Inside scoop from the senior bowl

By War room scouts

After watching him all week in practice, one tight ends coach said Colorado State TE Joel Dreessen can contribute right away in the NFL. He has a big body (6-3 7/8, 257) and reliable hands, gets good position and is a solid blocker. A better athlete than most think, Dreessen also catches the ball well in traffic. > Oklahoma WR Mark Clayton showed he deserves the high grades he has been getting. He's undersized (5-10, 185) but is quick and has excellent hands. One coach says Clayton is the type of player who has the ability to go the distance every time he touches the ball. > CB Ronald Bartell of Howard (Washington, D.C.) has caught the attention of a number of secondary coaches. He looks much better in press coverage than in soft coverage. For a guy who's 6-2,200, he can jam opponents and turn and run quite well. > There was a buzz among offensive line coaches as they watched Michigan's David Baas, who's moving up the charts. He has limited experience at center, but he practiced well in the one-on-ones and appears smart enough to make the line calls. > Purdue's Taylor Stubblefleld caught everything in sight during the week. He runs excellent routes and looks like a perfect third wide receiver candidate for the slot. > Oklahoma State CB Darrent Williams missed most of the season with an injury but showed great skills and sure hands at the Senior Bowl. Coaches described him as tenacious and competitive, and some scouts said he's further along than current Dallas CB Terence Newman was at the same point in his career. > Northern Colorado WR Vincent Jackson looked good as a route runner early in the week, but he looked slower and dropped a few easy balls when he wore pads. His speed and size (6-4 5/8, 223) might work better at tight end. > USC DT Mike Patterson was very impressive in practices. One coach says he thinks Patterson has a similar style to Raiders DT Warren Sapp and that he might be a more disruptive force than Southern California DE Shaun Cody. > In practice, San Diego State ILB Kirk Morrison showed a bad stance and had questionable lateral movement for the pro level. But he plays better in game situations. > Auburn RB Carnell Williams impressed everyone who saw him in practices, although he made only a cameo appearance in the game because of a tight back. He was being watched very closely all week by the Raiders, Dolphins and Bears. One scout says Williams' willingness to participate in the Senior Bowl reveals a lot about his character and desire to compete. > Eastern Washington OT Michael Roos might need two years to get ready, but according to one line coach, Roos is competitive and, at 6-7, 313, is worth the development time. The coach says he'd love to draft Roos in the fourth or fifth round. > Oregon G Adam Snyder (6-4 3/4, 325) looks the part and is athletic. But as one offensive line coach points out, his inability to play with better bend and flexibility, along with bull rushes from NFL defensive tackles, will break him down. Snyder struggled to block defensive ends early in the week. > LSU DE Marcus Spears had some great practices and caught the eye of many executives and head coaches who know how hard it is to find big, strong left ends who can move inside on pass-rushing downs. > Although Cincinnati DE/OLB Trent Cole had some good practices as a pass rusher, he was suspect at times when dropping in coverage as a linebacker. > One of the best-looking offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl was Mississippi's Marcus Johnson. He showed power, a quick first step and a desire to finish blocks. When asked about the offensive linemen, most of the defensive linemen on the South roster thought Johnson was special. > West Virginia RB Kay-lay Harris consistently has demonstrated explosive power that gives him the ability to run over people. Harris (6-0,230) also can get to the outside and has showed a second gear. > Stanford E Alex Smith looked great running pass routes, and his hands are very good. Smith also helped himself by showing the willingness and ability to be a good blocker. Wisconsin G Dan Buenning's stock is climbing. Line coaches who studied him on film liked what they saw before coming to the Senior Bowl and were excited to see him live up to expectations in person.

COPYRIGHT 2005 Sporting News Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning