Take an in-depth look at Andrew Mason's evaluations of the potential draft prospects from the 2017 Senior Bowl who caught his eye through Day 3. (Photos by Andrew Mason)
Working from the left tackle spot, Western Kentucky's Forrest Lamp demonstrated good power, particularly on one Tuesday run play where he drove Alabama DE Dalvin Tomlinson inside, sealing the right side and allowing BYU running back Jamaal Williams to race through to the second level and beyond. Lamp has worked at both tackle and guard this week, and while his pass protection is a work in progress, he already looks to be a solid run blocker.
South Alabama tight end Gerald Everett made some good catches, but he shows just as much potential as a blocker. He set up one of N.C. State RB Matt Dayes' best runs this week by blocking out TCU's Josh Carraway, getting into his stance quickly to the point where Carraway could not budge him. Everett also showed the ability to make plays outside and downfield as a pass-catching target, and he helps ensure that this tight end class is the deepest in recent memory.
Another notable tight end is Toledo's Michael Roberts, who not only has the biggest hands of any player at the Senior Bowl (11 5/8 inches), but the ability to use them effectively and get out in space to make plays, as he does here working past Saint Frances safety Lorenzo Jerome.
North Carolina WR Ryan Switzer is a natural slot receiver at 5-foot-8 and 179 pounds; he has the necessary quickness and ability to use a juke of his shoulder to gain separation. But his ability to get cornerbacks out of position could also make him useful as an outside receiver who plays every down in every situation, not just in three-receiver formations.
Syracuse WR Amba Etta-Tawo is a long, lean 198 pounds, and showed good body control on some of his receptions Tuesday, including this one where he leaped over Lamar cornerback Brendan Langley for a deep reception during North team practice.
Louisville WR Jamari Staples has good body control and can work his way into position despite having tight coverage from a defender -- or in this case, two defenders. However, he needs to do a better job completing the catch; he failed to come down with this reception.
Texas A&M defensive lineman Daeshon Hall says he's talked with teams about a potential role in a 3-4 defense, even though his 6-foot-5, 265-pound frame would seem to make him a more ideal fit in a 4-3 alignment. Hall should be able to add bulk to his size, and did receive some three-technique work at times during his college career. He also practices with intensity; none of the South team defensive linemen made their tackling dummies hit the ground with as loud of a thwack as Hall did.
Villanova defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon had some bursts into the backfield, but is still working on his consistency. The 6-foot-7 former FCS standout has plenty of tools, but also needs to strengthen his lower body; he weighs 280 pounds but looks like he could carry up to 300.
Grambling State wide receiver Chad Williams had some of the day's best receptions, showing good body control in mid-air to adjust to deep balls in one-on-one coverage.
Texas A&M WR Josh Reynolds can make receptions in tight one-on-one coverage. Here, he doesn't get much sedation from Florida State's Marquez White, but does a good job adjusting to the flight of the football for a deep catch up the right sideline in a one-on-one period.
UCLA defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes showed enough spark in pass-rushing drills with an effective bull rush to draw double-teams during the team periods of Wednesday's practice. His persistence should earn him immediate playing time as a rookie as part of an interior rotation.
There isn't a Dak Prescott in the quarterbacks in Mobile, but Pitt's Nate Peterman of the North team looks like the highest pick of the six passers here -- and is the most accurate on deep passes, including work on one-on-one periods.
The best wide receiver at the Senior Bowl is Eastern Washington's Cooper Kupp, who runs precise routes. Kupp is proficient at using a bob of his shoulder to generate separation and leave cornerbacks flat-footed.
Of all the offensive linemen on hand this week, Western Michigan offensive tackle Taylor Moton has the best chance of moving into the first round alongside potential Round 1 picks Cam Robinson (Alabama), Ryan Ramczyk (Wisconsin) and Garett Bolles (Utah). At 330 pounds, Moton has a strong upper body and uses it well, planting his legs like tree trunks and effectively taking the bull rush out of play. His feet are also quick enough to allow him to counter inside and outside moves. Some analysts project him as a guard, but he looks like he should be able to handle right tackle well.
Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs has made some good decisions, but also needs to be more decisive and adjust to the narrow windows at the next level. In the pocket, Dobbs must avoid drifting forward unnecessarily. Late in Wednesday's practice, he stepped up and into Clemson defensive tackle Carlos Watkins, resulting in a sack.
At 310 pounds, Iowa's Jaleel Johnson could see some action as a 3-technique in a 3-4 alignment. The North team had some three-lineman looks during Tuesday's work, and he used a bull rush on Temple's Dion Dawkins to collapse the pocket and get to Iowa QB C.J. Beathard as he threw into the right flat.
Florida inside linebacker Alex Anzalone has some work to do in coverage, but against the run, he's been the best linebacker in the two days of practice so far, reading plays as they develop, filling holes and avoiding missed tackles.
LSU cornerback Tre'Davious White injured his ankle Wednesday and will not play in Saturday's game, but he did enough to cement his status as the best cornerback in this week's work, and could find himself in the first round.
Temple's Haason Reddick made a nearly-flawless transition from defensive line to the second line of defense. What impressed me was how solid he was in coverage; as the three days progressed, he became less susceptible to step-fakes from opposing tight ends, and prevented them from getting separation when they tried to cut to the outside.
East Carolina WR Zay Jones, the NCAA's all-time receptions leader with 3999, also had a strong week -- and showed his strength here, fighting through contact from Iowa's Desmond King to make the catch with little difficulty. Jones displayed a knack for making catches like this through heavy obstruction throughout the week, and doesn't need separation to make plays.
How do you get this wide open in a red-zone one-on-one period? Run a perfect route. Eastern Washington's Cooper Kupp cut inside and froze West Virginia's Rasul Douglas, then cut back toward the sideline and upfield, leading to an easy touchdown.
Working at right tackle Thursday, Bucknell's Julien Davenport encountered difficulty containing Illinois' Dawuane Smoot, who worked past him to pressure Pitt QB Nate Peterman. Davenport tried to guide Smoot outside and behind Peterman, but didn't have good balance and fell, allowing Smoot a chance for what would have been a sack or a hit in game conditions. Davenport has moments where he uses his size and athleticism to his advantage, but remains a work I'm progress.
MOBILE, Ala. --In Boulder, the rise was indeed real, and Sefo Liufau's presence at the Senior Bowl is tangible evidence of it.
Liufau is the first Buffaloes quarterback ever selected for the Senior Bowl. But that has less meaning to him that simply representing the program and standing as evidence of the Buffaloes' return to prominence.
What does that mean to him?
"Everything," he said. "I think that for the most part, myself and the seniors left the program in a better state than when we came in as freshmen. Just to be able to wear the helmet one more time means a lot to me."
In that gold helmet, he hopes to distinguish himself from a pack of quarterbacks looking to gain some traction and provide depth to a class that is more lightly regarded than last year's quarterback crop.
The first step for Liufau and the other five quarterbacks here is working under center.
"It's more work going from under center, just having to get back quickly so that the defensive line can't get to you," Liufau said. "Other than that, it's very similar. The reads are the same; everything's the same. It's not the biggest change in the world."
Helping his transition is the fact that he worked under center in high school.
"It isn't the NFL by any means, but I have some kind of knowledge of how things go," he said.
But this week, he's also focused on fundamentals. He said that the Chicago Bears' coaches -- who are running the North team -- focused on Liufau getting a good base with his legs and keeping his shoulders level to help him avoid rocking as he throws, which will give him more consistent accuracy.
Liufau also noted play-action fakes as a point of emphasis.
"[The coaches focused on] getting the ball and sticking it out there for the defense to see, so that they can bite on some fakes so we can set up after that and throw it downfield," Liufau said.
This has also been a point of emphasis from his work with former CFL and Washington State quarterback Alex Brink, who serves as a private quarterback coach. Brink, who also had a brief practice-squad stint with the Houston Texans in 2008, is working with Liufau in Portland, Ore., to refine his game in advance of the draft.
He needed this week's work. The East-West Shrine Game and NFLPA Collegiate Bowl last week weren't options, Liufau said, because he wanted to attend the ceremony at which he would accept the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year award in person.
"That's really big for my culture and my family," Liufau said. "I was banking on the possibility that [the Senior Bowl] would happen, and when it did happen, I felt really blessed and honored to have this opportunity."
It also gives him a chance to end his college days on a brighter note than the two games in which he played in December -- the Buffs' 41-10 Pac-12 championship loss to Washington and their 38-8 Alamo Bowl defeat to Oklahoma State.
In the championship game, Liufau tried to keep going despite a leg injury that led to three interceptions in 13 attempts -- which was completely unlike him, given that he had just three interceptions in his previous 11 games, covering 285 attempts.
"I told them, 'I can give you 100 percent of my 80 percent.' I didn't have everything there, and I told them; I was being honest that I didn't have 100 percent in the tank," Liufau recalled. "I said, 'It's up to you guys.'
"Obviously, I really crapped the bed in the second half with my three turnovers."
But that performance was a product of injuries. Today, Liufau is healthy. And for now, the best way he can show the reality of CU's "rise" is with a good showing this week and in Saturday's game, and earning a shot in the NFL. If he succeeds this week, he'll get a chance at the highest level -- and if he succeeds there, other quarterbacks will see his example and follow his path to Boulder.
NOTES:
... Florida ILB Alex Anzalone continued to be the best of this year's Senior Bowlers at his position against the run. One example came during a team-period repetition Tuesday, when Florida State fullback Freddie Stevenson surged forward to engage with Anzalone, only to see the linebacker throw his former college rival aside to halt N.C. State running back Matt Dayes after a modest gain. At one point Tuesday, Anzalone made three consecutive plays against the run; his instincts jump off the page.
... Western Michigan offensive tackle Taylor Moton looks like he could be someone's starting right tackle from Day 1. He does a good job getting himself set in pass protection at the snap, and is largely impervious to -- and immobile against -- a bull rush. But Moton also has good footwork, which allows him to remain quick enough to guide an edge rusher outside and behind the quarterback.
... Western Kentucky offensive lineman Forrest Lampwas unable to build off his strong day one, as he sat out Wednesday's work because of a high ankle sprain, according to his agent, Erik Burkhardt. It had been hoped that the versatile Lamp could see work at center Wednesday in addition to his repetitions at tackle and guard.
... A defensive end at Temple, Hasson Reddickhas shown promise in making the transition to inside linebacker. Befitting his background, Reddick looks comfortable rushing, and did well in one-on-one pass-rush/protection drills against running backs and tight ends. He struggled to keep pace in coverage, which is understandable given his lack of experience there.
... Reddick has outplayed Division II inside linebacker Connor Harris, the NCAA's all-time leader in tackles. Harris gets lost in the flow of the play and has been unable to attack the run as he did at Lindenwood University in Missouri.
... Youngstown State outside linebacker Derek Riversmaximizes his 250-pound frame, and displays a lot of power. He successfully mounted pressure on Pitt QB Nate Peterman by bulling his way through Bucknell left tackle Julien Davenport, bull-rushing the 310-pounder back toward the spot despite a 60-pound disadvantage.
... Miami (Fla.) safety Rayshawn Jenkins does an excellent job reading the run, and doesn't fall victim to overpursuing and sucked in by the flow of the line on counter plays; he keeps his eyes on the ballcarrier instead, allowing him to surge forward and fill holes to prevent runs from reaching the second level.
