Senior Bowl 2012: North practice, day 3

Just when it looked like I was going to fall hopelessly behind on Senior Bowl analysis again this year, there were heavy storms in Mobile that washed Thursday's practices right off the NFL Network. So these next two posts shape up as the last of RamView's Senior Bowl coverage. (I can't promise a Saturday game review because I have yet to ever make it through the actual Senior Bowl game. But I'll try.)

Wednesday was revenge day for the North team. A lot of players that got shown up Tuesday bounced back.

* Kendall Reyes continues to look like the best player on the North roster. He almost beat the handoff on one run he broke up, and he and Nebraska LB Lavonte David (6'0.5" 225) also blew up a sweep. Reyes continues to show nice quickness off the ball, quick hands and is consistently beating blockers 1-on-1. Even when a blocker picks up his speed move, he adjusts and gets good push into the pocket.

* Michigan DT Mike Martin (6'1" 307) had a very good outing. He was very active and very effective on almost all the 11-on-11 run plays. In 1-on-1, he beat Tony Bergstrom with an outside rush, and impressed by disengaging from Rishaw Johnson and beating him after Johnson locked him up initially. Martin is definitely one of those scrappers who plays to the whistle.

* Wisconsin QB Russell Wilson (5'10.5" 203) looks like the best QB on either team. He will have to make up for his lack of size in the pros with top accuracy, and so far, he is. All of his throws are right on the money. Kirk Cousins (6'2.5" 209) has the strongest arm on the North team, though, and hit Iowa WR Marvin McNutt with a pretty touch pass during 11-on-11.


* Kevin Zeitler and Senio Kelemete wiped out the right side of the d-line to get Wilson forever to throw on one 11-on-11 play. And I mean wiped out. Zeitner pancaked his man, then Kelemete drove his man to the same spot and made it a stack of pancakes.

* Cam Johnson, though, smoked Kelemete for what would have been a sack in 11-on-11, and beat Mike Adams in 1-on-1 with an impressive swim move. He's "popping" out there, as Mike Mayock might say.

* Vinny Curry showed strength Wednesday to fight through blocks that were putting him on the ground on Tuesday. He also got to show off his ability to pass-rush from the interior, beating Zeitler with very quick hands.

* North team continues to have a ton of problems with the QB-center exchange, and beyond. Rishaw Johnson (Cal-Pa, 6'4" 310) constantly came up short with his shotgun snaps. Wilson and Doug Martin blew a handoff in 9-on-7. 

* After impressively mauling people on Tuesday, Bergstrom had consistent problems with speed on Wednesday, getting beaten by Martin and by Cincinnati DT Derek Wolfe (6'5" 300). Wolfe had a very good 1-on-1 session, also beating Mitchell Schwartz with an impressive move. Punched him in the chest, then grabbed him and pulled him on by. Schwartz had stoned Jack Crawford earlier, so it's not like he's getting pushed around.

* In the pushed-around category, there's Johnnie Troutman, who got beaten pretty badly both times he was on camera. Mike Adams didn't look the part of elite OT, getting bull-rushed by Vinny Curry and by Cam Johnson's strong swim move.

* And when you think it can't get any worse for Billy Winn, it does. On one 1-on-1 rep, Kelechi Osemele pancaked him, and then sat on him. Winn shoulda just stood in bed.

* Didn't get much of a look at 1-on-1s between the DBs and receivers; not even sure NFL Network showed that much. They did show a little of the passing drill for the RBs and TEs, which mostly exposed people. Isaiah Pead smoked David to open the proceedings. George Iloka continued to get beaten badly. Wisconsin fullback Bradie Ewing had the worst drop of the day. Chris Polk was so jammed by Utah State LB Bobby Wagner on one rep he didn't even get off the line. 

* Takeaway: Reyes has been the North's most impressive player. Curry looks like a good pass-rushing prospect who'll catch on quickly. Like Mike Martin's toughness. Cam Johnson's very intriguing but I'm guessing he'll go to a 3-4 team. Donnie Fletcher's the best North DB, Marvin Jones the best WR, but almost by default. Haven't gotten a lot of excitement out of either position. Isaiah Pead has got speed to burn and could be a good guy to have around. He'd be Jerious Norwood, if  Norwood was still Norwood. Bergstrom, Kelemete, Zeitler are the kinds of maulers the Rams really need on the o-line, but they all look a little too inconsistent. Not sure what Billy Winn or Chris Polk are even doing there. And George Iloka needs to be something besides just big. Hopefully the Combine goes a lot better for them.

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