Senior Bowl 2015: Draft Scouting and Observations from Day 3

Throughout the week of practice at the Senior Bowl, former NFL defensive back Matt Bowen will bring you his notes on some of the top prospects in the 2015 NFL draft. The game will take place Saturday, Jan. 24.

Click here for the Day 1 Senior Bowl notes.

Click here for the Day 2 Senior Bowl notes.

Day 3 Standout

Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi State

Earlier in the week, an NFL scout told me to focus on Smith because of his size (6’5”, 270 pounds) and length (34” arms) at the defensive end position. He's a prospect with an NFL frame who has the versatility to bump down inside to defensive tackle in the sub-package front.

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Smith was explosive off the ball Wednesday. He has a quick first step and the power to press offensive tackles back at the point of attack. That’s where you see his length, as he can create separation to keep the blocker off his body. Plus, he can generate speed on the edge when he cuts the angle to get home to the quarterback.

Given Smith’s versatility, I expect his stock to be on the rise. That gives coordinators the opportunity to mix personnel and create matchups along the defensive front in nickel situations.

Stock Up

Here are five players who should draw NFL scouts’ attention after Wednesday’s practice sessions in Mobile, Alabama:

Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn

Throughout the week, I’ve mentioned that Coates has deep-ball ability versus both press and off-man, as he gets up to top speed quickly before stacking down the field to gain positioning. But I still wanted to see more from the Auburn product outside of the 9 route.

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On Wednesday, Coates made multiple plays during red-zone one-on-ones and team periods. Coates displayed the ability to win with leverage/size on inside breaking routes, plus he can go up and high-point the football on the fade (or stutter-fade). Coates still needs to develop his overall route-running skill set, but he is a playmaker at the wide receiver position.

Lakin Tomlinson, OG, Duke

Tomlinson has the size (6”3”, 323 pounds) and build you look for on the interior of the offensive line with the movement skills to work to the second level of the defense. The Duke product is strong at the point of attack and delivers a violent punch on contact.

During one-on-ones, Tomlinson showcased the ability to set his base, bend and win versus power. He's a very physical player. And although Tomlinson did give up a pressure to Iowa’s Carl Davis, he moves much better than I expected. He's a true left guard who should climb up boards at a position that isn’t loaded with talent in this year’s class.

Cody Prewitt, S, Ole Miss

Prewitt stood out on Wednesday because of his ability to compete in the red zone one-on-one period versus tight ends. The Ole Miss product didn’t win every matchup, but he has a really good feel for squeezing to the hip and playing with leverage. This put him in a position to play the pocket and finish on the ball.

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With a long frame (6’2”, 212 pounds), Prewitt showed some range earlier in the week playing in the deep middle of the field during team drills. Plus, he looks comfortable dropping down into the run front at strong safety. It was a solid day for the former Ole Miss safety.

Jordan Hicks, LB, Texas

With Hicks, focus on the athleticism and versatility he can bring to both the base and sub-package personnel in the NFL. We see the Texas product (6’1”, 241 pounds) as an inside backer, but given his fluid movement, he could possibly transition to the Will linebacker position in a 4-3 front.

When watching linebackers in Mobile, I spend a lot of time studying their ability to play in space during seven-on-seven drills. Can they drop to a landmark, control their footwork and redirect to drive on the ball? Those are the core skills as a “nickel backer.” That’s where Hicks could have an impact. It was a productive week for Hicks after working through some injuries in college.

David Johnson, RB, Northern Iowa

Johnson has an NFL frame at the running back position (6’1”, 224 pounds). That allows him to drop his pads on contact and drive through second-level defenders at the point of attack. However, the former UNI star also has good vision and cutback ability. I was also impressed with his route running out of the backfield.

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Johnson won multiple matchups versus the linebackers on the basic option scheme and showed some lateral movement when he separated at the break point. I’ve talked about Minnesota’s David Cobb a lot this week, but don’t forget about Johnson. He’s another back with the size and speed through the hole that can produce in the NFL.

Stock Down

Here are three players who need to improve their performances after the third day of practice:

Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska

Abdullah has the acceleration, smooth lateral quickness and vision to make plays with the football in his hands. That’s the skill set you want for a 198-pound back who can produce on the ground versus nickel fronts and make plays in the passing game.

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However, my concern here is Abdullah’s lack of technique in pass protection. On Wednesday, the Nebraska product struggled again in one-on-one pass rush, as he was overpowered at times. Abdullah is an exciting player when he gets into the open field, but his ability to block in the passing game has to improve when he makes the transition to the NFL.

Chris Jasperse, C, Marshall

Jasperse lacks the functional strength at the center position to win consistently versus power at the point of attack, and he can be slow kicking back to match speed once the defender gets on his edge. That limits him versus size and against linemen with a quick first step—two things most NFL defensive linemen have.

That prevents Jasperse from staying square and establishing his base in one-on-one pass rush. Plus, it allows defenders to get up the field and disrupt the run game when the Marshall product fails to gain leverage off the ball.

Shane Carden, QB, East Carolina

Carden didn’t look comfortable working under center this week, and I have some concerns about his ability to throw the deep ball when looking at placement down the field. He can put too much air under the ball, and that brings the safety into play from the deep middle of the field.

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The ECU product doesn’t have a clean release and he must develop a better feel for the vertical passing game. Carden will need some time with pro coaching to work on his overall mechanics/release point. It was a subpar week for the quarterback class in Mobile.

Day 3 Notes

• Utah’s Nate Orchard continued to impress with a solid mix of speed and power off the edge. The defensive end can turn the corner and dip the shoulder to win versus offensive tackles.
• Norfolk State outside linebacker Lynden Trail (6’6”, 262 pounds) had an interception in team drills and also caught a touchdown pass when the Jaguars coaching staff gave him some reps at tight end. He's an interesting prospect to watch throughout the draft process.

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• Ladarius Gunter was around the ball again on Wednesday. The Miami product intercepted a pass in the red zone and also made a nice play on the ball when he squeezed the slant route versus former teammate Phillip Dorsett.
• Iowa defensive tackle Carl Davis was in the backfield again and flashed his pass-rush ability in one-on-ones. Outstanding week of practice for the former Hawkeye. Davis came down here to compete and took advantage of the opportunity to boost his draft stock.
• Stanford’s Ty Montgomery needed to make a play today. And he did that during red-zone one-on-ones when he froze the cornerback on the release to finish in the end zone.
• Wisconsin’s Rob Havenstein had a good week down in Mobile. The offensive tackle’s footwork is solid, and he can get kick-back off the line. Havenstein was coached well in Madison.
• Minnesota’s David Cobb was the top running back in Mobile this week given his size (5’11”, 229 pounds), running style and pass-protection ability. Plus, he can win matchups in the passing game. Pro-style back.
• Texas cornerback Quandre Diggs (5’9” 186 pounds) can play inside the numbers versus the slot, and he isn’t shy about setting his pads. He wants to mix it up.
• It's tough to get a good feel for the ability of Ohio State wide receiver Devin Smith. I know he can play, but the former Buckeye didn’t flash much on the field.
• Former Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall should be an immediate contributor on special teams as a rookie while he develops at cornerback. He competed all week after a position change. That’s not easy to do. A lot of potential there.

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• Miami tight end Clive Walford followed up his impressive day on Tuesday with another solid performance. He was a matchup issue for linebackers and safeties in the red zone all afternoon.
• Wide receivers Phillip Dorsett (Miami), Tyler Lockett (Kansas State) and Jamison Crowder (Duke) displayed the most speed and game-breaking ability from the slot this week.
• In my opinion, the Senior Bowl is the best event on the NFL calendar. Full pads and high-level competition with some of the best players in the country. I highly recommend making the trip down to Mobile next year.

Seven-year NFL veteran Matt Bowen is an NFL National Lead Writer for Bleacher Report.

Follow @MattBowen41