The practice sessions at the Senior Bowl are helpful from an evaluation standpoint. I still believe the game itself despite being a bit anti-climatic is important. The practices are mostly one on one or seven on seven drills and only the game is eleven on eleven with full contact. Here are several players that had their moments in the practices:
G/RT John Jerry, Mississippi: The huge Jerry was impressive against some of the better defensive tackles, such as Dan Williams. Jerry has a very solid base, long arms and is tough to move out. He also executed the double team well when working with another offensive lineman. Jerry may have worked his way into the 3rd round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He is a potential starting guard and may be able to play some at right tackle.
CB Kyle Wilson, Boise State: Wilson was the most impressive of all of the defensive backs. He plays bigger than his 5 foot 10 and 190 pound size. He has strong legs and excellent balance and matches up better than you would think against big receivers. Wilson’s smooth back pedal, speed, quickness and ability to locate the football were all 1st round quality. Wilson looked like Asante Samuel at times. He just needs to run a fast Forty to secure a 1st round grade.
G Mike Iupati, Idaho: Iupati stood out among the offensive lineman. He not only is big, strong and tough, but a very focused player. I certainly had the impression that Iupati is a disciplined player who wants to keep getting better. He displayed the ability to quickly re-anchor and slide and mirror at guard. Iupati was so good at guard that the coaches decided to see how he would look at left tackle.
He has the frame, long arms and athleticism to play tackle, but his inexperience showed. The footwork is completely different at tackle compared to guard. He would have to work on his kick-slide. The angles were new to him and Iupati was much easier to knock off balance at tackle than he was at guard. Iupati may be a project at tackle, but he looks like he could be a terrific guard in the NFL. Iupati helped himself at the Senior Bowl and likely will be drafted closer to the mid-1st round area as opposed to late 1st round or early 2nd round prior to the practices.
RB/WR Dexter McCluster, Mississippi: The tiny (5 foot 8 and 165 lbs) McCluster had a strong week of practice. His ability to run routes and catch the ball means that he has a good chance of carving out a niche for himself in the NFL. McCluster’s instant acceleration and quickness makes him dangerous in space. He has been compared to Darren Sproles, but McCluster is much thinner, especially in the lower body. The fact that McCluster weighs only 165 pounds is a legitimate concern. However, the success that Bruce Harper (5’ 8” and 174 lbs) and Kelvin Martin (5’ 9” and 163 pounds) had in the NFL shows that a slight player can succeed.
I think McCluster can have a similar career to what Harper enjoyed with the Jets. Harper played 7 years (1977-1984) in New York and was a versatile weapon. His career production included rushing for 1,829 yards (4.9 per), 8 touchdowns, 220 receptions (11.0 per), 12 touchdowns, 1,784 punt return yards (9.7 per), 1 touchdown and 5,407 kick-off return yards (22.3 per). The NFL is more of a passing league than when Harper played. I expect McCluster to be involved more as a pass receiver on 3rd down than at running back. McCluster raised his draft stock from the 4th or 5th round to likely the 3rd round.
WR Jacoby Ford, Clemson: Ford made some nice adjustments to the ball on go routes. He also was savvier than anticipated as a route-runner and made it easier for his quarterback to make the completion. He used his hands well to snare passes out of the air. Ford is a small receiver, but he made a case for himself being a 3rd round pick as a slot receiver and kick returner.
DE/OLB Brandon Graham, Michigan: Graham was very impressive as a pass rusher with an explosive first step. He displayed the ability to beat offensive tackles to the outside or inside. Graham also has an effective spin move in his repertoire. His hand use was advanced for a college player. Graham played like he should be a 1st round pick.
CB Syd’ Quan Thompson, Cal: Thompson is a small, but feisty cornerback. He does not have great speed, yet breaks on the ball quickly. He has very quick hands and is good at dislodging the ball from the receiver. He could be a fine 3rd corner in a predominately zone defense and is a willing tackler despite his size. Thompson solidified a 3rd round grade.
DT Jared Odrick, Penn State: Odrick utilizes an effective club move. He has long arms and a well-proportioned 6 foot 5 and 300 pound frame. Odrick has the quickness to penetrate at the defensive tackle position. He has the build to be a 3-4 defensive end and could put on 10 pounds of quality weight to shore-up in run support.
WR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati: Gilyard started slow, but came on as the week progressed. One question he helped answer was his ability to escape press coverage. Gilyard used his hands aggressively to get a clean release when being pressed. Gilyard did drop some passes in the beginning, but consistently caught the ball in college. He looked like he could be a productive slot receiver that makes sense in the 2nd or 3rd round.
S Nate Allen, South Florida: Allen was tested in man coverage drills and was generally in good position. His strength is as a roaming centerfielder. The fact that he was solid in one-on-one coverage is a bonus. It looks like a defensive coordinator could put Allen on a tight end or big receiver and he would hold up.
WR Andre Roberts, Citadel: Roberts caught the ball in traffic very well. He showed good body control in adjusting to several passes. A defender’s hand did not distract his concentration from catching the football. Roberts showed that he belonged in Mobile. He could go as high as the 4th round in the 2010 NFL Draft.