These 11 players did nothing to help their chances. Wes Bunting
In the second part of our All-Star game review, the National Football Post breaks down the prospects who did nothing to help their draft stock the past two weeks at the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.
QB Sean Canfield, Oregon State
There’s no denying that Canfield can be accurate and on time with the football when asked to complete throws inside the numbers. However, it quickly became obvious last week at the Senior Bowl that he lacks the arm strength needed to make big-time NFL-caliber throws outside the numbers. He showcases good timing and anticipation down the field, but his skill set screams backup quarterback and game manager only.
WR Danario Alexander, Missouri
Alexander’s performance at this year’s Senior Bowl solidified my opinion about him in terms of NFL potential. He’s a tall, long-armed receiver who builds speed as he goes, but it takes him far too long to reach top-end speed off the line. He also struggles to beat press coverage and lacks the balance to generate much acceleration out of his breaks. He doesn’t look like a starting-caliber wideout to me, as I see him more as a No. 4-type receiver who needs to work almost exclusively off the line from the slot.
C Eric Olsen, Notre Dame
Olsen not only failed to exhibit the type of power needed to anchor vs. the bull-rush inside, he also lacked the type of lateral fluidity needed to mirror in space and was consistently manhandled during Senior Bowl practices. He did get a bit better as the week went on, and maybe he just needed time to get his feet wet, but for the most part, watching him try to hold his own in pass protection wasn’t pretty.
OT Chris Marinelli, Stanford
Another offensive lineman who struggled to hold his own in pass protection at his respective all-star game was Stanford’s Marinelli. He looked slow-footed out of his stance, struggled to maintain balance into blocks and lacked the base needed to anchor on contact. He’s a tall, long-armed kid who can stick to blocks once he gets his hands on you, but best case scenario, he looks like a versatile swing backup in the NFL.
DE Brandon Lang, Troy
Lang is another prospect who makes me wonder what all the hype is about. He isn’t an explosive athlete off the edge and failed to generate much of a push on his bull-rush during Senior Bowl practices. On tape, he displays some push/pull ability, but he was unimpressive vs. the upper echelon talent he faced in Mobile, and I came away thinking he’s just a reserve-type lineman in the NFL.
CB Devin Ross, Arizona
For a guy who showcases as much closing speed as Ross in coverage, you’d think he would be able to make more plays on the football. However, he isn’t a real instinctive corner and consistently gets caught bailing out of his back-pedal and opening his hips too early in his drop. There’s no doubt this guy has the ability to play on the outside at the next level from an athletic standpoint, but as of now he simply gives up too many plays and lacks the instincts to be trusted on an island in the NFL.
CB Trevard Lindley, Kentucky
At this point, I feel like I’m beating a dead horse, but the idea that Lindley was ever considered a potential starting-caliber corner in the NFL blows my mind. He isn’t a real gifted athlete, struggles to get up to speed quickly and is as raw and leggy with his footwork as they come. Plus, he isn’t physical in press coverage and looks nothing more than a border-line roster guy.
FS Robert Johnson, Utah
On tape, when Johnson is asked to play in a center field-type role, find the football and create collisions on contact, he will open some eyes. However, besides the fact he possesses rail-thin legs, Johnson really struggles to turn and run with any kind of speed down the field and takes too long to transition out of his breaks. He does display decent overall balance in his drop for his size, but he doesn’t have the type of range to hold his own in coverage at the next level.
SS Kurt Coleman, Ohio State
Coleman is, without a doubt, a football player; he’s tough, instinctive and can redirect and find the ball in space. However, he simply doesn’t have the type of burst needed to quickly get from point A to point B and lacks ideal size for the strong safety position. At 5-10, 187 pounds, Coleman isn’t athletic enough to play corner or big enough to play safety in the NFL. He does look like a guy who can fight his way onto an NFL roster on special teams and might be able to mature into a nickel/dime-type back with time, but his play was average at best at last week’s Senior Bowl.
SS Kyle McCarthy, Notre Dame
I wish I could give the same type of review to McCarthy as I did to Coleman, but watching McCarthy try to cover and play in space was painful. The guy is stiff, slow to get out of his breaks and showcases no semblance of a second gear down the field. It was a pure mismatch any time he was asked to play in man-coverage last week, and he looks like a special teams guy at best. However, you’d have to think an NFL team would want to put a better athlete on its special teams unit than McCarthy.
FS Taylor Mays, USC
There’s no denying that Mays is a gifted straight-line athlete who has the range to track the football in space once he gets going. However, he was stiff and leggy in coverage all last week and takes far too long when asked to break down and drive on the ball. He was consistently forced to gather himself out of his drop and was significantly late arriving to the ball. Don’t get me wrong – there’s a place for Mays at the next level, but the notion that he’s a dynamic ball-hawking safety in the Sean Taylor mold is completely off base. If fact, I think he’s closer to Buccaneers safety Sabby Piscitelli than he is Taylor.
Follow me on Twitter: WesBunting
I enjoyed these articles as well. The two guys who really helped themselves in my view were Vlad Ducasse and LeGarrett Blunt.
Come on...no Teblow? Selling out to Lombardi?...universally hailed as a terrible camp foor him...
Wes are you a closet Raiders fan? I'm pretty sure I remember them being called "your team" on a podcast. That would be cool.
This may seem like a weird question, but do you only scout college players or do the NFL too? The reason I ask is I'd love to hear a professional's opinion on some players on my Team, the Raiders. Mike's point about convienent truths (which I love) has me wondering if I'm believeing some convienent truth about the Raiders. Is Russell the answer? (I have zero faith in Grad) Is DHB as bad as he looked? Shaughnessy? Etc. Etc.
It might be asking you to work overtime but I would love to read it.
Thanks Bud, I'm Charles your number one fan from last year and I have been a fan of yours since last offseason and I think your one of the best. Also I have been reading Lombardi since lombardionthenfl.com haha
Andrew N:
It's true and you can't kill a guy for this, but at the game time this is my first time seeing theses guys live for the first time. So I get a good feel of them up close, more-so then on tape at times.
LL Live:
He needs time, it won't happen overnight
Wesley,
Complete blog silence on the failings of Reverend Tebow.
Smart move. Clearly you've been warned that any and all accurate analysis of Senator Tebow will result in your expulsion from the National Football Post.
One cannot blame you. After all, honesty does not pay your mortgage, feed your mush, or support your personal interests. Ergo for you to accurately and openly critique FOX News Analyst Tebow would be tantamount to career suicide.
I'm impressed, Wesley.
Critizing Tebow's lack of performance at the Senior Bowl is all well and good, Mother Jones columnist Mark, but your snarkiness is getting old. It's a wonder that Tebow lovers haven't referred to you as MSNBC analyst mark, or maybe left-wing socialist mark, or even commie sympathizer mark. I myself have not drank either pro or anti Tebow kool-aid, but I feel that he could be like other successful QBs with funky mechanics like Philip Rivers & Bernie Kosar. He could also be like 1960's Heisman busts Terry Baker (who was converted to TE) & Gary Beban. Which will it be?
Problem is MP we were spoon fed by many (including Wes) that Tebow's mere presence was a sure sign of courage and confirmation of his "intangibles." It was way over the top. Then when Mr. Tebow had the opportunity to show "tangibles" he looked like a high school sophomore.
The deal is that if you hype a player and they don't deliver than a mea culpa needs to be made to keep credibility. Tebow looked awful to anyone with eyesight.
MP,
That's the spirit!
Don't hold Reverend Tebow responsible for his own substandard performance and litany of failures at the Senior Bowl.
Nah, blame it all on the left-wing, liberal, Communist/Socialist/Fascist/Marxist/Stalinist/anti-American media.
The media forced Senator Tebow to fumble snap after snap.
The media forced FOX News Analyst Tebow to deliver the ball slower. And slower. And slower.
Blame the media. NEVER take personal responsibility. Personality responsibility, that's for sissies and not real HE-men like Preacher Tebow and his loyal followers.
Hey Tebow haters, don't you dudes realize that there were other kids on those teams and that some of us care about how they did? You guys are more in love with him than the people that love him, you can't keep his name out of your mouths.
This past season has made me wonder about Taylor Mays. Were the 4 linebackers (5 if you count Keith Rivers) that good, so good that it covered for Taylor's shorcomings? It's really something to see a guy fall off so quickly, and so far. I've watched him all 4 years and, man, he did not look hot all year long. He was a high first-rounder last year, I wonder what will happen to him now.
A shame about Canfield too, I liked what I saw out of him during the season. But hey, Tom Brady was supposed to be a career backup as well.
Mark, like I said, I have no opinion about Tebow one way or the other. However, I just got tired of your snarkiness and decided to throw some back at ya.
MP,
I'm on the record for contending that Rev. Tebow would make a fine H-back in the NFL.
But Senator Tebow will never survive on Sundays as a signalcaller.
For having made that analysis, followers of FOX News Analyst Tebow have called me a commie, socialist, anti-American, terrorist, and homosexual.
And those were just the attacks without cussing and threats
Mark my words: When Preacher Tebow tosses a pick in the NFL, Rush Limbaugh will blame his Osama-loving wide receiver.
When Conservative Talk Show Host Tebow completes five of 21 passes on Sunday, Glenn Beck will demand that his offensive line of Obama fascists-terrorists be shot.
When Congressman Tebow pulls a Heath Shuler in The League, The Wall Street Journal Op/Ed page will blame it on the al Qaeda coaching staff and ACLU-loving owner.
BANK ON IT.
MP,
I'm on the record for contending that Rev. Tebow would make a fine H-back in the NFL.
But Senator Tebow will never survive on Sundays as a signalcaller.
For having made that analysis, followers of FOX News Analyst Tebow have called me a commie, socialist, anti-American, terrorist, and homosexual.
And those were just the attacks without cussing and threats
Mark my words: When Preacher Tebow tosses a pick in the NFL, Rush Limbaugh will blame his Osama-loving wide receiver.
When Conservative Talk Show Host Tebow completes five of 21 passes on Sunday, Glenn Beck will demand that his offensive line of Obama fascists-terrorists be shot.
When Congressman Tebow pulls a Heath Shuler in The League, The Wall Street Journal Op/Ed page will blame it on the al Qaeda coaching staff and ACLU-loving owner.
BANK ON IT.
Mike Williams will be lucky to get drafted after quitting on his team. Tate may wind up going the Mario Manningham route and wind up a sixth round pick. Mitchell, Easley and Jeremy Williams are also grossly overrated.
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Feb 03, 2010
04:29 PM
Wes-
Really enjoy your daily articles on the draft. I was reading an article either on this site or another about how nfl scouts don't actually downgrade prospects based upon their senior bowl performance because they are asked in most cases to play a different system than what they are used to. Do you take this into account or do you hold a different stance?