Senior Bowl 2012: Predicting Stats for Game's Top Players

The Senior Bowl is the last chance for many of the nation's top talents to show off their skills at game speed prior to the NFL draft.  However, the game is almost secondary to the week of practices at the hands of real NFL coaching staffs. NFL scouts flock to the week of practices to gain insight on how players respond to coaching and being pushed outside of their comfort zones.

The game is the culmination of the week of practices, and it's important primarily because it's the last impression these players will leave on the minds of NFL scouts against live competition.  In the past, many players have dramatically boosted their draft stock with strong Senior Bowl weeks, most recently Christian Ponder last year.

Click through the slideshow for predictions on the how the premier players will perform.

Kellen Moore

9/13, 132 yards, 1TD, 0 INT

Kellen Moore will go down as one of the greatest "small" school quarterbacks in college football history.  His career record of 50-3 is nothing short of stellar, and his individual accomplishments are similarly impressive, especially this year.  

Perhaps no one has more to gain at the Senior Bowl than Kellen Moore.  Despite his ample achievements on the blue turf of Boise St., he's projected as a late-round draft pick, with some projections even showing him going undrafted.  Moore needs to show that his small stature is not an issue and that he has the arm strength to make all of the NFL throws.  

I'm not sure how much converts he can win, but it's hard not to root for the guy.

Brandon Weeden

7/10, 141 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Brandon Weeden is probably playing in his final football game ever at the Senior Bowl.  A 28-year-old prospect with a lengthy injury history on his throwing arm from his baseball days will likely drive away most NFL teams and keep any who are interested from making a serious investment in him.

It's a shame too.  Weeden had a phenomenal season, and he clearly has all of the maturity and poise that one would expect of his higher age.  

I hope an NFL team gives Weeden a legitimate shot.  At the very least, he could be a very solid backup for five years or more.

Chris Rainey

3 carries, 30 yards, 4 receptions, 51 yards, 1 TD

Chris Rainey turned heads all week at Senior Bowl practice, primarily due to his staggering speed. He primarily worked out at wide receiver this week, but I wouldn't be surprised to see his get a couple carries too.

Rainey, like Percy Harvin before him, doesn't really fit neatly into a football position in terms of physical metrics.  However, he has so much talent that whatever NFL team grabs him will have a plethora of ways to use him at their disposal.

Marvin McNutt

4 catches, 71 yard, 1 TD

By all accounts, Marvin McNutt was the most polished of the wide receivers at the Senior Bowl.  McNutt showcased some great route-running and sure hands in practice—both qualities that indicate that he could play early in his NFL career and be effective. 

McNutt's one question mark is his speed.  His 40-yard dash time is expected to be somewhat underwhelming, but McNutt's stock shouldn't be hurt too much, as plenty of elite receivers in the NFL didn't post blazing 40 times.  

Melvin Ingram

5 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks

Melvin Ingram is an elite pass-rusher in the making.  He has all the physical tools to terrorize quarterbacks at the next level.  Ingram also has much to gain today, as a strong performance could help ensure he moves up into the top half of the first round of the draft.

Ingram's versatility is what wild drive NFL scouts crazy.  He played everything from defensive tackle to to stand-up edge rusher in college, meaning he could be valuable to both 4-3 and 3-4 schemes in the NFL.  Don't be surprised if Ingram climbs up into the upper echelons of the draft by April.