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NFL Draft Preview Magazine 2013 by tcy09

Thoughts on the Senior Bowl

The top college all-star game has come and gone, and there were some lasting impressions from the 2013 Senior Bowl. In the past two drafts, 8 QB's were selected in the first round (Cam Newton, Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder, Andrew Luck, RGIII, Ryan Tanehill and Brandon Weeden), and with the offensive emphasis officially shifted to the passing game, today's NFL is QB-hungry. There are two expected first rounders in West Virginia's Geno Smith and USC's Matt Barkley, and the Senior Bowl was a chance for several other QB's to jump up into that conversation. That's now how things unfolded, though, as defense had the upper hand all day long. Here are some players who made some noise in the game, both good and bad:

Quarterback

Zac Dysert, Miami (Ohio): Dysert has been drawing comparisons to Joe Flacco as a big-armed QB from a smaller program, but Dysert didn't take advantage of his opportunity the way Flacco did at the Senior Bowl. Dysert had little talent around him in Oxford, but didn't look very sure of himself with the country's best seniors around him.

Mike Glennon, NC State: Glennon was a true fringe first rounder that likely bumped himself down to the second round barring a fantastic combine and pro day. He looked terribly inconistent all day long.

EJ Manuel, Florida State: Manuel won the game's MVP award, leading the South team on two early scoring drives. He flashed some mobility that scouts love and looked like a field general during his time on the field. He doesn't have the body of work at Florida State to be a first rounder, but probably jumped up into the third round discussion.

Running Back

Mike Gillislee, Florida: Despite names like Kenjon Barner and Stepfan Taylor on the rosters, it was Florda's Gillislee that looked like one of the top backs in the game, averaging 4.6 yards per carry on 10 touches.

Jonathan Franklin, UCLA: Franklin made the most of his five carries with 41 yards and a TD, making his case for the best back in the 2013 draft class.

Wide Receiver

Conner Vernon, Duke: Duke isn't exactly known as an NFL factory, but Vernon proved to be a reliable security blanket for some less-than-stellar QB's all day long. Vernon looked an awful lot like Rams zone-busting WR Danny Amendola.

Offensive Guard

Kyle Long, Oregon: Despite only 9 starts at the top collegiate level, Long proved he has the size, attitude and lineage (he's the son of Howie Long and brother of Rams DE Chris Long) to succeed at the NFL level.

Defensive End

Datone Jones, UCLA: It was a bad day to be a South QB with pressure from the North DL all day long. Jones had a big day with a couple tackles, a half sack and a tackle for loss.

Ezekiel Ansah, BYU: Ansah wins the "Man Amongst Boy" award, leading in every front-seven category with 7 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. He was all over the place and answered some questions about his diminished production during the 2013 season.

Defensive Tackle

Kawann Short, Purdue: The other half of the North DL domination should be credited to Short, who was unblockable all day long. Flashed a variety of moves while penetrating the backfield.

Linebacker

Vince Williams, Florida State: Williams was second on the South team with 6 total tackles and showed some great range shadowing the speedy North backs.

Cornerback

Robert Alford, Southeast Louisiana: Alford put on a show from the opening kickoff, returning it 88 yards to set up the South team's first TD. He was also very active on defense racking up 5 total tackles and looking solid in pass coverage. Alford officially has small-school stud written all over him.

Jordan Poyer, Oregon State: Poyer followed up a solid week of practice with a good game on Saturday, demonstrating the consistency you want from the CB position.

Safety

Duke Williams, Nevada: Despite suffering what appeared to be a shoulder injury, Williams returned to the game and kept making big hits. Tied for most tackles on the North team with 6 and made some big special teams plays as well. He might not be an NFL starter on day one, but he'll get there eventually as a punishing defender.

Jonathan Cyprien, Florida International: The Senior Bowl is custom made for players like Alford and Cyprien that come from small programs with little visibility. According to scouts Cyprien was the most put-together DB at the weigh-ins, and continued to impress when the pads came on in practice. He followed that up with 5 total tackles and a tackle for loss during the game.

The 2012 Draft Guide is here!

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Draft IQ's 2012 NFL Draft Preview Magazine

Thoughts on the East-West Shrine Game

The 87th East-West Shrine Game is in the book. Some thoughts from Saturday's game..
Offense
QB B.J. Coleman, Tennessee-Chattanooga: Coleman looked the part of an NFL QB, but that wasn't always the case in college. Completed less than 60% of his passes in his career, but was extremely accurate and comfortable running a pro offense in thisgame.
RB Lennon Creer, Lousiana Tech: The game's MVP ran for 80 yards on 15 carries with a TD, and hit the hole with a good explosiveness.
WR Devon Wylie, Freson State: Short and quick in the Wes Welker mold with good value in the return game.
WR Thomas Mayo, California-Pennsylvania: Here's a guy not on our radar until this game, which is why college all-star games are so great. Caught 3 balls for 41 yards in limited action, but more importantly looks like a physically strong WR that could present some mismatches at the pro level.
QB Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois: The MAC MVP has tremendous athletic ability but it might not translate to the pro game. Look for a team like the Patriots or Saints to roll the dice on Harnish in the late rounds to see if they can develop the natural ability.

Defense
CB Josh Norman, Coastal Carolina: Reportedly had a great week of practice and looked like he belonged with the big boys during the game. Physical corner with good speed - could end up as a mid-round steal.
LB Josh Kaddu, Oregon - Seemed to always be around the ball during the game - something you want out of your LB's - and made a great special teams stick.
DE Julian Miller, West Virginia: Might be moved to OLB in a 3-4, but reaked havoc as a defensive end in the Shrine game.

Up Next: East-West Shrine Game

The NFL playoffs are in full swing, but don't forget about the first college all-star game of the season coming up next Saturday, Jan. 21, at 4 p.m. on NFL Network. Brad Childress and Bobby Ross have been named as the coaches. Click here to view the rosters. If you're interested in being ready for rounds 4-7 in the NFL Draft, you don't want to miss the 2012 East-West Shrine Game!

2012 Top 5 and Initial Thoughts

The preliminary top five positional ranks are now up on the right side of the blog! It's a good year for defense, a down year for running backs (after a great 2011), and there's quality depth on both sides of the line. Look for alot of action at the top of round one this year, as teams tussle for Baylor QB Robert Griffin III and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon. Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to "Christmas in April!"

The 2011 Draft Guide is Here!

The 2011 NFL Draft Guide is finally here and available for download at Scribd - click here!

2011 NFL Draft Preview Magazine

Thoughts on the Senior Bowl

The 2011 Senior Bowl is in the books! Here are a few thoughts after the week of practice and Saturday's game:

Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada: Previously considered "Cam Newton Lite" - Kaepernick's week of practice may have bumped up his stock to late 1st or early 2nd round. He showed good accuracy during practice and seemed comfortable operating in a pro-style offense. As of right now, Draft IQ has Kaepernick rated higher than Newton. Both have tremendous physical ability, but Kaepernick seems to have the intangibles you want without the off-field questions.

Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville: Powell showed tremendous burst and good vision during the week of practice and the game itself, rushing for 51 yards on 5 carries. He's an under-the-radar back that could move up draft boards in a hurry with a good 40 time at the combine.

Kendric Burney, CB, North Carolina: Burney missed the 2010 season due to suspension, but didn't miss a beat during the Senior Bowl week. A solid week of practice and a strong game performance has Burney back on the radar for scouts.

Colin McCarthy, LB, Miami (FL): McCarthy doesn't have great size or speed, but his football IQ and intangibles are off the chart, and he seemed to be around the ball every play during the game. He'll certainly get drafted in the middle rounds and could eventually turn into a starter.

Greg Salas, WR, Hawaii: Salas only caught 1 ball during the game, but had a consistent week of practice, and if there's anything coaches love in their WR's, it is consistency.

Danny Watkins, G, Baylor: Watkins is a 27 year old who has only been playing football for 4 years after playing hockey in Canada. Interesting personality described as "the nicest guy off the field and the nastiest on it," Watkins proved he can play with the best of them at the Senior Bowl and despite his advanced age for a rookie, he should have a productive career in the NFL.

Vincent Brown, WR, SDSU: After putting on a show in the Poinsettia Bowl vs. Navy, Brown also shined during the week of practice. Unlike Salas, Brown had a decent game, catching 4 passes for 43 yards. His stock is definitely on the rise.

Ricky Stanzi, QB, Iowa: Stanzi outplayed all the QB's during the game - but that isn't saying much in a weak QB class. Stanzi showed some moxy which could go a long way this year.

Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue: Kerrigan's stock is skyrocketing thanks to a great week of practice and game where he had 5 total tackles, 3 for losses, and a sack. Originally a late 1st round prospect, Kerrigan is probably looking at the 10-20 range now, making himself quite a bit of money.

Jake Locker, QB, Washington: Last year's would-be top QB probably saw his stock drop after a so-so week of practice. He struggled with accuracy all week, which is the big knock on Locker. He is the prototype NFL QB when it comes to size and speed , but when you can't put the ball in the right spot, what good is that?

Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor: Taylor is "down" to the 337 lbs. and flashed surprising agility during the entire week. Could we have the next B.J. Raji on our hands? If he can keep the weight off heading into the combine, his stock should continue to rise.

For all the Senior Bowl statistics, visit the Senior Bowl official website.

The Early Top Five!

Draft IQ is pleased to kick off the 2011 NFL scouting season with an early projection of our top 5 player rankings. Check out the list for each position on the right side of the screen. We're reviewing tape of the Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Game, with thoughts on both soon to come. Happy holidays everyone, NFL draft season is upon us!