2017 Senior Bowl Day 2 South Team Practice Report

Quarterbacks:

Josh Dobbs- After a very underwhelming day one, Dobbs rebounded to be the top South team QB of Day 2. He overall threw with solid touch and accuracy and displayed a nice arm and ball placement on deep throws. There is still some inconsistency in his game as at times he didn’t step into his throw and the velocity suffered. Still it was an improvement from Tuesday’s practice and a good day for Dobbs.

Davis Webb & Antonio Pipkin- Webb continues to show the strongest arm of the group, but his accuracy was well down today. He’s a guy who will intrigue teams based on his arm, but he’s going to have to do a lot of work before he’s ready for the next level.  Pipkin also regressed today as he looked frenetic in team drills when under pressure and he rushed a lot of throws. It led to a lot of poor reps and just seemed to get him out of sync as he looked to be pressing.

Wide Receivers:

Ryan Switzer- Ryan Switzer continues to be next to uncoverable as his route-running and quickness continues to leave most defenders out of position. He’s worked both outside and inside at practice as well as worked as a returner. His primary role figures to be slot work and special teams usage, but it’s been good to showcase his versatility and his match-ups versus a variety of corners.

Taywan Taylor- Taylor has been the best all-around receiver down here, and had a really good 2nd day of practice. He is so fluid with his route running and he’s got plenty of natural speed, and natural hands. He was the toughest receiver to cover today, and he was a guy who got plenty of praise from coaches.

Josh Reynolds- Reynolds continues to be the best receiver in his ability to high point a ball and make some circus catches, but he was more inconsistent today. He dropped some easy balls early, and a couple jump balls later in practice. He does possess nice speed for his size and an impressive catch radius, but he has to be more consistent in coming down with the ball.

Fred Ross- I didn’t focus in on Ross for too many reps, but what I saw I liked as he showed some good speed/acceleration while making a couple of tough catches.

Tight Ends:

O.J. Howard– Howard had a couple bad reps early in practice, but after that he performed at a top notch level. He showed really well as a run and pass blocker and looks to be completely capable in this area.  As a receiver he’s so special as he’s toasting just about every LB or S he faces. He’s getting plenty of separation on his routes, and has the speed to turn short catches into big gains.

Evan Engram and Gerald Everett– Engram and Everett continue to look good as well, as both are smaller TEs who are more likely to be utilized as Joker or move TEs versus inline TEs. Engram in particular had a good day as he snagged a couple of poorly thrown balls and turned them into big gains. He’s also at least capable of slowing down a defender as a blocker where Everett gets far more overwhelmed. Still both players have helped themselves this week for sure.

Offensive Line:

Antonio Garcia- Garcia is a player who has excellent length and an impressive frame, who plays with really good technique and projects as a LT at the next level. Garcia has looked dominant at times and other times he’s looked very underwhelming. Part of the issue is that while Garcia is technically sound and possesses a great frame, he needs to add weight and strength to get the most out of his talent. He’s been bull rushed a few times and lost on some edge rushes. Still he’s one of the few prospects down here who have any shot of being a LT at the next level, and his upside is real. Offensive line coaches will likely get behind him due to his technique, but he probably needs a year or two before you can really consider him an option for a starting role.

Connor McDermott- McDermott has good size, but has been really inconsistent down here this week. He had a better day today, and he might be better suited for RT, as he struggled with speed on the edge.

Jessamen Dunker- Dunker is a small school guy, but he’s improved down here and has been a solid guard in both 1-on-1 and team drills. He’s been a little too hit or miss, and when he can stop a guy initially he typically wins the battle, but if he loses early he lacks the counter to win or at least slow down his defender.

Ethan Pocic- Pocic had a much better 2nd day, and held up pretty well in 1-on-1 drills as well has having a strong team session.

Defensive Line:

Jordan Willis- Willis was probably the most consistent EDGE rusher of the day, and had some great reps going both inside and outside. He displayed a really quick first step that made him tough to get to on the edge for all the tackles down here.

Daeshon Hall- Hall continued to be impressive down here, though he wasn’t as dominant as he was on Tuesday. One thing of note is that after one full team rep he came off limping and though he did go back in later in practice he was still probably not 100%. Hall wins mainly when he can power inside, but he also showed well in run defense holding up at the point of attack and fighting off blocks.

Tanzel Smart- Smart has been probably the most disruptive interior lineman, as he can shoot gaps and he uses his hands well to fight off blocks and blow up plays in the backfield. He’s more than just a guy who relies on his first step though as he showed some ability to counter when OL won the initial battle.

Montravious Adams- Adams is powerful off the ball, and he can blow up offensive linemen who aren’t technically sound and anchored. The issue with Adams is when an offensive lineman is in a good position does he have an ability to work through that to the ball carrier. Overall it’s been a positive week of practice, but he’s not yet a complete player.

Carlos Watkins & Dalvin Tomlinson- Watkins and Tomlinson are two players who flash at times, but disappeared at other times during practice. When they are on they are a force, with Watkins being the better pass rusher of the two, while Tomlinson is a force in the run game. Consistency is key though for the two interior DL, and it would be nice to see them use more moves than just relying on their natural power.

Linebackers:

Alex Anzalone- Anzalone was all over the field today and he looked pretty good in coverage which is not easy given the TEs and RBs he’s facing. He’s looking like a 3 down interior LB, and a guy who could be an early starter. I liked his quick reactions and change of direction, that allowed him to stay with guys in coverage, and chase down ball carriers.

Ryan Anderson- Anderson has time in practice in coverage and he’s looking less and less capable of being a LB who needs to cover in space. He’s looked good in run support and has had some decent pass rushes, though they have been way too few.

Defensive backs:

Tre’Davious White- White has been the best corner on either squad and had a really strong practice on Tuesday to further distance himself from the pack. White has been one of the best cover corners down here, and shows great recognition when the ball is in the air in defending the pass.

Cameron Sutton- Sutton is another corner who has had a good week and has been used as a safety some as well and looked fine in that role. His reactions at safety have been really good and I’ve liked how he’s played in run support as well.