NFL potential of SEC players finishing college career in 2013

[jbcarol]

Chris Low: Among the prospects I nailed this time a year ago were Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner, Alabama offensive guard Chance Warmack, LSU defensive end Barkevious Mingo and LSU safety Eric Reid.

Among those I missed the boat on were Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel, Missouri defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, Florida defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd and Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker.

I had Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson No. 1 overall and South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore in my top five. So it never goes exactly the way anybody predicts, especially 11 months before the draft...

The top five are from the trenches.

[jbcarol]

http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/78347/mcshay-is-connor-shaw-an-nfl-qb

As Connor Shaw, who pushed through injuries for most of his final season to throw 24 touchdown passes to just one interception, prepares for the 2014 NFL draft, he's getting some work in this week in preparation for Saturday's NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl. ESPN draft experts Todd McShay and Kevin Weidl are there, and so far the feelings on Shaw have mostly been positive.

Shaw is viewed as a late-round draft prospect, but he was said to have a good practice on Tuesday and looked like the most consistent quarterback on the field. Shaw's best shot at really impressive NFL scouts and show them that he can be a serviceable backup in 2014 is to prove that he's the best quarterback this week and in Saturday's game.

What Shaw was known for in college went well beyond his arm. He has a solid arm, but it isn't great by NFL standards. He has to improve his accuracy on the deep ball, but what he won't have to worry about is proving his toughness...

[jbcarol]

Josh Kendall ‏@JoshatTheState Jan 15
Houston Texans owner says Clowney a "remarkable player" but suggests work ethic needs to improve. http://buff.ly/1cnXQwS

1st Draft Pick

[jbcarol]

http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/78355/the-sec-dominates-kiper-mock-draft-1-0

From Manziel to Beckham, Jr., lists 10 from SEC in top 30/1st round projection

[jbcarol]

John Middlekauff ‏@JohnMiddlekauff 2 hrs
My sources say AJ McCarron chose not to play in the Senior Bowl (not b/c of the inj) b/c he thinks he's a top 20 pick

John Middlekauff ‏@JohnMiddlekauff 1h
NFL people I talk to have McCarron in the late 2 -3 range. Haven't heard any 1st Rd grades @brandonlpierce: What do you think?

[jbcarol]

I asked Saban if he was surprised at Sunseri's decision. Here's the coach's answer in its entirety:

"We try to give every one of our players the best opportunity to make a good decision about whether they should stay in school or come out for the draft," he said. "My philosophy is very clear to our players. If you're a first-round draft pick, we're very, very supportive of you coming out for the draft because of the business decision and the amount of money.

"But if you're not one of those guys, we certainly feel that you should come back to school, graduate from school, use your senior year to develop as a player and try to enhance your draft status for the next year. That's the advice that we give to each and every one of our players.

"This year we had a couple guys that probably don't fit that category that made the decision to do it. We'll be very supportive of them."

Interesting. Notice anything missing from that answer? Saban didn't mention Sunseri by name. He didn't even hint at anything specific about him and didn't talk about how valuable he'd been to the program.

Saturday was the deadline for early NFL entries to change their minds and pull out of the draft. Sunseri kept his name on the list of 98 early entries, but Alabama as a program has yet to acknowledge his departure. There's been no press release from the school confirming that he's gone.

Let the name of Sunseri be stricken from every book and tablet, stricken from all pylons and ...

[NoNC4Tubs]

Bad decision by Sunseri...........

[jbcarol]

Tennessee DT Daniel McCullers: The NFL remains a big man's game in the trenches, which is why scouts are buzzing about McCullers after watching him work this week. The 6-foot-8, 351-pounder has surprised observers with his energy, stamina and conditioning as the monster in the middle...

Alabama OLB Adrian Hubbard: After watching Hubbard closely this week, I believe he might be a man without a true position at the next level.

Although Hubbard has played outside linebacker in Alabama's 3-4 system, he isn't a dynamic pass rusher nor an explosive athlete in coverage. I've been surprised at his marginal first-step quickness and his lack of nuance with his pass-rush technique. Hubbard doesn't overwhelm blockers with outstanding speed and quickness. In addition, he also lacks the power to forklift opponents despite his exceptional length (6-6, 252 pounds).

An AFC South scout called Hubbard a "jack of all trades, but a master of none."

Senior Bowl week analysis from NFL.com.

[jbcarol]

Bruce Feldman ‏@BFeldmanCBS  5h
Why #LSU Odell Beckham Jr may be one of the most underrated guys in the upcoming #NFLDraft: http://cbsprt.co/1d0QRdu

[jbcarol]

Mel Kiper Jr. ‏@MelKiperESPN ·3h
Don't assume Clinton-Dix of Bama is a lock to be the top safety taken. Calvin Pryor is ahead for some teams. Really close for me

[jbcarol]

Mel Kiper Jr. ‏@MelKiperESPN  24h
Could go in Round 1. RT @KobrockE What are your thoughts on Landry from LSU. With a class this deep, should he have stayed at LSU?

[jbcarol]

A record 85 underclassmen will be among the 335 players invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis February 19-24...

Leading name on the list is Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews, the latest NFL prospect from the Matthews clan that includes his Hall of Fame father, Bruce. Jake is the top rated prospect this year by NFLDraftScout.com.

Headlining -- literally in terms of headlines -- the 85 underclassmen is Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel...

Looking at the list by schools, Alabama has the most invitees with 12, followed by LSU at 11...

SEC QUARTERBACKS
Manziel, Johnny A & M
Mc Carron, Raymond (A.J.), Alabama
Mettenberger, Zachary (Zach), Louisiana State
Murray, Aaron, Georgia
Shaw, Connor, South Carolina

Among the OL
Swanson, Travis, Arkansas

Among the DL
Smith, Chris, Arkansas

Among the Punters
Hocker, Zachary (Zach), Arkansas

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24431806/nfl-draft-combine-list-includes-85-underclassmen

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports ·1 hr
ESPN's @MelKiperESPN, @McShay13 move Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson to No. 2 in NFL mock drafts ...

[jbcarol]

Ross Dellenger ‏@DellengerAdv  4h
#LSU RT @JBradEdwards: NFL draft early entries last 2 years:
LSU         18
Big 12      11
Big Ten    10

[jbcarol]

Tom Martin ‏@TomMartinKATC  1m
Former NFL GM on Michael Sam's draft stock: "That will break a tie against that player," he said. "Every time." http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20140209/michael-sam-draft-stock/ ...

[jbcarol]

Brent Zwerneman ‏@BrentZwerneman  5h
Charles Davis's mock draft has Matthews 2nd, Manziel 3rd: http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/mock-drafts/charles-davis/175605?campaign=Twitter_writers_davis ...

Clowney is 1st pick.

[jbcarol]

Josh Kendall ‏@JoshatTheState ·4h
Connor Shaw's QB coach preparing for draft? UGA OC Mike Bobo's father George. "He's going to make it," George Bobo says.

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports  2h
Vinnie Sunseri shows how far he's come after tearing ACL nearly four months ago (video) http://ow.ly/tznVz

[jbcarol]

On Wednesday, former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah compared the 2012 Heisman winner to the current Dallas Cowboys quarterback.

"The Cowboys' signal-caller is bigger, but he and Manziel have similar skill sets and styles of play," wrote Jeremiah, a former scout for the Ravens, Browns and Eagles who is now an NFL Network analyst. "As passers, neither Manziel nor Romo have elite arm strength, but both can generate enough velocity to make every throw on the passing tree. Also, they can deliver the ball accurately from a variety of platforms and arm angles.

"They both have outstanding pocket awareness and the ability to escape the free rusher. They excel at extending plays and delivering accurate throws while on the move, to both the right and left sides of the field."

As Jeremiah points out, a significant difference between the two is that Manziel is a better runner who can pick up big yards on the ground. Romo has great pocket awareness and is crafty at escaping pressure but his speed is not considered a strength.

Every time Manziel played in college it was must-see TV. That alone makes him appealing to Jerry Jones. On top of that, Romo is coming off a second back surgery in as many years and he turns 34 in April.

Although it appears to be a great fit, Dallas landing Manziel is highly unlikely.

http://cowboysblog.dallasnews.com/2014/02/former-nfl-scout-johnny-manziel-reminds-me-of-cowboys-qb-tony-romo.html

[jbcarol]

Nick Mathews ‏@Nick_Mathews  7h
Again, here's the link to the complete @McClain_on_NFL story on Johnny Manziel and his hope of playing for #Texans. http://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texans/article/From-Johnny-Football-to-Johnny-Manziel-The-5235518.php?t=c80d489e2acba496f0 ...

[jbcarol]

John L. Pitts ‏@JohnLPitts  Feb 13
In revised ranking of NFL prospects, ESPN's Mel Kiper has raised Mississippi State's Gabe Jackson to No. 1 among offensive guards.

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports ·3m
NFL Draft analyst lists former ASU RB Isaiah Crowell among most controversial prospects http://ow.ly/tKmRL  #MyASU @THESWAC #HBCU


Ex-UGa RB

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports ·1 hr
Auburn defensive end Dee Ford (@dee_ford_) ready to 'shock the world' at @NFL Combine http://ow.ly/tK8hk


Co-MVP of the Senior Bowl

[jbcarol]

Andrew Gribble ‏@Andrew_Gribble ·15h
Adrian Hubbard made http://NFL.com 's list of 10 "controversial prospects" today. Here, I let him respond http://ow.ly/tJ3gV

[jbcarol]

Andrew Gribble ‏@Andrew_Gribble ·21 hrs
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranks 7 Alabama NFL Draft prospects among top 10 at their positions http://ow.ly/tIyoU

[jbcarol]

Travis Swanson ‏@Tswan64 ·3 hrs
#NFLCombine bound

[jbcarol]

Ken Laird ‏@Ken_Laird ·3 hrs
Mayock's top ranked safeties are Louisville's Calvin Pryor and Clinton Dix from Alabama... "wouldn't blink if either went" around 10

[jbcarol]

Mike Reiss ‏@MikeReiss  4h
In opening remarks at combine, Bill Belichick made note of almost the entire Tennessee offensive line present. "Pretty unusual," he said.

Daniel Lewis ‏@DanielNooga  3h
UT Combine measurements so far:
Tiny: 6-6, 336
Fulton: 6-5, 316
Stone: 6-4, 306
James: 6-6, 311

[jbcarol]

The NFL invited only three fullbacks -- LSU's J.C. Copeland, Stanford's Ryan Hewitt and Oklahoma's Trey Millard -- and did not extend an invite to J. Prosch, who returned to his native Mobile and played in the Senior Bowl in January.

Copeland, a former defensive tackle, was named the MVP of the NFLPA All-Star game. Like Prosch, Copeland is trying to evolve as offenses become pass-heavy in the NFL. Fullbacks are not only counted on to block but to catch passes out of the backfield as well.

Prosch is third in Kiper, Jr.'s position rankings.

[jbcarol]

GoGamecocks.com ‏@gogamecocks  5h
How they fared: Final numbers for USC players at the NFL Combine http://bit.ly/1hv1UzX  #gg

[jbcarol]

Winners and Losers from NFL Combine:

In addition to Clowney, Greg Robinson was listed as a winner.

Jarvis Landry and Cyrus Kouandjio were included in the losers category.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nfl-combine-winners-and-losers

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports  5h
More mock drafts: Opinions split on former Alabama LT Cyrus Kouandjio's 1st-round status http://ow.ly/u9jDE

Cyrus Kouandjio's NFL Draft stock appeared to take a hit last week in Indianapolis, but NFL Network analyst Charles Davis is among those who believe the former Alabama offensive tackle's shaky performance wasn't enough to knock him out of the first round.

In his latest mock draft, Davis, a former NFL player who has been an NFL analyst for years, projects Kouandjio to land with the Miami Dolphins, who hold the 19th overall pick. He's one of three Alabama players Davis projects to land in the first round, as linebacker C.J. Mosley (No. 11, Tennessee Titans) and safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (No. 17, Baltimore Ravens) are pegged to come off the board shortly before Kouandjio.

"Did not test as well in Indy as desired, but he's talented and would fill a crying need for the Dolphins," Davis writes on Kouandjio.

Davis' colleague, Daniel Jeremiah, does not include Kouandjio in his updated mock draft. Jeremiah, a former NFL scout, slots Mosley at No. 15 to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Clinton-Dix at No. 21 to the Green Bay Packers. He calls Mosley a "ready-made pro."

[jbcarol]

Dave Matter ‏@Dave_Matter  4h
From @jthom1: Ealy should be Mizzou's next first-round pick http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/ealy-should-be-mizzou-s-next-first-round-pick/article_f6e88f63-2a54-51ad-b546-ab7dbd1bf294.html ...

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports ·7h
Are Nick Saban's Alabama players an NFL draft risk because of injuries? (gallery)
http://tinyurl.com/pw57gu9

That was the question posed by Joey Ickes, who writes about the Dallas Cowboys on SB Nation's BloggingTheBoys.

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports ·4 hrs
Former #Alabama tackle @ck_allday71 won't require medical recheck on knee.
http://tinyurl.com/lhhsafg

Alabama tackle Cyrus Kouandjio won't need a post-combine medical recheck in Indianapolis...

The report, citing a source with knowledge of the situation, said the knee will not require further testing.

The NFL Network had reported the left tackle failed team physicals during the combine because of an "arthritic knee."

This was news to Kouandjio and his agent Bus Cook.

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports  2h
ESPN's Ron Jaworski: Zach Mettenberger is No. 2 QB prospect in NFL draft | http://AL.com  http://ow.ly/vbQLZ

Central Florida's Blake Bortles is #1

[jbcarol]

Jim Kleinpeter ‏@JimKleinpeter ·15 mins
#LSU Pro Day breakdown | Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2014/04/lsu_pro_day_breakdown_wide_rec.html ...

Mock drafts have him going as high as No. 13 to the St. Louis Rams. Several mocks had him going to the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 23 but he may not get that far with Philadelphia at No. 22. The Eagles recently cut wide receiver/return man DeSean Jackson and Beckham would fit nicely into that opening.

"He's got really good quickness, really good speed," Landry said. "He's more explosive (than former teammate Jarvis Landry)..."

[jbcarol]

Evan Woodbery ‏@TennesseeBeat ·2 hrs
Daniel McCullers says one question at Combine was what he would do with a brick. His first answer? Build a mailbox...

[jbcarol]

 Joan Niesen @JoanNiesen  ·  2h 
Max Copeland, a former Missouri offensive lineman, has lost 50 pounds in an attempt make it as a fullback in the NFL. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/nfl/news/20140416/max-copeland-transformation-2014-nfl-draft/ ...

[jbcarol]

Louis Riddick ‏@LRiddickESPN ·22 hrs
Two best QB combine interviews as far as how positively authentic they seemed: Aaron Murray & Logan Thomas.

[jbcarol]

Mel Kiper Jr. ‏@MelKiperESPN  Apr 17
REMEMBER: Mock ≠ my prospect rankings. I say that because Teddy Bridgewater is my top rated QB in this draft.

Mel Kiper Jr. ‏@MelKiperESPN  Apr 17
And remember with mocks: I can't reflect trades that don't exist. Obvious instances where a guy "drops" and could go earlier via trade.

Mel Kiper Jr. ‏@MelKiperESPN  Apr 17
My first NFL draft w/ ESPN, we had to cut out of Round 2 for a tractor pull. Perspective...

[jbcarol]

John Glennon ‏@glennonsports  Apr 17
Rising stock? Kiper's latest mock has 49ers taking #Vandy WR Jordan Matthews in 1st round, 30th overall.

[jbcarol]

Todd McShay ‏@McShay13 ·Apr 18
Watching NFL AM. Agree w/ Casserly on all 4 comparisons (at same pt in development). Vick>Johnny; Tannehill>Blake;OT GRob>TWill and AJ>Sammy

[jbcarol]

 Tom Pelissero @TomPelissero  ·  Apr 21 
Lot of players headed back to Indy on Friday for medical re-check. One who's not: Mizzou RB Henry Josey, whose reconstructed knee passed.

[jbcarol]

NFL on ESPNVerified account ‏@ESPNNFL ·18h 
NFL announces a record 30 players will attend the NFL Draft including 4 quarterbacks. pic.twitter.com/wUOtZtS7O8

[jbcarol]

NFL draft guru Mel Kiper Jr.'s concerns about Alabama first-round draft prospects Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and C.J. Mosley go beyond his personal analysis of them.

On an ESPN conference call Wednesday afternoon, Kiper said the play of past Crimson Tide defensive players in the NFL who have been high draft picks will play into his evaluation of Clinton-Dix and Mosley.

"It is something you have to look at because there have been a host of players out of that Alabama defense that over the years have come in as high draft choices and, frankly, been major disappointments," Kiper said.

Kiper listed Rolando McClain, Kareem Jackson, Mark Barron, Dre Kirkpatrick and Terrence Cody as examples of Tide defensive stars who haven't played up to where they were drafted.

"Is it a trend?" Kiper said.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/alabama/2014/04/24/kiper-many-bama-stars-nfl-busts

Kiper, Jr. maintains that, "yes", it is a trend and cites numerous examples over the last six draft classes.

[jbcarol]

Todd McShay ‏@McShay13  Apr 24
Picks I would make:  http://es.pn/1iQRrlc . 1HOU Clowney, 2STL Robinson, 3JAX Mack, 4CLE Watkins, 5OAK Matthews, 6ATL Lewan, 7TB Evans

[jbcarol]

  AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  12h 
Danny Wuerffel on AJ McCarron: 'He's got a history of winning' | http://AL.com  http://ow.ly/wbx0K

[jbcarol]

Kirk Herbstreit ‏@KirkHerbstreit 19h

"@CollegeGameDay: Which RB prospect will have the biggest impact on the next level? pic.twitter.com/pWdmijp5x6"

[jbcarol]

Matthew Harris ‏@MHarrisAdvocate 35m

Listening in on NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock, and he has #LSU's Odell Beckham off the board between picks No. 13 and No. 20.