Senior Bowl Rising and Falling: North Team

Rising:

QB Mike Glennon, NC State:

-Glennon cemented his status as the best quarterback down here in Mobile, and could be now firmly in the first round discussion.

RB Johnathan Franklin, UCLA:

-Franklin has had a really nice week and in a running back class that has been pretty up in the air this year, he has put himself in the discussion for being one of the top 5 backs in the class.

WR Aaron Mellette, Elon:

-Came in with a lot to prove coming from a small school and has shown himself to be up for the challenge. He’s been able to match-up with anyone in terms of size, speed and route running. He should be moving up draft boards to the top 100 picks.

WR Marquise Goodwin, Texas:

-Everyone knew Goodwin would be fast, but people might not have known he’d be this fast. He’s also been very impressive in his route running and with his hands, two areas that were question marks coming in.

WR Aaron Dobson, Marshall:

-Dobson didn’t have big numbers at Marshall, but showed this week that he wasn’t the reason his stats weren’t better. He had a strong week all-around and very much helped improve his draft stock.

WR Markus Wheaton, Oregon State:

-Wheaton didn’t have as good of a week as some players on this list, but he has been steadily climbing up draft boards. This week he checked off speed, quickness, and 6′ size in the boxes of what G.M.’s are looking for. He also had some of the more memorable acrobatic catches this week as well.

TE Nick Kasa, Colorado:

-Kasa was a bit of an unknown heading into this week. He’s a former DL who moved to TE two years ago. While he seemed to do okay, no one knew just how real of an NFL prospect he was. Against top notch competition Kasa proved himself as a blocker and more importantly as a receiver.

OL Eric Fisher, Central Michigan:

-Had probably the best week here of any player and will likely be rewarded with a top 10 selection. He can definitely handle the blindside and should be the highest drafted player from this game.

OL David Quessenberry, San Jose State:

-Quessenberry showed great versatility throughout the week working at tackle, guard and center. He probably fits best as a tackle and looks like he could start early on the right side. He was considered more of a late round guy prior, but now legitimately could go in the top 100 picks.

OL Brian Winters, Kent State:

-Winters had such a good week of practice that even though he moved off the tackle position he increased his draft value. He was a 4 year starter at tackle, but took the transition to guard very well this week showing a lot of upside.

DL Datone Jones, UCLA:

-Jones was one of the best defensive linemen on either side of the football this week and really helped his draft stock. He’s a bit of a tweener, but has the frame to add more weight to play the 5 technique in a 3-4 or play as a base end in a 4-3. He may be getting some first round consideration at this point.

DL Alex Okafor, Texas:

-Okafor had a really nice week and looks to be every bit the edge rusher that his potential always dictated. He showed nice burst/leverage and should be firmly in the top 25 picks right now.

DL Kawann Short, Purdue

-Short had a big week showcasing himself as one of the better defensive tackles in a very strong tackle draft. He showed nice power and should be off the board in the top 2 rounds.

LB Ty Powell, Harding University:

-A small school guy, Powell had a big week and showed himself capable of playing with anyone. He has nice pass rush potential and could fit well in a 3-4 system.

LB Kevin Reddick, UNC:

-After a questionable senior season Reddick needed a big week and that is exactly what he had. He showed excellent leadership on the field and has been solid in coverage.

DB T.J. McDonald, USC:

-McDonald is another player coming off a down year, but he’s made up for it this week in Moblie. Some may knock him for the lack of big plays, but he’s been really good in coverage, locking down on receivers and tight ends, and that is what coaches want to see.

DB Desmond Trufant, Washington:

-Trufant has had a big week making exciting play after exciting play. He should be shooting up draft boards.

DB Jonathan Cyprien, Florida International:

-Cyprien really looked good this week despite not having the same hype level as a number of prospects here. He showed really nice range and can definitely make his presence felt with his hitting ability.

Falling:

QB Zac Dysert, Miami OH:

-Dysert came to Mobile with high hopes, but too many mistakes plagued him this week. He’s going to fall to the 4th-5th round range and may slide even further if he can’t improve by the combine.

WR Denard Robinson, Michigan:

-Robinson came into this week trying to answer questions about his conversion to wide receiver, but unfortunately the result isn’t the answer he was hoping to give. He struggled all week to catch the football and run routes. On top of that he was unable to effectively catch kickoffs and punts, making it extremely unlikely that he’d be able to offer any production as a rookie.

OL Hugh Thornton, Illinois:

-Thornton looked to be one of the better guard prospects heading into this draft with a solid mid-round grade, after getting manhandled a number of times by the North’s top tackles, he will likely slide to more of a later round guy.

OL Ricky Wagner, Wisconsin:

-Wagner had the chance to come here and prove his doubters wrong, but he was unable to do that with a poor showing all week. He had some positive moments, but he doesn’t look to be an early starter at even RT and will slide to the last couple rounds of the draft.

DL Brandon Williams, Missouri Southern

-There was a lot of hype surrounding Williams, but the production this week didn’t warrant it. He’ll still get drafted due to his upside, but he should probably not go in the top 5 rounds.

DL Michael Buchanan, Illinois:

-Buchanan was hoping to work his was into the top 3 rounds and possibly even the 2nd round with a good week, but he was just far too inconsistent. He looks to be just a pass rush specialist, which is nice, but unless he shows he can be elite in that role he’s not getting drafted in the top 100.

DB Blidi Wreh-Wilson, UConn:

Wreh-Wilson came in with high hopes, but he had a poor showing this week and really hurt his draft stock. He looks to be a late round guy for me as he allows way too much separation.

DB Phillip Thomas, Fresno State:

-Thomas was a guy who was really trending upwards prior to the draft but he just didn’t look good this week. He got beat far too often in coverage, particularly when he was asked to man up on a receiver or tight end. His reaction time also appeared slow, and cost him on other plays as well.

Fanspeak’s NFL Draft Coverage:

Shrine Game Coverage, Senior Bowl Coverage, NFL Mock Draft Headquarters, NFL Draft Headquarters