Of course, make sure to stay tuned to the audible, when Cecil and I break down these players in much more depth than you'll find here. These notes are based on Cecil's and my observations. Cecil watched the skill players almost exclusively, while I roamed around and caught a little bit of everything. I also got a chance to talk to John Murphy today, from the player selection committee, one of the scouts responsible for discovering Marques Colston. If everything works out, we'll be having him on the audible throughout the next months as the draft approaches.
QB: Drew Tate, Iowa -
not NFL material in the least bit. Lester Ricard, Tulane - great height, but otherwise hard to find something positive to say. Matt Gutierrez, Idaho State - NFL frame, NFL arm, surprising athleticism, definitely a practice squad project type at worst.
RB: Jason Snelling, Virginia, ran with great burst and authority, looks like a nice FB/RB tweener for the NFL. Tyrone Moss, Miami - showed great hands and was in good shape, but the burst isnt quite back. Alonzo Coleman, Hampton - ran small and with little power, cross him off your list until further notice. Steve Baylark - decent hands, but showed little running inside, much like Coleman, Cec and I felt you should pay him little mind.
WR: Jayson Swain, Tennessee - no outstanding tools, lacked natural hands, outlook not very bright. Jacoby Jones, Lane - intriguing tools, seems like a possible big play guy, but only showed flashes, not consistent. Syvelle Newton, South Carolina - great athlete, still raw, but the profile of a tough possession WR is there. Steve Breaston, Michigan - showed he was more than a PR at the next level, great quickness, definitely enough to contribute as a WR, even though he'll be drafted mainly as a PR/KR. David Ball, WR, UNH - star of the East practice. Just a stone cold natural catching the ball, great body control in the air. I got to talk to David briefly after the practice, he's a humble down-to-earth kid. Dare I say his game reminded us slightly of Marvin Harrison - amazing hands and body control, a pure technician in his routes. Not saying he's going to be nearly that good, but that's who he reminded us of.
TE: Brent Celek, Cincinnati - join Drew Tate in the unemployment line. Ben Patrick, Delaware - very natural receiver for a big guy, even a downfield threat - interesting sleeper.
OL: Doug Free is in a free fall. He was an ok walloff blocker but did not show the athleticism needed to be an LT at the next level. Chris Best made a crushing block when he was pulling on a run play that blasted back an LB so hard that he took out another LB. Mario Henderson did not flash great technique but he looks like he has a perfect NFL LT frame. Julius Wilson looked very good in the run blocking, but gave up some plays as a pass blocker.
DL: Baraka Atkins generally got manhandled on run plays, but got good pressure on pass plays. Cameron Craig is not heavy enough to play DE on the next level,imo, but he showed the agility, speed, and activity to possibly convert to a 3-4 OLB. Oh let me tell you about Keith Jackson, son of the all time great Eagles TE. He looked like an immovable object, but actually showed some good quickness at times. Clifton Ryan flashed some nice quickness and strength. Jeremy Clark was constantly getting penetration and harassing the QB.
LB: Sam Olajubutu is a midget, but it allows him to get lower than the ballcarrier and stone them. The name Sam Mills came to mind, but that is an aspiration for Olajubutu, not a comparison. Kelvin Smith was barking out orders and seemed like the QB of the defense. KaMichael Hall looked great when covering LBs and showed the speed to cover a lot of ground. Justin Durant was very athletic but not make an impact plays.
DB: Daren Stone is very fast for a 6'3" DB. Watch for his stock to rise if he can run a sub 4.5 at the combine. Travarious Bain is a speedster and can change direction on a dime, Look for him to continue the string of successful small school DBs. Kenny Scott has long arms and great recovery speed.
QB: Drew Tate, Iowa -
not NFL material in the least bit. Lester Ricard, Tulane - great height, but otherwise hard to find something positive to say. Matt Gutierrez, Idaho State - NFL frame, NFL arm, surprising athleticism, definitely a practice squad project type at worst.RB: Jason Snelling, Virginia, ran with great burst and authority, looks like a nice FB/RB tweener for the NFL. Tyrone Moss, Miami - showed great hands and was in good shape, but the burst isnt quite back. Alonzo Coleman, Hampton - ran small and with little power, cross him off your list until further notice. Steve Baylark - decent hands, but showed little running inside, much like Coleman, Cec and I felt you should pay him little mind.
WR: Jayson Swain, Tennessee - no outstanding tools, lacked natural hands, outlook not very bright. Jacoby Jones, Lane - intriguing tools, seems like a possible big play guy, but only showed flashes, not consistent. Syvelle Newton, South Carolina - great athlete, still raw, but the profile of a tough possession WR is there. Steve Breaston, Michigan - showed he was more than a PR at the next level, great quickness, definitely enough to contribute as a WR, even though he'll be drafted mainly as a PR/KR. David Ball, WR, UNH - star of the East practice. Just a stone cold natural catching the ball, great body control in the air. I got to talk to David briefly after the practice, he's a humble down-to-earth kid. Dare I say his game reminded us slightly of Marvin Harrison - amazing hands and body control, a pure technician in his routes. Not saying he's going to be nearly that good, but that's who he reminded us of.
TE: Brent Celek, Cincinnati - join Drew Tate in the unemployment line. Ben Patrick, Delaware - very natural receiver for a big guy, even a downfield threat - interesting sleeper.
OL: Doug Free is in a free fall. He was an ok walloff blocker but did not show the athleticism needed to be an LT at the next level. Chris Best made a crushing block when he was pulling on a run play that blasted back an LB so hard that he took out another LB. Mario Henderson did not flash great technique but he looks like he has a perfect NFL LT frame. Julius Wilson looked very good in the run blocking, but gave up some plays as a pass blocker.
DL: Baraka Atkins generally got manhandled on run plays, but got good pressure on pass plays. Cameron Craig is not heavy enough to play DE on the next level,imo, but he showed the agility, speed, and activity to possibly convert to a 3-4 OLB. Oh let me tell you about Keith Jackson, son of the all time great Eagles TE. He looked like an immovable object, but actually showed some good quickness at times. Clifton Ryan flashed some nice quickness and strength. Jeremy Clark was constantly getting penetration and harassing the QB.
LB: Sam Olajubutu is a midget, but it allows him to get lower than the ballcarrier and stone them. The name Sam Mills came to mind, but that is an aspiration for Olajubutu, not a comparison. Kelvin Smith was barking out orders and seemed like the QB of the defense. KaMichael Hall looked great when covering LBs and showed the speed to cover a lot of ground. Justin Durant was very athletic but not make an impact plays.
DB: Daren Stone is very fast for a 6'3" DB. Watch for his stock to rise if he can run a sub 4.5 at the combine. Travarious Bain is a speedster and can change direction on a dime, Look for him to continue the string of successful small school DBs. Kenny Scott has long arms and great recovery speed.
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Thank you Bloom and Your Truly for keeping us informed
You da man, Bloom. Thanks for the info. :X
