Rivers, Jones, Wow Scouts at Senior Bowl

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Rivers, Jones, Wow Scouts at Senior Bowl
January 25th, 2004
By Matt Simon, Raiderfans.net

In what was a basically uneventful Senior Bowl, Philip Rivers proved to NFL scouts that he was worthy of a first round pick. His quick release, his good timing, and downfield arm overshadowed his strange mechanics. He is one of the many prospects that raised or lowered their stock during the Senior Bowl. Here is an analysis of who was helped and who was hurt in the Senior Bowl.

South Team

Quarterbacks

Philip Rivers of North Carolina State was the star of the group, as he was the MVP of the game in my opinion. While he was not his best during the workouts, he starred in the game. He beat blitzes with his quick release, and had great timing on his deep throw to LSU’s Devery Henderson, which almost went for a touchdown. He made great decisions and he had good timing. His touchdown pass to Earnest Wilford of Virginia Tech was picture perfect. Rivers can also throw on the run. He worked out for the Dolphins and they are likely to take him in the first round, twentieth overall, come April’s draft. J.P. Losman of Tulane had an O.K game, in which he displayed his smarts and his lack of mobility. Losman has been known to be cancerous in the locker room and he will not always take the blame, which will hurt his draft stock. He may go in the late first round or early second round. Matt Schaub of Virginia struggled because of lack of support in front, and he threw and interception and hurt his draft stock. His size will make him a second rounder. His smarts were not displayed in this game because there is no strategy involved in the Senior Bowl.

Grades

Losman- C

Schaub- C-

Rivers- A+

Running Backs

Greg Jones of Florida State was the star for the South at running back, as he showed his strength on and off the field. He is the cousin of boxer Joe Frazier and he looks like a bodybuilder. When I saw footage from his weigh in I was amazed at his physique, he is one of the strongest players, if not the strongest, in College Football. He showed that strength against the North, as he plowed through some of the best collegiate players en route to a forty-four yard, two-touchdown affair. Jones showed good balance and surprising shiftiness in most of his runs. Jones had been tried at fullback, but he is an unwilling blocker, and he does not try hard on any of his vanilla blocks. He projects as a second round draft pick but Bill Parcells likes players like Jones and he may be taken in the first round by the Cowboys at pick number twenty-two. Cedric Cobbs of Arkansas raised his draft stock with impressive workouts and a solid game. He is a good blocker who fights for every yard. He also caught a pass for a touchdown in which he kept his legs moving and eventually was pushed into the end zone by LSU’s Steven Peterman. He will probably go in the early middle rounds. Mwelde Moore of Tulane did not do much to help himself, and just showed more evidence that he will be only a third-down back. He will go in the middle rounds. Shaud Williams of Alabama hurt his draft stock, proving that his size will hurt him in the NFL. He never seemed to find the room he needed and he always went down after the initial hit. He will go in the later rounds. Brandon Johnson was a reliable lead blocker but did not do much else to help or hurt his stock. He will go in the later rounds.

Grades

Cobbs- B+

Johnson- C

Moore- C-

Williams- D+

Wide Receivers

Devery Henderson of LSU was the best Wide Receiver for the South, as he made big plays and showed good hands. He can catch the ball in traffic and he has moves after the catch. The converted running back will go as high as the third round. Jerricho Crotchery of NC State did not do much, but he showed moves after the catch and good hands. He will most likely go in the third round. Justin Jenkins of Mississippi State did not get many passes thrown his way, but he showed great separation speed, moves and use of size in the few times he touched the ball. He will go in the middle rounds. Earnest Wilford of Virginia Tech played well. He fights for yards after the catch, he runs good routes, has reliable hands, and above-average speed. He will go in the third round. Triandos Luke did not play enough for me to really get an opinion of him.

Grades

Crotchery- C+

Henderson- A-

Jenkins- B-

Luke- N/A

Wilford- A-

Tight End

Neither Ben Watson or Ronnie Ghent made a splash in the Senior Bowl, as they both caught few passes. Ghent has separation speed and he is a big target. Watson has good hands and is a physical freak.

Grades

Ghent- B

Watson- B-

Offensive Linemen

Stephen Peterman of LSU was the best offensive lineman for the South. He is a smart player who can keep his man out of the play. He has good technique and size. Peterman will go in the middle rounds. Jake Grove of Virginia Tech played well. He is an aggressive player who is a strong inside technician. He is projected as a late first rounder in some mock drafts, but look for him to go in the second round. Sean Locklear of NC State played well, as well as Bo Lacy of Arkansas. Alan Reuber of Texas A&M played well. He is an overpowering blocker who gets good leverage on his blocks. Max Starks is a mammoth offensive tackle from Florida who may switch to guard in the NFL. He is a little lethargic but shut down his man in most of his match-ups. He may move to guard in the NFL, and he projects as a second rounder. Scott Wells and Jeb Terry kept the pressure of Rivers, Losman, and Schaub the whole game. Travelle Wharton helped his stock with strong run and pass blocking.

Grades

Locklear- B

Grove- B+

Lacy- B+

Peterman- A

Reuber- A-

Starks- B+

Terry- B

Wells- B

Defensive Linemen

Bobby McCray is an undersized pass rusher who recorded a sack. Dave Ball of UCLA also recorded a sack and did not do much else. Darnell Dockett of Florida State made plays. He has a quick jump off the line and he is an instinctive player. He may sneak into the late first round, but he is undersized. DeMarco McNeil of Auburn did not help or hurt his stock, as well as Nathan Adibi, Tommy Kelly, and Rodney Leslie did. Chad Lavalais is a tough player who is strong enough to beat man-to-man match-ups.

Grades

Adibi- N/A

Ball- B

Dockett- A-

Kelly- N/A

Lavalais- B

Leslie- N/A

McCray- B+

McNeil- N/A

Linebackers

Michael Boulware of Florida State is a linebacker/safety hybrid who can cover the whole field. He made some plays in the Senior Bowl. Rod Davis is a sideline-to-sideline performer who makes plays everywhere. He can stop the run and pass. Derrick Pope of Alabama is a hard-hitting instinctive player who’s stock rose. Daryl Smith of Georgia Tech is a little undersized but he is very smart. He did not play much. Keyaron Fox is a fast player who did not play much, and Donatarrious Thomas of Auburn did was unspectacular.

Grades

Boulware- B

Davis- B+

Fox- B

Pope- A-

Smith- C+

Thomas- C+

Defensive Backs

Keiwan Ratliff of Florida was the star of the South’s secondary. He played aggressively and he can be a shutdown cornerback in the NFL. He gives little room to his receiver to make plays. He is trying to get into the late first round. Eric Pruitt of Southern Mississippi is an instinctive hard-hitter who has NFL size. Gus Scott of Florida is an instinctive player who was injured by Julius Jones after a helmet-to-helmet collision. Keith Smith of McNeese State showcased his blazing speed. Texas’s Nathan Vasher is another aggressive player who lacks size. He gave good effort and played well, but he plays too aggressive sometimes. Madieu Williams stuffed the run well. Bruce Thornton had an interception in which he adjusted to a bad pass and ended up with the ball in his hands.

Grades

Brooks- B

Pruitt- B+

Ratliff- A

Scott- B

Smith- A-

Thornton- A

Vasher- A-

Williams- B

North

Quarterbacks

Cody Pickett of Washington was the best quarterback for the North. He showcased his good size and arm strength. He struggled from lack of protection as a senior and as a result did not put up the pinball numbers he put up as a junior. Pickett has a quick release, he is instinctive, and he excels on short routes. He is currently projected as a mid-round pick. John Navarre hurt his stock. He was unimpressive as he was inaccurate and he telegraphed his throws. Josh Harris showcased his athleticism, as he is a threat when he passes and when he runs. He can make plays but did not have many chances to in the Senior Bowl.

Grades

Pickett- B

Navarre- D

Harris- C

Running Backs

Michael Turner of Northern Illinois was the star of this group. He played well, as he will be a reliable third-down back. He is a shifty player and he fights for yards. He hits a second gear in open field in which he is unstoppable, but he was not at his best. Julius Jones of Notre Dame was looking to raise his stock, but he did not gain many yards. The brother of Thomas, Jones missed his junior year because of academics and showed some rust in the beginning of the season. He is an aggressive runner with some moves. One player who pleasantly surprised me was Thomas Tapeh of Minnesota. He was a good lead blocker and he proved he could catch the ball out of the backfield. He also showcased his bruising running style. Tatum Bell did not play to the best of his abilities, but he fights for yards and runs with a low center of gravity.

Grades

Bell- C

Jones- C+

Polite- DNP

Tapeh- A

Turner- B+


Wide Receivers

Michael Jenkins of Ohio State was the best receiver from the North. He showed his good hands against the South. He fights for yards after the catch and he can make the play in traffic. Keary Colbert’s stock has been rising fast, and he helped it with a starring performance in the Senior Bowl. He runs good routes and he uses his size well. He will go in the third round. Johnnie Morant of Syracuse helped his stock immensely. He is a huge target who knows where the first down markers. He made plays after the catch against the South. He has the size to succeed in the NFL. James Newson was a non-factor, and Maurice Brown did not have the ball come his way.

Grades

Brown- N/A

Colbert- A

Jenkins- A

Morant- B+

Newson- B-

Tight Ends

Neither tight end did much to help their stock, as both saw little time. [b]Chris Cooley caught a few balls and was a reliable blocker. Kris Wilson rarely saw time.

Cooley- C

Wilson- N/A

Offensive Linemen

The best offensive lineman in the Senior Bowl was Miami (Ohio’s) Jacob Bell. He showed great footwork and that he can shut down his man. He did a great job protecting Ben Roethlisberger’s blindside and did not disappoint in the Senior Bowl. Sean Bubin of Illinois shut down his man and worked well in the trenches. Kirk Chambers showcased his size and his good technique. Nick Leckey played sparingly but he gave his all on every play and he finished his blocks. Adrien Clark of Ohio State is a big player who lacked mobility. His stock is on the decline. Alex Stepanovich and Shane Olivea did not do much to help their stock, same as Nick Hardwick and Brian Rimpf

Grades

Bell- A+

Bubin- B

Chambers- B-

Clarke- C

Hardwick- N/A

Leckey- B+

Olivea- N/A

Rimpf- N/A

Stepanovich- N/A

Defensive Linemen

Dwan Edwards of Oregon State was the best defensive linemen from the North. He used his body well and was an aggressive pass rusher. He can also stuff the run. Travis LaBoy impressed me with his jump off the line and his aggressiveness. Shaun Phillips showcased his speed and strong angles taken to the quarterback. Antonio Smith was contained for most of the game. Isaac Sopoaga played well, proving he could be a starting Nose Tackle in the NFL. Jordan Carstens fought to get into plays but he never did make any. Darrell Campbell and Tim Anderson barely played.

Grades

Anderson- N/A

Campbell- N/A

Carstens- C

Edwards- A-

LaBoy- B+

Phillips- A-

Smith- C

Sopoaga- B

Linebackers

Teddy Lehman was the star of this group, as he played aggressively and he made plays. His athleticism may get him drafted in the middle of the second round. Niko Koutouvides played well as well, showcasing his speed and athleticism. He put himself in position to make plays. Grant Wiley made plays against the run and Demorrio Williams played with good technique and athleticism. Courtney Watson did not play much, as well as Bryan Hickman.

Grades

Hickman- N/A

Lehman- B+

Koutouvides- B

Watson- N/A

Wiley- B

Williams- B+

Defensive Backs

Tusculum’s Ricardo Colclough dominated against the South. He proved that he could play with the big names. He returned kicks and did an average job. He hit hard and showed his sprinter’s speed. He did not do well in workouts, however. Will Allen delivered big hits and stuffed the run. Brandon Everage did not play much but he made some tackles. He also showed bad technique. Rich Gardener of Penn State got beat deep by Devery Henderson and may not be a force in the NFL. He lacks size and does not have the best technique. Stuart Schweigert of Purdue covered well but did not show his full potential. Schweigert is a versatile and smart player. He can blitz, cover, and stop the run. He made some mental errors and had bad technique in the Senior Bowl, however. Derrick Strait of Oklahoma struggled. He over pursued on some plays, and was too aggressive. He also takes bad angles to the ball. He is athletic and he will bounce back in the Combine and get drafted in the first round. Will Poole and Jeremy LeSeur did not play much. Joey Thomas of Montana State shutdown his man and played a good game. He proved that he could be a force against big-school players.