2015 Senior Bowl Stuff...

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MOBILE, Ala. -- Reese's Senior Bowl practices revved up again Wednesday, and some of the top 2015 NFL Draft hopefuls put on a show in front of NFL general managers, coaches and scouts. We saw uneven performances by a number of players, but there were some future stars who made plays to show that they have what it takes to impress NFL evaluators.

With that in mind, here are six players who caught the eyes of NFL Media analysts during Wednesday's practices for the North and South teams.

Clive Walford, TE, Miami

A day after Miami teammate Phillip Dorsett earned rave reviews from everybody at Ladd-Pebbles Stadium, Wednesday marked Walford's turn to put on a show. He was easily the "wow" guy among the pass-catchers and did a solid job of blocking during team periods as well. He's a complete mismatch for all of the linebackers and safeties at the event, and showed why he could be the top guy at the position in the 2015 draft. "Clive was the best player out here all day. He's been great," NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. "He's such an athletic pass-catcher."

Lynden Trail, OLB, Norfolk State

A standout among the linebacker group because of his size (6-foot-6 1/4, 262 pounds) and play, Trail was certainly somebody who flashed Wednesday. He's long, but moves well and does a solid job of dropping into space while also being stout enough at the point of attack if a run comes his way. "He had some good reps in one-on-ones," Jeremiah said. "He was surprisingly good in coverage, too, and did some good stuff."

Nate Orchard, DE, Utah

There are some that view Orchard, last season's FBS leader in sacks per game (1.42), as a bit of a tweener at the next level. He's played mostly with his hand in the ground in Mobile and looked much stronger than some were expecting. He's always shown good get-off, but he really showed some explosiveness in the North's second practice of the week.

Kevin White, CB, TCU

White finds himself on this list for the second day in a row after another strong performance Wednesday. "I thought he did an outstanding job in man-to-man coverage. Everything I saw on tape, he's very similar to Jason Verrett, the first-round pick from last year," NFL Media's Mike Mayock said, referring to the former TCU star who was drafted by the Chargers. White's work against Duke's Jamison Crowder and Auburn's Sammie Coates was particularly impressive.

Jeremy Langford, RB, Michigan State

Tailback is one of the stacked positions at the Senior Bowl this year. The North squad features a trio of top-flight Big Ten backs, and Langford was the one who caught the eye of many Wednesday with his hard running and ability to make one cut and go. "He hits the hole (hard) and makes the right read," NFL Media's Curtis Conway said.

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska

The Doak Walker Award finalist was among the most electrifying players in the country last season, but he measured a shorter-than-expected 5-foot-8 1/4 at the Senior Bowl. He'll draw comparisons to guys like Darren Sproles for his build and what he can do in the passing game, but Abdullah did show enough between the tackles Wednesday to turn some heads. "He's interesting to me," Conway said. "I like him a lot, but I don't know if scouts are going to be turned off by his size. He's an explosive kid."

You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.

 

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MOBILE, Ala. -- Michigan State wide receiver Tony Lippett is playing wide receiver at the Reese's Senior Bowl this week, his primary position with the Spartans. But after getting a chance to play some defensive back as a two-way contributor near the end of his senior season, NFL coaches and scouts have also asked him about that aspect of his game. Lippett began his college career in the secondary and said he is open to the idea of playing defensive back in the pros if that's what it takes. Lippett's pro potential as a defensive back is no joke.


For now, however, he has flashed some impressive catches at receiver during practice.

Four NFL clubs have shown the most interest in him thus far, Lippett said.

"I spent some time with the Bucs wide receiver coach, the Vikings wide receiver coach, the Patriots scout, the 49ers scout. Those are the teams I spent probably more than 20 minutes with," Lippett said. "They like my size, and they're interested to know how I will run at the combine."

Informal interviews between prospects and NFL clubs were happening all over the practice fields Wednesday, and some clubs appeared to be more active than others.

Here are six other things we learned from Senior Bowl practices Wednesday:

2. Prewitt has high praise for opposing wide receivers: Ole Miss safety Cody Prewitt was known as one of the hardest hitters in the country during his college days and had his first chance to go full speed against the offense at the Senior Bowl on Wednesday. He has been able to get a good read on the South team's wide receiving corps during one-on-one and seven-on-seven drills and is impressed with what he's seen. "Playing the SEC, though, I'm used to the speed for the most part," Prewitt said. "Sammie Coates is a big guy, though. He's a lot bigger than I remembered him during the season."

3. Kikaha making the transition better than expected: Washington defensive end/linebacker Hau'oli Kikaha had one of the highlights of Day 2 when he put an impressive move on tight end Ben Koyack and knifed into the backfield before most scouts could blink. He's playing mostly in a two-point stance and has done a better job than expected against the run as an edge-setter. While Kikaha, last season's FBS leader in sacks (19), was expecting it would take some time to transition to the talent level at the Senior Bowl, he has handled things better than even he thought he would in Mobile. "I anticipated it being much harder, but I know it's going to get much harder," he said. "One perk of this job, though? We don't have school anymore. If you're a student of the game, it's pretty easy for you out here."

4. Duke guard excelling in the trenches: Most people believe Washington defensive tackle Danny Shelton will be the highest draft pick among prospects at the Senior Bowl. As such, he is considered the measuring stick for players during practice, and Duke guard Laken Tomlinson has seemingly drawn the most reps against him. While Tomlinson has not been perfect, he's probably been the best of any of the interior linemen in handling Shelton during one-on-ones. Tomlinson, however, was far from the only star on Day 2.

5. Linebacker depth strong inside. Clemson LB Stephone Anthony appeared to struggle for much of Wednesday's practice, but several other inside linebackers showed well. Cincinnati's Jeff Luc could be the best among them, although Arkansas' Martrell Spaight, USC's Hayes Pullard and Penn State's Mike Hull all looked equally willing and able to fill run gaps with authority. Another inside linebacker, Miami's Denzel Perryman, missed practice with an abdominal injury but could return as early as Thursday.

6. Quarterback edge pronounced: The North squad's quarterbacks looked significantly better than the South's Wednesday, a factor that could play a big role in Saturday's game if the disparity continues. Baylor's Bryce Petty looked especially sharp on intermediate and deeper throws, along with Oregon State's Sean Mannion and East Carolina's Shane Carden. Meanwhile, former Auburn star Nick Marshall switched from quarterback to cornerback. Alabama's Blake Sims and Colorado State's Garrett Grayson welcomed Southeastern Louisiana's Bryan Bennett for his first practice Wednesday. Bennett is taking Marshall's spot as a quarterback on the roster and will have just two full practices to catch up with the South squad offense before Friday's walk-through.

7. Quotable: "He's fast enough, and he's strong as a bull, but he doesn't have a lot of quickness going in and out of his breaks. He needs to get a lot more fluid at changing direction, or the DBs in the NFL will close on him too fast." -- NFC area scout on Auburn WR Sammie Coates.

 

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MOBILE, Ala. -- Two days of practices are in the books here at the Reese's Senior Bowl, and Thursday will give prospects one last chance to shine in a practice setting with NFL evaluators watching.

Here's a look at four who are impressing, and a couple who have disappointed.

Buzz-worthy

Za'Darius Smith, DE, Kentucky

Smith opened a few eyes last week with his impressive MVP performance at the East-West Shrine Game and he is certainly building upon that momentum with his play in Mobile. The 6-foot-4 5/8, 270-pound pass rusher has flashed the quickness, burst and athleticism that scouts covet in nickel edge defenders. Smith is not only capable of bending and bursting around the corner, but he is slippery enough to win with nifty inside maneuvers against overaggressive blockers. In addition, Smith displays a high-revving motor that will allow him to rack up garbage sacks on extra-effort plays off the corner. With Smith dominating his peers on the all-star circuit, the Kentucky standout's stock is poised to soar in pre-draft meetings in a few weeks.

Kevin White, CB, TCU

White entered Senior Bowl week regarded as one of top cover corners in college football, but scouts worried about his size (5-9 3/8, 180) and frame at the next level. Although those concerns are certainly valid in today's game with big-bodied receivers dominating on the perimeter, White's outstanding footwork, short-area quickness and ability to transition allow him to shadow pass-catchers closely in space. After watching him work in drills, I'm convinced that his cover skills translate well to the pro game and it's easy to see him making a contribution as sub defender in a zone-based scheme that also features some "off"-man elements.

Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke; Rob Havenstein, OT, Wisconsin

Tomlinson and Havenstein have really impressed scouts with their technical skills and awareness this week. Each player has shined in drills, despite facing some of the toughest run stoppers and pass rushers in the country. Part of their success can be attributed to their solid understanding of their respective games, which allows them to minimize their weaknesses by using clever tricks at the point of attack. Tomlinson, in particular, has been terrific working in tight quarters, utilizing a short set and quick punch to stone rushers in their tracks in one-on-one drills. In addition, he has shown the ability to anchor against power and protect the middle of the pocket to keep rushers out of the quarterback's face.

Havenstein has shown exceptional savvy and awareness neutralizing rushers off the edge. He does a great job of protecting his inside, yet displays the quickness and length to force rushers to take a wide angle around the corner. With Havenstein exhibiting sound technique and poise at right tackle, the former Badger has certainly helped his cause at the Senior Bowl.

Buzz-kill

Bryce Petty, QB, Baylor

Petty is squarely in the spotlight this week as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2015 class, but he needs to pick up his performance over the next few days to convince scouts that he is worthy of being the No. 3 quarterback on most draft boards. Petty has struggled stringing together completions in team drills over the past two days and the questions persist about his ability to transition into a pro-style system after thriving in Art Briles' innovative scheme at Baylor. From his raw, unrefined footwork under center to his inconsistent ball placement on intermediate and deep throws, Petty is a work in progress and he will need time to develop at the next level. Thus, teams considering Petty as a long-term prospect should carefully monitor his development over the week and see if he makes progress in the aforementioned areas with more repetitions. If Petty shows improvement on game day (Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, NFL Network) and finds a way to play in rhythm, scouts will feel better about his potential to develop into a quality starter down the line.

T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh

Clemmings was targeted by several NFL scouts as one of the offensive tackles with the athletic potential to develop into a blind-side protector as a pro, but he will need some time to refine his fundamentals and technique before manning the marquee position on the offensive line. Despite his impressive footwork, balance and body control, Clemmings struggled against pass rushers in one-on-one drills and isn't ready to face premier rushers as a left tackle. It's important to keep in mind that he has played on the offensive line for just two seasons after spending his early career as a defensive end, but he is not quite ready to handle the rigors of playing on the blind side. While scouts won't ding him harshly for his struggles in drills, evaluators will certainly temper their expectations about his transition from right tackle to left tackle as a pro.

Follow Bucky Brooks on Twitter @BuckyBrooks.

 

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Editor's note: NFL Media's Bucky Brooks, Lance Zierlein, Chase Goodbread and Bryan Fischer are in Mobile, Ala., this week at the Senior Bowl. Besides watching the daily practices, they're also talking to NFL scouts, agents and the players themselves. Here is some of what they heard from NFL sources on Wednesday:

The scoop: "All these teams high in the draft are all going to see the same things on tape with Mariota, and I'll bet he starts to fall on draft day. Once that happens, (Philadelphia Eagles coach) Chip (Kelly) will mortgage the future to go get him. If he misses on him, (Kelly) can just bolt back to college." -- AFC scout.

The skinny: While it might be premature to label Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota as a "draft day slider" before the NFL Scouting Combine or even his personal workout, we've seen the same concerns on tape that everyone else is seeing in terms of his anticipation, pocket poise and simplicity of scheme. Kelly recruited Mariota to Oregon to run his offense, and we're sure he would love to have a quarterback with Mariota's ability outside of the pocket to fully unlock the Eagles' offensive potential. Would Kelly be willing to risk the king's ransom it would likely take to move that far up from pick No. 20?

The scoop: "Teams have different philosophies about size up front on defense, but if a player is tough and strong, then I think he can play in our league. Aaron Donald proved that." -- NFC general manager on Clemson NT Grady Jarrett's size.

The skinny: Jarrett is undersized by NFL standards at just under 6-foot-1 and 288 pounds, and he certainly will be scratched from the draft boards of teams who covet mass from the nose position. While he isn't Donald, the 13th overall pick of the St. Louis Rams in the 2014 NFL Draft, he is extremely quick off the snap and plays with good leverage and strength. He's had some outstanding reps in practice this week, and the success Donald has enjoyed as a rookie is likely to help Jarrett's case despite his lack of size.

The scoop: "He shows flashes of explosiveness that we saw from him in college." -- Tennessee Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt on Ohio State WR Devin Smith.

The skinny: Whisenhunt and his staff are coaching Smith this week, and while it's only been in practice so far, the one thing that has jumped out to the Titans' staff is the wide receiver's speed. Miami WR Phillip Dorsett could be this draft's fastest player; Smith is expected to give him a run for his money at the combine. Smith appears to be as elusive off the field as on it. A Houston Texans scout said he made four trips to Columbus this fall and failed to catch up with Smith on any of his visits. He was hoping to sit down with Smith this week.

The scoop: "He's T.Y. Hilton. He's got that same explosiveness downfield as Hilton and is quick enough to get open on shorter stuff. Not every team is going to make room for a guy that small, but some of them will." -- NFC scout on Duke WR Jamison Crowder.

The skinny: It's been a big week for the Duke wide receiver, drawing high praise from NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock on Tuesday and a comparison to the Indianapolis Colts' young speedster Wednesday. Crowder is the smallest player at the Senior Bowl (5-8, 174 pounds). Hilton, who caught 82 passes for 1,345 yards last year for the Colts, is 5-9, 178 pounds.

 

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MOBILE, Ala. -- Reese's Senior Bowl practices wrapped up the full-contact portion of the schedule on Thursday, and some of the top 2015 NFL Draft hopefuls put on a show in front of NFL general managers, coaches and scouts. We saw uneven performances by a number of players, but there were some future stars who made plays to show that they have what it takes to impress NFL evaluators.

Nick Boyle, TE, Delaware

Miami's Clive Walford has been the most impressive of the tight ends on either team, but Boyle, an under-the-radar pass-catcher, made some noise on Thursday to cap off a solid showing against top competition. He's the biggest player at the position and that shows during blocking drills, but he was able to turn in a terrific effort in the passing game on Thursday. "He may have made the most money out of anybody," said NFL media analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who noted how quickly Boyle has gone from unknown to possible Day 2 (Rounds 2-3) draft pick.

Clayton Geathers, S, UCF

Samford's Jaquiski Tartt is the guy most evaluators had their eyes on this week among the small-school prospects, but it was Geathers who outshined most of the defensive backs on the South squad. A savvy veteran with many starts under his belt, he was able to read and react quicker than most. He also showed off the coverage skills evaluators want to see from guys that can roam around on the back end and also break to the line of scrimmage well on runs. "He had a very nice week and good day today," said NFL Media analyst Charles Davis. "Scouts I talked to are really buzzing about him."

Preston Smith, DL, Mississippi State

Just about every defensive end or tackle has shown up and made plays this week in practice, but it was Smith's turn to show off his potential on Thursday. He certainly has the size (6-5, 270) to play a number of spots along the line, but really showed up during team drills using his strength to make life difficult for headliners at offensive tackle like LSU's La'el Collins and Oklahoma's Daryl Williams.

Rannell Hall, WR, UCF

Hall is one of a number of smaller wide receivers looking to impress this week, and he did just that with some nice catches in traffic on Thursday. More than anything, he's improved as the week progressed and it's always nice to have your best day when scouts are watching closely before they get out of town. He's not the fastest or biggest at the position, but he certainly flashed that he can be a player at the next level.

Laken Tomlinson, OG, Duke

The Duke guard has been a fast-riser this whole week and put on yet another show in the one-on-one drills that you couldn't help but notice. He establishes such a good base and is so fundamentally sound that defensive linemen who don't have a plan to beat him often find themselves on the ground or well past the pocket. Even opposing defensive linemen unanimously said after practice that Tomlinson was the toughest player they faced among the North squad's offensive linemen.

Hau'oli Kikaha, DE, Washington

The FBS leader in sacks last season has mostly played standing up this week as an outside linebacker, and he had perhaps his best practice on Thursday. He struggled at times in coverage on a few plays, but really shined at doing what he does best: rushing the passer. NFL Media's Curtis Conway was impressed with Kikaha's ability to get off the ball and find the opposing signal-caller to bring him down.

Follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter @BryanDFischer

 

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MOBILE, Ala. -- The most interesting prospect on the South team at the Reese's Senior Bowl this week lined up just about everywhere. Literally.

Norfolk State prospect Lynden Trail caught the eye of plenty of NFL scouts during his time on the practice field, and he played multiple positions. He lined up at defensive end with his hand in the ground and stood up as an outside linebacker, trying to cover the flat against running backs and tight ends. He really flashed on Thursday, though, showing off what he could do at tight end.

The experiment paid off for those that wanted to see him at the position, and it certainly paid off for Trail, who caught a touchdown during a red-zone drill and showed he could probably be the second-best tight end (with Miami's Clive Walford being the best) at the event if he played the position full time this week.

"They did let me get a few tight end reps today, and I ended up with a touchdown, so it's a pretty good day," Trail said. "I pretty much asked for (the position change). I played both ways, so I wanted to showcase what I can do on the offensive side of the ball as well.

"I've had numerous scouts ask me if I want to play tight end at the next level, and I'm my thing is, I'm a robot: I play wherever the coaches need me to play in order to help the team win."

The 6-foot-6, 262-pounder was a top high school recruit and redshirted in 2010 at Florida before transferring from Gainesville after Urban Meyer left the program. He made his way to tiny Norfolk State and jumped onto NFL radars with two strong seasons as a starting linebacker for the Spartans.

Trail's physical stature is the first thing that stands out to people, but he's been showcasing what he can do this week against much more talented opponents than he's used to facing. In addition to the touchdown catch he made Thursday, Trail also snagged an interception when he returned to outside linebacker during drills.

"I'm not here to compete with anybody but myself. I have to make sure I get better every day," he said. "I'm here to showcase my versatility and show that I can do whatever."

Consider those boxes checked for an intriguing player who is probably rising up draft boards following a strong showing in Mobile.

Here are seven more things we learned on Day 3 of Senior Bowl practices.

2. Modified gauntlet drill problematic for all but a few: Titans wide receivers coach Shawn Jefferson had a tricky drill awaiting the Senior Bowl North team receivers this week. Players were asked to weave between a line of barriers while catching passes that were thrown with plenty of velocity and coming from different directions. Nobody looked quicker or smoother in the drill Thursday than Duke's Jamison Crowder, and some had more trouble than others. Like Crowder, Stanford wide receiver Ty Montgomery navigated the drill without a drop.

3. Badgers tackle staying mum on meetings: Wisconsin OL Rob Havenstein was mum on the question of which NFL clubs have shown him the most attention. "I probably want to keep that to myself, but the experience has been awesome talking to all these teams, just to show these guys who you are as a person," Havenstein said.

4. Buckeyes' title run not slowing seniors down: Ohio State's magical run to the national title earlier this month left many wondering how players would be affected by a 15-game season coupled with more football in Mobile. Many of the Buckeyes did get some time off between the Jan. 12 championship game and practice this week at the Senior Bowl, but their extended college season might have helped them more than it hurt them. "You could feel it throughout the (run), but our coaching staff did a tremendous job keeping us fresh," wide receiver Devin Smith said. "But it does help with the conditioning. I came out here on the first day and ran around and wasn't that tired. It was an advantage for me, (CB) Doran (Grant) and (ILB) Curtis (Grant) over everyone else." Smith didn't think twice about coming down to the Senior Bowl -- he wanted to show scouts he can run other routes and isn't just a speed guy down the field.

5. Defensive tackles see time all over the line: The Senior Bowl is a place where prospects can show teams their versatility and line up at positions different from the ones they played in college. That's certainly the case at defensive tackle, where the Titans and Jaguars coaching staffs are experimenting with their D-linemen at a number of spots. For example, Iowa star Carl Davis played this week on the left and right side of a 4-3 defense at the three- and five-technique. Houston's Joey Mbu was among those that did the same and even played a little nose guard. "I'm trying to show the versatility out here (in practice) instead of talking about it with scouts," Davis said. He's certainly not the only one.

6. Battle in the trenches draws mutual respect: The most-watched matchup this week in the trenches was undoubtedly the one-on-ones between possible top-10 pick Danny Shelton and Duke guard Laken Tomlinson. Tomlinson has handled Shelton the best of anybody on the North team and certainly has respect for the guy lining up against him. "He's a really physical cat, really low center of gravity," Tomlinson said of Shelton. "He's just a tough kid to block, honestly. That's why he's the best matchup here."

7. Injuries surface as weather gets colder: Players were bound to get hurt this week as the temperatures started to dip a bit. Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah hurt his hamstring during drills and seemed to aggravate it after making a cut during the 9-on-7 period. That's bad news for the North squad, with Michigan State's Jeremy Langford also nursing an injury. Ole Miss corner Senquez Golson injured his groin while going through defensive back drills and making a cut. There was some good news on the injury front, though. Miami linebacker Denzel Perryman said after practice that he would play in Saturday's game despite tweaking an injury to his abdominal area.

8. Auburn players see familiar face: Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn stopped by for the end of the South team's practice in order to support his six former Tigers before heading off to a booster stop and recruiting visit on an action-packed day for the SEC offensive wizard. In addition to taking some time to speak to NFL Network's Alex Flanagan, Malzahn caught some of former Tigers quarterback Nick Marshall playing cornerback. "He'll always be a quarterback in my mind," Malzahn said.

You can follow Bryan Fischer and Chase Goodbread on Twitter at @BryanDFischer and @ChaseGoodbread.

 

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Clayton Geathers, S, UCF

Samford's Jaquiski Tartt is the guy most evaluators had their eyes on this week among the small-school prospects, but it was Geathers who outshined most of the defensive backs on the South squad. A savvy veteran with many starts under his belt, he was able to read and react quicker than most. He also showed off the coverage skills evaluators want to see from guys that can roam around on the back end and also break to the line of scrimmage well on runs. "He had a very nice week and good day today," said NFL Media analyst Charles Davis. "Scouts I talked to are really buzzing about him."

Rannell Hall, WR, UCF

Hall is one of a number of smaller wide receivers looking to impress this week, and he did just that with some nice catches in traffic on Thursday. More than anything, he's improved as the week progressed and it's always nice to have your best day when scouts are watching closely before they get out of town. He's not the fastest or biggest at the position, but he certainly flashed that he can be a player at the next level.

 

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Mayock is foaming at the mouth about Laken Tomlinson.

 

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The South Reese's themed uniforms are horrid.

And Gus Bradley's enthusiasm is annoying.

 

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Ok...want to see Grayson.

 

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Coates needed to come out of that quicker...nice slant though.

 

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BYU...well known southern team.

 

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Kouandijo has been impressive.

 

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I like seeing Artis-Payne in an I.

 

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Nice drive.

 

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Wow...nice run.

 

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I like seeing Artis-Payne in an I.

He is impressing me in this drive. Johnson had a pretty good run on the TD too.

Lockett had an exceptional block. He's a little guy that will get downgraded for size, but he can play.

 

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Boyle the who gives a shit TE with a woo play.

 

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Preston Smith is a solid player...real good against the run.

 

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Both OLs are playing well.