Cam Johnson, DE/OLB, Virginia

Height: 6’4″
Weight: 267
Grade: 6.5 (Grading Scale)

Film Room Notes: vs Georgia Tech

Strengths: Good size and decent length for his position – Strong upper and lower body – Has plus closing speed, can chase down a lot of plays – Decent agility, moves well for his size – Uses his hands well to disengage – Can set the edge in the run game, disengage, and make solid tackles – Locates the ball quickly in the run game – Shows good effort at all times, don’t see much loafing on tape – Bull rush is his go to move, gets a good push – Has experience as a 3-4 OLB (Al Groh) and 4-3 DE.

Weaknesses: Doesn’t exhibit a great first step, won’t win off of initial quickness – Needs to add to his repertoire of rush moves and counters – Gets a bit high rushing the passer, will get knocked off balance when trying to dip around the edge – Missed multiple games during his senior season due to leg injury.

Last Updated: January 31st, 2012

Marvin Jones, WR, Cal

Height: 6’2″
Weight: 198
Grade: 6.6F

Film Room Notes: vs Texas

Strengths: Decent height for receiver – Runs consistent crisp routes – Short quick steps at the line of scrimmage to separate from press coverage – Strong, soft hands, ball doesn’t budge in huge 10” hands – Catches the ball away from his body and uses full reach – Not afraid to go up for the ball, shows good hops – Has good field awareness near the sideline – Elusive after the catch – Legit 4.5 speed – Good, but not great punt return skills – Shows good acceleration in routes and after the catch – Intelligent on and off field.

Weaknesses: Small frame – Not physical at the line of scrimmage, uses moves, not power to get separation – Limited strength limits his blocking – Mostly ran short quick routes his senior season and was limited by inaccurate QB play – Rarely explodes off the line – Overshadowed by teammate Keenan Allen at Cal – Doesn’t have the strength to fight for the ball against more physical defenders.

Last Updated: January 30, 2012

Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia

Height: 6’0″
Weight: 190
Grade: 7.0 (Grading Scale)

Film Room Notes: vs Georgia Tech, vs Virginia Tech

Strengths: Decent height and length for position – Fantastic ball skills, locates the ball quickly and gets his hands on a lot of passes – Can play press, has solid technique and doesn’t try and do too much – Looks comfortable in zone, anticipates routes – Very fluid turning his hips and accelerating out of his breaks, allows him to close on ball quickly – Excels helping in the run game, sheds blocks quickly and while he isn’t a big hitter, he does have solid tackling fundamentals –

Weaknesses: A bit wiry, could add a few pounds in his upper body, might struggle against bigger NFL receivers – Seems to get a bit lost at times while running with receivers on deep routes, takes some interference calls – May run in the 4.4′s, but doesn’t always show off a 2nd gear.

Last Updated: January 30, 2012

Name: Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas

Height: 5’10″ 4/8
Weight: 174
Grade: 7.3F (Grading Scale)

Film Room Notes:

Strengths: Adams is an electric athlete playing – Adams can play both in the slot and on the outside – Elite long speed, could run sub-4.35 40 – Has the ability to run by almost any CB and take the top off the defense, eats up the cushion in a heartbeat – Gets good seperation out of his breaks – Showed the ability to come back to the ball during Senior Bowl week – Has the skill-set and work ethic to become a very good route runner with proper coaching – Tremendous body control, and one of the best vertical leaps in the draft – Not afraid to go into the dirty areas of the field – Catches the ball well in traffic – Can break tackles with the best of them, very shifty and elusive in the open field – Can double as a dynamic return man, had multiple big punt returns in big games – Adams seems to be a big game player and plays his best when the spotlight is on him – Adams is a quiet guy, who will not complain about getting the ball, should fit almost any NFL system.

Weaknesses: Adams has fumbled a little bit too much lately – Could add a few more pounds, especially in the upperbody to protect himself from the physical NFL game, but don’t want to risk his speed – Would like to see him refine his route running a little bit more, especially if he is going to be playing in a precision passing system.

Last Updated: January 30th, 2012

Quinton Coples answered a lot of questions at the 2012 Senior Bowl. (Photo: ICON SMI)

NEPD Staff Writer: Doug Kyed

With the Senior Bowl week coming to a close, I wanted to gather my thoughts on the week into one concise post.

Besides watching a ton of great football and meeting equally as great scouts and players, there were a lot of players that really opened my eyes down in Mobile, AL and a few players that made me question what I was seeing on tape throughout the year.

I’m going to give you my top players at each position who helped their stock, and one or two that might have fallen a little bit.

QUARTERBACK

1. Brandon Weeden
2. Russell Wilson
3. Kirk Cousins

I thought Weeden did a fantastic job in the Senior Bowl practices, and showed me just as much when I interviewed him early in the week. He seemed far more mature than the rest of the players because, well, he is. Being 28, I predict that Weeden likely interviewed extremely well with scouts and coaches. Having a background in professional sports as a minor league baseball player also helps him tremendously. There’s no question as to whether the spotlight or lowlight will go to his head, he’s been through it all before. I would take Weeden with a late first pick, if he were five years younger, not only would he be a top 10 pick, I could see him going top 5.

Wilson came in a half inch shorter than we all thought he might, but he showed off a high release point all week that at least helps his lack of height. I came in thinking Cousins was projected as a backup QB, and my opinion still holds, but he does have a balanced skill set that could be taught up.

Who fell: Kellen Moroe

It’s all been said, but Moore came in at just 5-11 191 and didn’t look overly athletic or even a little bit ready to take on the punishment he would receive as an NFL starting QB. His arm strength and accuracy were subpar. I think Moore is undraftable.

RUNNING BACK

1. Doug Martin
2. Isaiah Pead
3. Dan Herron
4. Terrance Ganaway

Martin showed off a really strong, solid physique and showed off more burst than I expected from the Boise State product. Senior Bowl practices aren’t exactly the best place for running backs to raise their stock. RBs’ skill sets are based off elusiveness, absorbing contact and breaking tackles, none of which they can do during limited contact practices. I’d take Martin as a second round pick.

Who fell: Lennon Creer

Creer was coming off a strong Shrine game and I thought he appeared a step or two slower than the rest of the backs in Mobile. I know a lot of people have Chris Polk written down here, but I can’t see it. He showed up big enough in the actual game when it mattered for RBs for me to say that he didn’t budge from his late first/early second stock.

WIDE RECEIVERS

1. Marvin Jones
2. Joe Adams
3. Marvin McNutt
4. Devier Posey
5. Patrick Edwards

I can’t say enough about Marvin Jones, he was my favorite prospect down in Mobile this week. He had by far the best hands among any player. Watching Jones during practices the ball would hit his hands and not budge. He has massive, soft hands.

Jones also showed off some really crisp routes, quick feet and some surprising speed. Jones had a lot of promise coming into his senior season, and started out hot with two hundred yard games in three weeks. Unfortunately, Jones was overshadowed by sophomore Keenan Allen. Who was Jones’ QB you might ask? Oh, just Keenan Allen’s half brother who had transferred from Buffalo because Allen had committed to Cal. When I talked to Jones about that this week, he handled it very maturely, as he seems to with everything in his life.

Sam, our friend from the Netherlands who writes for USA Sports Magazine that we met in Mobile, passed this video along to us, it’s a great watch. I’d take Jones with a third or fourth round pick.

Joe Adams showed a lot of explosiveness and when talking to his agent this week, is deservedly receiving second round grades right now. There’s questions as to whether he’ll be running at the combine, but if he does and comes out strong, we could be talking about a first round receiver. McNutt showed a lot of smarts for his position. Posey showed some explosiveness after the catch and Edwards had some surprising quickness for player with as many leg injuries as he’s had.

Who fell: Dwight Jones, Jeff Fuller

To put it simply, Jones looked lazy. He didn’t show any burst off the line, was rounding off his routes and never hustled back to the line after drills. During his first practice, the Redskins offensive assistant had to keep enforcing to him that he needed to pick up the ball after drops. Fuller probably caught about half of his passes during this week, and most of those came during his semi-impressive first practice.

TIGHT ENDS

1. Brad Smelley
2. Deangelo Peterson
3. Emil Igwenagu

Smelley showed off some really nice soft hands this week and looks like a player who could be used in a number of roles in the NFL. The biggest questions he faces are speed and size, but he showed off good enough blocking skills and strong route running. He’s the kind of player that might benefit from having a young quarterback that could learn to depend on him. I’m seeing a much less athletic Aaron Hernandez. Probably a fifth or sixth rounder.

Peterson was probably the most athletic TE down here and Igwenagu is another tweener TE/FB that could be a less athletic Marcel Reece at the NFL level.

Who fell: Ladarius Green

It was a strong week in general for the TEs, but I don’t think Green is athletic enough for a WR and he’s not big and strong enough for a TE.

OFFENSIVE LINE

1. Cordy Glenn
2. Kelechi Osemele
3. Jeff Allen
4. Mitchell Schwartz

Glenn had a huge week and might have vaulted into the middle of the first round. He’s Marcus Cannon sized at 6-5 and almost 350 pounds and carries it unbelievably well. He can play guard or tackle at the next level.

Osemele is another massive prospect, who actually wisely dropped some weight from the season. He showed he can play either tackle or guard at the next level. Allen showed off some stellar pass blocking skills, he might be projected at guard at the next level because of his size, but he could surprise some people.

Who fell: Zebrie Sanders, William Vlachos

Sanders has nice size and shows off some pretty good footwork, but he’s not powerful enough yet. He doesn’t get the same kind of drive the rest of these guys can and gets overpowered easily by a bull rush. Vlachos had a great career at Alabama as a three year starter on some really great teams, but he might not be cut out for the NFL. He’d be a very undersized center at just over 6-0. I can see Vlachos sticking on a practice squad because he’s a smart player.

CLICK ON PAGE 2 FOR THE DEFENSIVE RISERS AND FALLERS

Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina

Height: 6’2″
Weight: 276
Grade: 6.9P (Grading Scale)

Film Room Notes: vs Nebraska, vs Tennessee

Strengths: Good size/speed ratio, should run in the 4.8 range – Excellent leaping ability – Sudden laterally and shows a nice first step – Has a variety of rush moves, conversion from speed to power catches linemen off-guard – Plays a lot of different positions, could play 3-4 OLB, but has played some 4-3 DE and 4-3 DT – Looks comfortable dropping back into coverage, also able to redirect TE’s at the line – Driven to perform and produce – Team captain.

Weaknesses: Violent moves cause him to lose balance, was on the ground a lot – Seems unaware of the play happening around him at times, doesn’t locate the ball particularly well and was often caught off-guard by double teams, pulls, etc… – Pass rush ran very hot and cold, was stoned at times by TE’s and FB’s – Classic ‘tweener, not sure he has a true position to play right now.

Last Updated: 1/29/12

Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

Height: 6’6″
Weight: 254
Grade: 7.1 (Grading Scale)

Film Room Notes: vs Oklahoma State, vs UW, vs Arizona

Strengths: Excellent size/strength/speed combination – Catches balls in traffic very well – Works the seam like an NFL pro, very adept with his little fakes – Very good in and out of his breaks, gains separation from safeties/linebackers with ease – Rarely gets jammed off the line, uses his hands well – Plucks the ball with his hands – Looks like a prototypical “F” tight end, but can block a bit as well – Shows the necessary skills to be an effective pass and/or run blocker, just needs some experience as he wasn’t used that way at Stanford –

Weaknesses: Could add a few pounds, has the frame to do it though – Looks like he has a bit of a habit of checking defenders before securing the ball, led to a few drops – Some durability concerns, got dinged up and missed parts of multiple games.

Last Updated: 1/29/12

Isaiah Pead certainly made the most out of the 2012 Senior Bowl.

NEPD Staff Writer: Mike Loyko

This was my first experience covering the Senior Bowl live, and what an experience it was. The whole event is covered so well and everyone is so accessible. It was an experience I will never forget and can’t wait for next year.

As for the actual week of practice and the game, if you have been following us you know who has been doing good and who has struggled a little bit. I can’t stress enough that the Senior Bowl is just one step in the long evaluation process of becoming an NFL player. A player may do great down here or may struggle, but it’s imperative that you go back to the 3-4 years of game tape and reevaluate the players if they surpassed or didn’t live up to your expectations; and that is what I will do next week.

As some of the coaches have said, this isn’t a place where you will get yourself drafted by an NFL team, but an NFL team maybe able to quickly disqualify you based on somethings they see down here. Based on all of that he is a quick list of who helped their stock and who may have hurt their stock with their performances this week.

* In no particular order:

Players who helped their stock:

North Team
Cal Poly CB Asa Jackson                                                        
Iowa WR Marvin McNutt                                                      
Boise State S George Iloka                                                    
Boise State RB Doug Martin                                                  
Notre Dame S Harrison Smith                                            
Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead                                                    
Arkansas State MLB Demario Davis                                  
NC St. LB Audie Cole                                                                
Utah State LB Bobby Wagner (DMVP)                              
Virginia OLB/DE Cam Johnson                                            
Washinton OG Senio Kelemete                                            
Michigan DT Mike Martin                                                      
Utah OG Tony Bergstrom                                                      
Cal OT Mitchell Schwartz                                                        
Cincinnati DT Derek Wolfe                                                    
Cal WR Marvin Jones

South Team  
Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden                                                           
North Alabama CB Janoris Jenkins
Arkansas WR Joe Adams
Georgia CB Brandon Boykin
Tennessee DE Malik Jackson
Mississippi State RB Vick Ballard
Louisiana-Laf. CB Dwight “Bill” Bentley
Vanderbilt CB Casey Hayward
Alabama TE Brad Smelley
Texas LB Keenan Robinson
Georgia OG/OT Cordy Glenn
Illinois OT Jeff Allen
Florida DT Jaye Howard
Clemson DT Brandon Thompson
LSU S Brandon Taylor
South Carolina S Antonio Allen

Players who hurt their stock:

North Team:
Boise State QB Kellen Moore                                                
Wisconsin QB Russell Wilson                                              
Washington RB Chris Polk                                                    
Arizona State WR Gerell Robinson                                    
North Carolina WR Dwight Jones                                      
Boise State DT Billy Winn                                                                          
Nebraska CB Alfonzo Dennard                                            

South Team
Florida State OT Zebrie Sanders
Arizona QB Nick Foles
San Diego State QB Ryan Lindley
Alabama CB DeQuan Menzie
Texas LB Emmanuel Acho
Texas DT Kheeston Randall
Alabama C/G William Vlachos
Texas A&M WR Jeff Fuller

We’re here live at the Senior Bowl in the press box, ready to live blog everything you might not see on your television broadcast and some of the stuff you are seeing.

VISIT THE SENIOR BOWL HQ

UDPATE: Due to the stadium wi-fi being down, the post will be updated shortly.

SOUTH PROSPECTS

Starting lineup: WR Joe Adams, LT Cordy Glenn, LG Will Blackwell, C Ben Jones, RG James Brown, RT Zebrie Sanders, TE Brad Smelley, WR Juron Criner, QB Brandon Weeden, RB Vick Ballard, FB Alfred Morris

-South offense touchback, we’re live!

-The Weeden-Adams connection continues into the game.

-Vick Ballard tough to take down early for a five yard gain.

-Cordy Glenn can move for a man his size. Joe Adams fumbles, recovered by the North.

-Boykin and Rainey back for kicks.

-I knew the South would go to Smelley early, the crowd erupts. I wonder who they’re fans of here…

-South going with some massive bookends at WR, Jeff Fuller and Dwight Jones. Two of the most disappointing prospects down here this week.

-Eric Galko’s fave Dwight Jones pulls it in with one hand.

-Terrance Ganaway showed a lot of smarts and burst this week. Takes advantage of the huge whole Will Blackwell edged off.

-Ben Jones was chucked like a ragdoll on that tackle by Ta’amu.

The Senior Bowl WIFI cut out on us pretty consistently after this, so I wanted to go over a couple more notable players in the game:

-Joe Adams looked like the best player on the field out there. He has incredible burst after the catch and really exploited the soft man coverage that the North was throwing at him. He’s deadly on those curl routes, especially when he has so much room to work with.

-Nick Foles and Juron Criner had an obvious connection from their days at Arizona together. Foles had a bad week while Criner had just an OK week. This game raised my opinion on both players a tick. Criner more than Foles.

-Terrance Ganaway showed some burst on a 16 yard run but did little else. It was nice to see him catch the ball twice, since he had only six receptions all season.

-Zebrie Sanders continued to show some questionable strength. It looked like he was getting pushed around by the North defensive line.

-Dwight Jones and Jeff Fuller continued to struggle. It’s so imposing to see two 6’4″ receivers across the field from one another… until you see Jones slog around the field and Fuller drop easy pass after easy pass.

-I thought Brad Smelley was going to be a favorite of the Senior QBs after seeing how well he did throughout the week. He wound up with only one reception on one target though. Smelley has a future in the NFL though, he has very nice hands.

-Brandon Weeden played very sparingly, but after the week he had, I wouldn’t be surprised if he or his agent told coach Shanahan to give the other QBs a chance. Weeden proved all that he needed to during practice.

-We barely got to see A.J. Jenkins this week, but today he played pretty well for never having a full practice. He had a 26 yard reception on two targets and showed off some pretty crisp route running.

Click on Page 2 for the North Prospects

NEPD Staff Writer: Mike Loyko

I’m blogging live from the Ladd-Peebles Press Box. I will be breaking down all the defensive players during the game.

VISIT THE SENIOR BOWL HQ

UDPATE: Due to the stadium wi-fi being down, the post will be updated shortly.

SOUTH PROSPECTS
South’s Starting defensive line up
LDE- Quenton Coples NT- Kheeston Randall DT-Brandon Thompson RDE- Courtney Upshaw SLB-Keenan MLB- Emmanuel Acho WLB- Zach Brown LCB- Janoris Jenkins RCB- Dwight Bentley SS- Antonio Allen FS- Markelle Martin
- Keenan Robinson really chases down the play well.. much faster than previously thought
- Quinton Coples ran right up field which opened up a big hole for Chris Polk
- Brandon Thompson just shed his tackler and tackled Polk at the LOS for a no gain.. can’t be moved
- Courtney Upshaw has been handled by Mike Adams so far.
- Casey Hayward’s breaks on the ball are pretty solid
- Brandon Taylor (one of my more underrated players in the draft) INT of Wilson.. just sat on the route.
- Jenkins beat by Marvin Jones for a TD, Jenkins a step late

Click on Page 2 for the North Prospects