As the final horn sounded, (yes, there is a horn, not a whistle to signal the end of practice) the last day of the 2014 Reese’s Senior Bowl practice is over. Tomorrow, each team will have a walkthrough, but inside of a convention center. Meaning that today is the last real event before this weekend’s game, and Luke and I’s last event for the week.
Looking back at the week as a whole, there were some players who impressed, some who disappointed, and a few who really burst onto the scene as an NFL prospect.
The key is not to let one week affect an entire evaluation on a player, but it can force you to go back and watch more tape, or re-evaluate based on what you saw. The Senior Bowl is all part of the “process” of a college player getting to the NFL, and nothing should be taken too lightly, or heavily, for that matter.
Some players who impressed on the South’s roster were: wide receiver Kevin Norwood from Alabama, tight end Crockett Gillmore from Colorado State, running back Antonio Andrews from Western Kentucky, offensive tackle Morgan Moses from Virginia, outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy from Brigham Young, outside linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu from Georgia Tech, offensive guard Gabe Jackson from Mississippi State, linebacker Christian Jones from Florida State, defensive tackle Will Sutton from Arizona State, defensive tackle Deandre Coleman from California, defensive tackle Caraun Reid from Princeton, outside linebacker/defensive end Dee Ford from Auburn, and defensive end/outside linebacker Chris Smith from Arkansas.
These players were all very good, not only in flashes, but each showed consistent ability to make plays and stick out amongst their peers. Two of the best players on the South roster at practice this week were Christian Jones and Gabe Jackson, and each of them showed why all week.
Unfortunately there were also some players who were disappointing. These players either had high expectations that may have been irrational, or played vastly under what was expected. One name that comes to mind is Billy Turner. Turner had all eyes on him all week long, and was expected to be one of the better players on the field. Unfortunately, he was beat constantly by some of the speed rushers on the South roster.
But, as many have noted, most of his issues were at tackle, and spot which he will likely not play at the next level. Turner stated to me in an interview that he wants to play guard at the next level. This is probably the best option for all parties involved and Turner will be a good guard at the next level.
Other players who disappointed this week: quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from Eastern Illinois, outside linebacker Adrian Hubbard from Alabama (although he was very impressive in his press conference), and cornerback Chris Davis from Auburn.
In addition to the aforementioned, there were some players that stood out that some have never studied or seen before, yet received a lot of buzz. One guy that I can think of is Jerick McKinnon. He was a quarterback at Georgia Southern, but played as a running back this week in Mobile.
On the first day, McKinnon weighed in at 5’9 and 209 pounds, but that was not where he “won”. He looked ripped, and very strong.
One of the best bodies at the weigh in, and it showed during practice. McKinnon showed flashes of his athleticism, and has caused a lot of people in the draft community to go back and find his tape, me being one of them. McKinnon is by no means a top round pick, but he could be a steal later in the draft with the versatility he brings to the table.
This week in Mobile was an incredible experience, and I look forward to coming back next year and for the foreseeable future. Thanks a lot to my co-worker for the week Luke Inman, and our editor Vincent Frank, who made this all happen.
Finally, I would like to thank the owner of eDraft, I appreciate the opportunity you’ve given me, and I am glad to be a part of an exponentially growing website. Don’t forget to listen to our interviews on eDraft’s soundcloud page which is linked on the home page.