Senior Bowl Day Two Practice – North: Jordan and Carimi Continue To Dominate

Vincent Brown, WR:

Brown is going from after thought to serious mid-round contention. He is catching everything thrown his way, running excellent routes, and adjusts to the ball in the air. If Brown was 4 inches taller, or two-tenths of a second faster he would be a first pick. While he might not have the measurables, Brown has been impressive this week.

Niles Paul, WR:

Paul really impressed me yesterday, and he is a looking like a good mid-round receiver come April. He does well getting in and out of breaks and shows good hands.

Austin Pettis, WR:

Pettis has the size teams are looking for, but I’m not sure if he has what it takes to be a starting NFL receiver. He still needs to work on adjusting to the ball, and using his size to his advantage, to really take his game to that starting level.

Titus Young, WR:

Young is the most explosive receiver out there in Mobile, and he really improved day two, but his footwork still needs a little work. He has slipped a couple of times, but that could just be that he doesn’t have the best cleats for that field. He has game changing ability and should be a play maker at the next level.

Lee Smith, TE:

Didn’t get to see much of Smith catching the ball, but that isn’t his strong suit as he profiles as a dominating blocking tight end. Every time in team drills in both practice sessions he controlled the point of attack. His lack of an offensive threat will make him a late round guy, but his inline blocking skills will be his calling card at the next level.

Roy Helu Jr, RB:

Every time he runs I like this guy more and more. Great combo of strength, speed and agility. He hits the hole hard, and even has the ability to make some people miss with a strong cut. He is going to be the type of back that is a mid-round pick, but ends up as a starter by year 2.

DeMarco Murray, RB:

Murray looks to be the type of back that doesn’t do any one thing great, but everything well. He has had two solid practices and should hear his name called in the 3rd round range.

Kendall Hunter, RB:

Hunter is an explosive player, but is big enough that he can still be an every down running back. He has looked good so far in Mobile and looks like a poor-man’s Ray Rice.

Jake Locker, QB:

Locker is still frustrating at times, and while he seems to take coaching well, and interviews well it is pretty evident that he needs some serious time to still develop. He still misses on a number of balls, and while the ones he hits on are pretty, you can’t expect to miss as much as he has and be a day one starter.

Colin Kaepernick, QB:

Kaepernick still isn’t getting much love in scouting circles, but I’m 100% sold on him. He feels the rush and moves around the pocket very well. He also seems to have the best zip of any of the quarterbacks in Mobile. Like any quarterback he will need some time to develop, as his release is still a work in progress. Other than that, I really don’t have any complaints from what I’ve seen from him at practice.

Ricky Stanzi, QB:

Stanzi continues to look like a very good backup quarterback, who has an outside shot of developing down the road. He manages the offense well, and throws some nice balls, but is a little too inconsistent overall.

Offensive Linemen:

I spent a lot of time highlighting the linemen yesterday so I just wanted to quickly mention a couple of points:

Gabe Carimi and Anthony Castonzo both looked dominate again. Nate Solder flashes that dominate ability, but he doesn’t wow me enough overall. John Moffitt and Brandon Fusco are both maulers in the interior. James Brewer and Jason Pinkston are much better on the right side than the left, though Brewer is a better run blocker and Pinkston a better pass blocker. Kevin Kowalski was Monday’s darling prospect, but got dominated by the defense on Tuesday.

Jeremy Beal, DE:

From what I’ve seen of Beal he is getting controlled way to easily at the point of attack. He looks to be the type of defensive end who will get completely exposed in the run game. I think his stock is falling fast in this draft, and I question whether or not he could stand up in a 3-4.

Christian Ballard, DE/DT:

I don’t know what to make of Ballard. He is extremely quick off the ball and can get upfield, but is too easily controlled when a lineman gets his hands on him. For a guy who weighed in at 288, I’d expect him to be able to offer some push. Right now he might only profile as a 4-3 end, and has to show more strength to be considered for other systems. A lot of promise, but not sure if it will translate is the best way to describe Ballard.

Cameron Jordan, DE:

Jordan is simply a beast, he is completely unblockable and he should be shooting up draft boards. I think he is a lock for a top 15 pick, and could even hear his name called in the top 10. He is a perfect 3-4 defensive end, and looks to be a force at the next level. Jordan stood out as the single most dominating player on either roster today.

Ian Williams, DT:

Williams came in with low expectations, since he missed half the season with an injury, but he has looked good so far in Mobile. He isn’t the biggest or quickest player, but he never gives up and keeps fighting till the whistle. He isn’t the type to be a constant playmaker, but he will make his share of plays and even could be a decent nose tackle at the next level.

Ryan Kerrigan, DE:

Kerrigan has had an up-and-down performance at the Senior Bowl, but the good outweighs the bad, and the best thing I’ve seen is that he seems to adjust well. He doesn’t show the offensive lineman the same look, which should translate better to game situations than practice. He’s not an elite guy, but he will have his share of double digit sack seasons.