ESPN will televise Reese’s Senior Bowl practices & other S.B. details

Senior Bowl rosters

NORTH: http://www.seniorbowl.com/rosters-2016.php?squad=North

SOUTH: http://www.seniorbowl.com/rosters-2016.php?squad=South

BORDER STATES:

PRACTIVE SCHEDULE: http://www.seniorbowl.com/fans-practice-schedule.php

Agamemnon wrote:

Check your TV guides for times.

You going to watch the practices Ag?

EVERY SENIOR BOWL PLAYER YOU NEED TO KNOW: OFFENSE

By STEVE PALAZZOLO

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/01/25/draft-every-senior-bowl-player-you-need-to-know-offense/

In what has become the premier event in-between championship weekend and the Super Bowl, Senior Bowl week is upon us and it’s a great look into the future of the NFL. While one week of practice and a few game reps does not make or break a prospect’s future, the opportunity to validate thousands of college snaps with the entire NFL watching closely is invaluable.

With PFF working hand-in-hand with the Senior Bowl, it’s also a great chance to get an in-person look at prospects we’ve graded on those thousands of snaps. Our evaluation process is always ongoing (be sure to check out our live blog once practices begin), and while the larger sample size from the film room is most important, Senior Bowl week is just another part of the process.

Quarterbacks
The draft class is not top-heavy at quarterback, but there are a number of mid-round options and many of them will be on display in Mobile. The hype surrounding North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz is real, and he has the physical tools to wow the league this week to solidify his first-round projections. While we don’t have all of his data, a first-look grading of his seven games from this year showed more good than bad, and certainly displayed his great size, arm, and athleticism. The one takeaway from watching is that he has the downfield throwing ability to win a game for his team, but also the questionable decision making to lose one.

Beyond Wentz, Arkansas QB Brandon Allen had a strong finish to the season including two monster games against the Mississippi schools (Ole Miss and Mississippi State). He finished at No. 12 overall among quarterbacks and No. 3 since Week 8, so he has a chance to impress with his quick release and accuracy. Two former Florida quarterbacks, Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett, will be on display as Driskel looks to prove that in impressive senior year was a sign of development rather than competition level playing for Louisiana Tech while Brissett has impressed more with his legs than with his arm the last two seasons.

Allen’s competition for top quarterback in the SEC was Mississippi State’s Dak Prescott who made strides as a passer this season, but like Brissett, is trying to prove that he’s more than just a short-yardage run threat. Finally Alabama’s Jake Coker and Stanford’s Kevin Hogan also resemble their peers as they improved in their senior season, especially Hogan. That’s the story of the class as this group of signal callers looks to prove that they can continue their development on the way to the NFL.

Running Backs
It’s difficult for running backs to turn heads during practice, so they have to make the most of their game opportunities. The one running back that looks poised to impress is Louisiana Tech’s Kenneth Dixon, whose receiving ability should even make a mark during practices. He’s electric in space, able to make defenders miss (elusive rating of 99.2 ranks second in draft class) while making plays as a receiver out of the backfield and out of the slot.

The rest of the running backs are similar as there’s more scat back than every-down bruiser among this year’s invites.

Wide Receivers
There will be a few wide receivers vying for first-round consideration, namely Rutgers’ Leontee Carroo and Oklahoma’s Sterling Shepard. Carroo was outstanding this season, grading at +17.0 on only 360 snaps after a +20.0 effort last year. His downfield acceleration should get some hype this week and he has only two drops on 157 targets the last two years. Shepard topped our grading this season, doing most of his damage out of the slot with excellent route running. Size may be the knock that keeps Shepard out of the first round, but his shiftiness and downfield tracking ability make him better-rounded than many will admit.

The other intriguing early-round types include Michigan State’s Aaron Burbridge who broke out this season to a +22.1 grade and Georgia’s Malcolm Mitchell (+15.7). Burbridge was one of the nation’s most efficient downfield threats, catching 64.0 percent of his targets. Mitchell has flown under the radar, but he was productive despite uneven quarterback play. He reminds of Robert Woods with perhaps a little more speed and downfield ball skills.

Among the other options, Baylor’s Jay Lee and UCLA’s Jordan Payton have a chance to impress, though in different ways. Lee has size and speed, but coming out of Baylor’s high-octane system, he’s run only a handful of routes. Payton may not wow with his athleticism, but he was UCLA’s go-to guy and incredibly productive at +27.3 overall.

Tight Ends
While inline blocking at the tight end position is not flashy, South Carolina’s Jerrell Adams is one of the best in the draft class. He held his own against defensive ends all season, the only question being if it was true development or an anomaly after a nondescript 2014. He wasn’t used often in the passing game, but managed to average 15.0 yards per reception while forcing 10 missed tackles, tied for fifth among the nation’s tight ends. With more volume and a better quarterback situation, Adams may have more hype heading into the week.

Tying him with 10 missed tackles forced of his own is Western Kentucky’s Tyler Higbee who is one of the better receiving options in the class. He gives underneath defenders trouble with his speed and he looks like more of a move tight end that can create matchup issues for the defense.

Offensive Tackle
Perhaps the most interesting position at the Senior Bowl, a number of offensive tackles have a chance to make a move up draft boards. Without going into a diatribe about the overvaluing of left tackles once again, the fact is, a smooth kick step and 34.5-inch arm length is more likely to inspire a first-round grade than quality of on-field play. And that’s where we have issue with this class, and last year’s for that matter, as we’ve yet to see dominant offensive tackle play in two years of grading. As for this class, they all come with various strengths and weaknesses.

Washington State’s Joe Dahl has already gotten the business about his scrawny arms, but he can mirror pass rushers at left tackle and posted our top pass protection grade each of the last two seasons. Washington State’s scheme certainly helps, he’s quite susceptible to the bull rush, and he’s limited as a run blocker, but that’s a near-identical profile to Green Bay left tackle David Bakhtiari who has done more good than bad as a pass blocker in his three seasons. A move to guard due to arm length issues would exasperate Dahl’s weaknesses and lose his strength which is handling outside speed rushers.

Texas Tech’s Le’Raven Clark may be best-suited to tick the proper boxes to impress scouts, but he’s been a better run blocker than pass blocker the last two years and he struggled mightily against the speed of LSU true freshman, Arden Key, in their bowl game.

The two intriguing names that did show all-around production are Kansas State’s Cody Whitehair and Baylor’s Spencer Drango. They topped our grades this year, though Baylor’s scheme helped Drango a bit. Both players are getting a look at both guard and tackle, with Drango perhaps a better fit for a man blocking/power scheme while Whitehair is a smooth mover likely better fit for a zone scheme. Whitehair, in particular, deserves a chance to hang at tackle where he can mirror, anchor, and quickly climb to the second level, a big reason for his +8.4 pass block grade and +32.9 run block grade this season.

Another name to watch is Indiana’s Jason Spriggs who reportedly will look good during the offseason portion of the draft process and graded well at +17.3 overall this season.

When looking at the offensive tackle class as a whole, few players stand out. The only two that made it into our last first-round mock draft were both juniors in Ole Miss’ Laremy Tunsil and Michigan State’s Jack Conklin. Tunsil still a little more projection than production while Conklin put together two strong years in our system, particularly in the run game. Beyond that, the NFL would like to see some of the Senior Bowlers to elevate themselves into first round picks, but that it may be a stretch to take any of them in the first, though NFL trends will likely move them up boards due to perceived positional value.

Interior Offensive Linemen
Looking for power blocking guards? This is the group for you, especially at the top. Stanford’s Joshua Garnett had the third-best run blocking grade in the nation at +32.6 as he was a perfect fit for Stanford’s power blocking scheme. Arkansas guard Sebastian Tretola is similar, though he has two years of strong run blocking efforts in the SEC to back him up (+20.3 in 2014, +20.7 in 2015). Like Garnett, Tretola can move defenders as drive blocker or on the move as a puller, making them both similar fits from a scheme standpoint. Throw in some inconsistency for both players as pass blockers, and their draft prospects will be linked closely throughout the process.

Another guard, cut from a different mold, is Arizona State’s Christian Westerman who is better as a pass blocker than he is in the run game and closer to a tackle prospect than either Tretola or Garnett. His +7.9 pass block grade tied for 17th in the nation and he’s a better fit for a zone blocking scheme.

As for the centers, Iowa’s Austin Blythe stands out after posting a +40.0 overall grade to lead the nation. He looks scheme-diverse in the run game though he was just ok in pass protection at +1.7 (16 pressures on the season).[/quote]

L.A. Rams GM Les Snead has his eyes on potential draft prizes at the Senior Bowl

By Gary Klein

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-senior-bowl-rams-20160127-story.html

Rams General Manager Les Snead stood inside Ladd-Peebles Stadium late Tuesday afternoon, after the first Senior Bowl practice he would see this week.

A North team that features quarterbacks Cody Kessler of USC, Kevin Hogan of Stanford, Carson Wentz of North Dakota State and Jeff Driskel of Louisiana Tech had just gone through its first workout under Dallas Cowboys Coach Jason Garrett and his staff.

“First day, it’s kid in a candy store,” Snead said of evaluating players. “You want to see everybody.”

There were plenty of eyes.

Snead said “pretty much the entire scouting department” was on hand to evaluate players who are practicing for Saturday’s game and preparing for the NFL draft. The Rams have the 15th pick in the draft, scheduled April 28-30 in Chicago.

Despite light rain during the North team workout, Snead said the quarterbacks “spun the ball” and demonstrated the skills that made them successful during their college careers.

Kessler and UCLA receiver Jordan Payton combined on a long touchdown pass play during one-on-one drills.

“They gave him a double-move, pump-and-go,” Kessler said. “I told him I’d put it up there . . . that USC-UCLA thing.”

Earlier Tuesday, the South team practiced at a high school about 30 minutes from the stadium. Alabama Coach Nick Saban stopped by to watch the team that features several of his former players and is being coached by the Jacksonville Jaguars staff.

Rams Coach Jeff Fisher will not be at Senior Bowl workouts, Snead said. But scouts and many assistant coaches are on hand. Individual scouts are assigned positions to evaluate at practice and on video. Area scouts additionally evaluate players from their regions. Scouts also conduct player interviews.

The contingent will meet nightly to review and plan for the next day.

“You try and divide it so the area scout finally gets to sit down and see the personality of the player and maybe ask a few questions they’ve been dying to ask,” Snead said.

The Rams remain in the process of working out the logistics of their move from St. Louis to Los Angeles.

A decision regarding the location of their temporary training facility could be made in “the next seven to 21 days,” Snead said. The Oxnard facility where the Dallas Cowboys have trained during summer is among the possibilities. The Rams held two days of joint practices with the Cowboys in Oxnard last August.

“We’ve got some guys right now that are vetting, narrowing down the sites to try and figure out what best fits the transition,” Snead said.

Asked where the Rams would conduct their draft, Snead said, “We will be in Los Angeles. We’re the L.A. Rams.”

Measured responses

Players started the day by going through the annual weigh-in that is held in a cavernous convention center ballroom. Hundreds of scouts filled the seating in front of the stage and in 13 rows of bleachers.

Tennessee Titans scout Dale Thompson, a former USC tight end, read the name of each player who appeared on stage in compression shorts or underwear to be measured for height and weight. After each player’s turn on stage, a large graphic appeared on a screen with the player’s photo, height, weight, hand size and wingspan.

“Everybody goes through it,” UCLA kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn said, laughing. “You’ve got to be comfortable being uncomfortable.”

Miller in the mix

Braxton Miller moved from quarterback to receiver at Ohio State after he was sidelined because of injuries and then supplanted by J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones.

Miller is among the most intriguing prospects at the Senior Bowl.

Asked if he considered himself an X factor among the receivers, he said, “I can be. Some of the guys, they mainly played receiver their whole life. I can come back there and still throw the ball if I want to. So it’s whatever the team needs.

from off the net

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Flipper336

Guys that will have their draftnik coming out parties IMO.

Kyler Fackrell, Utah State – 
Big long guy with tons of power in his hands and rare movement skills for a man his size. Could play the Edge and be a nightmare pass rusher, off the line as an OLB and cover every type of TE, set the edge, and blow up the run, or play the middle and make plays all over the field. One of the top talents in the entire draft. 

Joe Schobert, Wisconsin – 
Similar versatility as Fackrell but more of a technician and less of a freak. 

Deiondre’ Hall, Northern Iowa CB –
Great length, fluid movement, good instincts and ball skills. 

Leonte Carroo, Rutgers WR –
I have already talked about him a bunch but still had to put his name here. 

Chris Moore, Cincinnati WR –
Nothing elite about him but does everything well. Makes tough catches and is fearless. Route running should get him noticed this week.

 Cole Toner, Harvard and Willie Beavers, Western Michigan OT/OG –
Only real question is their completion level, should put a lot of that in the rear view mirror this week. 

Darian Thompson, Boise State S –
Really solid player that always seems to be in the right place. Lots of interceptions but also a very good run defender. 

Kevin Byard, Middle Tennessee State S –
Big hitter that sometimes needs to focus more on wrapping up but is very athletic and could help with mismatches that defenses often can’t deal with. 

Brandon Allen, Arkansas and Jake Coker, Alabama QBs –
More guys I have already talked about but need to list. 

Christian Westerman, Arizona State OG –
Big fan of this player. Not a huge mauler but has some power. Really shows off when asked to pull or get to the second level and hunt. Great technique. Slightly poor mans David Decastro?

Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky EDGE –
Not Von Miller…but might be the closest as a pass rusher in this draft. 

NOT SAYING THIS GUY WILL SHINE BUT…

Jeff Driskel, Louisiana Tech –
Want to see how he takes to coaching. Very weird prospect because he makes easy plays look difficult and is only a one read guy but then might be the best deep ball passer I saw this year and makes extremely accurate passes on the move. Lots of inconsistency but intriguing amounts of wow.

Which unheralded prospect will make Senior Bowl splash?

NFL.com

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000628523/article/which-unheralded-prospect-will-make-senior-bowl-splash

We asked CFB 24/7’s panel of experts for their predictions with practices beginning on Tuesday and the game airing live exclusively on NFL Network at 2:30 p.m. ET on Jan. 30.

Gil Brandt
NFL.com
MAC OL set to surprise
Every year, there’s a surprise or two from the Mid-American Conference in the draft. We saw it with Eric Fisher, who was the No. 1 overall pick out of Central Michigan in 2013, and we had it with Khalil Mack, the fifth overall pick from Buffalo in 2014. I think Western Michigan offensive lineman Willie Beavers is going to be the next surprise to come from the league. Don’t judge him by his tape from the 2015 season — he had an injured ankle and played at less than 100 percent. He has long arms, good agility and is very competitive. I think he has chance to be an NFL regular.

Charles Davis
NFL.com
Prescott will open eyes
I am keeping a close eye on Mississippi State QB Dak Prescott. He has had an absolutely outstanding career, both individually, and as the leader of a winning program that showed well in the always difficult SEC with his hands on the wheel. At one point, he had the Bulldogs ranked as the top team in the country in 2014 … and, that’s not something that anyone saw coming (except those who support and love Mississippi State).

The reason that I’m peering closely at young Mr. Prescott? I saw enormous improvement in his game in 2015, especially as a passer. He’s always been a big, strong runner with a live arm who struggled with accuracy. In 2015, I saw a QB that really had worked on his mechanics, his touch, and his ability to not just hit open targets, but to put the ball in better places for his receivers. In fact, I talked with my colleague Daniel Jeremiah about his improvement, and we swapped notes that followed that premise.

So … let the practices begin, and I’ll be watching one of the best players in Mississippi State history continuing to work hard to convince the NFL that he’s a true QB and not a TE/H-back that I listed as his NFL position when evaluating him in 2014. I believe that he deserves the opportunity to be an NFL QB with his skill set, and talents (many of which fit what QBs are being asked to do these days in the league).

Chase Goodbread
College Football 24/7
Louisiana Tech DT will impress
NFL scouts are going to love Louisiana Tech’s Vernon Butler, an interior defensive line prospect who was all over the field for Tech in 2015 and was named an All-Conference-USA first-team pick. He anchored the Bulldogs’ defensive front for two years, helping the program to its first back-to-back bowl wins ever. He’s athletic, powerful, and would have held his own just fine in a Power Five conference. Expect Butler to give North squad offensive linemen trouble in practice all week.

Chad Reuter
College Football 24/7
Don’t sleep on small-school WR
Southeast Missouri State receiver Paul McRoberts has a chance to vault into the top 75 picks with a good week in Mobile. His 6-foot-3 frame, surprising agility and strong hands should test the South team cornerbacks. In fact, he’ll be facing three other FCS stars on the South squad, cornerbacks James Bradberry (Samford) and Harlan Miller (Southeast Louisiana), and corner/safety DeAndre Houston-Carson (William & Mary) — all potential mid-round selections if they impress coaches and scouts this week.

10 PROSPECTS WHO STOOD OUT ON DAY 3 OF SENIOR BOWL PRACTICES
These 10 players all impressed during Thursday’s Senior Bowl practices, including former Ohio State DE Noah Spence.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2016/01/28/draft-10-prospects-who-stood-out-on-day-3-of-senior-bowl-practices/

ere are 10 prospects who jumped out at our analysts during Day 3 of Senior Bowl practices, and how they graded out in our rankings and stats during the season:

1. Noah Spence, DE, Eastern Kentucky
He was probably the best player we saw in either practice on Thursday. It seemed as though any time there was a pass play during which the quarterback didn’t get rid of the ball almost immediately, Spence was in the backfield disrupting the play. As we wrote on Wednesday, we don’t have much data on Spence because he played for an FCS team in Eastern Kentucky, but he graded out well in his two games against FBS competition in NC State and Kentucky.

2. Jerrell Adams, TE, South Carolina
This guy was making plays throughout Thursday’s practice, both in one-on-one drills and team drills. His teammates on the defensive side of the ball simply couldn’t cover him, and it was clear that the coaching staff was looking for ways to get him the ball — at one point, they ran a tight end screen for him. Don’t be surprised if he makes a lot of plays in the game on Saturday. The Gamecocks’ issues at quarterback limited his production in the passing game, but he still graded out very well as a run-blocker and his 10 forced missed tackles were evidence of his playmaking ability.

3. Carl Nassib, DE, Penn State
He looked very good in one-on-one pass-rush drills, beating guys to the outside with speed as well as with inside counter-moves. He has been very productive all week long, according to our practice grading, which backs up what we recorded from him during the season. No 4-3 defensive end in the country earned a higher pass-rush productivity score than Nassib, who recorded 53 quarterback pressures, including 16 sacks.

4. Maurice Canady, CB, Virginia
He was impressive during Thursday’s practice, showing well in press coverage and looking very much like a physical presence at the cornerback position at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds. He has earned the top grade among CBs during this week’s practices. However, that’s a departure from how he performed during the season, when he earned just four positive game grades all year and ranked toward the bottom of our season-long grades.

5. Cody Whitehair, G, Kansas State
One-on-one pass-rush drills are usually to the defender’s advantage, but that wasn’t the case Thursday for Whitehair. He held his own on every rep, even stoning pass-rushers on a few and leveling one with a pancake block. There’s some debate over whether he’s a tackle or a guard at the next level, after he graded out as our No. 1 tackle in 2015, but his best reps came as a guard on Thursday.

6. Jason Fanaika, DE, Utah
He performed very well during one-on-one pass-rush drills, with one ridiculous spin move to beat an offensive tackle and another strong pass rush around the edge. This week is important for him because while he graded out well for us, particularly as a rusher, he wasn’t nearly on the same level as the nation’s top 4-3 defensive ends, like Nassib, Joey Bosa, Emmanuel Ogbah and Shilique Calhoun. He also missed the most tackles among draft-eligible players at the position, with 15.

7. Braxton Miller, WR, Ohio State
For the second day in a row Miller really stood out in one-on-one drills versus defensive backs, with his overall quickness and explosiveness in and out of breaks on full display. He got open often during red-zone drills. He also displayed a lot of competitiveness and physicality. He limped off the field at one point with an apparent leg injury, so we’ll have to see if that keeps him out of practice Friday and the game Saturday.

8. Adolphus Washington, DT, Ohio State
Miller’s Buckeyes teammate also had a good showing on Thursday, displaying very good quickness and athleticism in beating blockers during one-on-one pass-rush drills. He earned the second-highest pass-rush grade in the nation last season among draft-eligible defensive tackles, having produced 48 quarterback pressures, including eight sacks. Fellow D-tackle Sheldon Day out of Notre Dame was very impressive as well, for the second day in a row.

9. Malcolm Mitchell, WR, Georgia
It just seemed as though Mitchell was quietly getting open on nearly every route he ran on Thursday, both in one-on-one and team drills. That reflected what he did on the field for the Bulldogs this season, despite having to deal with Georgia’s uneven quarterback play. He ranked 13th in our receiving grades among draft-eligible players. One other receiver from the South practice who stood out was Oklahoma’s Sterling Shepard, who consistently got open and beat his man.

10. Jordan Jenkins, OLB, Georgia
He split his time between pass-rush drills — in which he was very successful — and coverage drills with linebackers. The latter is an area in which he doesn’t have a ton of experience, having dropped into coverage just 27 times in 2015 at Georgia. He proved himself as an effective pass-rusher and run defender, however, ranking fifth among draft-eligible outside linebackers in PFF grades.

from off the net

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jemach

Here are a few players they are raving about here in Dallas after the Senior Bowl week…

Noah Spence…if not for off field…a top 10 player.
Braxton Miller…total freakazoid athlete…could be special.
Murray (not sure of first name) DB from Minnesota.
Carson Wentz did not disappoint.