Friday, January 27, 2012

Senior Bowl 2012: South practice, day 3

Based on watching three practices from each side, I'd have to stick with my belief that the South should win the game Saturday. They've got better athletes, they're deeper at more positions, and they can execute the difficult center-QB exchange. Oh, well, since the practices are more important than the game anyway, let's see how it went on Wednesday for the South:

* How did I miss Georgia OT Cordy Glenn on Tuesday? At 6'5.5", 346, it's not like he's hard to find. I thought he consistently got the better of Quinton Coples in 1-on-1, and I know he got the better of Courtney Upshaw in 11-on-11, repeatedly stonewalling the Alabama star's pass rush. And on what would have been a 25-yard run for Lennon Creer in 11-on-11, who's ten yards downfield making the key block? Glenn showed nice movement skills and excellent quickness off the ball for his size.

* Working on the side opposite Glenn, DE Melvin Ingram spent most of 11-on-11 in the offensive backfield. He usually made Zebrie Sanders and Melvin McCants look bad 1-on-1 as well, repeatedly blasting one or the other off his pins and walking him back to the QB. He showed excellent strength, ability to rush from the inside, a beautiful swim move and a strong rip move. Ah, to be young Mr. Ingram. Or at least his agent.

* Brandon Boykin looks like the South's best corner, and starred again Wednesday. He made a beautiful play 1-on-1 to close and break up a slant pass, and showed consistent ability to blanket deep speed, such as when he covered Joe Adams in 11-on-11.

* William Vlachos continues to impress at center. He dominated several reps and won a great battle with Ingram rushing him from an inside position. The guy is a rock, and if he can pass pro reliably against the likes of Ingram, I want him in a Rams uniform starting this April.

* Tennessee DE Malik Jackson (6'5" 285), who I believe came in late, made an impression in a hurry, running over McCants and using quick hands to whip formidable Will Blackwell in a rep as an inside rusher.

* If Donnie Avery didn't sour you on U of Houston WRs, have a good look at Patrick Edwards (5'9" 175). Unlike Avery in college, Edwards looks like a polished route-runner. He excels at the dig routes the Coryell system thrives on. Edwards absolutely tore Casey Hayward up, and had Dwight Bentley beaten deep off a double move, before, in true Avery fashion, pulling up lame with a hamstring injury. Well, for his route-running alone, he's worth a second look.

* I don't know what we're looking at any more with Hayward, who was as terrible Wednesday as he was good Tuesday. He showed no ability to handle any kind of speed. Edwards toyed with him 1-on-1 and Chris Rainey burned him to a crisp 11-on-11. Hayward wasn't just getting beaten Wednesday, he was getting beaten by yards. Inexplicable after watching him Tuesday, unless he's injured.

* Zebrie Sanders also struggled. Granted, he's facing topnotch competition in Ingram and Upshaw, but he's consistently getting knocked off-balance at the point of attack and driven backward. He shows enough talent, though, that I think he can be salvaged, whether in the weight room or by getting coached up not to play too high.

* A couple of other cornerbacks better quit playing on their reputations and clean up what they're doing on the field. Janoris Jenkins has the skill to stick with anybody but is constantly getting caught squatting on routes and getting burned deep trying to make a showy play. Like Jenkins, Bentley has all the tools to be a shutdown corner, but he interferes on every single play. These two should be coachable into excellent prospects but have big flaws to clean up.

* Baylor RB (FB?) Terrance Ganaway (5'11.5", 241) had a lot of trouble in the blitz protection drill but showed tough inside running in 11-on-11.

* Jeff Allen fared a lot better than he did Tuesday. He decisively won matchups against bad d-linemen and opened up nice holes in 11-on-11 for Ganaway and Creer. Ben Jones (Georgia, 6'2.5" 304) also showed little trouble with the lesser interior rushers.

* Those lesser interior rushers would be Tony Jerod-Eddie of Texas A&M and Kheeston Randall of Texas. Maybe they're mainly run defenders. Neither showed any ability to pressure the pocket Wednesday, getting stood up and shut down quickly, nor any moves to allow them to win with speed.

* San Diego State QB Ryan Lindley (6'4" 229) looked like the worst player on the field. He blew snaps, threw a terrible quick out that missed his receiver by yards, and launched a deep ball that I hope the receiver actually checked up on (didn't look like it), because he overthrew him by 40 feet. Looks way out of his league. Also in the what-are-they-doing-here category, the South coaches should really match Alabama safety DaQuan Menzie, who couldn't cover anybody Wednesday, up with Texas A&M WR Jeff Fuller, who can't get open for jack, and makes Brandon Gibson look like Torry Holt.

* Takeaway: Ingram and Upshaw look like high draft picks. Coples probably will be too, as long as he does well enough at the Combine to keep his hype meter on high. Vlachos looks to me like a first-day NFL starter. Glenn looked like one today, if you can figure out where to put him. I'm thinking right tackle. In Boykin, Jenkins and Bentley, there is plenty of cornerback talent, especially if you get the last two coached up. Hayward, who knows. Better run a good 40 in Indy. Chris Rainey is definitely the kind of multithreat player the Ram offense badly needs, and Edwards has the speed they badly need, if Jeff Fisher doesn't decide they're too small. Rainey's claiming he's going to run a 4.1 at the Combine. DTs like Jackson or Jaye Howard or Clemson's Brandon Thompson could be later-round steals. Also keep an eye on Blackwell, who fits the Rams' o-line need for a mauler, and TE Ladarius Green. And try to shield your eyes when Lindley gets behind center. Shiver.

-$-

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