Senior Bowl 2011: Observations and How They Might Impact the Miami Dolphins
I really hesitate to put too much stock in the actual Senior Bowl game in Mobile, Alabama. The week of practice leading up to the game is far more important as scouts will tell you.
The game itself does not allow blitzing or press coverage, which is the equivalent of not having the three-pointer or fouls in basketball.
Quarterbacks are trying to gain some kind of chemistry with receivers that they have practiced with for just four days. Timing patterns should be called mistiming patterns.Running backs don't get enough carries to establish any kind of rhythm or sense of whether they are durable.
Terminology in play calls and protection schemes came from the Buffalo Bills' and Cincinnati Bengals' coaching staffs. For many players, it was probably equivalent to learning a foreign language without Rosetta Stone products.
The final score of 24-10 also didn't reflect the overall dominance of the South squad despite the North having arguably better talent.
For my part, watching a game on television, even when you rewind repeatedly, is frustrating because you often don't get a feeling for how certain units lineup and perform, especially the secondary.
Still, here are several observations from the game.
1. Von Miller
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Von Miller may have been the best player on the field as NFL Network analysts Charles Davis and Mike Mayock claimed, but I do have a concern.
Miller is small.
He officially measures at 6'2" 1/2 and 237 pounds, but he just looks slight in the upper body, especially the shoulders. More lanky than stout, Miller might be destined for the weak-side outside linebacker position. That happens to be Cameron Wake's position in Miami, and I wonder if Miller might not be a fit with the Dolphins. His stock might have risen to the top five or 10 of the draft regardless, after his great week in Mobile.
2. Titus Young
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Wide Receiver Titus Young is as fast as advertised, but I did notice that on two deep routes, he was more than covered adequately by University of Miami cornerback Demarcus Van Dyke. The Hurricanes defender only goes about 170 pounds yet seemed to have a distinct physical advantage over Young.
I see Young as a third or fourth round talent right now, but not higher as some have suggested. Miami should have some interest in the Boise State product. Still, Young is not in the mold of DeSean Jackson and might fit best in the slot.
3. Leonard Hankerson
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Conversely, Miami receiver Leonard Hankerson might be headed for the first round of the draft after a five catch, 100 yard performance. Hankerson still drops a few balls, but based on what I have seen, he has an understanding of how to run routes and use his body to catch the ball and shield himself from defenders.
He might be more of a consistent go-to playmaker than Alabama's Julio Jones at this point, and Jones is projected to be a top-15 pick.
Hankerson doesn't have deep speed and doesn't really fit with the Dolphins, but he is a player clearly on the rise.
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4. A Trio of Running Backs
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Three running backs showed me something on Saturday. Louisville's Bilal Powell is a one-cut, North-South runner that is going to get some tough yards. Kentucky's Derek Locke has the speed to the outside that the Dolphins don't have. I'd consider drafting both players.
One more late round prospect to consider is Maryland tailback Da'rel Scott. He is a bit "straight-linish" with his speed, but he has a burst and is thick in his lower half (thighs), which is a good quality for an NFL running back who takes a ton of hits to this area. His pass reception on a checkdown that went for 34 yards showed that he can get down the field in a hurry.
Running back Noel Devine was a disappointment not because of his speed, but because my six pound Yorkshire Terrier looked like she could tackle him. One innocent, soft tackle took the 5'7", 160 pound Devine back three yards.
5. The Quarterback Quandry
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Christian Ponder, the game's MVP, was the most NFL ready quarterback in Mobile, and that's not a great thing. Forget for a moment that Ponder has elbow or shoulder concerns that will effect his draft status.
He showed maturity in his decision making, especially when he looked off a safety and threw a strike to TCU's Jeremy Kerley for a touchdown. The problem is that Ponder shouldn't have outplayed the likes of Jake Locker or even Colin Kaepernick, but yet, he did.
Locker looked very unsure of who was open at times, and as Mayock expertly pointed out, his base (positioning) of his feet is way too narrow before becoming wide at his release point. A fair analogy that Mayock mentioned is that he looks like a baseball infielder; particularly, he looks like a shortstop or third baseman making that long throw to first. As a result, Locker's passes sail, which will lead to tipped throws and interceptions in the pros.
Kaepernick is the most exciting quarterback prospect because he has a Howitzer cannon for an arm, which he often showed on throws to Ohio State wideout Dane Sansenbacher.
Unfortunately, Kaepernick is still somewhat of a run-first quarterback that gets impatient in the pocket (the North's supposedly vaunted offensive line didn't help much in keeping the pocket in tact).
He is also raw in his reads and progressions. Kaepernick may not be as ready to throw to receivers before they make their breaks as some other draft-eligible quarterbacks.
However, his physical skills are so superior that he makes a ton of sense for Miami in the second or third round if he lasts that long (and the Dolphins pick up a second-rounder in April's draft).
6. The O-Line
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Speaking of the struggles of the North's offensive line, it was clearly not a good day for the grunts in general, especially Boston College's Anthony Castonzo and Mississippi State's Derek Sherrod. Castonzo was given an excuse for his poor play by the television analysts, suggesting that he was was playing guard instead of left tackle where he belonged.
I don't buy it.
Castonzo was beaten by the simple bull rush, couldn't pull and reach his defender, and he looked stiff at several points.
There is even more of a difference of opinion on the play of Sherrod. Davis and Mayock saw some great blocks. I saw an offensive lineman who nearly fell over on two speed rushes. If I didn't know better, I would have said Sherrod was playing on roller skates as he backpedaled.
If Miami takes any offensive lineman in the first round, I would think it would be Wisconsin's Gabe Carimi, who was hurt and did not play on Saturday.
7. Cameron Jordan and Phil Taylor
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At 6'4", 287 pounds Cal's Cameron Jordan looks to have the ability to play as a 4-3 defensive tackle or a 3-4 defensive end.
Miami would appear to be set at defensive end in their 3-4 with Kendall Langford, Randy Starks, Jared Odrick and maybe even Tony McDaniel (if he re-signs as a free agent). Still, Jordan being selected in the top half of the first round would push another player down to the Dolphins's draft slot.
If you want a sleeper for Miami to take a look at, I suggest you take a long look at Baylor defensive tackle Phil Taylor. At 6'4", 337 pounds he can move suprisingly well, and I watched one play where he took the offensive guard on a bull rush and flung him to the ground with one hand. Even if Miami keeps Paul Soliai in free agency, Taylor is worth a shot if his physical attributes at a traditionally thin nose tackle position don't push his draft stock up too far.
8. One Great Play
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I mentioned that watching defensive back play on television is often an exercise in futility, but perhaps one of the best plays I saw on Saturday was when Texas cornerback Curtis Brown closed on a short pass in the flat and absolutely crushed the receiver.
If Brown can continually make that kind of reaction, he might be just as good of an NFL prospect as his much more heralded Longhorn teammate, junior Aaron Williams. The Miami Dolphins have many more pressing needs than cornerback, but Brown, like Phil Taylor, is a name to keep in the back of your mind during a later round where best available athlete is a pretty good philosophy to have.
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