Players were in full pads at Senior Bowl practices Tuesday, so linemen worked at 100 percent in the trenches and the featured quarterbacks had an opportunity to separate themselves from their peers in front of scouts.
The “winners” of the day for the South practice were QB Jimmy Garoppolo, RB Antonio Andrews, OG Jon Halapio, DT Daniel McCullers, DE Dee Ford and CB Jaylen Watkins.
Quarterbacks
Jimmy Garoppolo edged Derek Carr for quarterback of the day on the South squad. Garoppolo has the quickest set-up and release of all the Senior Bowl quarterbacks, which is actually an advantage and a disadvantage in an all star setting. He doesn’t get ideal depth in his drop backs (a very fixable issue). That affected the timing with his receivers during the first half of practice. However, he adapted and by the time 7-on- 7’s were underway, he’d established much better timing with his wideouts.
Derek Carr’s velocity, especially in the gusty wind, was once again impressive. When it comes to arm strength, he really has no competition on among the South QB contingent. Carr also looked very athletic in an escape drill in which quarterbacks must drop back and spin out of trouble before rolling out and hitting a 12-yard out on the move. His habit of dropping his back shoulder and fading away, however, was magnified in this drill. His accuracy inconsistencies stem from these types of mechanical issues that have plagued him for much of his college career.
David Fales had quite the challenge as the wind affected his accuracy a bit more than the other quarterbacks. Fales is an above average athlete but next to Carr and Garoppolo, he moves noticeably slower in everything he does. Much credit goes to Fales for competing this week, but it’s not exactly an ideal set up for a guy whose timing, touch and anticipation are his best throwing qualities.
Running backs
Keep an eye on Western Kentucky’s Antonio Andrews as a back who could have an early impact on an NFL team. He was easily the best back from both squads during blitz pickup drills, showing the strength to absorb contact and ride defenders away from the quarterback. He caught the ball well again today and showed patience and burst in the team session. The Hilltopper does all the little things but he must continue to prove that he’s beyond the fumbling issues he had in college.
Wide receivers/tight ends
Former SEC standout Jordan Matthews had a rough day at the line of scrimmage, struggling to fight through press looks. Matthews is an extremely coachable player, but his lack of burst off the line of scrimmage hurt the timing of routes and allowed defensive backs to stay in the lurch. More overachiever than I expected coming into the event, Matthews finished every reception by running to the end zone. As a route runner, his pad level, footwork and body control out of the break were impressive, but Matthews is more of a backup receiver at the NFL level.
Tulane’s Ryan Grant also had difficulty getting by the press coverage during practice. However, he ran routes with outstanding body lean and a low center of gravity to transition cleanly out of breaks. His hands were the softest of the South group, snatching receptions away from his frame. He’ll need to improve at the line of scrimmage but Grant appears ready to contribute out of the slot for NFL teams.
Former Texas Longhorn Mike Davis had a bit of a streaky practice, burning cornerback Chris Davis on a double move “sluggo” pattern — and then dropping a simple out pattern. He’s not bothered by contact early at the line of scrimmage and arguably was the best receiver against press looks. Still, even when he’s won at the line, cornerbacks are able to recover at the route break due to his inability to plant and redirect explosively at the top of his pass patterns.
Alabama native Kevin Norwood won’t be able to play outside right away in the NFL, but he’s clearly a gifted athlete with size, speed and leaping ability. Although he remains raw, his physical tools make him worth drafting and developing.
Offensive linemen
It was a rough day for the South offensive linemen, as the pass rushers and interior defensive line threats did them no favors. The best of the bunch was Florida OG Jon Halapio, who was the only lineman to slow Daniel McCullers during drills today. With powerful hip thrust upfield and working hard to keep his hands inside, Halapio had ample success working as a power blocker and generating push upfield.
Fellow interior lineman Gabe Jackson entered the week as the 2014 draft’s top interior offensive lineman, but has been inconsistent. He’s a thick, strong-handed, powerful blocker, but he struggled shuffling laterally versus quicker interior rushers. In one-on-one situations, Jackson has the strength and power to win, but he hasn’t been a dominant force this week.
North Dakota State’s Billy Turner entered the week with a lot of buzz, including from Optimum Scouting. It was thought that he could emerge as a Top 40 pick with a strong week. He’s been able to show his powerful hands and ability to drive downfield as a power run blocker, but he struggled mightily in his kick slide in pass protection, getting abused a handful of times by Dee Ford and Chris Smith. Teams likely will consider moving him to guard, where he could thrive, but keep an eye out this week to see if he can improve and cement his offensive tackle projection.
Morgan Moses of Virginia looks the part of an NFL offensive tackle, and his kick slide is adequate to go along with the length he possesses to have success on the edge. However, his ability to track his blocks downfield along with struggles against bull rushers at times could cause concerns for teams. Wesley Johnson of Vanderbilt showed he’s likely not an NFL tackle, but could provide quality depth across the line. In a zone blocking scheme, Johnson could be a developmental starter. Finally, Travis Swanson was the clear best center, and despite some struggles in one-on-ones with Will Sutton and Daniel McCullers, Swanson has shown he’s a future NFL starter on the inside.
Defensive linemen
If there’s one prospect that may begin to earn first round grades from NFL teams after this week, it’s Auburn’s Dee Ford. Possessing remarkable quickness off the edge and play that embarrassed offensive tackles at times, Ford has proven that he can have consistent success. Ford also has a natural spin move and outside-in rushes that showcase his versatility as a rusher.
Along with Ford, Chris Smith of Arkansas had another fantastic day, being the quickest off the snap of the defensive linemen. He’s an explosive athlete who’s able to play low and with quick hands to consistently disengage and keep pass blockers off balance. He wasn’t as speedy as Ford, but he made his impact felt very similarly to opposing blockers.
Big Daniel McCullers of Tennessee could have struggled in this environment due to his immense size and question marks about his stamina and motor while in college. While he does still play consistently high off the snap and seems to lack great bend, he was consistently able to over-power blockers with his upper body and hands strength. He’s a work in progress technique-wise, but his natural talent and ability are unquestioned.
Will Sutton of Arizona State is still working to lower his weight during this draft season after playing the year at 325 pounds because his coaches asked him too. His goal is to get back down to 300 pounds by the NFL Combine, which could further help his quickness after his first rush. He uses his hands well, attacking guards and centers with quick, decisive movements and generating pressure initially with high frequency. However, when he didn’t win initially, he struggled to recover.
Linebackers
For those who follow BYU football, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Kyle Van Noy is the clear leader of the South defense. He plays fast and covers a lot of ground. Van Noy also showed outstanding hand eye coordination in finding offensive linemens’ hands and slapping them away from his body before setting them up for counter moves.
Alabama’s Adrian Hubbard has yet to find a place on the field he’s comfortable with. Today, it was clear he’s not built to play from outside linebacker spot. He plays way too high and exposes his entire torso as a pass rusher. An anti-space defender, Hubbard may need to focus on mastering an end role with his hand in the dirt.
Defensive backs
The top cornerback for the South squad was Oklahoma’s Aaron Colvin, but he suffered a major setback, sustaining a torn ACL during a drill. Before the injury, Colvin used his foot speed and quick hips to dominate.
Florida defensive back Jaylen Watkins took to coaching very well and looked increasingly more confident with each rep. Soft with his hand usage on tape, Watkins progressed nicely with his press technique and earned the praise of his position coach. Even when he didn’t land a clean jam, makeup speed and route anticipation allowed him to recover. He’s an athletic corner who got his hands on throws today and proved himself to be coachable.
Auburn corner Chris Davis also developed in confidence and fundamentals during Tuesday’s practice, being far more patient and controlled in delivering a jam. Having a firm base, strong build and explosive feet, Davis is at his best when he can initiate contact to direct the receiver’s release. At issue, though, is Davis’ off-man technique. He’ll need to improve by putting less weight distribution on his heels as the route develops.
The corner with the highest ceiling looks like Utah’s Keith McGill. At 6-3, 214 pounds, he moves with tremendous fluidly through transitions and impressed during T-step redirect drills. He’s not a natural hands guy and continued to drop interception opportunities. Nevertheless, the length to affect the catch point is still overwhelming for some of the South receivers he faced. When lined up in press man, he flashed the ability to mirror and wall receivers to the sideline, but will require further development with his hand usage through the release.
Contributors: Eric Galko (@OptimumScouting), Mark Dulgerian (@MarkDulgerianOS) and Alex Brown (@OS_AlexBrown)