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2016 Senior Bowl: Tuesday Practice Report
http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2016practice.php
By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell
The South team took to a high school field in Fairhope, Alabama for their first practice of the Senior Bowl. The Jacksonville Jaguars coaching staff ran the practice and will coach them all week. The Jaguars staff had the players practicing in shells (shorts, shoulder pads and helmets). The South started the session with some install and work in individual position groups. After that, they did a few one-on-one sessions, a few periods of special teams work and a team scrimmage.
Shortly after the South practice ended, the North practice began across the bridge at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The distance combined with the traffic resulted in only a third of the North practice being seen. Here is a run-down of the noteworthy players.
The players who were the most impressive were along the defensive line. Of that group, the two who stood out the most were Ohio State defensive tackle Adolphus Washington and Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Vernon Butler. Washington dominated the one-on-ones with speed, power, and speed-to-power. Among the players whom he destroyed were Iowa center Austin Blythe and Washington State guard/tackle Joe Dahl. Dahl saw Washington blow by him on his first rep before bull rushing Dahl into the quarterback marker on the rematch. The only lineman who somewhat slowed down Washington was Stanford's Joshua Garnett. The Cardinal guard lost one rep as Washington flew by him, but on the rematch, he held up Washington after he managed some good penetration into the pocket. That rep was more of a draw.
Washington has a first-round skill set with speed, power, athleticism and the versatility to line up in a variety of places up front. To end his collegiate career, he had an arrest for solicitation, so his interviews are critically important. His practice was tremendous.
Butler was also phenomenal. He used speed to fire by Michigan State Jack Allen. Butler displayed speed-to-power to dispense Western Michigan's Willie Beavers and raced like a lightning bolt to fly by Beavers. This start serves to confirm the early round projections of Butler. He has a stout build yet is very fast.
Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib was impressive in the one-on-ones. He got the better of Stanford tackle Kyle Murphy on multiple reps. Nassib was too fast around the corner for Murphy. Nassib also showed a nice ability to drop his hips to get turned to the quarterback.
Illinois defensive end Jihad Ward also had a nice practice. He used speed to get by Murphy on a few snaps. Ward dropped North Dakota State tackle Joe Haeg on two reps with a swim move and a rush to the inside that caused Haeg to hold him. Murphy and Haeg really struggled to open their Senior Bowl week. Ward is an impressive athlete.
Temple defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis had a quality practice. He had some good battles against Notre Dame center Nick Martin as they split some reps. Stanford guard Joshua Garnett had a win versus Ioannidis. In the team scrimmage, Ioannidis beat Beavers to get a sack of Jeff Driskel.
Among the impressive linemen was Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed. He showed impressive power to rush through LSU guard/tackle Vadal Alexander. Reed's strength overwhelmed Missouri guard Connor McGovern in the run-scrimmage one-on-ones. In the pass-rushing one-on-ones, Reed split some reps with Arkansas guard Sebastian Tretola. One play saw Reed win with a second effort. There was another play in the running-based nine-on-nine session where Alexander pushed Reed out of his gap, but overall, Reed was rock solid throughout this practice and looks ready to contribute immediately in the NFL.
Virginia Tech edge rusher Dadi Nicolas had a nice practice. He easily got the better of Alexander and Baylor tackle Spencer Drango with speed around the corner in the pass-rushing one-on-ones. Drango got revenge on some run plays when he ran over Nicolas. To start his NFL career, Nicolas looks like a situational pass-rusher. Sources say they see him in that role and a potential mid-rounder.
Drango also had problems blocking BYU defensive end Bronson Kaufusi. He used a swim move to beat Drango, while Georgia linebacker Jordan Jenkins used speed around the corner to get the better of Drango. That being said, Drango was very good in the run-scrimmage one-on-ones. He was firing out of his stance and rocking defenders. For the next level, Drango looks like he needs to move inside to guard. That would help him to use more of his strengths and hide his weaknesses. Drango would definitely be a much better fit there than on the edge.
Eastern Kentucky edge rusher Noah Spence had a strong first session. He split time between working with the linebackers and the defensive linemen. In the pass-rushing one-on-ones, Spence really shined as used his speed to fly around Texas Tech left tackle Le'Raven Clark on a few reps. Clark did get the better of Spence when he got his hands on the speedy defender and rode him around the pocket. Spence needs to add strength for the NFL. He is extremely dangerous when linemen don't get their hands on him as he is too quick to go by them. When they get their hands on him, Spence lacks the power to shed. He will need more developmental time in a 4-3 defense and would fit well in a 3-4 scheme.
While Clark lost some reps to Spence, he had a solid first day and flashed on some other reps. Clark dispatched Baylor's Shawn Oakman by pushing him to the inside. Clark showed some quick feet to negate a speed rush from Oklahoma's Charles Tapper, but Tapper won the rematch with a bull rush. During the team scrimmage, Clark had a few good blocks downfield to help spring long runs for the offense.
Michigan center/guard Graham Glasgow was one of the stars of the East-West Shrine, and he had a respectable first day at the Senior Bowl. He split one-on-one pass-rushing reps with Louisville defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins. When Rankins used a speed rush to try to run by Glasgow, the Wolverine just pummeled him into the turf with authority. On the rematch, Rankins burned Glasgow with a spin move. Still, it is impressive for a center to be able to block a defensive tackle in one-on-ones as centers are typically helping to execute a double team on a sub-package interior rusher. Glasgow is having a tremendous postseason to set his draft stock on fire.
A good contrast could be seen in Missouri center/guard Evan Boehm. He was absolutely abused by Rankins with a speed rush. Alabama's Jarran Reed overwhelmed Boehm with power, and he was incapable of keeping Reed from charging down the pocket. Boehm really struggled in his first Senior Bowl practice.
Kansas State offensive tackle Cody Whitehair battled well, winning some and losing some. He had wins going against Oklahoma's Charles Tapper as he stopped a spin move and held up a rush to the inside. The second one may have been called a hold. Whitehair showed some strength in a win over Maryland's Quinton Jefferson. Whitehair would be best on the inside at guard, but has the flexibility to move to tackle during a game if an injury hits his team. At the very least, he could be a valuable backup as a rookie.
Of the South quarterbacks, N.C. State's Jacoby Brissett looked like the most natural passer compared to Arkansas' Brandon Allen and Mississippi State's Dak Prescott. Brissett made some nice throws downfield to place his passes well in the one-on-ones between the receivers and defensive backs.
I can't give a good comment on the North quarterbacks because the majority of practice wasn't seen, but in the team scrimmage and the seven-on-seven, North Dakota State's Carson Wentz made some nice throws. Wentz threw a pretty strike on a post route in the middle of the field to Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo. Virginia cornerback Maurice Canady was a step behind Carroo, but he forced a fumble by slapping the ball out of Carroo's hands; it was recovered by the defense. The number of reps the North quarterbacks get is down because they have four signal-callers on the roster.
One of those quarterbacks should have been playing at the East-West Shrine last week. There was one who stood out for that in particular. Against the better competition it was no surprise that Driskel looked more like the Florida Jeff Driskel than the Louisiana Tech version. He took some sacks and wasn't impressive as a passer. During the team scrimmage, he held onto the ball far too long. On one play, he took what would have been a coverage sack from Jihad Ward before throwing a pass to a blanketed check-down that was batted in the air, but luckily caught by a receiver. Driskel looks like an undrafted free agent.
West Virginia safety K.J. Dillon laid a bone-rattling hit on a running back during the team scrimmage. It was the biggest hit of the day.
Baylor defensive end Shawn Oakman did not look good. He didn't impress in the one-on-ones or in the team scrimmage. Oakman is a physical specimen, and that has led to him being overhyped, but he was not effective on Tuesday at the Senior Bowl.
Conversely for the Bears, Baylor wide receiver Jay Lee had a nice practice. He caught a back-shoulder throw from Brissett for a good completion downfield with Samford's James Bradberry in coverage. Lee ran by Auburn's Jonathan Jones on a deep post for a long completion lofted in by Arkansas' Brandon Allen. It was a strong start to the week for Lee.
Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones had a rough start. He did well running with Clemson's Charone Peake downfield to break up a pass, but then Peake got over the top on him for a pretty over-the-shoulder grab. During the team scrimmage, Jones blew coverage in zone and allowed fullback Glenn Gronkowski to get wide open along the sideline for a chunk completion. Jones was mad at himself after that play. For the NFL, he looks like a backup and special teamer.
Crimson Tide running back Kenyon Drake had a strong start to the week. He showed his speed when he took a dump-off pass from Dak Prescott for a long gain down the sideline. There is no doubt that Drake has a skill set for the pro game, but he had durability issues in college, so his NFL Scouting Combine medical check will be critical, and the injury concerns could really hurt his draft stock.
Two small school defensive backs who could rise this week are Samford's James Bradberry and Northern Iowa's Deiondre' Hall. Hall is very physical and put a licking on a running back in the tackle box after flying over from the sideline. Bradberry had a nice hit as well. Hall was more sound in pass coverage as Bradberry allowed some receptions, but both players have a good skill set and a gritty style of play.
Georgia tackle John Theus really struggled on Tuesday. His feet looked like they were stuck in concrete on speed rushes from Oklahoma linebacker Eric Striker. Striker easily blew by Theus as did other pass-rushers. Sources say that Theus has graded out as a late-rounder because he isn't strong or athletic, just big.
http://walterfootball.com/seniorbowl2016practice.php
By Charlie Campbell - @draftcampbell
The South team took to a high school field in Fairhope, Alabama for their first practice of the Senior Bowl. The Jacksonville Jaguars coaching staff ran the practice and will coach them all week. The Jaguars staff had the players practicing in shells (shorts, shoulder pads and helmets). The South started the session with some install and work in individual position groups. After that, they did a few one-on-one sessions, a few periods of special teams work and a team scrimmage.
Shortly after the South practice ended, the North practice began across the bridge at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The distance combined with the traffic resulted in only a third of the North practice being seen. Here is a run-down of the noteworthy players.
The players who were the most impressive were along the defensive line. Of that group, the two who stood out the most were Ohio State defensive tackle Adolphus Washington and Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Vernon Butler. Washington dominated the one-on-ones with speed, power, and speed-to-power. Among the players whom he destroyed were Iowa center Austin Blythe and Washington State guard/tackle Joe Dahl. Dahl saw Washington blow by him on his first rep before bull rushing Dahl into the quarterback marker on the rematch. The only lineman who somewhat slowed down Washington was Stanford's Joshua Garnett. The Cardinal guard lost one rep as Washington flew by him, but on the rematch, he held up Washington after he managed some good penetration into the pocket. That rep was more of a draw.
Washington has a first-round skill set with speed, power, athleticism and the versatility to line up in a variety of places up front. To end his collegiate career, he had an arrest for solicitation, so his interviews are critically important. His practice was tremendous.
Butler was also phenomenal. He used speed to fire by Michigan State Jack Allen. Butler displayed speed-to-power to dispense Western Michigan's Willie Beavers and raced like a lightning bolt to fly by Beavers. This start serves to confirm the early round projections of Butler. He has a stout build yet is very fast.
Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib was impressive in the one-on-ones. He got the better of Stanford tackle Kyle Murphy on multiple reps. Nassib was too fast around the corner for Murphy. Nassib also showed a nice ability to drop his hips to get turned to the quarterback.
Illinois defensive end Jihad Ward also had a nice practice. He used speed to get by Murphy on a few snaps. Ward dropped North Dakota State tackle Joe Haeg on two reps with a swim move and a rush to the inside that caused Haeg to hold him. Murphy and Haeg really struggled to open their Senior Bowl week. Ward is an impressive athlete.
Temple defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis had a quality practice. He had some good battles against Notre Dame center Nick Martin as they split some reps. Stanford guard Joshua Garnett had a win versus Ioannidis. In the team scrimmage, Ioannidis beat Beavers to get a sack of Jeff Driskel.
Among the impressive linemen was Alabama defensive tackle Jarran Reed. He showed impressive power to rush through LSU guard/tackle Vadal Alexander. Reed's strength overwhelmed Missouri guard Connor McGovern in the run-scrimmage one-on-ones. In the pass-rushing one-on-ones, Reed split some reps with Arkansas guard Sebastian Tretola. One play saw Reed win with a second effort. There was another play in the running-based nine-on-nine session where Alexander pushed Reed out of his gap, but overall, Reed was rock solid throughout this practice and looks ready to contribute immediately in the NFL.
Virginia Tech edge rusher Dadi Nicolas had a nice practice. He easily got the better of Alexander and Baylor tackle Spencer Drango with speed around the corner in the pass-rushing one-on-ones. Drango got revenge on some run plays when he ran over Nicolas. To start his NFL career, Nicolas looks like a situational pass-rusher. Sources say they see him in that role and a potential mid-rounder.
Drango also had problems blocking BYU defensive end Bronson Kaufusi. He used a swim move to beat Drango, while Georgia linebacker Jordan Jenkins used speed around the corner to get the better of Drango. That being said, Drango was very good in the run-scrimmage one-on-ones. He was firing out of his stance and rocking defenders. For the next level, Drango looks like he needs to move inside to guard. That would help him to use more of his strengths and hide his weaknesses. Drango would definitely be a much better fit there than on the edge.
Eastern Kentucky edge rusher Noah Spence had a strong first session. He split time between working with the linebackers and the defensive linemen. In the pass-rushing one-on-ones, Spence really shined as used his speed to fly around Texas Tech left tackle Le'Raven Clark on a few reps. Clark did get the better of Spence when he got his hands on the speedy defender and rode him around the pocket. Spence needs to add strength for the NFL. He is extremely dangerous when linemen don't get their hands on him as he is too quick to go by them. When they get their hands on him, Spence lacks the power to shed. He will need more developmental time in a 4-3 defense and would fit well in a 3-4 scheme.
While Clark lost some reps to Spence, he had a solid first day and flashed on some other reps. Clark dispatched Baylor's Shawn Oakman by pushing him to the inside. Clark showed some quick feet to negate a speed rush from Oklahoma's Charles Tapper, but Tapper won the rematch with a bull rush. During the team scrimmage, Clark had a few good blocks downfield to help spring long runs for the offense.
Michigan center/guard Graham Glasgow was one of the stars of the East-West Shrine, and he had a respectable first day at the Senior Bowl. He split one-on-one pass-rushing reps with Louisville defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins. When Rankins used a speed rush to try to run by Glasgow, the Wolverine just pummeled him into the turf with authority. On the rematch, Rankins burned Glasgow with a spin move. Still, it is impressive for a center to be able to block a defensive tackle in one-on-ones as centers are typically helping to execute a double team on a sub-package interior rusher. Glasgow is having a tremendous postseason to set his draft stock on fire.
A good contrast could be seen in Missouri center/guard Evan Boehm. He was absolutely abused by Rankins with a speed rush. Alabama's Jarran Reed overwhelmed Boehm with power, and he was incapable of keeping Reed from charging down the pocket. Boehm really struggled in his first Senior Bowl practice.
Kansas State offensive tackle Cody Whitehair battled well, winning some and losing some. He had wins going against Oklahoma's Charles Tapper as he stopped a spin move and held up a rush to the inside. The second one may have been called a hold. Whitehair showed some strength in a win over Maryland's Quinton Jefferson. Whitehair would be best on the inside at guard, but has the flexibility to move to tackle during a game if an injury hits his team. At the very least, he could be a valuable backup as a rookie.
Of the South quarterbacks, N.C. State's Jacoby Brissett looked like the most natural passer compared to Arkansas' Brandon Allen and Mississippi State's Dak Prescott. Brissett made some nice throws downfield to place his passes well in the one-on-ones between the receivers and defensive backs.
I can't give a good comment on the North quarterbacks because the majority of practice wasn't seen, but in the team scrimmage and the seven-on-seven, North Dakota State's Carson Wentz made some nice throws. Wentz threw a pretty strike on a post route in the middle of the field to Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo. Virginia cornerback Maurice Canady was a step behind Carroo, but he forced a fumble by slapping the ball out of Carroo's hands; it was recovered by the defense. The number of reps the North quarterbacks get is down because they have four signal-callers on the roster.
One of those quarterbacks should have been playing at the East-West Shrine last week. There was one who stood out for that in particular. Against the better competition it was no surprise that Driskel looked more like the Florida Jeff Driskel than the Louisiana Tech version. He took some sacks and wasn't impressive as a passer. During the team scrimmage, he held onto the ball far too long. On one play, he took what would have been a coverage sack from Jihad Ward before throwing a pass to a blanketed check-down that was batted in the air, but luckily caught by a receiver. Driskel looks like an undrafted free agent.
West Virginia safety K.J. Dillon laid a bone-rattling hit on a running back during the team scrimmage. It was the biggest hit of the day.
Baylor defensive end Shawn Oakman did not look good. He didn't impress in the one-on-ones or in the team scrimmage. Oakman is a physical specimen, and that has led to him being overhyped, but he was not effective on Tuesday at the Senior Bowl.
Conversely for the Bears, Baylor wide receiver Jay Lee had a nice practice. He caught a back-shoulder throw from Brissett for a good completion downfield with Samford's James Bradberry in coverage. Lee ran by Auburn's Jonathan Jones on a deep post for a long completion lofted in by Arkansas' Brandon Allen. It was a strong start to the week for Lee.
Alabama cornerback Cyrus Jones had a rough start. He did well running with Clemson's Charone Peake downfield to break up a pass, but then Peake got over the top on him for a pretty over-the-shoulder grab. During the team scrimmage, Jones blew coverage in zone and allowed fullback Glenn Gronkowski to get wide open along the sideline for a chunk completion. Jones was mad at himself after that play. For the NFL, he looks like a backup and special teamer.
Crimson Tide running back Kenyon Drake had a strong start to the week. He showed his speed when he took a dump-off pass from Dak Prescott for a long gain down the sideline. There is no doubt that Drake has a skill set for the pro game, but he had durability issues in college, so his NFL Scouting Combine medical check will be critical, and the injury concerns could really hurt his draft stock.
Two small school defensive backs who could rise this week are Samford's James Bradberry and Northern Iowa's Deiondre' Hall. Hall is very physical and put a licking on a running back in the tackle box after flying over from the sideline. Bradberry had a nice hit as well. Hall was more sound in pass coverage as Bradberry allowed some receptions, but both players have a good skill set and a gritty style of play.
Georgia tackle John Theus really struggled on Tuesday. His feet looked like they were stuck in concrete on speed rushes from Oklahoma linebacker Eric Striker. Striker easily blew by Theus as did other pass-rushers. Sources say that Theus has graded out as a late-rounder because he isn't strong or athletic, just big.
