East-West Shrine Practice

[lamberts-lost-tooth]

East-West Shrine Practice
Posted Jan 18, 2010


The East-West Shrine game kicked off its first practice Monday.

The quarterback trio of Fordham’s John Skelton, Penn State’s Daryll Clark and Northwestern’s Mike Kafka aren’t at the top (or even the middle) of most mock drafts, but they certainly grabbed the attention of the NFL brass in attendance.

- Skelton possessed the best arm of the trio, and his quick setup and underneath accuracy was stellar. Skelton displayed an effortless throwing motion and had legitimate snap on the out routes.

- Daryll Clark struggled in all facets during the practice, as he was inaccurate on even the shortest of routes, and lacked the arm strength to throw anything deep or even moderate. Clark struggled in his drops, and had major struggles taking routine handoffs from center.

- Mike Kafka showed very good footwork and was accurate on all short to moderate length routes. He was able to put some zip on the football, but failed on a few of his longer throws during skeleton drills.

“I believe my best asset is my arm strength,” the small school star John Skelton said following practice. “I believe I can throw it as well as anyone.”

In any non-contact set of drills, running backs will normally look pretty good. This was certainly the case, as former University of Miami back Javarris James (cousin of Edgerrin) looked nimble in the hole, displayed good hands, and showed a nice burst. Connecticut’s Andre Dixon showed good size, although he appeared to run upright. Tulane’s Andre Anderson showed good footwork, but appeared to lack burst as he was unable to run away from defenders.

As a whole, the East team wide receivers were fairly underwhelming, as none could gather much separation when lined up against corners. The ultra-productive Freddie Barnes showed the best hands of the group, as what you’d expect from a player who set an FBS record with 155 receptions as a senior. Buffalo’s Naaman Roosevelt showed a good ability to run routes, but lacked top-end speed. Michigan State’s Blair White caught every ball that touched his hands but he too lacked suddenness you’d like to see from a big time receiver. Colgate’s Patrick Simonds was a big target at 6’5”, but his play hardly stood out.

Although there doesn’t appear to be an impact tight end on this particular roster, Army’s Ali Villanueva turned heads with his sheer mass as he stood 6’10” and weighs in at 285 lbs. Despite being an extremely large individual, Villanueva showed solid athleticism and good hands. His size alone should garner him some consideration as a late-round project.

There weren’t many one-on-one situations for the East offensive linemen, so it was difficult to tell which player was at fault in some situations. A player that played a near-perfect practice was Iowa’s Kyle Calloway. Calloway lined up at right tackle and stoned every lineman in front of him.

“I think the best thing I offer NFL teams is my versatility,” Calloway said. “I can play anywhere on the right side and I can even play at left tackle or guard.”

The headliner of the defensive ends was certainly Mississippi’s Greg Hardy, who is rated by many scouts as a potential first-round pick. The 6’5”, 270 lb. Hardy looks the part of an every downs defensive end, but he hardly stood out on the first practice day. Ohio State’s Doug Worthington and Connecticut’s Lindsey Witten had many cameo’s in the East backfield during the practice.

Perhaps the most impressive defensive lineman was local UCF product Torrell Troup, who had many scouts taking notice as he was able to get penetration on seemingly every play and dominated the smaller interior offensive linemen. Purdue’s Mike Neal also made plays consistently in the backfield.

“I had the first day jitters,” admitted East All-Star Torell Troup, a senior from nearby UCF. “But it was good to finally get out and hit someone. It’s been a long time since my last game. I was very anxious to start practice.”

Wisconsin linebacker O’Brien Schofield seemingly stole the show at his position as he showed not only great pass rush ability which was expected, but the ability to drop in coverage and make plays. USF linebacker Kion Wilson was also very quick to the football.

The top corner for the East team during this practice session was Clemson’s Chris Chancellor, who did his best Darrelle Revis impersonation. When any of the East receivers were lined up on “Chancellor Island,” they came away with incompletions or were stuck making a tackle. Virginia Tech’s pair of defensive backs Kam Chancellor and Stephan Virgil were stellar as they ran step for step with each of the perspective pass catchers lined up across from them.

http://www.scout.com/2/939066.html

[lamberts-lost-tooth]

East-West Shrine Practice
Jan 19, 2010

ORLANDO -- It was a padless practice for both sides on Monday at the East-West Shrine Game, but the National Football Post still has plenty to report and break down from the opening day of workouts.

East team

Two up

Purdue DT Mike Neal and Ohio State DL Doug Worthington both made good first impressions on me Monday. Neal is a natural bender who displays an explosive first step and good power on contact, while Worthington looks like one of the most technically sound defensive linemen here. He does a great job staying low and balanced out of his stance while extending his long arms into contact, and even though he might lack ideal bulk to hold up inside at the next level, at nearly 6-5 and 288 pounds, he projects nicely as a potential five-technique guy.

Two down

Two defensive linemen who did not start the week with favorable impressions were North Carolina State’s Willie Young and Connecticut’s Lindsey Witten. Both are tall, long-armed defensive ends who definitely pass the eyeball test walking on the field. But neither is a natural bender, and both struggle to play with leverage and power on contact. Plus, both players are thin in their lower halves and didn’t exhibit the type of athleticism needed to make up for their lack of power/technique.

Small school can sling it

John Skelton, Fordham’s standout quarterback, is a tall drink of water who can really spin the football. He throws a tight, clean spiral even when asked to drive the ball outside the numbers and displays much more polished footwork than expected, generating a lot of power from his lower half once his back foot hits the ground. He isn’t the most gifted athlete and struggles with his accuracy when asked to reset his feet and quickly realign his body into throws, but he has a good physical skill set and looks like one of the more intriguing senior quarterback prospects in the draft.

A rough first go

Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark had a tough time finding any type of a rhythm on Monday. Clark isn’t a real decisive quarterback and struggles to be efficient with the ball when he doesn’t see the throw. But what really puzzles me is how sloppy his footwork can be for such a good athlete. He has a tendency to consistently lose his base in the pocket, and his accuracy suffers because of it.

Penn State pride

One bright spot for Penn State on Monday was tight end Andrew Quarless, who is far and away the most explosive TE on the East roster. His ability to fire out of his stance and get down the seam was a real eye opener, and he definitely looks like someone who can make plays vertically at the next level. The biggest concern I have with him is his awareness off the snap and his ability to consistently get off the ball on time. But overall, it was a productive first day for Quarless.

West team

Small school in a big package

Speaking of productive first days for tight ends, Eastern Washington’s Nathan Overbay had a solid initial practice. Overbay is a big kid who displayed a good feel for coverage, hauling in three tough grabs in practice and being the most productive target in the West passing game. He isn’t an explosive downfield athlete, but he’s a smooth/coordinated route runner who adjusts well to the football and knows how to extend and pluck away from his frame.

Change hurts

Arizona State DE Dexter Davis is trying to prove to NFL teams that he can make the transition to OLB if needed, but it wasn’t a productive start for him Monday. Davis isn’t a gifted athlete to begin with, and he really looked stiff when asked to get a bump on tight ends off the line and play in space. He consistently struggled to stay with BYU tight end Dennis Pitta any time the two were matched up, and he didn’t exhibit the type of fluidity needed to make me feel he can play in space as a 3-4 OLB in the NFL.

Safety dance

Oregon safety T.J. Ward isn’t the biggest or most physical athlete playing the position here, but the guy is an instinctive football player who knows how to decipher information and get after the ball. He displayed impressive bend, footwork and overall fluidity in coverage Monday and has the ability to redirect, accelerate and quickly close on the play. He has a tendency to get caught ball-watching and will take himself out of plays at times freelancing, but he looks like a player at the next level.

Kansas safety Darrell Stuckey possesses an ideal build for the position and showcased some natural closing speed once he got out of his breaks. However, he looked stiff in his drop and struggled to keep his feet under him when asked to click and close on the ball. He’s a safety who has the ability to put himself around the action in the pass game, but he doesn’t look like a guy who will be able to make many plays on the ball the next level.

Utah safety Robert Johnson isn’t a prospect you can get a good feel for without pads on because he’s a big hitter who does a good job closing on the ball and creating collisions on contact. However, the one thing that really stood out to me about the 6-2 safety was how thin he was in his lower half. Johnson possesses stick-like calves, and although he displays good pop when launching himself at receivers in the secondary, he doesn’t look like a guy who will be able to generate much power when asked to break down and tackle inside the box.

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...ce-begins.html

[lamberts-lost-tooth]

Originally Posted by lamberts-lost-tooth

East-West Shrine Practice
Posted Jan 18, 2010


Wisconsin linebacker O’Brien Schofield seemingly stole the show at his position as he showed not only great pass rush ability which was expected, but the ability to drop in coverage and make plays. USF linebacker Kion Wilson was also very quick to the football.

http://www.scout.com/2/939066.html

01/18/10 - East-West Shrine Monday Practice: In linebacker drills, Wisconsin's O'Brien Schofield showed he has a ways to go before owning the fluid movement needed to play in space at the next level.

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings...010&genpos=OLB

I'm getting mixed reviews for Schofield. I will keep an eye on his practice results and try to sort out how he is doing

[lamberts-lost-tooth]

IF we dont go with a NT in the first...this is the guy that I have been talking about taking in the 4th round.

Perhaps the most impressive defensive lineman was local UCF product Torrell Troup, who had many scouts taking notice as he was able to get penetration on seemingly every play and dominated the smaller interior offensive linemen.

“I had the first day jitters,” admitted East All-Star Torell Troup, a senior from nearby UCF. “But it was good to finally get out and hit someone. It’s been a long time since my last game. I was very anxious to start practice

[supa_fly_steeler]

Stefan Virgil is awesome.

[Texasteel]

Originally Posted by lamberts-lost-tooth

I'm getting mixed reviews for Schofield. I will keep an eye on his practice results and try to sort out how he is doing

From what I have seen of Schofield play this year, I would probably lean toward the 1st, but it's best to watch if for ourselves. Then make up our own minds.

[St33lersguy]

Great oppurtunity to do some scouting. It's the offseason anyway

[MasterOfPuppets]

Monday, January 18, 2010
First practice sets storylines
By Todd McShay
Scouts Inc.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The first practice as the teams prepared for Saturday's East-West Shrine Game (ESPN2, 3 p.m. ET) was held on Monday. The players were in shorts and helmets and while there was contact, the real hitting won't begin until Tuesday, when the players put the pads on. There were individual and 7-on-7 drills, as well as team sessions and special teams work.
Here are some of the highlights of Day 1:
East Team



As important as the East-West Shrine Game is, it's the preceding week of practices that can send an NFL prospect's stock soaring or plummeting. ESPN Scouts Inc.'s Todd McShay, Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl will be in Orlando, Fla., blogging live from the practices and offering daily reports on who is doing well and who still has some work to do.



• West Virginia QB Jarrett Brown will not be participating in the Shrine Game after receiving a last-minute invitation to next week's Senior Bowl. His absence opened the door for Penn State's Daryll Clark, who got off to a rocky start. He missed the strike zone on a few routine throws and we were also concerned with his drops and ability to reset his feet when forced to go through his progressions.
• Fordham QB John Skelton and Northwestern QB Mike Kafka both had up-and-down days. Skelton was impressive from a physical standpoint and appears to have the strongest arm of the QBs here this week. Like Clark, though, Skelton had a few issues with his accuracy as a few of his throws sailed on him. Kafka, on the other hand, was by far the most accurate East quarterback on Monday and he put great touch on his passes. The concern with him is his drops. Kafka is trying to transition from playing in a shotgun-heavy attack to a pro-style system and his footwork appeared awkward at times.
• Miami RB Javarris James made one of the better runs of the day. He started to the right and drew the linebackers up by pressing the line of scrimmage before cutting back to the left. He also did a nice job of releasing out of the backfield, squaring up to the quarterback over the middle and snatching the ball out of the air.

O'Brien Schofield is moving from DE to LB and while he showed some promise, he's still very raw.
• Wisconsin's O'Brien Schofield is expected to move from end to linebacker in the NFL and he started making the transition this week in practice. Quickness and straight-line speed do not appear to be an issue. He can close quickly in the short area and he ran with TE Andrew Quarless on one play.
On the other hand, Schofield stumbled once when asked to change directions during bag work and looked stiff in space during the team period. In fact, the East coaching staff lined him up on the inside at times. Additionally, he's clearly a raw linebacker. He is taking too shallow of an angle when asked to drop into the flat, he doesn't time his jumps well in coverage and is taking a split-second too long to locate the ball in run defense. It will be interesting to see how he progresses during the week.
• The 2010 draft class is loaded along the defensive front and the 85th annual East-West Shrine Game has benefited with an unusually strong group, especially at defensive end. The top three end prospects -- Greg Hardy (Ole Miss), Willie Young (NC State) and Lindsey Witten (Connecticut) all hail from the East roster.
Hardy is clearly the most naturally gifted of the bunch. He looks the part at 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds with very good athleticism and functional strength. Unfortunately, Hardy comes with so much baggage (injuries, attitude and work ethic) and has so much room for improvement from a technique standpoint that he might not be among the top five players drafted from this year's Shrine game.
Young flashed his athleticism during team drills, using solid double moves to keep offensive tackles guessing. He is smooth and has a long frame, but Young needs to show more explosiveness during practice this week. If he's going to be a legitimate contributor in the NFL, he should dominate this level of competition.
Witten is the most fluid and athletic of the East defensive linemen. He's also the leanest of the group, though. Witten, who ranked ninth nationally with 11.5 sacks this season, should have a strong showing during one-on-one pass-rushing drills but it will be interesting to see how he holds up physically at the point of attack versus the run. We also want to see how he does as a pass-rusher. Is he able to use his long arms and quick hands to disengage or will he get overpowered?
• There are a few intriguing midround defensive tackles worth watching this week. Granted, the players were practicing in shells, but Purdue DT Mike Neal stood out with one of the quickest first steps of the group. Neal is a bit undersized by most teams' standards, but he will fit well as a three-technique in a Tampa 2 type scheme (Colts, Bears, etc.).
• Virginia DT Nate Collins also showed a quick first step and the ability to disrupt plays in the backfield. He turned in a monster senior season in 2009, which included 10.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. However, he's even smaller than Neal and will struggle to be more than a sub-package player at the next level.
• West Virginia WR Alric Arnett turned in a solid day's work. We were impressed with his quick release and burst off the line of scrimmage. He also showed he can catch balls thrown outside of his frame, but he is a bit tight in the hips and isn't as fluid getting in and out of breaks as we'd like.
• One of the most underrated receivers in attendance is Michigan State WR Blair White. While he isn't the fastest receiver on the field, he makes up for it with sudden route running. White also did a nice job of working back to the quarterback and catching the ball away from his frame.
• Clemson CB Chris Chancellor opened a few eyes on Monday. He appeared smooth in his backpedal and flashed the ability to break on routes. In addition, he displayed adequate ball-skills throughout the afternoon. Chancellor did a good job of sticking with Buffalo WR Naaman Roosevelt on a go route before turning, locating, and high pointing an underthrown ball for an interception during the 7-on-7 portion of practice. He also appeared comfortable and smooth fielding punts during the special teams period.
• While one Chancellor appeared at home in the secondary, another one did not. S Kam Chancellor has a high-cut build and struggles to change directions quickly. He was late breaking on the ball on several occasions when lining up in a center fielder-type role during the 7-on-7s. Chancellor may be better suited to add a few pounds to his 6-4, 230-pound frame and make the transition to outside linebacker.
• Pittsburgh TE Nate Byham isn't exploding out of his breaks, but he's making crisp cuts and getting his head snapped around in time to locate the ball. He's also extending his arms and snatching the ball out of the air instead of allowing it to get to his frame. It comes as no surprise as he shows all the necessary skills to develop into a productive short-to-intermediate receiver when you watch him on film.
West Team

• Keenan McCardell, a former WR who played in the NFL for 16 years, could be seen working with the West's receiving corps during the special teams period of Monday's practice. Washington drafted McCardell in the 12th round of the 1991 draft and he lasted that long because he didn't have elite size or speed. Still, he emerged as one of the best No. 2 receivers in the league thanks in large part to his route running. In other words, you would be hard pressed to find a better mentor/coach for West wide receiver prospects Seyi Ajirotutu (Fresno State), Verran Tucker (Cal), David Reed (Utah) and Emmanuel Sanders (SMU). They paid close attention as McCardell showed them how to get a clean release off the line of scrimmage and set up their breaks.
Of that group of receivers, Sanders created the biggest buzz. He is explosive off the line and tempos his routes well. He consistently separated from coverage during 7-on-7 and team periods. In addition, he displayed strong hands catching the ball away from his frame. Sanders is a bit undersized but he has the burst and ball skills to develop into an effective slot receiver.
• CBs Devin Ross (Arizona) and Brian Jackson (Oklahoma) both had good first days. Ross is well-built, smooth changing directions and closes quickly. His quickness showed up during 7-on-7 and team periods, where he did a nice job of anticipating routes and limiting separation. There is a lot to like about Jackson, too. He runs well for his size (6-2, 205 pounds) and does a nice job of playing the ball.
• BYU TE Dennis Pitta wasted little time in showing why he has the potential to quickly develop into a productive receiver at the NFL level. He used his hands to get a clean release off the line, showed above-average burst, caught the ball in stride and looked smooth turning upfield after the catch during the team period.
• Lonyae Miller's decision to attend the Senior Bowl next week created a roster spot for North Dakota State RB Pat Paschall. The FCS prospect didn't look like a small fish in a big pond. He ran downhill and showed great burst through the hole. Look for his draft stock to rise if he continues to run hard once the pads go on and shows teams he can contribute as a receiver.
• Kansas WR Kerry Meier looks every bit of his 220 pounds and is providing the West quarterbacks with a big strike zone. Meier's experience as a former quarterback was evident throughout the practice and he did a nice job of finding seams in zone looks in particular. He lacks elite speed and explosiveness, but he has the makings of an adequate possession receiver.
• BYU QB Max Hall headlines the crop of West quarterbacks and turned in a solid first day. He is accurate when he throws in rhythm and has an above-average sense of timing. It comes as no surprise that he hooked up with former teammate Pitta on a corner route during the team period. He did a nice job of anticipating Pitta's break and allowed him to catch the ball in stride. Hall appears to lack ideal overall arm strength, which brings up concerns about his ability to push the ball downfield.
• While Hall got off to a strong start, the same can't be said for Kansas QB Todd Reesing. There is a lot to like about Reesing's competitive attitude and ability to create outside of the pocket, but he did little to quiet concerns about his ability to be an effective pocket passer at the next level. First and foremost, Reesing isn't tall enough to scan the field from within the pocket and he struggled to see over the offensive line during the team period of practice. Similar to Hall, he lacks ideal arm strength and it too showed up during the team period.
• At 229 pounds, Oregon State's Keaton Kristick lacks prototypical size for an NFL outside linebacker. It will be interesting to see how well he holds his ground against the run when they put the pads on, but he did a nice job of setting the edge working against 260-pound TE Nathan Overbay during the team period on Monday. He delivered a strong punch and kept Overbay off his frame by extending his arms. Creating this separation also helped him locate the ball.
• Stanford OT Chris Marinelli is not a great athlete but he is technically sound and gets the most out of his physical tools. He takes very good angles as a run blocker and does a good job of setting his hands in pass protection. Marinelli could emerge as a pleasant surprise for a team that takes a chance on him in the later rounds.
Todd McShay is the director of college football scouting for Scouts Inc. He has been evaluating prospects for the NFL draft since 1998. Scouts Inc.'s Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl contributed to this report.

[MasterOfPuppets]

Shrine Game weigh-in: East roster

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...st-roster.html

Weigh-in notes

• One of the most impressive physical specimens was Virginia Tech safety Kam Chancellor, who measured in at a rocked up 6-3, 232 pounds. After looking at him up close, the guy’s NFL future might be at linebacker, not safety, if he doesn’t perform well in space this week.

• Recently added Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark might have his struggles with accuracy and decisiveness in the pass game, but he can sure win a beauty contest. Clark was one of the most impressive-looking athletes at the weigh-in, regardless of position.

• Connecticut running back Andre Dixon looked undersized and frail as he stood on the stage this morning at 6-feet, 200 pounds. Dixon looks a lot smaller than his frame suggests, and he didn’t seem to have the bulk needed to handle the rigors of running between the tackles at the next level.

Mike NealAPPurdue DT Mike Neal (left, No. 92) will play for the East squad.

• The most impressive looking defensive lineman on the East squad was Purdue DT Mike Neal. Neal measured in just shy of 6-3, but at 298 pounds he’s as well put together at they come. He exhibited a big, broad back, good muscle tone and girth through his upper body and really fills out his frame nicely. The guy looks very powerful and explosive up close, and I’m excited to see how it translates to the field.

• You can really tell Fordham quarterback John Skelton comes from a small school. He’s a 6-5, 244-pound signal caller but doesn’t seem to have fully committed himself to the weight room to this point. He has a lot of room to grow once he gets to the NFL, which should only increase his upside and value.

• There aren’t too many guys out there who can make 277 pounds look as lean as Army tight end/wide receiver/offensive lineman Ali Villanueva. But at 6-9, he does just that. Villanueva has a prototypical basketball frame. He’s tall, long-armed and has the height to put on about 20 pounds of bulk. We know he’s still a long way away, but there’s a lot of upside to his game that has me intrigued.

• Wisconsin defensive end O’Brien Schofield was another big winner at the weigh-in, showing off a chiseled 6-2, 242 pound body. Up close, the guy looks more like a rush linebacker to me, but I think he’s definitely physical enough to earn his keep as a nickel rusher early in his career.

[MasterOfPuppets]

Pads bring focus on individual battles during Shrine practice
Jan. 19, 2010
By Chad Reuter
The Sports Xchange/CBSSports.com

ORLANDO -- Players donned pads at the East-West Shrine Game practices for the first time Tuesday, with scouts paying particular attention to one-on-one battles.

No matter the scheme, coaches need their players to win individual matchups.

East Practice

It has been a few weeks since many of these players have been able to hit someone. By the end of the East practice, slight contact became big hits. Virginia Tech safety Kam Chancellor put an exclamation point on the morning session by lining up Tulane back Andre Anderson as he ran down the right sideline. Teammates greeted the hit with whoops and a few mid-air hip-bumps.

There was more coaching and drills Tuesday than in some practices, limiting the team scrimmage to the end of the day. The East coaching staff, for example, was working on getting the linebackers to be more patient against the run and preventing big cutback lanes. Coming from NFL coaching staffs, the message they've heard a hundred times before suddenly carries more weight.

The matchup between Ole Miss defensive end Greg Hardy and Indiana tackle Roger Saffold was worth the price of the flight to Orlando. Saffold controlled Hardy in most one-on-one drills, eating up a spin move, turning him and allowing him no space in which to work.

Other matchups in the trenches also piqued scouts' interest. Iowa tackle Kyle Calloway handled N.C. State's Willie Young in a similar fashion. Young's lean 6-5, 250-pound build makes him stand too tall, allowing Calloway to get leverage and anchor on the edge. Young was so anxious to get the edge on Calloway the second time around that he jumped offsides twice.

One end who got the best of his opponent was Connecticut's Lindsey Witten, who was too quick and too strong for Big East foe Kevin Haslam on the right side of the formation. Although Witten is of similar size to Young, and neither is likely to be a top 100 pick, Young plays stronger and quicker because of his quick-twitch movement and better lower-body flexibility.

The East's interior defensive linemen had better luck. Defensive tackles Nate Collins (Virginia) and Mike Neal (Purdue) displayed their strength and quick first step that intrigued scouts all season, beating Clemson's Thomas Austin and Ohio State's Jim Cordle on multiple occasions in drills. Cordle was clearly frustrated after he wound up on his back side on one play. Virginia Tech guard Sergio Render didn't display great feet, either, but handled Neal with a brute anchor, which got strong praise from the coaches.

None of the East quarterbacks, John Skelton (Fordham), Daryll Clark (Penn State) and Mike Kafka (Northwestern), had particularly strong days. Skelton clearly has the best size and arm strength, but failed to hit his target most times. It's difficult for quarterbacks and receivers to get on the same page early in the week, so even though Skelton couldn't connect with receivers downfield, the fact he could drive the ball deep while the Big Ten quarterbacks struggled to do so is still in his favor.

West Virginia receiver Alric Arnett's fluidity, quickness and hands stood out, especially when he lined up against Northwestern cornerback Sherrick McManis. Though the second-team All-Big Ten defender showed he likes to pop pads during wrap-up drills, his struggles staying with Arnett on square-ins and skinny posts was not encouraging.

Receiver Naaman Roosevelt had a solid year at Buffalo (70 receptions for 954 yards and eight touchdowns) even after quarterback Drew Willy left for the NFL, but he lacks the suddenness Arnett shows off the line or separation from his man. Roosevelt's routes have not been crisp and his hands only adequate this week.

Richard Dickson, a tight end from LSU working at fullback, once again proved he can catch the ball as well as anyone here. The problem is that once he gets it, he can't elude tacklers in the open field to make gains after the catch. With only marginal blocking skills, Dickson may have a tough time finding a way onto the field.

West Practice

The West practice started with big hits, and the physical play didn't let up all day. Even teammates were fair game, as UCLA middle linebacker Reggie Carter put a big hit in the hole on fellow former Bruin Ryan Moya, a tight end/fullback prospect.

Another early rude greeting was administered by Oregon State linebacker Keaton Kristick, who pounded the helmet off stationary Utah receiver David Reed over the middle to get things rolling. Kristick is a lean 6-3, 226, but has good coverage skills and makes his presence felt when near the ball.

Arizona State's Dexter Davis continues to fail to impress as he attempts to transition from defensive end to outside linebacker. He couldn't stay with Eastern Washington tight end Nathan Overbay over the middle in one-on-one drills, even though Overbay is not exactly the quickest receiver here. BYU tight end Dennis Pitta also shook Davis off him at the line, easily cruising by him for a throw over the middle.

In an in-state battle, Colorado tight end Riar Geer extended high for a pass down the seam in the same drill against Colorado State safety Klint Kubiak. Geer also looked capable at fullback or moving tight end/H-back, where he'll play at the next level.

The West offensive line won battles of strength in the trenches, but couldn't handle the defensive line in one-on-one pass rush drills. Brandon Carter (Texas Tech) had too much power off the snap for Arizona's Earl Mitchell, and Iowa State guard/center Reggie Stephens anchored well against Mitchell during inside run drills. However, Mitchell and others exposed the heavy feet of Carter and Stephens when given the space. Carter also comes out of his three-point stance (which he didn't use much at Texas Tech) too low, lunging after linebackers and tackles and often losing his balance.

Another Colorado State Ram failing to impress was right tackle Cole Pemberton. He struggled against speed and power in team scrimmage and one-on-one drills, getting beat by defensive ends Jeff Fitzgerald (Kansas State) and Daniel Te'o Nesheim (Washington).

And while Fitzgerald was neutralized by sturdy Stanford right tackle Chris Marinelli on most plays, Te'o Nesheim got off a block from the Cardinal starter (who may be best inside at the next level) during team drills to get after a stretch play run to his side. The former Husky may not have great size (6-3, 250) or speed (4.82), but his strength, hands, hustle and intelligence are all well-known among scouts.

Hawaii center John Estes isn't a household name, lacks size and isn't outstanding in any one area. But the way he stood up and pushed back 6-1, 326-pound Stanford tackle Ekom Udofia and his ability to move his feet to help either guard on double-teams is exactly what teams like to see from a mid-to-late-round center prospect (think Green Bay Packers center Scott Wells).

SMU receiver Emmanuel Sanders is without question the quickest receiver here. He can elude defenders and accelerate quickly after the catch, although he will dance a bit too much at times instead of getting upfield. Though he's only 5-11, 182, Sanders showed himself a willing blocker against a stronger cornerback in Texas Tech's Jamar Wall, staying between Wall and the line all the way downfield. Wall did have one of the more impressive plays of the day later on, leaping high to break up a pass on an intermediate out route.

Sanders' routes weren't always crisp, as he squared off a comeback route which allowed UCLA cornerback Alterraun Verner to jump the play and make the interception. Since receivers aren't typically running out-and-up routes in these drills, corners can squat on patterns, but Verner's five interceptions in 2009 showed he can regularly make plays like these when the ball is in front of him.

But all of the West cornerbacks have problems with recovery speed, which is why they're at the Shrine Game instead of next week's Senior Bowl. When Wall, Verner or Oklahoma's Brian Jackson stick to their receiver and don't fall for double moves, they can be tough to lose. But if they come off a receiver for a moment because of a nice route or misstep, they can't catch up to the play, therefore lacking what scouts call recovery speed. Jackson lost his footing when Verran Tucker from Cal ran an excellent square-in, which isn't surprising since his best moments as a Sooner (and in these practices) came when he used his size and strength to attack his man at the line of scrimmage. Jackson later showed Tucker what it means to be physical, as he knocked him to the ground when the receiver ran into him trying to get full depth on his out route. However, Jackson's secondary coach quickly pointed out that it would have been a pass interference penalty.

Even though all of these corners have issues on certain plays, they possess mid-round value depending on the scheme their future pro team runs. Teams like Green Bay, which relies on press corner play, will value the 6-foot, 203-pound Jackson more than the others. Zone teams will still like a physical corner with good hands and only adequate speed and/or size, like Verner or Wall, because they'll usually have safety help over the top.

That's why the phrase "one man's trash is another's treasure" could be changed to "one scout's free agent is often another's third- or fourth-round value" when speaking of how team draft boards compare come the end of April.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/s...hrine-practice