Rico Wallace is ready to burst onto the national scene.

NEPD Editor: James Christensen

I came to Akron unsure of what I was going to see. David Lagree (QB, Hampton) and Adrian Hamilton (DE/OLB, Prarie View A&M) were the guys I wanted to see most, but both had to drop out of the event. Fortunately, some other 2012 NFL Draft prospects stepped up in their place.

Rico Wallace, WR, Shenandoah

Wallace, from tiny D3 Shenandoah, was the best player on the field during positional drills, 1-on-1’s and 7-on-7’s. He timed in at just a shade over 4.5 and didn’t seem to lose any of that speed in and out of his breaks. He ran phenomenal routes, earning praise from top-notch QB coach Jeff Christensen for keeping proper route depth and plucking the ball away from his body. Wallace continued to impress on Sunday, catching a long touchdown pass in addition to throwing some nasty blocks.

Overall, Wallace just made thinks look easy. He has now earned a draftable grade and is at worst a priority free agent. He certainly could make a practice squad and has an outside chance of making a 53-man roster.

Jeremy Blount, WR, South Dakota

Although Wallace looked the best when there was an actual football involved, the diminutive Jeremy Blount certainly won the track meet portion of the BSN Showcase by turning in a 4.25 laser-timed forty yard dash. Blount wasn’t as impressive during 7-on-7’s and the scrimmage but will get a lot of looks with that time. CFL scouts should be especially interested.

Alexander Tounkara, WR, Brown

Tounkara is extremely tall (6’5″) and has an incredible reach. He had a couple of drops during 7-on-7’s, but has the raw athleticism that should land him a UDFA contract. Tounkara has a pro day this coming week so did not participate in the scrimmage.

Logan Kerr, CB, Ashland

Kerr, who ran a 4.52 and a 4.68, looked fantastic during the 1-on-1 and 7-on-7 drills. He showed excellent technique in press, looked very fluid turning his hips and diagnosed routes very quickly. He came up with an amazing interception during 7-on-7’s and performed well in the scrimmage on Sunday.

Robert De La Rosa, DL, Bucknell

De La Rosa tested extremely well, running a 4.22 short shuttle time at 6’2″ and 295 pounds. He also impressed with a 39″ vertical leap, 26 bench reps and a 4.98 forty. Unfortunately, De La Rosa pulled up lame about 35 yards into the 40 and couldn’t participate in positional drills or the scrimmage.

Others who flashed some possible NFL talent: WR Demario Barber, TE Kevin Doty (Long Snapper), OL Solomon Orr, DL James Bowman, QB John Van den Raadt, WR Simmie Yarbrough

Tags: 2012 NFL Draft, BSN Showcase, Rico Wallace, Sleepers

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