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 Feature
The 2008 Senior Bowl
Winners and Losers
by Sam Monson
26/1/2008
The week’s practices have finished (Link to Mon & Tues, Link to Wed & Thurs practises) so it’s time to take a look back over the week and talk about whose stock is on the rise, and whose stock is falling thanks to their performance. Who helped themselves, and who didn’t? And because the juke-box has been blaring at the Diner all week, we’re going to do it with some musically themed headings…
Movin’ On Up
1. Sedrick Ellis DT USC – Ellis was the star of the Senior Bowl week, wreaking havoc inside and being virtually unblockable all week. Mike Mayock has him atop his DT leaderboard, tied with Glen Dorsey, and his performance this week has led some to move him ahead of Dorsey. He looks like a prototype 3-technique DT, with outstanding quickness, hands and strength, and should have solidified his position as a top 10 draft choice.
 2. Chad Henne QB Michigan
( Pictured right ) – Henne probably had the best week of any QB at the Senior Bowl, regardless of what happens come game-day. He showed a better arm than people gave him credit for, was accurate, and was said to have the most leadership in the huddle. Henne has raised himself well up most draft boards with his performance this week, and looks to be a complete NFL QB package.
3. Chris Williams OT Vanderbilt – Williams has outstanding footwork, which means he’s one of the few guys that can project to the left side of the O-line. His speed, feet and technique have him shooting up rankings, and the potential to snag a Left Tackle in the draft will have someone pulling the trigger on him earlier than expected.
4. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB Tennessee St. – Didn’t start well, but Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie finished Senior Bowl week with a bang, making a couple of spectacular plays during the last real practice session. He showed incredible feet, the ability to change direction fluidly, and outstanding leaping ability and ball skills. He showed he’s more than capable of stepping up in competition and is making a real case to be one of the first corners off the board come draft day.
5. Jordon Dizon LB Colorado – Dizon led the nation in tackling this season, but was never really seen as a good pro prospect. This week he’s not only emphasised his tackling ability, but he’s shown to be much better than people thought in space, and showed well all week in the LB drills. He now looks to be a pretty solid OLB prospect at the next level, and should have moved himself a round or two towards the sharp end.
Slip Slidin’ Away
1. Adarius Bowman WR OSU
 ( Pictured right ) – Bowman started the week in horrific fashion, dropping everything that came his way. He displayed hands of stone in the first couple of days, and although he began to rectify that as the week went on, the damage might have been done. Those couple of days of practice have left him with a hill to climb to show scouts he has better hands than that. He was also less than spectacular with his route running and body control. The game will be important for Bowman as they began trying to use him as a red zone target as the week went on in practice, and he might need that.
2. Limas Sweed WR Texas – Sweed was looking good until he re-injured his wrist, but a re-occurrence of such a severe injury after it had supposedly healed 100% will worry scouts and team personnel. He’s now going to have a battle on his hands to convince the NFL he’s not an injury risk, as well as getting back 100% fit so he can run and answer any questions that might be there about his speed. The injury is going to be key to stopping Sweed falling down draft boards and costing him a lot of money.
– 3. Eric Ainge QB Tennessee – Ainge seemed to struggle all week simply throwing the ball. Not in terms of hitting targets or arm strength, just in terms of throwing a simple spiral. Ainge threw up some hideous looking passes, and like it or not, a tight spiral is just an easier ball for a receiver to haul in. Ainge came into Senior Bowl with a few people thinking he was a bit underrated, something of a sleeper, but he left having done nothing to prove those people right. He has some work to do at the combine after this week.
4. Colt Brennan QB Hawaii – Brennan stepped under Centre for the first time since he was Matt Leinart’s backup in High School, and it showed. He had to be re-taught the simple mechanism of the drop back and it clearly hurt him early in the week. The amount of thought going into his mechanics threw him off completely. He got much better as the week wore on, but he now has to address some questions about his arm strength outside of the numbers, and also weed out an extra hitch step he’s developed in his release. His quick release might count for nothing if the throw is telegraphed with the extra step. The NFL might have more questions about Colt Brennan than it had before the week began.
5. Lawrence Jackson DE USC – Jackson didn’t have a terrible week, but he also did nothing to impress. Despite being obviously a pretty impressive physical specimen, he showed no real repertoire in his pass-rush moves, and rarely beat his man in linemen drills. He might have been able to get my on his athleticism alone at USC, but that’s not going to wash at the next level, and he’s going to have to show scouts he’s better than he proved this week.
Take a Chance on Me
1. Dexter Jackson WR – Appalachian St. – Jackson came in as a late replacement for the injured Limas Sweed, and is less than polished when it comes to route running, BUT, he has speed to burn, and is one of the fastest players available in the draft. Not only that, but he has a quality about him that seems to inspire his teammates, he just has a way of making the big play. His speed brings added value in the return game, and there’s not much that separates him from DeSean Jackson, who many believe to be the #1 WR available.
2. Jason Jones DE Eastern Michigan – In contrast to USC’s Lawrence Jackson, Jason Jones showed a variety of pass-rush moves, and beat O-linemen like a drum with several different moved during the week. He’s got serious athleticism, and though he looked a little stiff when he was asked to take some plays as a LB standing up, it at least shows what the coaches thought of him that they gave him that opportunity. He’s looking like an NFL pass-rusher.
3. Joe Flacco QB Delaware – We couldn’t do a roundup without mentioning Flacco. The 6’6 Flacco has a cannon for an arm, and was learning much like Brennan to get back under Centre. Flacco had a good week and may have the best measurables of any QB in the draft, but he has to learn to take some of the heat off his short throws, and read the Defense a little better. Nonetheless, his arm, smarts and measurables is going to have scouts drooling.
4. Kellen Davis TE Michigan St. – Davis might have the best measurables of any TE in this draft, and had an excellent Senior Bowl week. The knock on him was that the physical talent never really showed up on game-day, and that he’s quite a raw prospect, but when asked to step up all week he didn’t miss a beat, and didn’t drop a ball that was on target. He looked good running routes, and might be a sleeper pick for anyone wanting an athletic receiving TE.
5. Jordy Nelson WR Kansas St.
( Pictured right ) – Jordy Nelson remains something of an enigma. The big, rangy receiver looks slow out on the field, to the point where he actually gets mistaken for a TE at times, yet he continues to get open and to make plays. Corners at the Senior Bowl have been saying all week I don’t know how, but he just gets open, and he might just embody the quality that NFL Scouts have never really figured out how to test for ability to get separation. I don’t see him running anything under 4.55 at the combine, but someone’s going to get a player with him.
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