Medal of Honor Bowl
week. Taliaferro was the 2013 Big South Offensive Player of the Year after
rushing for 1,487 yards and 27 TDs. He brings value as a short yardage and
backup running back at the next level.
Jay
Prosch, FB Auburn:
The Illinois transfer is an athletic freak of nature who
possesses incredible size and speed at the fullback position. He is a
hard-nosed football player that punishes defenders with his physical blocks and
opens up running lanes for RB Tre Mason. Prosch is primarily used in Auburn’s
pro-style offense, but he will occasionally line up in their spread option
split backfield set as well. He shows soft hands and is also a technically
sound blocker in pass protection when picking up blitzes. Prosch has great
speed for a guy his size and runs in the high 4.5 to low 4.6’s in the 40.
Scouts are impressed with his size, strength, speed, versatility and value as a
standout special teamer. Prosch is projected to be the first fullback taken off
the board in the 2014 draft between the 5th and 6th
round.
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