The 2012 Senior Bowl game will be played on January 28th. Many of the best senior prospects in the draft participate in this game. It is interesting to see if playing well in this all-star game frequently translates into success at the NFL level. It turns out that numerous Senior Bowl standouts turned out to be disappointing NFL players. The following is a sample of players from the 2008-2010 Senior Bowls who captured the attention of NFL personnel men, but failed to produce as expected:
2008 Senior Bowl:
QB Chad Henne (Miami Dolphins, 2nd round, 2008 NFL Draft)- Henne’s strong arm and excellent size stood out during practices and the actual game. The former Michigan quarterback’s week in Mobile helped move him up draft boards and Miami thought they might have found a long-term answer at quarterback. Unfortunately, for the Dolphins, Henne made too many poor decisions that resulted in interceptions in the NFL. The search continues for a quality quarterback in Miami.
DT Sedrick Ellis (New Orleans Saints, 1st round (#7), 2008 NFL Draft)- Ellis drove his draft stock sky-high with a dominant week in Mobile. His combination of power and quickness made him look unblockable at times. Ellis has been solid for the Saints, but he has not been the second coming of Warren Sapp.
DT Trevor Laws (Philadelphia Eagles, 2nd round, 2008 NFL Draft)- Laws’ motor never stopped during Senior Bowl week. He was a bit undersized, but that did not seem to stop him. The former Notre Dame defensive tackle has started only two games in his NFL career. His attempts to gain size resulted in some loss of quickness. The Eagles expected much more from their 2nd round selection.
WR Andre Caldwell (Cincinnati Bengals, 3rd round, 2008 NFL Draft)- NFL cornerbacks make a lot of college receivers look pedestrian. Caldwell ran good routes and caught the ball well during the Senior Bowl. He has had trouble creating separation in the NFL and is only averaging 9.5 yards per catch. His 6 touchdowns in 4 seasons also is nothing to get excited about.
2009 Senior Bowl:
WR Brian Robiskie (Cleveland Browns, 2nd round, 2009 NFL Draft)- Robiskie was considered by many to be one of the most pro-ready wide receiver prospects in the draft. He had NFL bloodlines, ran excellent routes and possessed soft hands. The former Buckeye lacked explosiveness coming out of his breaks for the NFL. He struggled making plays and the Browns finally just released him after three seasons. Robiskie would have been considered one of the least likely draft picks to be a bust after the Senior Bowl.
QB Pat White (Miami Dolphins, 2nd round, 2009 Draft)- Many raved about Pat White’s playmaking ability and how he could take the wildcat formation to another level after the Senior Bowl. He lasted one season in Miami before they released him and White decided to give baseball a try. White went 0-5 passing and rushed for 81 yards on 21 carries (3.9 per) in his only NFL season.
2010 Senior Bowl:
S Taylor Mays (San Francisco 49ers, 2nd round, 2010 NFL Draft)- Mays helped himself by making a good read and intercepting a pass in the game. This helped convince the 49ers that Mays could be a factor in pass coverage, as well as being a physical safety against the run. It did not take San Francisco long to realize their mistake. Mays lacked instincts in coverage and was very stiff in changing directions. Jim Harbaugh promptly traded him to Cincinnati for a late round pick in 2011.
WR Mardy Gilyard (St. Louis Rams, 4th round, 2010 NFL Draft)- Gilyard led all Senior Bowl receivers in yardage. The Rams thought they found a slot-receiver bargain at the top of the 4th round. Gilyard found the physical play and strength of NFL cornerbacks to be a handful. St. Louis released him after his rookie season based upon his disappointing play and questionable dedication. He spent the 2011 season out of football. Who saw that coming after a fine game against the top seniors in the country?
This does not mean that doing well at the Senior Bowl is cause for concern. Many players (B.J. Raji, Mike Iupati, Matt Forte, Patrick Willis, Brian Cushing and others) looked promising in Mobile and then followed-up with productive NFL careers. You just have to be careful not to conclude too much from a week of practice and one game.