Shrine Practice News and Notes
The East West Shrine game will be this week and there are some decent players being scouted in the practices. Here are some reports from the practices. I’ll have more later in the week. You can follow me on twitter @NFLmocks
From Wes Bunting National Football Post
Boise State DE Tyrone Crawford had possibly his best performance of the week today. He showcased the ability to win at the point of attack in the run game, as he overpower opposing tackles during 9 on 7. But also was able to win consistently off the edge as a pass rusher during both team and 1on1 drills. He did a nice job turning speed into power as a pass rusher creating the needed leverage to overwhelm and was sudden enough to slip blocks when opposing tackles wanted to get physical. Looks like at worst a rotational defensive end who has the skill set to start as a base 43 lineman.
Crawford’s counterpart inside was Missouri DT Dominique Hamilton who not only displayed “plus” power for a 6-5, 320-pound defender as a bull rusher, but was also very disruptive knifing his way into the backfield today during the team session. When he keeps his pad level down the guy has the skill to routinely win on contact and looks like a potential starting caliber 34 five-technique in the NFL.
It’s key to evaluate how a quarterback prospect is able to spin the football in wet conditions, and Wednesday’s weather were ideal for this evaluation. Northern Illinois QB Chandler Harnish is a shorter prospect with a smaller set of hands and seemed to have a tough time gripping the football and cleanly spinning throws on all levels of the field. Too often his passes came out with a bit of a tail and overall he had a tough time being real effective trying to throw the ball down the field in driving rains.
Click here to read some more notes from Wes Bunting
Rotorworld
UT-Chattanooga’s B.J. Coleman (6-3/234) is the top passer here, and it’s not close. The ball comes out of Coleman’s hand so much crisper than the other five signal callers. He entered the week with experience from center but has quickly altered his movements based on coaching adjustments. Coleman’s release is compact, and he unquestionably has NFL-level velocity on every throw. He has missed high at times, but the more Coleman gets used to his new receivers here, the more on target he’s looked.
Coleman can clearly sling it out there,” one NFC scout told me, “but watch out for Davis too. Always liked what I saw when I put his tape in.” Southern Miss quarterback Austin Davis possesses adequate size (6-1.5/218), but his downfield arm strength is questionable. He almost has to load up on his delivery with any pass over fifteen yards, and consistently forces receivers to hesitate on deep sideline routes. Davis quickly picked up fluid footwork and shows smart decision making, but will be very limited as anything more than a game manager.
Michigan State wideout B.J. Cunningham (6-1/209) has subtle downfield speed and is one of this week’s most polished route runners. He has yet to show his ability to catch in traffic, but dropped an abnormal amount of short throws on day one. Cunningham’s best chance for NFL success will be short to intermediate routes, so his game will have to change after operating as the Spartans’ vertical threat. He’s off to a slow start. Arkansas’ Jarius Wright (5-10/176) is running by plenty of cornerbacks and looks comfortable both inside and outside. His track frame was expected, but still may cause Wright to get bullied by linebackers crossing over the middle.
From more notes on the Shrine week click here
From nfl.com
Pitt’s Brandon Lindsey is making a strong showing at SAM linebacker for the East squad. He has shown sound instincts and awareness, and doesn’t look out of place playing from an upright position. He has displayed better athleticism than anticipated in zone drops, which is important considering several 3-4 teams view him as a possible rush linebacker. As a pass rusher, he received solid marks from scouts during the fall for his ability to get to the passer using his hands and movement skills. Although he hasn’t been given many opportunities during practice this week, his ability to develop into an effective edge player could enhance his value on draft day.
Fresno State’s Devon Wylie is quietly garnering comparisons to Wes Welkerfor his versatile skill set as a returner/slot receiver. Not that he will have that kind of impact as a pro, but it is easy to envision him making contributions as a two-phase playmaker next season. He is quick as a hiccup in space and his short-area quickness makes him difficult to guard over the middle of the field. According to a NFC South scout who has extensively studied Wylie since the fall, he believes he will be a workout warrior who makes a sudden rise up the charts after his pro day.
» TCU’s Tank Carder has been underwhelming during the first two days of practice. He lacks great instincts between the tackles and his late reactions routinely place him a step behind the runner hitting the hole. In addition, he lacks the size and strength to take on blockers squarely. He seeks to avoid contact rather than fill in the hole, and the huge creases created by his finesse approach leads to big gains from instinctive runners. Carder has been regarded as a mid-round talent, but it is hard to get fired up about his potential after watching his struggles this week.