2012 Senior Bowl Preview

Entering the 2012 Senior Bowl, the NFL is happily pleased to see that a record 65 underclassmen have declared for the upcoming draft this spring. With such a large number of players having chosen to make the jump to the next level, the seniors are now looking for any opportunity to shine and push themselves ahead of the juniors and redshirt sophomores; that opportunity to shine comes this week in Mobile, Alabama where the NFL will be watching as its future stars compete on the practice field. Here's my position-by-position preview of the upcoming week:

Quarterback – After Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III, of Stanford and Baylor respectively, the assumption now is that Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill will be the third signal caller drafted, with a chance of going as high as the top half of the first round. For Tannehill, a broken foot a week ago in training will force him out of Senior Bowl, an unfortunate incident, as this is exactly the type of stage that would have given him the opportunity to establish himself as the top senior quarterback in the country. The next-best quarterback in Mobile this week in my opinion is Wisconsin's Russell Wilson. A polished, poised leader with the precision and efficiency that I look closely for in a quarterback prospect, Wilson has some knocks on his game, mainly his lack of size, however I believe that he has the necessary skillset to eventually develop into a solid starting quarterback in the NFL. With that said, Wilson could use a big week here to push him into the second-to-third round frame. After Wilson, I'm not quite as enamored with the rest of the crop as others as. Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden has the tools that you look for, displaying a big arm with the accuracy to deliver the ball down the field, however he's coming from a pass-happy spread in college and will be 29-years old next season. The older age is a red flag as it shows that by the time he develops in a system, he will already be in his early-30's, not quite the player that teams will want to build their future around; Weeden projects as a quality backup for a team with a low ceiling. I am not high on Arizona's Nick Foles who I believe could really use a big week in Mobile. Foles is coming from another system that gives him easy, pre-determined reads. In addition, Foles' accuracy is inconsistent, and his decision making and efficiency are both below what I desire from a quarterback. San Diego State's Ryan Lindley is a third system quarterback who projects as a backup in the NFL.

Running Backs – My top running back prospect in this year's game is Washington's Chris Polk, who has an interesting story behind how he ended up in Mobile. Originally thought to be a junior, Polk did not redshirt his freshman year despite the belief that he did, and as a result his eligibility in college expired after Washington's loss to Baylor in the Alamo Bowl. Polk is a powerful, between-the-tackles runner who has proven to be a bellcow for the Huskies during his career at Washington. With his ability to shoulder the load the pound the ball inside, he projects well for a power-run oriented team at the next level. Boise State's Doug Martin is my next-best prospect at the running back position. Martin is a very productive player who has handled the majority of the carries for the Broncos the past few years. His versatility out of the backfield and overall polished game are two reasons why I could see him contributing immediately in the NFL. Texas A&M's Cyrus Gray is a back that split carries with Christine Michael for the Aggies; although not a 20-30 carry back at the next level, he projects as a fine No. 2 runner for an NFL team who shows the patience, vision, and agility through the hole that I like to see from a back. Cincinnati's Isaiah Pead and Mississippi State's Vick Ballard are two players that proved in 2011 to be capable of being the team's No. 1 runner who can shoulder the majority of the load in the running game. Pead is one of the most complete backs in this year's class with Martin, displaying all of the tools to be a darkhorse to start for a team down the road, as well as the necessary skills to be a fine third-down back. Ballard projects more as a short-yard/goal-line back. At 5'11, 220 lbs, he's a thick, stocky back who packs a punch at the point of attack and has shown the ability to push a pile.

Wide Receivers – The receiver class for 2012 was expected to be a strong one at the Senior Bowl, however when Notre Dame's Michael Floyd dropped out last week for unknown reasons, that quickly changed things. This would have been a fantastic opportunity for Floyd to interview with teams as well as establish himself as the top senior receiver in the draft. At this point, that top billing is very much in question with the way that Baylor's Kendall Wright played this season. Unlike Floyd, Wright will be in Mobile this week and I fully expect him to take advantage of Floyd's absence by establishing himself as the top senior receiver in the draft. Explosive with elite speed to beat a defense deep, Wright has proven to be arguably the most dangerous down-field threat in this year's draft class. For Wright, this has the potential to be the week that will

take him from being a late-first rounder to a legitimate Top 15-20 pick. Another player who I expect to see take advantage of Floyd's absence is North Carolina's Dwight Jones. A big, physical receiver down the field with the speed to get behind a defense, Jones is the type of player who has all of the tools to develop into an elite player at the next level, but has yet to put everything together to have a dominant season; if he can put everything together this week, he could help himself out in a big way. Texas A&M's Jeff Fuller is a player who came into the season with first-to-second round grades because of his huge frame and his ability to use his big size against smaller defensive backs to make a play on the ball. The playmaking ability that Fuller showed as a junior was not shown quite as much in 2011, as Jeff had a rather disappointing senior season. That could all change this week if Fuller manages to show the type of potential that scouts have been dying to see for the last two years. Between Arkansas' Joe Adams, Alabama's Marquis Maze, and Houston's Patrick Edwards, there are three fine slot receiver prospects in attendance this week as well as one of the more intriguing small-school players in the country in Appalachian State's Brian Quick. Many people have been talking Quick up leading up to this week, now it's time to see whether or not he'll be capable of making the jump to the next level, where the level of competition is far greater than it is in the FCS. Ohio State's DeVier Posey is a player with all the talent in the world, but poor off-field decision making has pushed him down draft boards, and as a result, could really use a strong week in Mobile to rebuild his stock and show that he can make better decisions at the next level.

Tight Ends – This year's weak tight end class was helped out by the fact that two elite underclassmen declared for the draft (Dwayne Allen, Orson Charles), making it now a respectable class with a variety of interesting players. In Mobile, Missouri's Michael Egnew is my top-rated player, a flex tight end who projects as a Jimmy Graham/Jermichael Finley-esque player for an offense at the next level; because he's not yet a polished product, Egnew will be a luxury pick for a team. With the high upside that he provides, he'll likely be taken over more complete players at the position. One of my favorite players in this year's draft is Louisiana-Lafayette's Ladarius Green, another flex tight end who looks more like a massive receiver than a tight end prospect. One of the most natural receivers down the field in this year's tight end class, I actually prefer Green over Egnew based on where you would have to draft each player according to projections. Green's upside may not resemble that of Graham or Finley, but his ceiling won't be that much lower; he's full of untapped potential, and in the right offense in the NFL, he could develop into a star. Michigan State's Brian Linthicum is a low-upside player who projects as a No. 2 tight end for a team; he reminds me a lot of former Spartan tight end Kellen Davis, who is the Chicago Bears' No. 2 tight end. LSU's DeAngelo Peterson has the potential to have a better pro than college career if he can land in the right offense. Peterson is a very athletic tight end capable of separating quickly in the open field thanks to his quickness and agility; he was not used as often as expected at LSU. Alabama's Brad Smelley is one player that I really like in this year's class. A reliable, dependable receiver in the flats and in the short-to-intermediate range, Smelley has experience playing tight end, fullback, and H-Back. His versatility as well as his all-around polished game are two reasons why I would target him in the mid-to-late rounds this spring.

Offensive Linemen – At all three offensive line positions, there is an underclassman that holds the No. 1 ranking. However, behind these elite juniors, there are several battles to be the next player taken and to be the first senior drafted at the position. At offensive tackle, I have two very similar grades on Florida State's Zebrie Sanders and Ohio State's Mike Adams. Two different types of players, each has a late-first to early-second round grade on my board. Sanders is filled with potential and upside, as he's one of, if not the most athletic lineman in this year's draft. Adams is a former top recruit who was suspended for the "tattoo-gate" at Ohio State and has never rebuilt his draft stock from that point. With Sanders' stock on the rise and Adams' stock slowly starting to slide, I'm looking forward to seeing if one of the two can establish themselves as the top senior tackle. One point worth noting: when Adams was a senior in high school, he was not considered an elite recruit until he went to the Army All-American Game and dominated, resulting in the billing as the top offensive tackle prospect in the country. He has experience playing big when he knows people are watching, so keep an eye out for that. At offensive guard, Cordy Glenn of Georgia and Kelechi Osemele have flip-flopped all year on my board as Glenn started slow and gained steam as the season went on, while Osemele had an all-around solid season in 2011. Both starting at left tackle as seniors, and both projecting inside to guard in the NFL, this is a perfect opportunity in Mobile to see one push themselves over the other to be the No. 2 guard prospect drafted this spring. With the outstanding combination of size, strength, and athleticism that each possesses, landing a spot in the late-first round with a dominant performance this week is not out of the question by any means. Inside at center, like with tackle and guard, there is a two-horse race to be the second center off the board between Ohio State's Mike Brewster and Georgia's Ben Jones. I currently prefer Brewster because he is two inches taller than Jones and has the requisite experience, size, and technique that I look for at the position, however if Jones has a great week, I wouldn't hesitate moving him over Brewster; both are fine prospects who I expect to start in the NFL in the not-too-distant future. Some of the other offensive linemen that I'll have my eye on are Midwestern State's Amini Silatolu, one of the top small-school players in the country who I believe is a poor-man's Mike Iupati, with the type of potential and upside that would warrant an early-round selection if he can perform well in Mobile this week. I'm a big fan of both Wisconsin's Kevin Zeitler and Alabama's Will Vlachos, two experienced veterans of the collegiate level who have the polished technique and great instincts needed to play quickly in the NFL. Auburn's Brandon Mosley is a player that improved as the season went on and slowly grew on me as a mid-round right tackle prospect. Washington's Senio Kelemete has some of the quickest feet of any offensive lineman in this year's draft and is expected to move from left tackle inside to guard at the next level.

Defensive Linemen – With the influx of elite underclassmen, the defensive tackle position quickly went from a question mark to one of the strongest positions in this year's draft. The depth from that class that will be on display this week, headlined by North Carolina's Quinton Coples, Penn State's Devon Still, Washington's Alameda Ta'amu, and Clemson's Brandon Thompson. Coples is a player that had a strong junior season in 2010 playing inside at tackle; however, when he moved outside to end in 2011, his production declined. At this point in the evaluation process, he projects better as a tackle than as an end, although I would expect to see him line up at both positions this week. Coples has as much upside as any player in the country but has yet to put everything together and has been an underachiever in his career; having a great week in Mobile would certainly help him with his jump to the next level. Devon Still is a productive, consistent presence on the defensive line, however I don't believe he's worth a Top 10 pick, like others do. Still does not show the type of consistent explosion off the ball that I look for and reminds me more of Jared Odrick than of Glenn Dorsey from

that perspective. I believe Still has what it takes to be a solid pro in the NFL, however I don't see him being an elite-level player, which is the type that you typically take in the first 10 picks of the draft. Ta'amu is a massive nose tackle who had first round grades entering the season but did not have the type of senior year that scouts were hoping for, and as a result, is in need of a big week in Mobile to rebound his draft stock. Brandon Thompson is a player that I'm fairly high on, not only because of his production, experience, and where he could line up in the NFL, but because he could be had for a second-to-third round pick right now based on discussions I've had around the league. With a big week he could push himself back up into the first round mix, as he was in at the beginning of the season. Looking at the end position, this is one that is completely up for grabs. Marshall's Vinny Curry has posted the numbers that you look for from a production standpoint, however the off-field question marks that I have been warned up suggest to me that he doesn't have a chance of breaking the first round barring a huge week in Mobile this week. South Carolina's Melvin Ingram is a player that I like but don't love; he was a playmaker this season for the Gamecocks and showed the versatility to play both with his hand on the ground as well as standing up. Where I worry is that I believe he plays too stiff and will not be able to consistently turn the corner against elite offensive linemen at the next level. Seeing him line up against the top tackles in the country is something I will be watching closely this week. Clemson's Andre Branch and Virginia's Cam Johnson are undersized ends who I both feel project better as 3-4 outside rush linebackers than 4-3 ends. Neither are first round prospects in my opinion, although both have the pass rushing talent to have a big week in Mobile. Lastly, I am looking forward to watching Michigan's Mike Martin, who is one of my favorite players in this draft class. An undersized try-hard tackle with a non-stop motor, Martin has the instincts and tools to be a fine rotational tackle who will give you everything he has. He may not start or be elite at the next level, however he's the type of player that winning teams have on their roster.

Linebackers – The additions that the underclassmen brought was felt more at linebacker than any other position in the draft other than running back. Other than Alabama's Courtney Upshaw and North Carolina's Zach Brown, this senior linebacker class is one of the weaker classes I have seen in the past five years. Upshaw is one of my favorites, a hybrid pass rusher capable of lining up anywhere and getting after it. His production, experience, versatility, and natural instincts at the position are the reason why he has the potential to be special if he lands with a great defensive coach who understands how to move him around the field to give him the opportunity to make plays. Upshaw is a legitimate first rounder who could have a Von Miller-like rise if he rushes the passer the way that Miller did last season. Brown is a natural 4-3 linebacker prospect who projects better outside than inside, although I feel he could play Mike, Will, or Sam in that defense. His instincts, range, and all-around athleticism to make plays all over the field are the reason why he is being considered in the mid-to-late first round range. He reminds me of D.J. Williams of the Denver Broncos. One of the more intriguing players at linebacker is Utah State's Bobby Wagner who is quickly rising on boards, as his athleticism and versatility to line up all over the field are both reasons why I'm looking forward to seeing him this week. The rest of this class is filled with undersized athletes (Lavonte David, Nigel Bradham, Sean Spence) and players who have flashed potential but still have a long way to go (James-Michael Johnson, Emmanuel Acho).

Defensive Backs – This defensive back class is one that provides plenty of intrigue at the cornerback position. Although the safety position is one of the weakest classes that I've seen in the past five years, Alabama's Mark Barron headlines it and is looking to solidify his status as a first round pick with a great week in Mobile. At cornerback, there are a number of interesting storylines to follow throughout the week. North Alabama's Janoris Jenkins, formerly of Florida, has all of the skills to develop into a legitimate starting cornerback in the NFL; however, the off-field question marks that he presents will need to be answered this week. He has the opportunity here in Mobile to change the perception that scouts have of him and lock himself into a spot in the first round with a dominant week. Nebraska's Alfonzo Dennard is a player that quietly did not quite have the type of season that most scouts expected, however with his polished, NFL-ready skillset, he has what it takes to make an impact quickly if given the chance. To remain in the mix for the first round, he must have a good week in Mobile. Two cornerbacks that I am very high on and look forward to seeing are Vanderbilt's Casey Heyward and Furman's Ryan Steed. Two underrated players that I currently have a Top 100 grade on, both Heyward and Steed have an opportunity to have their coming-out party this week at the national level. Iowa State's Leonard Johnson proved in the Cyclones' victory over Oklahoma State that he's capable of going up against the best receivers in the country. I'm looking forward to seeing if he can do it over an entire week here at the Senior Bowl.