Senior Bowl Stock Up and Down Post

Stock Up:

Doug Martin, RB, Boise State: Martin proved to be the top back all week, and while he didn’t have great numbers in the game he showed the ability to hit the hole quickly with his burst, catch the ball out of the backfield and make critical blocks in pass protection. He probably won’t go in the 1st round, but if you need a running back in the early-mid portion of the 2nd round Doug Martin should be very high on your board.

Bradie Ewing, FB, Wisconsin: Might not seem like the most likely riser, but Ewing has been an effective blocker all week and he can catch the ball out of the backfield better than most give him credit for. He made a pretty lucky but impressive reception downfield against Zach Brown today, and he has NFL starting fullback written all over him.

Marvin Jones, WR, California: Jones came into the game under a lot of radars, and I personally didn’t have much more than a 5^th round grade on him, but he was consistently good all week and may have really boosted his stock. He looked like he may be a solid #2 or #3 receiver in the NFL, and likely prompted a lot of evaluators (including myself) to go back to their California tape and take a closer look at him.

TJ Graham, WR, North Carolina State: I’m not sure I saw Graham drop a ball all week, though I wasn’t always focused on him during practices. He’s got great speed, he’s very explosive as a receiver and as a return man, and he consistently ran good routes this week. He had a few nice catches in the game today and had a pretty nice kick return as well. I think Graham warrants 3rd round consideration.

Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas: I noticed Adams’ explosiveness last year when I was scouting Ryan Mallett and his explosiveness has really helped his stock since then. He seems to make a guy miss every time he gets his hands on the ball, and in a league that is always looking for big plays and yardage after the catch in passing game Adams could be in high demand. I have heard rumors that he might go as high as the late-1st if he runs well. I don’t know about that, but i think the 2nd round is very realistic at this point. His potential as a slot receiver, as a guy who can run reverses and contribute as a return man will help him a lot. He should run in the 4.3-4.4 range at the combine, and I think that could boost him from the 3rd round to the 2nd round if he does.

Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State: Adams proved to be the top offensive tackle on either roster for the whole week in my opinion, and while I don’t think he will be a very good run blocker at left tackle or at right tackle, I do think he has the size, athleticism, length and talent to play left tackle in the NFL. That’s a highly coveted position, and he looked good against Vinny Curry all week in practice while in contrast the South offensive line couldn’t keep him from generating consistent pressure on Saturday. He should be a first round pick, and may be the #3 offensive tackle off the board.

Cordy Glenn, OT/OG, Georgia: Glenn came into the week neck and neck with Kelechi Osemele as a RT or OG prospect, but Glenn proved that he was the more versatile player consistently this week. He was the only offensive lineman on the South who won match-ups with Quinton Coples in 1 on 1 drills this week and was the only South offensive lineman who slowed down Vinny Curry in the game on Saturday. He bends at the waist a bit, but not a lot, and has shown that he can play left tackle in a pinch. He should be able to stick at right tackle or at guard and be a quality NFL player.

Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina: Coples came into the week on the heels of a disappointing senior season in which he was reportedly playing to not get hurt. He left a lot of people wondering where the seemingly dominant junior player had gone, but he reminded everyone what he was capable of all week. He was almost unblockable in 1 on 1 drills, and played the run pretty well during the week and in the game. He could be a very dangerous left end in the NFL in my opinion. Some were questioning whether he should be a 1^st round pick at all coming into the week, but I think Coples answered those questions. There are still red flags around his game, and some have wondered if he will be a “contract year” player at the next level that has his best season the year before his contract expires to get a big pay-day before his play regresses after he gets his signing bonus. That is certainly possible, but there’s no doubt Coples has as much potential as any defensive end in this draft.

Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati: Wolfe came into the week as a relative unknown but he left the week having opened people’s eyes, and may end up in the top 100 come April. He’s got good size, length and showed the versatility to play the 3-tech and the 5-tech this week, and even won some match-ups rushing from the 4-3 defensive end position in 1 on 1 drills. He’s got starter upside in the NFL, and I think he is well worth 3^rd round consideration.

Bobby Wagner, ILB, Utah State: Wagner came into the week under the radar as well because he is from a smaller school, and even though his height wasn’t a highlight at the weigh-in it was clear that he was absolutely jacked. He played well all week and capped it off with a great performance in the game with 7 total tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT and 1 pass deflection. He’s an impressive player who is definitely on the rise, and projects to both the 4-3 and 3-4 defense at the middle linebacker position. That’s critical for him in what many consider a weak MLB class.

Janoris Jenkins, CB, North Alabama: Jenkins, like Coples, came into the week with some questions around him. He obviously had to leave the Florida program (he actually had a Florida sticker on the back of his North Alabama helmet in the game) and many people were willing to discount his performance in his senior season saying it was unimpressive. Be that as it may, there was no doubt in my mind how talented Jenkins was and he showed everyone what he was capable of this week looking like a 1^st round pick from beginning to end. He should end up in the 1^st round, especially if he interviews well. It will be interesting to see where he ends up going.

Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt: Hayward was a bit under the radar as well but he had a pretty good week for himself. He’s a top 100 player without question and his ball skills are some of the best in the draft at cornerback. He’s going to be a NFL starter in a couple years and I think he proved that this week, so look out for Hayward at the next level.

Stock Down:

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State: If you followed my Senior Bowl tweets or anyone else’s, chances are you heard bad things about Kellen Moore this week. He measured in at 5’11” at the weigh-in, he looked like a high school kid that had never really lifted weights, and his arm strength and release attracted a lot of scrutiny this week. He doesn’t have a NFL arm, and I don’t think he has starter upside at the next level, but I would be surprised if he went all seven rounds without hearing his name called. His college production and his intangibles should assure him a NFL Draft selection, but he definitely didn’t help himself this week.

Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina: Jones came into the week at the top of some Senior Bowl WR rankings, and I saw a couple people that even had him graded as a 1^st rounder and up around Justin Blackmon and Kendall Wright on their boards. I certainly disagreed with them throughout the week, and I didn’t see anything this week that would have changed my mind. He struggled to create separation with his routes, was inconsistent catching the ball, and generally looked like he did on film to me. He’s a 2^nd or 3^rd rounder thanks to his size and athleticism, but his hands hold him back from being a possible 1^st round prospect. He’s not a #1 receiver in the NFL, but then again that’s what I was saying coming into this week.

Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State: I’ll admit I had Sanders graded as a 1^st rounder coming into the week but I don’t know if he will end up there considering his performance this week. His lower body strength and his ability to anchor raised a lot of concerns with scouts and evaluators alike, and his inability to finish blocks (especially in pass protection) only added to those concerns. He’s got the size, length and athleticism to play left tackle in the NFL and his stock really rose thanks to his play this year, but he definitely didn’t help himself this week. Left tackles are always in demand, so he may still get selected in the 1^st round, but I don’t think he will be the #3 OT off the board.

Kelechi Osemele, OG, Iowa State: Osemele didn’t have a good week this week as far as proving his versatility to play outside at tackle at the next level. He had trouble re-directing in open space, he lumbers when he is asked to block on the move, and I don’t think he gets to the second level very well. He is powerful though, even if he isn’t as physical as you might think he would be considering his size. He looked better at guard this week, and his size and length should really help him there. However, if he’s asked to pull or block on the move at the next level I think he will struggle. He showed a lack of versatility this week more than anything, and his only fit is at offensive guard in a man blocking scheme at this point.

Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall: Curry had a good game on Saturday which really helped him salvage a less than impressive week, but he struggled during the week in 1 on 1 drills and I don’t think I ever saw him win a match-up with Mike Adams. Adams is a 1^st round pick, but he’s also a player with similar ability to NFL starters, and it was troubling that he struggled to beat him so much. He has upside, but he was being discussed as a 1^st rounder coming into the week and I don’t think there’s much chance of him going there now unless he has a terrific combine. He struggled to create pressure after he was engaged, though he did flash the ability to do so in the game on Saturday.

Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska: Dennard may have hurt his stock as much as anyone. On top of struggling this week as he showed tightness in his hips as well as a lack of recovery speed he also got injured and wasn’t able to resurrect his bad week with a quality game like Vinny Curry and others did. He has upside, but I don’t think he is a 1^st round pick after watching him play this week. He showed a lack of versatility as well, and may ultimately be best in a Cover-2 scheme at the next level where he can press at times, but also react to things in front of him while reading the quarterback’s eyes.